Heading South

Thursday 5^th November

Three groups of three today, all heading vaguely south from Winchcombe.

Martin (J), Dee, and Peter departed promptly the short distance to the cutting leading to the low mileage portal of Greet Tunnel. Here they cleared the vegetation around the cess chambers on both sides of the line between Greet Road bridge and the tunnel. They also cleared around the crest chambers by the boundary fence on the down (Cotswold) side. The reason for the prompt departure was an attempt to get this task completed before the arrival of a photo charter train. Unfortunately the photo charter also was on an early start. Hence some shenanigans to keep orange hi-vis cloaked folk out of the way of pictures of a BR black locomotive and ‘blood & custard’ carriages.

Jonathan, Phil and John headed further south, to Two Hedges Road at Bishops Cleeve. Their job was to prune the vegetation that was growing on the narrow bits of railway land between the road bridge (40) and the footbridge (39Z). That on the roadside was beginning to impinge on the carriageway.

Before trimming - north (Malvern) side of Two Hedges Road. [Photo by Jonathan]

Phil on traffic management duty. [Photo by Jonathan]

After trimming - the south (Cotswold) side of Two Hedges Road. [Photo by Jonathan]

Nigel, Dave and Andrew were the third group, their destination was Working Lane. First task was clearing around the cess chambers and the two crest chambers between the top of the haul road by the Royal Oak and the high mileage portal of Greet Tunnel. Next it was clearing around the two chambers and one headwall of culvert 24A – this one is due for a detailed inspection later in the year by our external consultants. Then whilst Dave and Andrew attended to the down side inlets of cross drain 24B and culvert 24C, Nigel tackled the very overgrown outlet of 24B.

The photo charter train did not venture south of Greet Tunnel, so only a crest chamber in this picture! [Photo by Dave]

The intermediate chamber of 24A. All that vegetation has grown up in the 18 months since we built this structure.

The access down the embankment to the 24C inlet - the tree growth prevents brambles and other undergrowth establishing here.

Martin (J), Dee, and Peter came over from the other end of the tunnel in time for lunch. After lunch, all six finished off the clearing on 24B outlet ditch and then worked on the outlet of 24C, This includes the long ditch leading to the grill under the boundary fence. Access to that is now more difficult, as a lot of the debris recently cleared from the old garden centre at Toddington has now migrated to the area at the foot of the haul road.

Peter in the deep outlet ditch of 24B.

Our old friend the final outlet grill of 24C! But this is the lowest water level we have ever seen here - it is below the level of the outlet pipe.

Peter demonstrates just how low the water is by standing in the 24C outlet ditch by the exit grille. [Photo by Dave]

A bit further back up the ditch, Martin (J) rakes out the cut vegetation. [Photo by Dave]

Wildlife report: For a dull, damp, grey and chilly day typical of November, we saw a surprising variety of wildlife. First was a very close encounter with the friendly robin in Winchcombe Yard – he/she even being brave enough to investigate the inside of the Forestry container. Not quite so tame were a pair of magpies. At Gretton, more robins were attracted by our work. We also spotted some gold finches and a sparrow hawk. On the ground, we had a fleeting glimpses of a weasel and a muntjac deer. The recent wet spells have resulted in some significant fungi growth; including some large flat topped specimens growing in the centre of the vacant trackbed.

Eleven divided into three

Thursday 29th October

Three work sites today, with eleven of the team attending. Hence two groups of three and one of five. (Three groups of 3.66666 recurring does not work well!)

Peter, Martin (S), Dee, Ian and Laurence formed the large group. Their task was more clearance on the former garden centre site at Toddington. The main object was to clear the vegetation from both sides of the fence which formerly separated the garden centre from the area behind the toilet block. They also recovered a large rectangular concrete chamber ring, probably left behind on our site by the house builders next door. This group had the use of the LWB Transit pickup fitted with a tail lift. So they journeyed to and from Toddington along the track bed, enabling delivery and collection of tools and materials for the second group.

Roger, Phil and Nigel formed the second group. Their task was the repointing of cracked brickwork at the entrance and exit of culvert 17B. Roger started with the repointing at the inlet end (down or Cotswold side of the line). Nigel and Phil began removing the accumulated silt at the outlet end (up or Malvern side of the line). This was causing the water in the bore to pond near the exit; initially this was over a foot deep. This was extremely heavy work, shovelling the silt into buckets; then hauling the buckets up and emptying the contents as infill behind the headwall. They probably removed over a ton of material – for which they both deserve hero’s medals. The result was impressive, the water level dropped by about 9 inches. This allowed Roger to work on the cracks at the exit end. As with quite a few of our culverts (and cross drains), there will always be some pooling water in the bore as the exit ditches beyond our boundary are obstructed.

Low mileage down side (inlet) of 17B after repointing. [Photo by Roger]

Nigel fills another bucket of wet heavy silt at the exit of 17B. [Photo by Roger]

Finally, Andrew, John and Stuart were the third group. They continued with our annual programme of culvert & cross drain clearance and visual inspects. Today it was was just two structures, cross drains 20B and 20C at Chicken Curve. Whilst neither of these are large; they involve a lot of clearance work. 20B has two long inlet ditches running from both low mileage cess drains. Whilst 20C has a large apron on the inlet side – this was full of grass growing on a bed of silt. Interestingly the stream which feeds 20C, alongside the orchard, was bone dry. However, the cess drains and ditches that feed 20B showed signs of very recent flow. No doubt this was the run off from the three storms in the last week (Austen, Boelo and one unnamed). This just shows how important cess drains are to ensure the trackbed stays dry and stable.

Stuart removing moss from the mortar joins in the outlet headwall of 20B.

John and Stuart take a break from clearing the inlet of 20B.

2807 heads a down train at Chicken Curve.

We could not resist another photo of black five 45110, especially when hauling the blood & custard set of carriages.

 

Wildlife report: At Chicken Curve we heard a woodpecker – but with out a visual sighting could not confirm the exact species. The swarms of flies are still about – attracted to the white vehicles and other reflecting surfaces. We also noted a ladybird. Along the top of the embankment at Chicken Curve there is plenty of yellow toadflax (linaria vulgaris), also variously known as butter-and-eggs, wild snapdragon, or flaxweed. The north west corner of the orchard has a very good reed bed – but we did not have the time to wait to see if there are reed buntings or bearded tits nesting there.

Yellow toadflax (linaria vulgaris)

A sunny interlude

Thursday 22^nd October

With named storms Austen and Boelo due to blow in over the weekend, and a couple of days of continuous and occasionally heavy rain at the beginning of the week, we were luck to have a rain free and sunny day. Observing how our ditches, drains, and culverts cope during or just after wet spells is very interesting and informative. And some time unexpected.

Today we carried on working on the Defford straight, with three structure inspections and clearance and several odd jobs. When trains are running working on this section, from Hayles Abbey Halt south to Chicken Curve requires some careful planning. The reason is that there are very few places to safely park a vehicle the required safe distance from the running line; particularity the Transit pick ups with rear wheel drive. The Rangers and Isuzu with their four wheel drive are better, we can get them off the vacant track bed in some places after checking the ground and cutting the grass and brambles. So today, after dropping the two teams at their work sites, Jonathan and Martin (S) took the vehicles on to Toddington before the first down (Cheltenham bound) train departed.

Nigel, Dave and Andrew were the southern most group. They cleared and inspected culvert 20A, and cross drains 19B and 19A. There was nothing flowing through 20A, but both the inlet and outlet ditches were damp. In contrast 19B, which is only just the other side of Old Farmers Accommodation Bridge (20) was bone dry. We expected 19A to be dry as well, but found the outlet ditch damp. The inlet side revealed that the recent flow was all from the down side cess; which indicates that is working well. Ian joined the group, after some workshop time repairing a hedge cutter.

Inlet of 20A, field drain outlet just visible at top. No flow today, but signs of recent water.

Peter and Roger’s initial task was on the inlet chamber of cross drain 18A, which is just on the high mileage of New Farmers Accommodation Bridge (19). This was silt removal and some minor repointing inside the chamber, something that had been on our ‘to do’ list for quite some time. So now crossed off. Unfortunately, whilst there they investigated the toe drain running south – it appears to have some obstructions. So one job off the list; another added!

The block toe drain leading into 18A. [Photo by Roger]

After returning from Toddington with the vehicles (and parking the Transit pick up at Hayles Abbey Halt); Jonathan and Martin (S) cut some steps to improve access at the larger culvert 17B.

Jonathan cutting steps at 17B. [Photo by Martin(S)]

The groups combined to undertake a rod through of 19A. Only a minor amount of silt and some straw came out. But the large diameter plunger end of the road also pushed out quite a bit of water, which indicates the pipe has a bit of dip in it. Whilst rodding was underway, Roger used up his bucket of mortar on another small repointing task.

Roger repointing, whilst Martin (S), Ian and Peter assemble the length of drain rods at 19A.

Last track-side job was to determine the amount of repointing required inside the arch of culvert 17B. Fortunately this is just inside the entrance and exit; but at the exit there is some pooling water which is more than ‘boot’ deep. So some silt removal will be required first.

The pond at the exit end of 17B which will need removing before we attend repointing.

We returned to the mess room in Churchward House for a late lunch. Whilst it was a dry and sunny day; the wind was picking up. After lunch some of the group stayed on to do a bit of tidying up in Winchcombe Yard.

Like with a lot of volunteers on the railway, Stanier Black 5 45110 has been a big hit. We love that hooter than can be heard miles away.

Wildlife report: A pair of dunnocks and a pair of robins were serenading us whilst at Old Farmers Accommodation Bridge. And the skylarks were soaring above the fields – and they were singing away too. Several pheasants were clacking away too; quite a few of their feathers were on the track-side. We also spotted buzzards, red kites and crows, and another flock of finch like birds. One day we will get a closer look to positively identify them. First thing on arrival, some of the team spotted a large roe deer bounding across the line near Hayles Abbey Halt.

Evidence of pheasants.

Little and large

Thursday 15^th October

A ten strong team today to continue with our annual programme of clearance and visual inspections of culverts and cross drains. The increased team size also enabled us to undertake vegetation clearance around cess chambers and a few other odd task. Didbrook No2 bridge (16) was the starting point for today’s work as we progress southwards.

Roger, Jonathan and Phil started by tackling the chambers on the cess drains that start south of culvert 16C. These run south, through Hayles Abbey Halt where there is a very short section in the old 6 foot, to discharge in the stream that flows under bridge 17A. The lids of one chamber were dislodged, so they had to be recovered from inside and replaced. A couple of chambers had some minor silting, so the group used a long handled grab to clear them.

Lids recovered and silt removed from an up side cess chamber. [Photo by Roger]

Peter, Nigel, Martin (S), Martin (J) and Stuart commenced with the clearance of cross drains 16A and 16B – two of our smaller structures. Meanwhile, Dee and Andrew climbed down to the road beneath Didbrook No2 bridge (16) to clear a cess drain outlet and the roadside gullies. As the leaf fall increases, keeping these gullies clear mitigates against floods across the road.

Neat, tidy and dry. The down side inlet of 16B, which just carries the out flow from the cess/toe drain. The up side outlet of 16B is piped under the garden of the adjoining property.

Dee clears a roadside gully at Didbrook No2 bridge.

After a coffee break, the clearing and inspecting team moved on south of Hayles Abbey. Here is structure 17A, which is large enough to be considered a bridge rather than a culvert. Hence the inspection is the responsibility of the bridges team, but we keep the vegetation down and the inlet and outlet channels clear.

Nigel, Martin (J) and Peter busy on the up side of bridge 17A.

Whilst on the down side of 17A, Martin (S) and Stuart take a breather whilst waiting for a down train to pass.

 

Thirteen chains further is culvert 17B. The bore size is six inches smaller than 17A, so this is a culvert and is on our list to inspect. There was no flow in the stream, and just a very shallow puddle of water at the exit. This enabled a closer inspection of the ends of the bore allowing us to take a look at some of the cracks that the last detailed survey of the structure highlighted. If the dry weather continues in the next couple of weeks, we plan to fill the smaller cracks with mortar. Then next year we will be able to see if those cracks are still growing.

Three of the team start clearing the access paths to 17B. Winchcombe down fixed distant signal is in the background.

Jonathan by the inlet of 17B, which shows how high the arch of the bore is. No doubt some wag will make a comment about billy goats and trolls!

2807 passes over 17B with a down train. 

Whilst Dee, Stuart, Martin (S), Martin (J) and Jonathan were occupied with 17B, Peter, Nigel and Andrew worked on cross drain 18A just south of New Farmers Accommodation Bridge (which is bridge 19). 18A is another small structure and is easily accessible by the bridge wing walls. It does however have some of the old thick and very heavy concrete lids on both the inlet and outlet chambers. Apart from the stream at 17A and the cess outlet by Didbrook No2 bridge, all the water courses we examined and cleared today were bone dry. This is certainly the direst summer and autumn the team have known.

Wildlife report: Today the highlights included a weasel at Didbrook and a hare in the Defford straight cutting south of Hayles Abbey Halt. In the air we spotted several red kites, lots of crows, and a trio of skylarks. Whilst on the ground there were certainly signs of autumn. Lots of horse chestnuts (conkers) and walnut shells at Didbrook, and even a whole walnut under a cess chamber cover. Most likely a local squirrel has been busy. As expected for this time of year, most chambers contain spider webs; and quite a few are home to beetles and other insects.

Conkers.

Five go to Didbrook

Thursday 8^th October

Five of the team headed to Didbrook today. However, this was not an epic adventure as we were not that surprised at what we found. Nor did we have lashings of ginger beer!

First port of call was Toddington. The drainage system here is very complex. As well as the cess drain, which is in the six foot between the platforms, there are inlets from the car park, the loco shed area and the land on the down (Cotswold) side. As carriage washing takes place in the platforms, the cess drain never dries out even in a dry and hot summer. All these inputs meet up in chambers by the signal box. So this is where Martin (S), Dave and Andrew started inspecting. On previous inspections we had noted traces of foul air in some chambers; so this time we used our gas monitor for confirmation. Good news – the measurements of hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide and explosive gases were all zero. Not quite so good news is that one length of the down side cess appears to have an obstruction so will require rodding out. Martin (J) and Peter cleared the vegetation from the chambers at the rear of the signal box and then opened them up for inspection.

From the signal box, the drain is piped close to the boundary fence at the toe of the embankment. Approximately 120 yards further on, the pipe ends and the drain is then in an open ditch which flows to the inlet of cross drain 14A. On previous occasions we have encountered foul water here; so we take extra precautions when clearing around this exit. This includes wearing a FFP2 face mask and eye goggles as well as the forestry visor and helmet; disposable gloves and a plastic apron which are binned afterwards, and finally use of a disinfectant spray afterwards; particularity on our boots. This does make brush cutting hard! It was Andrew’s turn this year; with Martin (S) assisting with the disinfectant spray. They found a pool of water at the exit of the pipe, and a slight rotting vegetation smell.

Pooling water at the exit of the pipe from behind Toddington signal box.

 Meanwhile, about 100 yards further on, Martin (J), Dave and Peter were clearing the inlet of 14A. Here, there was a trickle of water running in from the low mileage ditch, and no foul smell. The outlet of 14A is outside of railway land on the far (Malvern) side beyond the narrow gauge railway.

14A inlet - a tall stack of concrete rings in the toe ditch.

Next the team tackled culvert 14B – one of the more challenging structures. One challenge is the steep slope down on both sides. Another challenge is that there is a deep pond on the outlet side, thus weed clearance is restricted to use of rakes from the bank. After the hot and dry summer; the water level was low. This enabled us to clearly see the deteriorating wing wall on the outlet; and to get a good view into the bore from the down (Cotswold) side inlet. Sorting this structure out is certainly going to be most challenging!

Dave, Martin (J) and Martin (S) examining the outlet of 14B.

Looking into the bore of 14B from the inlet side - usually water is too deep to take this shot.

As we packed up after lunch, the Broadway bound class 122 single unit DMU pass by.

3850 heads a down train past the14B marker posts.

 

After lunch, the team again split into two groups. Martin (J), Dave and Peter took on the clearance of culvert 15A – another one with steep climbs down the embankment sides. An additional constraint here is that there is insufficient width on the vacant up side trackbed to safely park a vehicle the required 3m away from the nearest running rail. Hence we take the equipment to this site in one vehicle, which then goes forward to a safe spot; and use a second vehicle to collect the gear.

Andrew and Martin (S) went forward in one of the vehicles to Didbrook No2 bridge to clear a safe parking space by mile post 10¼. Whilst there they also cleared and inspected culvert 16C. This is one of the smallest culverts on the line, and the one with the inlet closest to the running line. Today this stream that runs through it was bone dry. It was flowing slowly last autumn, so this shows that the drought this summer has had a greater effect.

16C inlet.

Wildlife report: The strangest sight today was a plague of flies which settled on the bonnet and cab of the white Transit van at Didbrook. They also seemed to be attracted to other white surfaces – like some parts of our brush cutters. Didbrook No1 bridge seems to be a good spot for bird watching. Over lunch we spotted buzzards, crows, robins, long tail tits, blue tits and a couple of unidentified little brown jobs. On the vegetational front; we found more wild hops on the up side by culvert 14B, whilst there is an extensive patch of wild mint around milepost 10. Growing in the centre of the vacant tracked at a number of places were some plants with small white start shaped flowers. Without our horticultural expert, our best attempt at identification is a variety of of Solanum (or nightshade). But is it black (nigrum) or red (villosum) or divine (nigrescens)?

Black, red, or divine nightshade - or something else?