Stanton in the wet

Tuesday 7 May 

A bit thin on the ground today with Andrew and Michael on a First Aid course it just left someone fresh from holiday to hold the fort. Carriage & Wagon have done a lot of favours for us lately, so today was a chance to repay them by transporting two platform trolleys they had rebuilt to Broadway, these will add to the period atmosphere on the platform. 

Trolleys at Winchcombe waiting for a lift north 

Loaded one at a time 

Parked on Platform 1 for the Broadway group to fine it a home 

While in the vicinity, a pallet with 18 chamber lids was spotted on Platform 2, these may need to be recovered to Winchcombe for redeployment. 

Standard catchpit Lids 

It would have been churlish to pass Stanton without dropping in to see how the excavation went last week. It's rather a big hole! 

Stanton down side slope excavation 

Thursday 9 May 

Rather a damp day with rain blowing over every now and then. That didn't dampen the spirits of the gang, especially when the end of a stage is in sight. Michael carried on with chamber 3 rebuild while the rest of the team focused on the slope excavation.    

Chamber 3 almost at ground level 

Andrew and Roger fitting the replacement pipe
(Photo: Alastair) 

Joint concreted for added strength  

Once the pipe was in the backfilling could start, you dig them out then fill them in 😧 The pipe was surrounded with 10 mm shingle to help protect it. 

Dieh and Stuart loading peas shingle into the barrows
(Photo: Alastair) 

Roger and Andrew on the barrows 

Andrew levels the shingle 

Next layer is the slag blocks 

All hands to the pumps 

Backfilling completed 

That's one part of the job completed. 

Michael hasn't been forgotten, he had managed to get as far as doing the headers on the back wall, the rain had slowed the job down as trying to keep the mortar dry proved to be time consuming. 

Chamber 3 headers going on
(Photo: Alastair) 

We managed one last job before we left to dry out, that was shifting some scrap sleepers that have been buried in the undergrowth. These need to be moved so that we can start the repair of the up side cess outlet headwall just to the north of Bridge 11. Our Permanent Way colleagues will no doubt come and dispose of them when they get the chance. 

Timber sleepers moved out the way of the next job 

A quick plug here for the Cotswold Festival of Steam on the late May bank holiday (25 to 27 May). With 8 engines in steam and an intensive timetable it should be a great weekend. The GWR 2-8-0 Tank 4270 will be running, at 100 this year, it's older than most of our volunteers 😊 

Token exchange with 4270 at Toddington