The dig at Stanton

Saturday 18 May 

Another wet start, first off we brought the rest of the pallet of bricks down so they are ready for starting on the up side cess headwall. 

Michael unloading the bricks 

Concrete footings have set 

That will teach Roger to have a day off 😉

Then the real work begins, only 3 of us here today, quite a difference from the 7 we had on Thursday. We concentrated on digging out the old salt glazed gully pipe, we're doing this early in the project to keep the track under the bridge drained. There's not much more to say about digging a pipe out, the pictures will tell the story. 

Alastair and Michael picking 

The gully drain end is wet 

First pipe out 

Alastair pump the water out after the digging is done 

The pipe in the barrow is how it was in the ground
(Photo: Alastair) 

Michael gently removes the only 2 good
pipes in the whole run 

Last bits coming out
(Photo: Alastair)

The north side wall top is cleared
(Photo: Alastair) 

Stuart digs out the end round the wing wall
(Photo: Alastair) 

The new twinwall pipe was dropped into the trench to check the length, we'll take some levels next week to make sure there is a fall on the pipe 

Gully at the end of the brick arch 

Pipes in the trench ready for cutting to size 

Outlet end, a bend needs to go on here 

The spoil heap is always a good reminder of how much has actually been dug out. This will be used later to backfill the new pipe on the down side cess. 

Not bad for couple of days work 

On the way out we dropped the new lids onto Chamber 3 on the down side crest. It's a shame all Michael's brick laying so far has been hidden by lids. 

Chamber 3 headers 

Chamber 3 with the lids in place 

Back at base there was a couple of surprises, first there was a bag of milepost number patterns, thanks to Eddie and the woodwork team. We now need to get some moulds made so that the numbers can be cast.  

What! no 6's 

James from the C&W metal work team has nearly finished the covers for the inlet end of the siphon at Culvert 7A. Next job is to take it up to Stanton for a trial fit and work out the best way to fix them onto the walls. 

2 cover sections hiding behind
some corridor connector sides 

Thanks again to the Carriage and Wagon volunteers for all their efforts, it's a great demonstration of the skills we can call on and the interdepartmental co-operation that thrives on the railway.