It fell off in my hand

Saturday 1 June

Thanks to a tip-off, we did a bit of skip diving before we left the yard this morning so that a couple of lengths of bridge rail could be rescued for use in replacing mileposts.  

Bridge rail rescue operation 

Some GWR memorabilia at the other end 

Next it was full steam ahead up to Stanton, via a check-in at Toddington signal box, just in time to see the LNER B1 heading onto Train 1. It seems the B1 carries a spare set of springs on top of the tender.  

Spare springs, just in case 

Roger started on the down side cess headwall, filling the void between the old and new with concrete then adding the headers. 

Roger fills the void
(Photo: Alastair) 

Headers going on
(Photo: Alastair) 

Work in progress 

Build complete, some landscaping required to finish off 

Down under the bridge, work has started rebuilding the south side wall of Culvert 11A. Like many other jobs we tackle, what started as taking the headers off and adding 2 new courses has turned into a big rebuild. The usual issues have appeared, the mortar joints have broken down over the years with clay and soil getting in between the brick courses. 

First off, we dropped some concrete into the gully silt trap to form a base. 

New concrete floor 

Then Dave assembled the Mk 8 brick removal device, this was used to some effect between other jobs but it's still not getting rid of the small dam in the culvert. 

The ballast weight added to the Mk8 

Dave extracts the dislodged stones 

Internal view showing the obstructions and
some joints that need pointing 

Still more work required to break the dam 

Next more loose bricks needed to be extracted to eliminate any weak spots before rebuilding. 

Stuart removing a couple of bricks
(Photo: Alastair) 

The problem space, clay in the joints 

While the end of the arch was being dismantled, Roger started to replace the a few bricks in the lowest course, the rest seem to be stable. 

First steps in the reconstruction 

A small section of the south wall was left on Monday, it had been thought it would be stable enough to avoid rebuilding. The headers needed to come off to raise the height, but while removing the headers the whole section fell over, well that's the story voiced by the lump hammer operative. 'It just came off in my hand!'  

This last bit standing 

The last bit not quite standing 

Roger assess the next move, Dave removing spoil to the heap 

While all the deconstruction and rebuilding is happening, the bricks need to be cleaned ready for recycling back into the wall.

Alastair on brick cleaning 

Dave, beaten for today, dismantling the rods 

Back course is first in
(Photo: Alastair) 

The rebuild is going to be a complicated job, the curved base to the wall using wedge bricks will be the big challenge. The corner needs to be started from the back to support the curve as it is built. 

First stretch of the back course 

An unnamed operative admiring the expert header removal
(Photo: Alastair)  

The last bit of wall no longer standing 

By the end of the day, we had removed more bricks than we had put in. One step forward and two back still. At least we managed a consolation cuppa at the Coffee Pot Cafe on Winchcombe Station when we got back to unload. 

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