Hot and hotter still in July

The chief blog writer was away for all of July, undertaking a practical study into applied fluid dynamics. Otherwise known as as canal & river cruise! Hence most of this catchup post comes from notes supplied by Dave.

Of course, other team members were also away on holidays, so several days were just a small core team.  

Tuesday 6th July 

Just 4 members of the team working today. The main task was continuing the build of the new headwall where culvert 25B enters the new junction to join culvert 25A on the up side at Working Lane. The other operation was to collect infill from Manor Lane, Gotherington to finally complete the backfill and levelling of the culvert 25A junction inlet headwall. This has used up most of the infill from Manor Lane.

Tuesday 13th July 

Hottest working day of the year so far. Five team members working today. We finished the build of culvert 25B junction inlet headwall at Working Lane. Just now needs backfilling.

Culvert 25B junction inlet headwall complete - mainly Michael's handiwork. Photo by Dave.

 

We retrieved a length of redundant pipe from the up side near culvert 27B at Gretton. This was where we inserted the new toe drain pipe back in May, alongside the neighbours property. We had thought further work might also be necessary here to level the soil where we inserted new pipes; however nature seems to have done the work for us and no further landscaping is now considered necessary. (Not often do we get a helping hand from nature!).

Vegetation starting to hide where we inserted a new toe drain, up side, Gretton. Photo by Dave.

 

We took a look at the section of ditch dug by our colleagues in the Wednesday Clearance team on the down side in Dixton Cutting. This takes water off the field, along the cutting crest and then down into culvert 32A (the flume). The ditch is still clear of vegetation. To ensure all the water running off the lowest part of the field is captured, we will extend the ditch about 15m north. Hard to image very heavy rain on a hot day like today.

The ditch dug by the Clearance team - good work. Come back for more digging please! Photo by Dave.

 

At the south portal of Hunting Butts tunnel we fitted bolts to the heavy metal lid on the manhole cover in the formation (it would be in the 6 foot between the tacks if they were still there). Hopefully, this together with the heavy concrete lids placed on top will deter any visitors from opening the manhole to take a look. At Far Stanley, we placed a line of posts along the slope on the up side where embankment movement was detected earlier in the year. These posts help monitor any further movement. We put in 9 posts, each 900cm from the edge of the track and 500cm apart. The height of the vegetation made it difficult to get them exactly in line. This sunny July following the damp June certainly is ideal conditions for weed growth!

Far Stanley embankment - good views toward the Malvern Hills once the growth is cut back. Photo by Dave.

 

Finally, we moved some materials up the haul road from Working Lane bridge to culvert 24A, in preparation for next week's start on building the new headwall on the exit side of the haul road.  

Tuesday 20th July 

Another temperature record today - beats last week by several degrees. In fact it was too hot for bricklaying, so the team decided on an early finish. Before the heat beat us, the five strong team made preparations for the new headwall build at culvert 24A. The necessary brushcutting was followed by clearing around the culvert outlet pipe to fit the collar to connect a new pipe to lead onward to the position of the new headwall. The ditch was widened on one side so that this new pipe could be fitted snugly into the collar rather than at an angle. A second length of pipe is on site to further extend the pipe fully to the position of the new headwall; we will also use a collar from our stock at Winchcombe. So, proper construction start put back one week.

First section of the new pipe for 24A under the haul road. The old sleeper marks the edge of the haul road. Very little water flowing in the culvert today. Photo by Dave.

One of the best spots on the line for lunch - but only available to lineside workers! Sunshade and picnic table are not in our regular set of tools. Photo by Dave.

 

Tuesday 27th July 

Finally we started laying the concrete blocks and bricks for the culvert 24A haul road exit headwall. First of all, we connected the second length of pipe using a collar. This took the outflow as far as the intended position of the head wall and enabled building to commence. Meanwhile, two tipper loads of infill were collected from Manor Lane (that really is the last of the piles from there) and used to support the pipes between the outlet and the new head wall. The number of courses of bricks we could lay was limited by the amount of water at the base; by lunch time we had got to the point where we needed to let the mortar set in these lower courses before more bricks could be laid. So after lunch we returned to Winchcombe to shift the new delivery of cement bags under cover. The weather forecast is this hot dry spell will come to an end in the next day or so.

Extending the 24A haul road pipe to the site of the new headwall. Photo by Dave.

First block and brick courses of the 24A haul road exit headwall. Will be needing quite a bit of backfill here - good job there is plenty at Stanton  Yard. Photo by Dave.

Flaming June (mainly)

 Continuing the catch up of the team's activities over the summer of 2021, we first have June.

Tuesday 1st June

Four team members in today for the hottest working day so far this year. Progressed the building on the new culvert 25A headwall at Working Lane, by the end of the day there were only two brick courses to complete.

Almost complete, the headwall for 25A inlet to the junction pipes. Built using reclaimed imperial size bricks to match the invert.

 

Cutting bricks to fit an creates a lot of dust - Roger models the essential FFP3 mask.

 

High mileage up side wing wall of bridge 25 repointed up to head height and another row of bricks relaid on the end of the wall. 

 

Andrew and Nigel repointing the up side high mileage wing wall of Working Lane bridge, well at least the courses within reach. [Photo by Roger].

Despite the heat, there was no brick laying on culvert 25B ditch headwall, still too much water coming down. There is more flow in this than there is in culvert 25A. We built a temporary dam and pipes in the 25B ditch so it should dry out in time for next week.   

Temporary arrangement to keep the working area on the 25B junction inlet dry.

 

 

Evidence of previous navvies - Dave holds a well rusted spade head found in the undergrowth.

The wet weather in the proceeding week also has contributed to some standing water alongside the haul road up to Royal Oak. Most probably when the haul road was put in it stopped water draining into the ditch by the up side fence line. We have a task on the list to insert some pipes under the haul road at strategic spots.

Today's wildlife spot - a dove sunning herself on the aggregate pile. Great camouflage!

 

Thursday 3rd June

Not so hot and not so sunny. Two members of the team on duty today to progress the internal visual examinations of the smaller culverts. The very small ones are officially classified as cross drains.

35006 P&O passing the truck north of Hayles Abbey

 

Culvert 15A down side (Cotswold side), this is the inlet. A good example of original arch with very slightly tapered bricks.

Similar arch on the down side of culvert 14B. Note the original bricks are not 'true blues', some have a reddish tint to them.

Tuesday 8th June

Five team members present today. Continued with work at Working Lane, Gretton. We finished the brickwork on the new culvert 25A junction inlet headwall. Also added concrete infill for the hollow blocks - this makes for a really strong construction. We started the infill behind the headwall. Some of the material for this came by levelling the ground by the wing wall of the bridge. Other infill was brought by truck from a surplus pile at Manor Lane, Gotherington.

Choosing shady spots, Nigel repointing the wing wall and Roger finishing off the headwall for culvert 25A.

 

Job almost done - culvert 25A headwall, just needs some more infilling.

The lack of rain in the past week finally enabled us to start the construction of the new headwall on the inlet to the junction pipes from culvert 25B. Even so we needed to fix the temporary pipes and bale out the working area before starting. 

Out in the hot sun, Michael gets the first row of blocks for culvert 25B inlet headwall into place.

 

At least from 25B you can see the trains - just! 7903 Foremarke Hall passes tender first to Cheltenham.

Also completed was the repointing of all the easily reachable parts of bridge 25 up side high mileage wing wall. The higher courses will require suitable 'working at heights' platforms (not ladders!).

Sitting down on the job!Andrew undertakes ground level wing wall pointing. [Photo by Roger]

 

Working spots in the shade of the bridge and embankment were in demand!

Tuesday 15th June

Six team members in today to progress the work at Working Lane.

We put some more backfill against the culvert 25A new headwall - it is going to take a lot more.

Infill collected from Gotherington is offloaded through the fence to the new 25A junction inlet headwall.

 

We repointed most of the walls and invert of the original brick channel of culvert 25A under Working Lane bridge, after clearing the invert of silt and debris.

 

Andrew and Martin repointing the brick invert of culvert 25A under Working Lane bridge. Probably the coolest spot for working today! [Photo by Roger]

We completed the rebuild of the up side high mileage wing wall - using a recovered coping stone from the Winchcombe yard supply; so a slightly different size. 

Roger measuring up prior to fitting the last of the replacement coping stones on the up side high mileage wing wall of bridge 25.

 

Out in the sun, we progressed the new culvert 25B headwall on the junction pipe to the top level of the pipe. Hot working in the sun - so the choice spot was under the bridge working in the invert! Usually that requires wellies or waders.

Today's progress on the culvert 25B junction inlet headwall. Now well above water level.

Thursday 24th June

Five team members present today, continuing with the work at Working Lane, Gretton.

We progressed the build of the new headwall for culvert 25B entering the junction pipes on the up side.

Michael continues brick laying on culvert 25B junction inlet headwall. Note how the width of the wall is exactly 4 bricks - we have a precision designer!

 

We continued backfilling the new culvert 25A headwall using more material from Manor Lane, Gotherington. Amazing just how much backfill these headwalls require! Also we mixed some concrete to form a smooth base between the end of the old brick invert and the new wall below the plastic pipe.

Culvert 25A new headwall backfill almost complete.

A frog's eye view from within the brick invert of culvert 25A - with the concrete infill under the plastic pipe just showing.

 

Whilst loading infill at Manor Lane, Gotherington, the first up (northbound) train of the day behind 7903 Foremarke Hall passes.

We erected first (lowest) post for fence on the high mileage up side wing wall. The others will require some working at height safety measures to proceed.

Nigel fixing the lowest replacement wing wall fence post, up side, high mileage. Note the repointing and rebuilt copings.

 

Pointing of the 25A brick invert channel under the bridge was completed. Diagonally across the bridge, so down side low mileage, we started - and almost completed - the replacement of broken/damaged bricks on the wing wall. A job that has been on our task list for quite a while.

Down side low mileage wing wall, lower courses replaced with recovered imperial engineering bricks. Upper courses to be dealt with next time.

 

Additionally two of the team visited Hunting Butts south portal and replaced the metal cover on the manhole in the six foot. Will return later with a battery drill to fix down properly with some bolts.

Tuesday 29th June 

Six members of the team working today, once again at Working Lane.

We completed the spalling and pointing repairs to down side low mileage wing wall of bridge 25. At least the area that can be reached from the ground. We also removed some ivy and other greenery growing on the up side wing walls - but left the buddleia which is out of reach. 

Bridge 25 down side low mileage wing wall - almost as good a new.

 

Yet more backfill added to behind the new headwall of culvert 25A - probably another load or two will finish that and clear the pile from Manor Lane. (I think we thought that last week too!).

That must be the last of the infill for culvert 25A junction inlet headwall. It looks level enough!

 

We progressed the build of the culvert 25B junction inlet headwall - all concrete blocks in place and just two rows of bricks and copings to go. 

Culvert 25B junction inlet headwall, concrete blocks at final level. Just two more row of bricks to go. These are new metric blues, as this is well clear of existing structures.

 And so we ended a productive month.  Working Lane is an agreeable place to be in the summer!

Drainage team is still active!

Yes the drainage team is still very much alive and active, despite lack of blog activity!

Since the last posting on this blog, the team has undergone a few changes. Stu, who was the Head of Department prior to the merger to form the Estates Management Department, has moved to C&W Carriage Cleaning (and helping restore the Thames & Severn Canal). Dieh and Michael have both unfortunately retired on medical grounds, hopefully temporarily. New recruit Polly has joined the team, as a professional brick layer he has substantially increased the rate of construction. The other five team members are Roger, Nigel, Dave, Martin and Andrew.

Here is the first blog post to catch up with the activities since the second week of May.

Tuesday 11 May

Main job was to start filling in the new toe drain ditch at Culvert 27B up side at Gretton. We spoke with the owner of the adjoining land and agreed the path for the barrow run. We put planks down near the gate to minimise damage from barrow wheels. The land owner thought the wet area near his fence was slowly drying out - it was hard to tell as there had just been quite a heavy shower and thus rainwater puddles. Water was flowing well down the new ditch.

Water flowing into the culvert 27B exit ditch from both the new toe drain pipes.

We installed bricks and slabs at the point where the side ditches are collecting water from the embankment and the garden. Most flow is from the garden - quite possibly this is a groundwater spring which previously had flowed into the blocked green plastic land drain. We collected two loads of pea gravel (about 1 and quarter dumpy bags) and some bigger chippings from Gotherington yard, then filled the ditch above the new pipes with this. Placed the bigger chippings and assorted half bricks and other hardcore at the ends of the pipe - and reused some of the old clay pipes. Then roughly infilled with the excavated earth/clay. 

Pea gravel covering the plastic pipes in the new ditch, area under gate where on pipe connects to land drain on neighbours property

On first visit to Gotherington yard we spotted two sheep and five lambs on the track. Reported to Winchcombe signalbox, however the first down train has just departed there. Cajoled the sheep over to the up side and they scampered back to the field through a gap in the fence by culvert 33A.We checked no other animals present before train arrived, then make temporary repair to the fence using a length of green rope we had on our truck.

Very temporary repair to a hole in the lineside fence at Gotherington, at least it keeps the sheep out.

After passing of last up train we inspected the area of the embankment at Far Stanley where movement had been detected. This area approximately coincides with the highest point of the surrounding land on both sides. The land on the down side has pronounced medieval ridge and furrow farming patterns which are almost at right angles to the embankment. On the down side there is a toe drain running for the whole of this length, this is post BR construction. On the up side there is no drain, and the area is historically known to be damp.

 

Tuesday 18 May

Four team members in today. Two first went to Toddington to investigate reports of soil being washed down the cutting side under the down side of the Stow Road bridge. Looks like this has been ongoing for a while. The source is the road above, which may be worse now it has been resurfaced. The runoff goes under the side arch of the bridge where there is no vegetation and thus is carving gullies in the soft soil. We cleared the muck of the top of the S&T cable concrete ducts. The cess is damp under the bridge. We discovered a Salt Glazed pipe further back (low mileage) on the cutting side, about half way up and directly in line with the S&T junction cabinets. This maybe a land drain from the adjoining field.  Further investigations and formulating a plan to get this run off into the down side cess drain are required. Looks like not a straight forward job.

Stow Road Toddington, down side arch. Water run off from the road above is gradually eroding the soft soil here.

Main event was the start of construction of the new headwalls at Working Lane. There was too much water flowing in the 25B outlet ditch to start that one. Will need to wait for drier conditions or build a more substantial temporary dam and bypass.

 

Working Lane up side where culvert 25B exit channel is now piped to join 25A. We will construct a new headwall here, but too much water flowing today to make a start.

 For culvert 25A, which is the brick channel under the bridge, we laid the first few courses, using recycled concrete blocks from Royal Oak (down side) and blue imperial bricks. Not the easiest of sites to work on - particularly with having to cut many of the blocks to fit.

Picture by Roger. First new bricks laid for over 14 months by the team. This is the start of the new headwall where culvert 25A is now piped beside the lane to the junction with 25B outlet.

 

 

End of day one on the 25A junction inlet headwall construction.

 Tuesday 25 May

Seven team members attending - making this the largest attendance since start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two of us met with the Bridges Engineer and Structures Chief to agree the logistics of the visual inspections to be undertaken by the drainage team this year. Basically this covers the structures classified as cross drains and culverts apart from those that will be subject to external detailed inspection.

Then Andrew joined Estates Management HoD Mike visiting Hunting Butts where the fencing contractors are now working on the down side crest. The crest drain ditch is coping reasonably well with the run off from the field. The contractors reported that towards the tunnel the ditch had almost emptied overnight after rain had stopped. Towards the station the ditch contained more water, agreed that the contractors would use their digger to deepen this slightly and remove tree roots. 

Down side crest ditch at Hunting Butts, new fence in background. This was flowing slowly!

Back at Working Lane, the other team members continued work on culvert 25A headwall at Working Lane and started repairs to the high mileage up side wing wall on bridge 25. It was still impossible to start work on the new headwall of the 25B to 25A junction, as too much water flowing there. Not surprising after almost two weeks of rain every day.  First load of infill collected from Manor Lane Gotherington and placed behind the new brick/block courses.

 

25A junction inlet headwall, brick and block courses now well above the water level. Working here you hear trains but don't see them.

The wing wall repairs involved removing the lower two rotten wing wall fence posts. Once the coping stones are back in, we can fit new posts and horizontals. 

Roger attends to Working Lane bridge up side high mileage wing wall.

 

 

Our wildlife find today - slow worms. One scuttled off quickly, but the other stayed for a photo!