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!