Last of the Summer Days

Thursday 28^th August

An almost full attendance on the last Thursday of (metrological) summer. Ten of the team enjoyed the late summer sun in the morning, but with a few rain showers and a chilling breeze, there was certainly an autumnal feeling to the day.

Two groups were in action. The larger group of six headed for Little Buckland. Here Ian and Martin trimmed the access ramp from the road. Meanwhile, Polly, Peter, Nigel and Andrew took the tipper transit (well three did – one walked) a little further north to place some spent ballast and other infill on top of the section of twinwall pipe we laid in the down side toe ditch a little while ago. (Link) 

Twinwall pipe in toe ditch now buried. (This stops sunshine degrading the plastic).

All six of the group then combined to start our annual programme of clearance and visual inspections of the culverts and cross drains. The honour of the first candidate this year fell to cross drain 5A. This required very little in the way of clearance; as we had visited this four weeks ago to improve the outflow ditch. Our report from a year ago contained the observations “flowing well” and “water too deep to photograph through the bore”. What a change this year – no water at all, not even any damp spots in the inlet or outlet ditches.

Inlet of 5A showing a tide mark when in wet periods water pools as the bottom of the twinwall pipe is several inches above the base.

Polly (l) and Peter acknowledge the approaching up train at Little Buckland bridge. End of summer - so with advance preparation we have a loco fitted with snow ploughs! (26043, one time D5343, looking splendid after its major overhaul and repaint.)

So then a swift move on to cross drain 5B. This did need more vegetation clearance on the up (outlet) side. Another task here was the backfilling of the up side headwall with more of the spent ballast and spoil we had brought. We determined the safest and quickest method was to shovel the material from the bed of the truck into buckets; then to use a chain gang to pass the buckets over the running line and down the embankment for careful emptying in the voids. We completed this well within the 45 minute gap between the down train passing and the next up train departing Toddington. Filling the gaps behind headwalls and the tops of wing walls reduces the risk to us or other lineside workers of broken ankles or other injures from trapping feet in the gap.

Three men went to mow - left to right Ian on brushcutter, Nigel on hedge trimmer and Peter on rake. 5B up side outlet.

Clearance of the down side inlet of 5B was much less demanding. This was part of the major works undertaken last autumn and winter in conjunction with the adjoining land owner. Vegetation clearance here, and in the toe ditch between 5A and 5B was very straightforward. It was mainly grass with just a few lengths of bramble.

5A to 5B down side toe ditch -one year of growth but mainly grass.

The other group had a much more challenging clearance operation. This was to continue with the exposure of the down side toe ditch that runs back from the River Isbourne to the B4632 road bridge at Winchcombe. The fab four undertaking this were Roger, Dave, John and Jonathan. None of the team can remember when this ditch was last cleared – so not surprisingly the vegetation was dense. Even after this warm dry summer, in places this ditch was damp and in others the mud was quite deep. With out the exceptional dry summer this year, clearing this ditch would have been very difficult. In one spot there is a very deep puddle – possibly this is fed by a spring or from the adjoining industrial estate. We know that this ditch flows very strongly during wet periods and when the River Isbourne is in flood. Consequently we need to ensure that water is flowing out to the river without impediment to alleviate the effects of flooding on the industrial estate. Jonathan spent quite some time ensuring the length of twinwall pipe that takes the outlet of the ditch through the gabions beside the river was clear. During the afternoon, our fencing and clearance contractor visited, to assess how much of the down side embankment is accessible with his robot flail. What the robot can not handle will have to be dealt with by our colleagues in the Lineside Clearance team.

Looking towards the pipe under the river gabions. [Photo by Dave]

The 'coalface' - now about 30 yards away from the B4632 road. [Photo by Dave]

John rakes cut material from the floor of the ditch. [Photo by Dave]

A ring of sunlight highlights one of the team clearing the ditch. [Photo by Dave]

 

Wildlife report: The group at Little Buckland collectively spotted a trio of mammals – rabbit, hare and weasel. Or maybe the later was a stoat – it is difficult to tell these apart particularity when only glimpsed. Stoats are larger, they also have a longer tail with a black tip. Overhead a pair of buzzards were heard then seen – whilst robins and a wren were spotted in the boundary hedges. Loads of blackberries in the hedges, some now very large in size and delicious; plus a few sloes (not so delicious!) On the down side embankment near cross drain 5B is an apple tree, probably a Bramley. Some of the team took some of the fruit home with them. The Isbourne contingent spotted a sparrowhawk swooping over the embankment – no doubt taking advantage of the cleared section to spot prey.

Blackberries in the lineside hedge at Little Buckland.

Does this count as wildlife? A rat mounted on the lamp iron of the McRat 26043 - passing over the Isbourne bridge approaching Winchcombe.