Signs of Spring

After our very wet, but short day, last week we did not have high expectations for this week. However, the weather was slightly better than forecast, just damp rather than wet, not too cold and even a few patches of blue sky and some brief sunny periods. Plus, we noted the first signs of spring.

Thursday 22^nd January

Eleven of the team reported for work today. The large number enabled a split into two teams heading for two completely separate work sites.

Jonathan, Dave, Roger, John and Martin headed south to Bishops Cleeve. The first task quickly undertaken was to check for any build-up of silt at the down side entry of culvert 39A. This is the one close to Pecked Lane foot crossing. It was flowing well, so no work was necessary here. When the flow eases off, we sometimes get a build up of silt in the entrance.

Next task for the team was to use the heavy duty brushcutters to shred the remaining cut vegetation on the up (Malvern) side cutting. There were three spots, one just before Two Hedges Road and two after. We are looking forward to seeing grass, rather than bramble or scrub, growing on this cutting.

Up side cutting south of Two Hedges Road looking towards Cheltenham. Much neater with the removal of cut vegetation. [Photo by Dave]

Further along, where the cutting transitions into an embankment, the group removed some damaged and redundant post and wire fencing. This is where the houses on Paget Road back onto the line, they now have their own fences. The wire became scrap; but some of the posts were recovered back to Winchcombe Yard as we can reuse them elsewhere.

The big task for the team was to full clear the silt from the down (Cotswold) side inlet of syphon cross drain 40A. This was an interesting task. After moving aside one of the concrete sleepers which covers the inlet channel, they removed some rather smelly silt. This revealed quite a good flow coming from under the adjacent farm track and footpath. In the base of the chamber is a circular hole full of silt and debris. The water flows over this, then into a pipe which heads down cutting side. As we have never found the outlet of the syphon, the exact arrangement here is a bit of a mystery. Now with the silt cleared from the inlet, we will return to undertake a further flow test with dye. That will have to wait for a few week though, as the vacant up side track bed is not accessible until the completion of the laying of a replacement S&T cable from Gotherington to Cheltenham.

40A inlet with one covering sleeper removed. [Photo by Dave]

40A pipe coming from under the farm track & footpath. [Photo by Dave]

40A exit to the syphon. [Photo by Dave]

The other group, Dee, Andrew, Ian, Nigel, Peter and Stuart, headed north to Toddington. Their task was to commence the construction work to alleviate the field and road run off which has afflicted the down side low mileage of Stowe Road Bridge (13) for many years. The first task was to complete the excavation between the bridge and the existing cess chamber. Then Nigel and Peter mixed three barrow loads of concrete; for careful insertion. Stuart and Andrew inserted steel reinforcing bars, and then carefully levelled out the concrete. This will form the base for a small retaining wall to keep silt away from the cess; and for the extra course of bricks to raise the chamber.

Stuart tamping and levelling the concrete for the wall base.

Close up showing some shuttering to avoid cementing in the S&T point cable which runs below the cable trough.

Peter and Stuart start clearing up after finishing the concrete laying. Having no rakes of stabled carriages in the platforms at Toddington makes working here a lot easier.

Meanwhile, Dee and Ian surveyed the cutting side. We suspected there was an existing land drain – this was easy to find today as it was running well. Unfortunately it emerges some way up the cutting side; water then running down the cutting side into the cess almost underneath the S&T cabinet. Not an ideal situation. This field drain probably extends beyond the railway boundary. The probable line of this drain was marked with blue marker paint. We then decided to modify our plan for the improvements here. We marked out the line of a new crest drain from the boundary corner by the road to site of a new chamber above the existing field drain. This will save the effort of constructing a new French drain or pipe run down the side of the cutting. We measured up and test fitted a length of flexible pipe to extend the field drain to the cess chamber. The diameter of the flexible pipe was perfect – but it was not long enough. So something for the shopping list this week.

Ian removes a tree stump just below where the field drain exits.

The crest of the cutting - just visible marking for the suspected run of the field drain and the location of the new chamber (to left of help of vegetation).

Test fitting of flexible pipe to extend the field drain to the cess chamber.

After lunch, Stuart and Ian undertook some flow tests with the marker dye. This showed that both the up and down side cess drains flow north from Stowe Road towards Stanway viaduct. The connection under the tracks to the cess drain in the six foot between the platforms at Toddington was not flowing. The other four used the laser level to take readings of the levels of the land on the crest of the cutting. The important item to determine from that data is the depth of the new junction chamber; and consequently the number of chamber rings we will need.

Ian and Stuart returning from the dye testing. Note the sunshine!

End of day - ply covering the curing concrete and blue mesh lids to cover the holes.

Wildlife report: We spotted some welcome signs of spring approaching. By the fence line alongside Stowe Road bridge was a patch of snowdrops. At Bishops Cleeve, the group there noted increased activity by long tailed tits – the down side cutting by Two Hedges Road has some ideal nest sites. Whilst at Toddington, two robins serenaded us whilst taking lunch on the platform. They certainly were having a singing competition; maybe two males at the edges of their territories, or a maybe a courting couple. Not quite wildlife, but the team members driving home towards Broadway reported a spectacular rainbow, a full 180 degrees arc across the sky.

Sign of spring 1 - snowdrops at Toddington. [Photo by Dee]

Sign of spring 2 - bulbs at Bishops Cleeve. [Photo by Dave]