No longer unlucky

Thursday 23^rd April

Roger, Martin (J) and Ian formed the milepost restoration group today. First task was installing the three new heads completed last week. First was milepost 13, on the embankment above the Working Lane Haul Road. Previously this was a BR style metal head attached using twigs. The bridge rail post did not need replacing, just de-rusting and then painting. We are now using MIO black paint for the posts, as used by C&W for carriage underframes. Hopefully this will last better than Hammerite. Then up to Laverton to install the new heads on 6 and 6¾; on the lengths of bridge rail we installed a few weeks ago. Back at Winchcombe, after lunch the group de-rusted and painted a couple more lengths of bridge rail. Next on our milepost restoration plan are the six remaining non-authentic ones between Laverton and Broadway. The heads and the wooden posts of these have not weathered well.

Martin(J) and Roger fixing the new head for mp13. [Photo by Ian]

Looking smart in the spring sunshine - correcting the lean will have to wait for the ground to be softer. [Photo by Ian]

Six and three quarters looks even better. [Photo by Ian]

Completing the trio - mp6. This is the first one where the new head uses acrylic numbers. Can you tell? [Photo by Ian]

The other group consisted of Jonathan, Nigel, Polly, Dee, Phil, John and Andrew. They worked on the Stowe Road crest drainage improvement at Toddington. The objective of the day was to construct the runoff spillway with the gutter gulley drain. A length of flexible pipe connects the gulley drain to the pipe in the crest drain ditch.

First item of the day was an on-site meeting with GCC Highways engineer Jacob Cottrell (yellow hi-vis) and councillor Cheryl Ag. They are happy with the new arrangement, it does not need Highways approval as it is all on our land (just!). Infrastructure Manger Sarah looks on as Andrew explains the new setup. [Photo by Jonathan]

Andrew measures and marks out the area to be excavated. [Photo by Jonathan]

Polly levels the gutter gulley on the bed of concrete.

 

Front view of the spillway at the end of the day. Next week we will add some blue engineering bricks as a coping. Also we will add a covering mesh grill to stop any small mammals disappearing down the pipe.

Rear view. Also on the list for next week is completing the back filling, as this is best once the mortar has set and the blocks are solid. Note the flexible pipe joining the gulley gill to the crest drain.

Whilst at Toddington, Andrew and Infrastructure Manager, Sarah, undertook some initial investigations of the Malvern side boundary of the former garden centre site. This is in connection with the plan to improve the main public entrance.

Wildlife report: Spring is rapidly springing. Bluebells, late flowering white daffodils and yellow cowslips were all in full bloom on the cutting side at Stowe Road. Also a deep red peony was just budding. Up at Laverton, the hawthorn was coming into full blossom. Whilst back at Winchcombe, we found a field mouse – unfortunately deceased. No doubt the local Red Kites will soon remove it. Finally, we are pleased to report that the resident robins are safely nesting in the rafters of our wooden shed.

 

The temporary Brown timetable provides more end of day activity for us to observe at Winchcombe. Class 122 single car DMU W55003 gleams in the sunshine. This could almost be a photo from the late 1950s - apart from the number of passengers on board!