The pipes at Stanton

Friday 21 June 

We don't usually work on Friday, but this week there was an offer too good to miss. The Wild Garden Trust at Shipton under Wychwood had some surplus 300 mm twinwall pipes, rather than dispose of it in any other way they very generously offered them to us. Luckily Richard Stone, one of the Trustees, is a volunteer in Carriage and Wagon who knew of our exploits and realised that it would find a good home on the Railway. 

Stuart straps the loaded pipes down
(Photo: Richard Stone) 

A different side of the Cotswolds 

Pipes offloaded at Stanton 

Saturday 22 June 

Back to sunny Stanton again, it's getting to be a bit of a 'Groundhog Day' theme. The sun shone and the culvert work progressed on the up side. On the down side (in more ways than one) more bricks "fell" off, thus extending the project a bit further. All in all though, it was a good day with some visible signs of progress. 

As usual, Alastair started on the mixer, while Roger, Michael and Dave cleaned some bricks and Stuart did some gardening. Then the real work began... 

Alastair doing the first mortar mix 

The gang keeping their heads down 

Roger and Michael cleaning bricks
(Photo: Alastair) 

Once the mortar arrived under the bridge, the freshly cleaned bricks were replaced in the south wall. 

Michael stars on the headers
(Photo: Alastair) 

The 600 mm plastic pipe extending the inlet from the field has been in the way of the down side cess flow. The water has been running along the wing wall and on top of the north wall of the channel. Needless to say, this has had a lasting effect on the north wall. The top courses of brick had already been lifted off, and now the next course came away. Some joins were just silt where the mortar had washed out. 

Roger lifts a brick out 

The progress on the up side south wall was exceptional, Michael and Roger working from each end and managing to meet in the middle.  

Roger fills the gap between the brick arch and the south wall
(Photo: Alastair) 

Lunchtime progress 

Suspense... Will they meet in the middle 

Yes they did, never any doubt  👍
(Photo: Alastair) 

A bit of tidying on the pointing
(Photo: Alastair) 

Back on the grass cutting front, Stuart cut out round the inlet over in the field, this is to allow us to put some sandbags in when we thread a thinner pipe through to divert the flow. 

Hay time in the Cotswolds 
(Photo: Alastair) 

The access road we use seems to be getting overgrown with the mix of rain and sunshine. Time for a trim, before we lose it altogether.   

The track down to gallery crossing 

Stuart has a run along with the flail mower
(Photo: Alastair) 

Dave got a break from the brick cleaning to have some training on the flail mower. 

Dave doing his training 

The track almost visible 

Dave goes solo, into the distance 

The third strand of work was centred on the down side of the culvert. Removing the bricks and drilling some drain holes in the north side wall, then removing the end of the 600 mm pipe. 

Bricks removed to reveal flaking mortar, silt
and water draining out 

Deep in thought, or it may be the naughty step 😊

Dave making a clean sweep of the job, while something suspicious
is going on in the background
(Photo: Alastair)

After Dave had been let loose with the saw the pipe came apart
(Photo: Alastair) 

The new inlet configuration 

Roger hiding the pipe 

End of the day, the north wall of the channel and the inlet pipe have shrunk 

Last job each day is loading the kit back onto the truck, then we can head off back to Winchcombe to ponder over great philosophical questions; like why do bricks just fall off  when you don't need them to, but take forever to remove when you do need them to.  

The rush for the exit 

The pace hots up at Stanton

Thursday 20 June 

Well it's the eve of the longest day of the year, from Saturday it's all downhill to Winter; now there's a cheery thought. Typical weather for the English summer, with a heavy rain shower blowing through at Lunchtime, but luckily we had taken shelter in the dry of the welfare cabin. We are getting into a bit of a routine up at Stanton, the south up side channel wall is progressing well and the down side has been excavated to see what we are dealing with. 

Alastair and Michael unloading the kit 

Michael making a start on the bricks 

Andrew uncovering the end of the inlet
(Photo: Alastair) 

There was a quick trip down to Toddington to pick up the rebar 'U' sections for the frame that will surround the gully pipe when it is concreted in 

Reinforcing 'U' bars fro the gully drain 

There had been another delivery at Toddington, Foremarke Hall was abandoned in the car park having returned from a short stay at Didcot Railway Centre. It seems to a be a bit shorter then when it left 😉

Foremarke Hall (7903) back from Didcot 

Back at Stanton the wall was progressing 

Nearing the end of the stretcher course
(Photo: Alastair)  

Stretcher course completed  

Over on the down side the channel wall along the wing wall was being tidied up ready for rebuild  

Stuart removing the concrete that had once been behind the side wall
(Photo: Alastair) 

As mentioned in the opening, the glorious English summer weather didn't disappoint today. 

Looking to the west as the rain blows in 

Later in the day the sun appeared 

After lunch a quick explore down to Culvert 11B to check the pipe that is stored there, it's 225 mm perforated twinwall so it's not going to be any use for the inlet diversion at 11A. 

Culvert 11B up side - lost in grass 

Progress was good again today, Michael is half way along the header course. It's easier to see what is needed on the inlet end, and removing the loose bricks will help get it dried out (hopefully 😔). 

Progress today
(Photo: Alastair) 

Inlet end (down side), wing wall side headers removed 

Down side from above 

One issue that may bite us on Saturday, the bricklayers are going faster than the brick cleaners so it may be all hands on cleaning to keep pace. There's a mix of bricks in use, it can get confusing as the types are not all the same size. To add complexity the recycled imperial bricks were probably hand thrown and aren't always the the same size, or shape for that matter. 

Pictured below are, from the top left clockwise: new imperial engineering blue, old imperial red, old imperial engineering blue, arch taper engineering blue, new metric engineering blue. 

Samples from the brick pile 

A search is still under way for more of the arch tapers, the reclamation yards contacted so far haven't any in stock. It may be a case of dredging downstream of the culvert in case any have been washed away.  

Stanton, home form home

Monday 17 June 

There was a break in the weather today, the rain stopped long enough for some work to be done. The water level in Culvert 11A has dropped significantly making it a bit easier to work, the south wall is well above the flow. Another landmark today was the arrival of a welfare cabin; before all the comments start flying around, it's a legal requirement to provide welfare facilities on site, there's no getting round it without risking a fine or worse. Admittedly, it is much more civilised for shelter from the weather than all cramming into the truck 😏 

Cabin delivered by Welfare4Hire  

Carley, from Welfare4Hire skilfully negotiated the slalom onto the hard-standing to position the cabin in line with the morning sun. We may need to pave the patio area next 🤭 

There was another sand and brick delivery first thing, luckily Alastair spotted the wagon waiting at the gate on his way in so he opened up for the unloading. 

More sand and bricks, that's going to keep us busy 

Roger continued with the south wall  build. As this wall is now straight, it's highlighting flaws in the north wall. 

Backbreaking work 

Nigel and Stuart took on the challenge of uncovering the inlet pipe. After much consideration, we have deduced that this is not the original GWR culvert inlet 🙂

Nigel uncovering another lump of concrete 

Dave took charge of the brick cleaning station, it's a key job as the bricks are going straight back into the facing on the south wall 

Dave hard at work
(Photo: Alastair) 

At morning break, the gang took time out to test the facilities in the welfare cabin, all we need now is pack of cards and television. 

Luxury! 

Then it was back to the proverbial coalface... 

More headers going on
(Photo: Alastair) 

Stuart and Nigel digging for gold
(Photo: Alastair) 

Dave moved over to dig out the gully drain trench
(Photo: Alastair) 

Next course of recycled stretchers added
(Photo: Alastair) 

The recent high water has done us one favour, the water in the culvert is now running level. The obstructions have been washed out. 

Culvert 11A brick arch internal (down to up side) 

The excavation around the inlet pipe has allowed us to re-route the water from the down cess. It's now channelled under the twinwall pipe away from the wing wall foundations. 

Inlet pipe exposed 

Roger on the bricks, Alastair digging out the gully trench 

Down side cess running in under the twinwall 

Supervision is key 

Gully pipe removed to clear the trench 

Roger is not in on Thursday so he built the pattern for the next 3 courses ready for Michael. It may be proved that he was being a touch ambitious expecting all this to get done 🙃 

Pattern for the remaining courses 

There was a question on the last edition about taper bricks; these are used to build round an arch, they are thinner along one side so that they form a circle (as below). They are produced in 4 sizes for different diameter structures. The culvert has a mix of tapers and straight solids to form the 24" arch. The channel is just like the arch but upside down. 

Brick Arch, taper bricks form the shape 

The end of the north wall
mix of straight and taper bricks 

Good progress today, with the forecast looking promising for Thursday we hope to get even more done. 

Culvert 11A down side 

Culvert 11A up side