Roadside Recovery

It is not just drainage that our team become involved in. With one member who works in the motor trade, we frequently attend to the regular maintenance and minor repairs of the Railway’s road vehciles and plant. However, we are not intending to set-up a service to rival the AA or the RAC. The roadside recovery in this post’s title refers to extracting drain rods from the pipe alongside the road on the outlet of culvert 31B at Prescott Road.

Thursday 11^th May

Another day of changed plans, mainly due to the continuing wet weather. After getting the trailer with the minidigger stuck in mud the previous week, we decided not to take it to Stanton, as the entrance to the neighbours field is under a big puddle.

Jonathan and Martin extracted the water bowser trailer from behind various other items at Winchcombe Yard, ready for use in watering the new trees at Chicken Curve and opposite the Royal Oak at Gretton. They then fitted a new towing ball to the Isuzu truck.

New towing ball on the Isuzu truck.

 

Dave and Nigel headed to Prescott Road bridge, culvert 31B, to measure up for the replacement section of pipe to run from our boundary fence line to the intact roadside pipe. They also tried again to extract the rods that are stuck in the pipe - still not successful. However close examination of a photograph looking into the pipe shows that they are in there. A scout round the yard at Winchcombe found some useable sections of SGP pipe that can be deployed at 31B.

Looking inside the roadside pipe of the outlet of 31B at Prescott Road. End of the stuck red rods just visible. [Photo by Dave]

 

The lengths of broken roadside pipe at Prescott Road that require replacing. Note the depth of the silt! [Photo by Dave]

Andrew and Stuart went to Toddington North cutting to measure for the replacement of milepost 9¼. Roger also went to Toddington to check and reseal a First Aid kit and to collect First Aid items for the gala. Then they headed for culvert 11B at Stanton. The new 110v submersible pump was put to use to pump out the first intermediate chamber. The pump works a treat, especially if in a sump. They then laid the first course of bricks for this chamber.

The new 110v pump working in the second intermediate chamber at 11B up side. [Photo by Roger]

 

First course of bricks for intermediate chamber one.

Close up of where an old land drain (the clay pipe) is now incorporated into the intermediate chamber.

After lunch, Dave and Nigel went to Stanton aqueduct with some mortar to fill the void in the grouting on the ups side abutment caused by the excess foam for sealing the shuttering. This is really now the end of the aqueduct repair.

Final item of Stanton aqueduct repair - filling the void creased by excess foam. [Photo by Dave]

 

After their work in the yard, Jonathan and Martin headed to Elliots at Bishops Cleeve to collect the first tonne of pea gravel for the 11B trench at Stanton. Elliots have kindly donated a new rake and a long handled shovel, both very useful tools for spreading the pea gravel. In the afternoon, all seven of the team unloaded the pea gravel at 11B; and some was used around the first length of pipe placed in the trench. A start was made on the course of blocks in the chamber. 

Jonathan demonstrates the new long handled spade - it does make unloading from the bed of the truck much easier.

End of day progress - pea gravel around the laid pipes and concrete block layer in the chamber.

Thursday 18^th May

All of the team present this week, but one notable absence was the 'drainage' LWB Transit. This had broken down at Cheltenham Racecourse on Wednesday with electrical problems. Most of our hand tools are in the tool box on the back. Fortunately we were able borrow sufficient tools and use the 'C&M' transit, along with the Isuzu and the Ford Ranger to achieve most of our planned activities.

Jonathan and Martin headed to Stanton with the minidigger on the trailer behind the Isuzu. The 11B to 11A up side diversion trench was progressed towards the second intermediate chamber. This is where the trench is deep due to the lie of the land; so progress was not quite as fast as other weeks. At least after no digging because of wet conditions it was good to get going again.

Roger, Polly and Stuart also went to Stanton 11B. They completed the brick and block courses of the first intermediate chamber; a prerequisite was the laying of the first length of pipe in the trench between the first and second intermediate chambers. The first intermediate chamber is now ready for some concrete backfill; then the concrete rings can go in.

The 11B to 11A up side trench at Stanton - first length of pipe visible just beyond the plank. [Photo by Roger]

 

Dave, Nigel and Andrew first headed to Culvert 31 at Prescott Road Bridge (32). After temporarily damming the outlet at our boundary to enable visual inspection of the roadside pipe; the sharp end of the stuck lengths of red drainage rods was located. Then some delft work with a corkscrew attachment on the black drain rods; the red set was extracted - all 29 rods. Next was a trial fitting of the SGP pipe found last week. Unfortunately this was just a tad too small. We need to reinstate around 12 feet of the roadside pipe; make a suitable headwall and backfill. On return another search of Winchcombe yard identified some more possible pipe lengths.

Success - the red drain rods emerging from the roadside pipe at Prescott Road. [Photo by Dave]

 

Then on to the cutting south of Two Hedges Road, at milepost 17 & half. During the previous weeks of heavy rain, water was coming out of the down side cutting in three places. This comes from a stream which rises on Cleeve Hill; when it enters the railway boundary some takes a 90 bend into the crest ditch. This was the site of some work by contractors back in 2019, the work was interrupted by Covid. Two lengths of large diameter pipe were installed in the ditch; another two were further down and were creating a bit of a restriction. These were recovered back to the stream entry point; the ditch was removed of vegetation debris. The areas of the cutting side by the leak points was brush cut. This reduced two of the leaks to minor trickles. The root problem is that this crest ditch is not water tight - before it gets to the end of the cutting and becomes an embankment toe ditch it is dry. That toe ditch eventually enters culvert 40B. We will need to give some thought as to the best way to make that ditch watertight.

One of the points where in very wet weather water from the crest ditch escapes to the down side cess south of Two Hedges Road.

 

Thursday 25^th May

All of the team in attendance this week.

Nigel, Dave and Polly headed to Prescott Road, culvert 31B, taking materials to make a sandbag headwall on the roadside pipe inlet just outside the railway boundary. Roger and Andrew delivered cement, pipes, and gravel, again we had only one working Transit truck. Using a mix of SGP and twinwall pipe; the roadside pipe was extended back almost to the boundary; all the available sandbags were then used to construct a headwall. Finally some back filling using the material excavated a few weeks ago. As you can see in the photo, the team did a very neat job on this sandbag wall.

Replacement pipe in the roadside outlet of 31B extending to the railway boundary. [Photo by Nigel]

 

The neat sandbag headwall. Just infill and fence replacement required to finish the work outside of our boundary. [Photo by Nigel]

Jonathan, Martin and Stuart headed to 11B at Stanton. Jonathan spent the day extending the trench; have now got as far as the second intermediate chamber - so half way. Martin and Stuart setup the laster level to check that the trench is at the correct level - it is. The strong sunshine initially meant the level was giving some strange readings - but repositioning and with the sun higher in the sky all was working fine.

Stuart setting up the laser level. Hawthorn in full bloom.

 

Visiting BR Standard 78019 with the first down train passes the work site at Stanton 11B.

After delivering material to Prescott Road 31B, Roger and Andrew set up the mixer for concrete - backfilling of the brick and block course of the first intermediate chamber was completed.

First intermediate chamber - completed brick and block courses.

 

Blue jelly pipe joining lubricant - very slippery stuff.

Finally at 11B the second section of pipe in the first run was joined to the first. The recently acquired blue lubricant working a treat - pushing the two sections together did not require a great deal of force.

One item of note on the wildlife side was the rescue of a young mole from the 11B to 11A trench. We set him (or her) free by the hedge but it burrowed into the ground before being photographed. On the plant front we noted some stalks of asparagus officinalis growing on the pile of earth excavated from the trench. Some of these were tall and gone to see but a few stalks were still at the harvesting stage.

Thursday 1^st June

Full strength team today, at least for the morning. All working on the culvert 11B to 11A up side diversion.

This was the last day the visiting GWR Castle 4079 Pendennis Castle was in service. Here it heading the early morning Toddington to Broadway ECS past Stanton crossing - note the correct lamp codes.

The second intermediate chamber was fully excavated (so we are now half way with the trench). The first intermediate chamber was built with concrete rings and blue mesh top. So this is now complete - apart from the backfilling with soil. That will have to wait until the digger comes back from the end of the trench - the clay has become too hard to dig by hand.

The first concrete ring fitted! Over three & half years since delivery.

 

Dave checks the fitting of the blue mesh cover of the first intermediate chamber. Apart from the backfill that is job done. Just another four chambers to build.

Three more pipe sections were laid and connected. Another 1 tonne of pea gravel collected from Elliots and most of it placed in the trench.

End of day progress.

Using our CCTV equipment we inspected the existing 11B bore under the railway. This showed V - no sign of any secondary pipe entering it. However it did show that the bore is very uneven. At the up side exit the water depth was a few inches after pumping the outlet trench - but by 12m in the water level is almost at the top of the bore. Most probably the exit end has been disturbed by the roots of the tree that used to grow by the exit. This tree was removed a few years ago.

Two of the team visited Broadway to inspect the up side french drains that are approximately half way between the end of the platform and the boundary fence. The middle larger drain has had a significant amount of its stone (slag ) removed and this is piled up on the high mileage side of it. This must have been dug out for a reason in the past - it is not a washout. Until the clearance work there back in the winter this crater was obscured by thick scrub. There was evidence that all three of these french drains do carry water at times. Both the cess drains were checked, but after 10+ days of almost no rain there was not likely to be any flow.

 

The mystery crater in the up side french drain north of Broadway station.

Thursday 8^th June

The primary task involving the six team members on this warm June day was to further progress the 11B to 11A up side diversion at Stanton.

Jonathan spent the day extending the trench from the second intermediate chamber to the site of the third intermediate chamber. This length of trench is now about two thirds complete, and it is past the high point of the land so will now progressively get shallower.

Jonathan progress the trench excavation - marker post behind him to show the direction.

Roger, Polly and Andrew mixed and laid the concrete base for the second intermediate chamber. They also installed the remaining pipe lengths in the section between first and second intermediate chambers. Filled around all the laid pipes with pea gravel.

Concrete base of second intermediate chamber.

 

Dave and Nigel did a lot of fetching and carrying using the only working transit truck. First they delivered aggregate to Stanton; then collected another tonne of pea gravel from Elliots at Bishops Cleeve and delivered to Stanton. Finally they collected about half a tonne of No1 stone from Stoke Orchard. This had been donated to us, a left over from a building job. It turned out to be very mixed - but will be useful as infill.

Pipe run between the fist and second intermediate chambers completed.

 

By mid afternoon the sun is just on the up side of the line at 11B - Dinmore Manor passes. The transit truck safely parked out of the way back at bridge 11. Once the train has passed it will be backed down to collect all the gear to head back to Winchcombe. And for us it is then a welcome cup of tea in The Coffee Shop on the station platform.

Archaeological digging

Our team’s work is primarily to maintain and improve the railway’s drainage system. The earliest structures date from the construction of the line starting in 1902. Not often do we come across items that pre-date this time. However, our work at Stanton on the up side diversion of the outlet of culvert 11B has found two such items – one considerably older.

Thursday 13th April

Two groups working at two sites. At Stanton aqueduct one group installed the rebar and shuttering ready for the concrete pour on the up side abutment. The rebar sits on top of the first layer of grout which was poured the previous week. The concrete layer then surrounds the rebar.

 

Rebar high mileage side of trough. (Photo by Roger)

Rebar low mileage side of trough. (Photo by Roger)

Shuttering around the new collar. (Photo by Roger)

The other team attempted clearance of the up side outlet of culvert 31B at Prescott Road. Using the minidigger in the JJ Farms leased field beside the road, some silt and debris was removed from the ditch upstream of the roadside pipe. However, as the Evolution petrol powered pump would only work intermittently, the water level never became low enough to expose the entrance of the pipe. A rather frustrating day, so another visit is needed with a working pump.

Thursday 20^th April

Two groups again, but both working at Stanton, almost within sight of each other.

At the aqueduct, the ‘aqueduct repair’ group mixed and poured the concrete. The mix of this used the special high strength 40N cement. There were no leaks from the shuttering.

 

The concrete pour on the high mileage side of the trough.

The shuttering on the high mileage side of the trough - expanding foam to seal the joints.

Just down the line at culvert 11B, we were able to get the minidigger on site. Excavating of the trench for the new pipe resumed, it was dug to the correct level almost as far as the first intermediate chamber site. That is approximately one quarter of the trench dug. The reason for the slower than anticipated progress is two fold. First the very wet weather earlier in the year making it impossible to get the digger on site. Secondly, the heavy clay soil which even the minidigger complains about. Frequently one of us has to remove solid clay from the digger’s bucket with a spade. How the old canal and railway navvies managed with hand digging in such conditions is amazing.

Jonathan concentrates on keeping the ditch in a straight line and at the correct depth.

Thursday 27^th April

A slightly reduced team size of five today. However, we still progressed work at both of the Stanton sites.

At culvert 11B, a group of two with the minidigger continued extending the ditch northwards and excavating the first intermediate chamber.

 

Looking back (towards Toddington) from the first intermediate chamber site.

The other three attended Stanton aqueduct. The grout was poured (two separate pours, one each from each side of the abutment) around the through; thus completing the additional anchorage for the new retaining collar. The shuttering will be left in position until next week - although the grout goes off quickly; a weeks curing time will mean it is very solid. The three then joined the diggers at 11B.

Shuttering on the outlet end of the aqueduct trough. Stuart makes final checks on the high mileage side after the grout pour.

 

The grout is self levelling. This is the low mileage side complete.

High mileage side, just before final top up. The length of plastic guttering on the right is the pouring funnel.

The ditch digging is slow going as below 6 inches the soil is the infamous Stanton clay. We came across remains of clay field drains; the depth and alignment of these suggest they were in the field when the embankment was built. Also close examination of a whole section of pipe indicates that is hand-made; it has a one slightly flat face. This suggests these land drains date from the early 19^th century, our first pre-railway find. The second find is even older – a small ammonite fossil. This will be at least 66 million years old.

The very old land drain at the first intermediate chamber site. Even though it is clogged with silt, water still dribbles out of it.

 

The Stanton ammonite.

The ditch now extends to approximately 12m north of the first intermediate chamber. Some hand digging ensured that chamber is ready for the concrete to go in, a wood post marking the correct level. One advantage (perhaps the only advantage) of thick clay is that there is no need to construct wooden shuttering for these bases.

Back at Winchcombe we fitted some replacement parts to the Evoultion petrol powered pump - adding some underwater grease to the inlet pipe threads. This will be tested next week at Prescot Road (culvert 31B).

Thursday 4^th May

Just like on the 13^th April, two groups of three headed to two sites in opposite directions.

The first group took the minidigger and the repaired Evolution petrol powered pump to Culvert 31B at Prescott Road. The pump now runs well. After pumping the outlet out; they rodded the pipe in the roadside ditch outside of the railway land. This indicated a blockage just a couple of feet in. They then excavated this length; revealing a couple of lengths of broken and misaligned SGP pipe. After removing this, the roadside exit is flowing well. This should prevent the build up of water in the bore which runs under bridge 32. There is a large amount of silt which has built up in the catch pit and back up the bore under the bridge – this will require removing at some point. Finally the group installed some red plastic barriers to fence off the excavation from the road and the field.

 

Exposed - where the roadside pipe of the 31B outlet was broken.

The second group headed to Stanton, first to culvert 11B. They cast the concrete base of the first intermediate chamber of the up side diversion of culvert 11B to 11. Added interest was that the young grass snake (Natrix natrix) visited the ditch. It quickly slithered away before we had time to take a photograph.

Snakes eye view of Foremarke Hall from the new 11B ditch at Stanton.

 

Concrete base of the first intermediate chamber.

After lunch the group moved on to Stanton aqueduct to remove all the shuttering from the up side abutment now the grouting and concrete around the new retaining collar is complete. The new retaining collar is now firmly held in place. The repair is complete, apart from filling a small void in the lower grout level caused by some of the sealing foam.

Nice clean edge to the grout and concrete around the trough and new collar. Low mileage (Broadway) side.

With all the shuttering removed, the new collar looks like it has always been part of the structure.

 

Signs of spring at Stanton included observations of increased insect activity, we noted a hornet and a red tailed bumble bee (Bombus lapidarius). Also the magnificent pear tree on the down side just on the low mileage end of bridge 11 was in full blossom.

Stanton pear in full blossom. (Photo by Roger)

Forty days and forty nights

I suspect most of us remember the legend of Saint Swithun, that of forty days and nights of rain following rain on his saint’s day. Recalling the date of that is not so easy. This spring it seemed that every day in March was St. Swithun’s. For the record, St. Swithun’s feast day is 15^th July.

Thursday 30^th March

Yet another wet day but we did manage to make some small amount of progress amongst the mud at Stanton 11B. Not helped either by three flat tyres - one of the LWB Transits, a wheel barrow and the sack truck!

Seven of the team attending. Four headed to Stanton 11B. To avoid churning up our neighbour's field we took the minidigger to site through Stanton Yard and then over the accommodation level crossing. A long slow route. A length of bypass pipe was inserted into the existing outlet pipe and the outlet ditch dammed enabling the petrol pump to bring the level down sufficient for the digger to complete the excavation for new chamber 1. The inlet to the pump was fitted with filter made by Nigel which prevented most of the silt, clay and other muck entering.

Dave attempts to stem the leaks from the bypass pipe. Nigel's filter on the end of the pump inlet - not sure who was on inlet pipe holding duty, hand just visible.

Water and mud - the temporary bypass pipe with dams at both ends was not 100% effective. Good job we had the rapid setting cement.

Two of the team headed to Travis Perkins at Cheltenham to collect the materials ordered to complete the repair to the up side abutment of Stanton aqueduct. This comprised 40N concrete, Five Star grout and some expanding foam to fill the gaps in the shuttering.

The final member stayed at Winchcombe to complete the assembly of heads for mileposts 8¼ and 10¼. When the Cheltenham two returned, the aqueduct materials were unloaded into the shed (as the grout is in paper bags) and a supply of concrete blocks loaded and the three headed to Stanton 11B.

With all seven working at 11B we did mange to mix and pour the concrete foundation for the first new chamber. This used all our remaining quick setting cement, needed since as soon as the pump was turned off the water level rose considerably. Even with the down (Cotswold) side inlet dammed there was a considerable amount of water passing through the bore and seeping out of the ground of the excavation. A start was made on excavating the ditch for the bypass pipe, another slow job as the clay kept clogging the bucket.

Deepening the hole for the first new chamber at 11B. All that water and the clay soil plus a steep embankment makes for a difficult work site. Not surprisingly two members of the team needed a change of overalls before entering the Churchward House mess for afternoon tea. [Photo by Dave]

Finally we did manage to complete one task the new head for milepost 8¼ was fitted, so that post goes from the worst on the line to one of the best.

Milepost 8¼ with one of the Stanton Pear trees in the background. That should be in blossom just after Easter. [Photo by Roger]

Thursday 6th April

Once again we decided to abandon any further excavation on the 11B to 11A up side diversion at Stanton. The water level had dropped a bit since last week, but the approach over the neighbour's field with the digger on the trailer would have made deep ruts.

With all eight of the team attending we divided into two groups of four.

The first four formed the aqueduct repair team. The shuttering was sealed with spray foam and the first pour of grout made. This pour came up to just above the bottom of the trough. The group then joined the others for lunch at Toddington before heading back to Winchcombe to continue milepost manufacture.

Grout pour, low mileage end. [Photo by Roger]

Grout pour, high mileage end. [Photo by Roger]

The second team of four headed up the line. First stop was at the River Isbourne Bridge (21) to see how Walsh are progressing with the river improvement/flood alleviation work. They have built an impressive stairway from the down side to the headwall. We will need to keep that clear of vegetation in the autumn.

Jonathan tests the new steps the River Isbourne Bridge. Walsh's big digger can just ford the water, it is digging by where the stream that flows at the back of Churchward House enters the Isbourne.

Then on to culvert 20C at Chicken Curve. The new balance pond on the down side is now at 'normal' level, there is a trickle of water leaving via the exit pipe into the 20C inlet.

The down side balancing pond at Chicken Curve with landscaping complete and filled to normal level.

Just a dribble flowing out of the balancing pond into 20C.

Next stop was Hayles Abbey to replace broken covers on an up side cess manhole. Obviously damaged during the recent track replacement.

Replacement cess manhole covers are now the blue mesh, weighted down with a concrete slab. Hopefully the marker posts at the front will make the chamber more obvious.

We also noticed another manhole which need a replacement concrete ring – so one job removed from the master task list and another added! The next job was fitting the new head for milepost 10¼ by Didbrook No2 bridge.

Milepost 10¼, on the high mileage (Cheltenham) end of Didbrook No2 bridge.

Whilst there we cleared some debris from the up side hedge and removed silt from where the down side high mileage drain meets the road gully. 

Next was inspection of the recent slip at Toddington North up side. We also checked the slip markers on the down side, no apparent movement there but we noted a couple of small bear earth faces. On the up side we noted the top row of slip markers were still all upright and in line. The recent slip appears to be confined to the middle section of the old slip affecting only one slip marker post – but that is now 2m or so downhill. There are also quite a few holes on the crest. We walked back to Toddington along the crest of the cutting, rediscovering the old crest drain (SGP pipe). This is quite a distance from the boundary fence and is probably broken at the site of the old slips. We formulated plans for a new crest ditch closer to the boundary fence and running further south to almost where the new houses are.

Using the spade to show the depth and location of new hole near the top of the cutting.

Top row of slip markers still upright and in place.

Lower row of markers with one now well out of place.

The slip face, the shiny smooth surface illustrates the extent of the recent slip. Fortunately it did not cover the up side cess at the bottom of the cutting.

As this was Maundy Thursday we had no trains to wave too; so the RAF obliged with a low altitude training flight.

Then lunch at Toddington under the platform canopy whilst very heavy hail storm passed. Finally on to Stanton 11B/11A with the laser level to check the depth of the first part of the new ditch dug last week. It is deep enough, actually 3cm deeper than required. This was a task we had to abandon last week when it too wet. We noted the concrete base of the first new chamber we poured last week had set, but it will need a bit of levelling before installing the concrete rings. We also checked the extent of the standing water on the down side to determine where we need to take the new ditch or pipes. Answer: approximately in line with milepost 8½.

There is a solid concrete base in there! Existing 11B outlet pipe on right - at least this week the top of it was above water!

With all the wet weather we are now at least 3 weeks behind on our estimate for the 11B to 11A up side diversion. This time last year we had to postpone some work as the ground was too dry and hard. The only predictable aspect of the English weather is it’s unpredictability!