Have you got a wet bed?

Saturday at Gretton

Another cloudless, blue sky. It was going to be hot!

We started the day with our traditional impact wrench starting competition. Who could get theirs started, and who would be first?

Hayden and Chris were the competitors. We declare the competition a draw, as both machines suddenly burst into life, and enveloped the scene in a thick cloud of two stroke smoke.

 

 

We always test the machines before we set off as they are temperamental, and it's not on site some miles away that you want to find out it won't start.

Then we loaded up the tools into the back of the white Landie. What would we need? You have to think of all eventualities in the job, but usually there is something that you didn't think of.

(It was taking a Pan Puller today)

The job was at Gretton on Saturday, where a number of life expired sleepers had been reported. This stretch is due for relaying and cropping of the rails, but the pandemic has put paid to that project.

There were two trains out today, so we had to stop work when one was in section. This means a wait of an hour nowadays, under our new rules. We need to bring reading material next time...

With the agreement of the signalman we were given brief slots of half an hour, during which time we removed a sleeper, and replaced it with a new one.

The other loco today was Foremarke Hall. The owning group has just published a history of this loco, and you can buy it in our shop and give them a bit of support that way.

We were joined by Bert Ferrule later in the day. He was getting his second jab on Saturday, one that most of the rest of us had long ago, but we're all much older. One of our privileges.

The old sleeper was dug pout and then removed with the nips, with beautiful Breedon Hill across the vale of Evesham as a back cloth.

 

The new sleeper then went in. And back out again - it proved to be too high, the chair wouldn't go under. The bed hadn't been dug out far enough, easily fixed (but with a bit more effort in the heat)

We managed to do 4 sleeper replacements in the time allotted to us, in between trains. At least we get to watch them, such as P&O here with its Canberra headboard.

A Monday special - wet beds.

A special today, on wet beds. On a Monday, when no trains are running.

 

 

We met at Bishop's Cleeve, where a hired in mini digger accompanied the Landie with the tools down the trackbed to Southam, where there are a number of 'wet beds' which need addressing.

What now?

Here is the first of these 'wet beds', recognisable by the white ejected material, caused by water sitting under the sleepers and being pushed out in spurts by passing trains.

We were going to address two of these 'wet beds' today, but due to the scarcity of mini diggers with drivers these days - the building industry seems to be in full boom - we could only start at around mid day. We dug out the beds between the first 4 sleepers, a job which took quite some time as the ballast had turned to something approaching concrete.

We spent some time waiting in the cess while the mini digger hacked away, pausing from time to time to allow a volunteer to break up the ballast with a pick axe.

This is where we were working, in the curve leading to Southam Lane bridge. The area seems to be particularly wet, it being at the foot of the Cotswolds Edge in a shallow cutting.

The second 'wet bed' on our planning is in the foreground, together with a sheet of geotextile for it.

Having dug out the contaminated ballast, we had to dig more ballast back in again. But this time cleaner, and with the geotextile underneath to act as a barrier.

A train of two lightly loaded Dogfish then came to complete the fill with fresh ballast. That was the best part of the job - no digging required!

The Dogfish were only part filled, as we did not want a full load for the size of the job. The design of the Dogfish is such that once you open the doors, you can't stop the flow. It's all or nothing, so we had Bob at Gotherington under instruction to drop just two buckets in each, with the Telehandler.

As our regular PWay diesel, class 73 129, is leaving the railway next week for damper climes, we had a new loco today, the class 45. It seems they could find nothing smaller.... it was jolly useful though in rolling in the 4 sleepers that we had newly ballasted and tamped by hand, and to our relief its weighty passage did not disturb the sleepers unduly.

 

 

 

The diesel crew were very patient, as they had to wait several hours until we were ready for the drop. The stop board was right round the bend too, so they couldn't even see what we were doing.

Here you can see the geotextile in place, with sleepers supported by hand shovelled ballast, and then the drop of fresh ballast at the end of the day.

'I think I can see one more stone up there....'

This is the sort of stuff we were digging out. It is made up out of crushed ballast that has been ground to powder, and then set like concrete.

This was the site at the end of the day. The rest of the ballast just needs a little more tidying by hand, hopefully by the regular crew on Wednesday.

Tuesday on the footbridge

A fine sunny day, and the station soon filled with eager passengers. This is looking much better! That said, we are still obliged to apply COVID distancing, so even at best we will not be making comfortable cash flows, but there will be a larger contribution to fixed costs. Pre COVID we were running 10 coach trains that were often full; currently we are running 7 coach consists, which also respect social distancing requirements.

Here's the first train of the day rumbling into the platform. Remember that it has been to CRC first, so is carrying custom from there. It was 10 minutes late too.

We always stop work to watch the trains, it's part of why we are here. It's lovely to work in an environment with running trains.

But then we must get back to work. Neal has taken down the 55 boards from the first side of the steps, and now there is a long job of applying fungicide to the cut areas, followed by primer.

At the same time Neal is starting on the second side, and first thing we can see that he has already done the topmost panel.

Neal also felt that a groove cut into each board would look more authentic. You can see that by the pale stripes here, and of course the 55 already cut to size have had the same embellishment, which also has to be covered in fungicide and primer.

Yours truly spent the entire day carefully applying primer to these 40 odd boards in the pile here.

It's a good start, but there will be plenty more, as load wails from Neal's router announced from the other end of the centre span.

 

At the end of the day the steps looked like this - another panel done, and all of the previous 55 treated to a groove.

 

Neal also cut this mysterious slot into the plywood end of the main building.

He says it's a letter box for tall postmen. Was he pulling your leg? More will be revealed in next Wednesday's blog post.

Wednesday on the Usk hut.

A promise of a hot and sunny day, so we were glad to work under the oak tree. We had an hour sorting out our kit and mortar, then felt it was time for a coffee and a doughnut - luxury! All this in the verdant shade, with a pair of amorous pigeons cooing overhead.

John, off picture here, brought the custard doughnuts, which were very much appreciated.

Then it was off to work. We threw together a mix and started on the gable end wall nearest the station.

The build is going well, even as we learn as we go along. After all, who among you has rebuilt a stone weighbridge hut from a kit of 1000 bits of stone?

The one thing that still puzzles us is how to build with mostly 5 inch and 6 inch blocks, when the courses must end on 8 or 9 inch quoins.

Dave and Paul consult the very comprehensive files that were compiled through our fervent supporter in Wales, Mike. We couldn't have done it without him.

 

 

 

Another enthusiastic supporter is John here (he of the doughnuts), who spent the whole day in the baking sun cleaning the old mortar off the blocks.

There are many still to go.

Here is John again, in his working area and surrounded by a vast pile of blocks, which constitute only about 50% of the stock that we have. There are more pallets further down the yard.

Foremarke Hall pulls out of Winchcombe in the background.

Near the middle of the morning we had laid the second course along the gable end. We linked two 8 inch quoins on the corners with - more 8 inch blocks. 

We must learn to use the smaller blocks as well.

We covered our work in Hessian, to protect it from the drying sun.

We secured a bracket to the door frame, and then decided to add a second quoin on each side to cover the bracket. That should stabilise the frame, which is held up by scaffolding planks in the first instance.

We have also given the frame a coat of primer, and a coat of undercoat, to give it an initial protection.

Here is the same quoin going on, seen from the inside.

In the background Jonathan is cleaning out Maxie, who is working tirelessly, but we felt today that she deserved an oil change. On checking the oil level before starting, it was seen to be rather black.

It's very nice to see the courses going on and the walls rising, but that is not all. We are in fact having to build the equivalent of a second wall at the back, as the Usk hut's walls are very thick. A lot of mortar goes in there, to back up stones which are cut only to a very bare minimum. The smoothest side goes inside, the other sides have to make to as best we can, and fill the voids with mortar and smaller bits.

In the afternoon we added a course, and the backing, to both sides of the door frame. This is the result - quite a bit of wall, two quoins high (or about 17 inches).

One stone in the middle isn't bedded in yet, as we ran out of mortar at that point.

Dave also worked on the LH side of the door frame, particularly on the back, and we added a second quoin on that side too. That was it for today, and we felt very pleased.

Meanwhile, back in the station, railway life went on as Foremarke Hall, with one of the Carmine & Cream NYMR coaches rumbled by, observed by a vigilant stationmaster - Mrs. Blogger!

Photo with thanks to John Mayell.

Mopping and mowing at Hayles

A small team went down to Hayles Abbey Halt today, to make a start on mowing the long grass which ran wild while COVID restricted out activities to the very essential only.

John M was kind enough to forward these few snapshots of the work today.

The grass looks to have been about 18 inches high, so strimmers were the tool of the day.

In the long term we envisage a corrugated iron hut at the top of the slope here, so that we can safely store some sort of lawn mower, and do these jobs more regularly. The lamp hut we had in mind was on its way from Broadway, but was re-routed at the last minute and is currently the tool shed for the Usk project. So if you know of a spare lamp hut, let us know.

Here is what the halt looked like before the strimming started. The path needs a bit of weedkiller too.

Soon a stretch had been strimmed along the side of the platform, and so much better it looks too. One of these days people will be able to get off here again.

Looking the other way, the grassed areas were looking much more cared for, although more is waiting to be done along the top.

Thank you John M for the pictures, which give a little insight into the teams behind keeping Hayles Abbey Halt looking cared for.

Derek's steam pictures around Oxford

In this group of Derek's photographs we're in the Oxford area, and it's December 1965. The conditions are challenging for photography: low sun, ice, and often overcast skies.

Bear this in mind when viewing them; they are still priceless witnesses to the last years of steam on our main lines.

11th December 1965 and two photos of 34060 on a Bournemouth to York train passing Osney Cemetery on the approach to Oxford Station. [A12.05 and A12:06]

34060 was Battle of Britain class 25 Squadron, then shedded at Eastleigh, from where it was withdrawn in 1967 after a fair 20 year life. 

The loco looks pretty dirty, yet struggled on for another two years.

On the same day and at the same location this time three photos of Merchant Navy 35027 on the southbound Pines Express. [A12.07, A12.08, and A12.09] 

35027 was Merchant Navy class Port Line. This example was shedded at Bournemouth when Derek took the picture, until it was withdrawn 9 months later in September 1966. This loco looks a lot better, with its livery of BR Brunswick Green clearly visible, as well as the badge of the famous shipping line.

Port Line was preserved, although, unlike Clan Line, not without passing through Barry, where it stayed until 1982. It was restored at the Bluebell railway where it ran until the year 2000. The loco is currently owned by the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust, with the intention of restoring it to main line running condition.

A week later on 18th December 1965 a photo of Standard Class 5 73155 with a Bournemouth to York train seen just south of Hinksey. [A12.10] 

Standard class 5 75155 was less lucky and managed a short life of only just under 11 years. It was scrapped by Cashmores of Newport in 1968, being withdrawn early due to the cessation of steam on BR.

Again on 18th December 1965 and looking the other way, two photos of 35027 on the southbound Pines Express. [A12.11 and A12.12] 

A very dull day, and tricky to get a sharp picture of a speeding pacific. It's Port Line again, still looking quite well kept.

On 28th December 1965 a Standard Class 5 is heading a northbound Bournemouth to York train approaching Kennington Junction. [A12.13] 

Derek didn't record the number of this one, but by zooming in on the smokebox it looks like 73170. That loco was shedded at Eastleigh at the time the picture was taken, so that fits for the general area. It's another Standard locomotive that didn't make it very far: just over 9 years old. It was scrapped in Weymouth Goods yard by Cashmore's in January 1967.

On the same day Prairie Tank 6126 is seen approaching Kennington Junction from the Thame Branch. [A12.14] 

These GWR engines certainly last a lot longer! 6126 was built in 1931 and reached a much more respectable age of 34 years before succumbing to Cashmore's of Newport in 1966. The 70 strong 61xx class was designed for commuter trains and local branch services, something which 6126 is doing here on the Thame branch. 6106 is the sole surviving member, and is kept at Didcot if you want to see one in real life.

And then handing in the token as it leaves the branch. [A12.15]

This is a lovely everyday scene (well, in 1965) as the fireman hands the token back to the signalman at the end of the branch line. 

The signalman's car is parked right in front of the box. Not too far to walk then. It looks like a Ford Consul, a car that was manufactured between 1951 and 1962.

Remember that you can order a full sized scan of any of the above pictures from breva2011 (at) hotmail.co.uk.