GWSR Lineside

T here was a team of 6  and we met up at Dixton Yard to travel north. Lawrence cut back  a willow that was on the edge of the  yard that was close to the drainage ditch on the Cotswold side and then another multi stemmed willow further along but on the Malvern side. Alex tried unsuccessfully to get a fire going so it was decided to stack the cut material and bring the chipper another week to dispose of the material. Paul used his newly acquired brushcutting skills and cut back a 2 metre strip on both sides of the track for a distance of 100  metres  to the north. He was delighted to come across a small patch of orchids which he left in full flower (a great sight  to find). Nick and Rachel were at hand and amongst other jobs moved the cut material across the track ready to chip so a short but useful days work. At the end of shift we had a chat with a couple of chaps from the operations department and Lawrence drove them down to Far Stanley to help them with ...

  5 of us yesterday.   We finished brushcutting on the Malvern side from Pecked Lane northwards to Station Road. As we went along vegetation was cleared from the neighbours fences was cleared. At the Station Road end we trimmed back the bushes that were close to the vehicle track.   We also followed up on a message received from the neighbour on the Cotswold side north of Station Road who pointed out the bank is overgrown and is concerned it might be a fire risk. There was clearly bird activity on the bank, so obviously we cannot tackle the bank until the end of the bird nesting season. However we did brush cut along the top of the bank, which should reduce the risk of lineside fires.   Further clearance is possibly a task for the autumn/summer?   Unless other urgent tasks come up during the week we will return next to finish tidying up.   David M

  6 of us yesterday working north from Pecked Lane.   We cleared around the vehicle entrance and the fence around the footpath leading to the crossing. Working on the Malvern side we brushcut and cleared the fences of the houses that back onto the line. Initially we were passing the children’s nursey and checked in with them before starting work as the children were outside. Some of the children enjoyed seeing us working but it was nowhere near as exciting as the passing trains. We were able to return various balls, toys and hats, that had strayed from the nursery. We had one satisfied resident who said vegetation from the railway was just starting to come through her fence. She also took pity on us during the hot day by providing some bottles of squash, which was much appreciated.   Brian and I also visited a resident of the mobile home park, who had reported Japanese Knotweed coming into the garden from the railway. From what the lady advised it seems to be a reoccurren...

It was warm today, very warm. So grateful for a quick easy job to finish clearing brambles with the goods train out the way.  Great to see so many people at the railway and so many of the team in different roles. I didn't take too many pictures today.  Graham 

  4 of us today.   We tidied up the station area at Hayles Abbey Halt, so hopefully it will be admired by those attending the steam gala at the weekend. The bridge abutments have been sprayed with weed killer, so there is no issue with access should any inspection be required.   There were several areas of wild flowers, currently in bud, which we left to flower later in the year. We normally clear the Malvern bank in the autumn, to keep the bramble at bay and to encourage wild flower growth, so I suggest we add both sides to our job list.   We had a bit of time available at the end of the day and intended to tackle the overhanging branches in the vehicle compound at Winchcombe. However we couldn’t find the saw attachment for the Wolf Garten extending pole, so had to abort our plan. Can anyone shed light on where the saw is?   David M

This was a great day where the team of 4 concentrated on the Northern portal of Greet tunnel. This was a bigger job  than first anticipated.  It included brush cutting a 2 metre strip on the  Malvern side for approximately 150 metres. On the Cotswold side there  was a stand of Willow and hawthorn that was demolished and a lower arm on the nearest oak which was almost touching the ground . This itself was a big job which caused the team to use a fire to get rid of the cut material.   Also they burnt a quantity of previously cut material and tidied up the whole area .The view of the  opening of the  Northern portal has never looked better and no doubt it will be a focal point for a number of photographers with the additional nearby hut that is being built.   They could have restricted the work to the morning but decided it was worth spending the extra time and do a thorough job. Well done team Brummie Dave