Wednesday 19th August 2026

5 of us yesterday. 

With 4 brushcutters we made good progress completing the ditch clearance at Winchcombe and then continuing northwards alongside the carriage sidings. We also partially cleared a further ditch that is slightly further east, starting just after the main ditch disappears into a pipe. There doesn’t seem to link to the main ditch and it appears to peter out as we cleared southwards and then drop steeply into a heavily wooded area northwards. We have probably cleared as much as we can without taking on a major task. Arisings were dealt with by raking up and then mulching using a brushcutter, with a mulching blade, to leave the cut areas tidy.

 

First thing in the morning two of us went to the southern end of Stanway Viaduct to improve visibility of the 25mph sign, which drivers had raised as a defect report. We partially cleared a small ash tree and also some bramble. Our efforts were to the satisfaction of a passing class 37 driver, so this defect report can be ticked off. In order to future proof the visibility it would be worthwhile taking out the ash tree at some point. Whilst we in this area we tidied up the vegetation growth around the adjacent mileage sign.

 

A couple of pictures at Stanway are attached, courtesy of Brian.

 

David M


  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saturday 7th March 2026

Image
  I arrived on site at 8.55am followed by Lawrence  and Dick  and they moved a pile of logs  about 60 metres from our proposed area of work for the day .While they were doing this I did a check to see what birdlife was about . There was a solitary robin pecking about on the ground and a flight of geese overhead  but no signs of any nesting taking place so at approximately  9.30 after the rest of the team arrived we started work  in the designated area. There were 7 of us today and we partially  cleared the area South of the area we cleared last week.  Lawrence dismantled the hawthorn over the culvert while the rest of the team did more clearance a safe distance away.  A fire was lit to initially  burn what was left last week and this was continually added to during the day  The area  was thinned out  to make the bank easier to inspect   and some  material was left on the ground read for disposing of nex...
Read more

Saturday 4th July 2026

Image
A warm and humid day for the team of 7 and to maximise working time it was agreed to split into two teams and head off in opposite directions.    Team 1, Paul, Lawrence and Dave, headed off to Hayles Abbey Halt to cut the grass from the road entrance all the way behind and past the northern end of the platform. The arisings were raked and neatly stacked off the end of the platform on the embankment. The Malvern side looked lush with an abundance of wild flowers, which have been left ahead of a single cut later in the year. I was told they were treated to a fly past from two spitfires during the morning, it is nice to see the team being so valued they get their own flypasts! Before    After    Team 2; Alex, Rachael and Nick, and I headed to Gotherington south of the signal box, to carefully clear a perimeter around two sites of Japanese Knotweed and but temporary fencing in place. This is a head of treatment, of the knotweed by a specialist contractor, start...
Read more

Saturday 23rd May 2026

Image
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 
Read more