Clearance work commences at the Bluebell's Imberhorne Tip

i think youve misread the situation,.As i understand it the current programme of work is simply explorative.Fund-raising for the whole project has yet to be concluded...

 

Which one do you mean Arthur?, the new carriage works or the extension to EG?.

Regards
Chris Willis

 

Which one do you mean Arthur?, the new carriage works or the extension to EG?.

Regards
Chris Willis[/quote:3e6otbkn]

I think he means that the excavation at Imberhorne stopped because it was an explorative exercise, not because they ran out of money. By the looks of it they will try and remove as much as they can, or perhaps even all, of the tip in one go, rather than continually digging and capping it which should save quite a bit of money if nothing else.

Chris

 

If the Bluebell stop work on the tip will they put in a run round loop and run service trains up to Imberhorn lane bridge. I remember the GSWR did the same thing on their extension to Cheltenham.

 

Give it 12 months and earth moving rates could be at rock bottom due to the recession and the cost could fall somewhat. It will never be cheap though and as has been discussed here is a major investment that will require careful financial planning. A few grants would help.

 

PiliPili wrote

Talk on Saturday (4th April) was that gradeing of the cutting sides has produced a couple more train loads of spoil for Percy to remove before leaving for Eastleigh and it's new bogies/wheels/traction motors.

 

Something very similar occurred at West Hoathley while the line rebuilt New Coombe bridge, although admittedly that was a former station with plenty of space, no idea if space is available to do that at Imberhorne

 

West Hoathley and Gotherington are both former stations (or the site of one), and not in the middle of a cutting next to a rubbish tip! I doubt it would be worth the effort for the Bluebell to extend services up there. Would people really want to travel the extra distance without being able to get off? Sure, it's a bit of new track for the cranks, but I can't see any other benefit.

 

Although spoil trains have not operated for some weeks, contract staff have nonetheless continued (and as of yesterday still were) moving spoil around with JCB diggers. There are some more spoil trains scheduled to operate between Imberhorne Lane and Horsted Keynes later this month, hauled interestingly by the class '73' No.73136 that's period of stay at the Bluebell has been extended so I understand.

Chris

 

Prior to West Hoathley, a push-pull service was run from Horstead Keynes to, I think, Horstead House, using one of the small tank locos and a couple of carriages. I don't know whether this would be allowed these days?

The GWR didn't open from Winchcombe to Gotherington all in one go. There was a "temporary" run-round loop which was sited initially just through the tunnel in Gretton, and subsequently at Far Stanley. It may also have been midway between the two at one stage. The loop was removed once the line opened to Gotherington, and the final section to Cheltenham was opened in one go.

The line from Gretton to Far Stanley is on an embankment with excellent views to the north to the Malverns. Slightly different to being in a cutting.

 

The 'shuttle' was run using 323 'Bluebell' and a couple of Maunsell carriages, one of which was specially fitted for 'push-pull' work. I believe in order to satisfy H&S it had to operate almost entirely independently of the main line, so not sure how this would work at Kingscote/Imberhorne, I imagine there would be a lot to sort out at Kingscote that might not make this at all feasible.

 

I have uploaded to my Fotopic website eleven (11) images showing the current state of the excavation at Imberhorne Lane on the Bluebell's northern extension towards East Grinstead.

See: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/c1680600.html

Since the last spoil train operated the contractor has moved a considerable amount of inert spoil around the site, leaving a supply of inert spoil to the front of the waste material. This will allow the inert spoil to be loaded into wagons during the next phase of spoil train operation that are scheduled to operate at the end of this month. But first the railhead will be moved nearer to the tip face by laying some further track panels. I understand that the spoil trains later this month will be worked by the class 73 ED No.73136, which has had its stay at the Bluebell extended to work these trains.

Also three additional photos in seperate collections:

(a) A spoil train waits at Birch Farm Foot Crossing for the guard to walk forward to signal the all clear to proceed.

See: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/p57582888.html


(b) Photos taken lineside of Class 73, No.73136 (E6043) "Perseverance" propelling a spoil train:

See: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/p57582977.html
and: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/p57582979.html

Chris

 

(a) A spoil train waits at Birch Farm Foot Crossing for the guard to walk forward to signal the all clear to proceed.

See: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/p57582888.html



T'owd Guard looks like he's doing t'Riverdance in that photo. I'm always impressed with multi-tasking.

 

Is it fair to say that more of this infill is turning out to be inert spoil than first thought?
Or is it just a case of moving as much as possible of the known inert spoil prior to another assault on the rubbish infill that does require the full treatment?

46118

 

Yes. The problem it creates is not so much at Imberhorne, but more in finding the additional space to dump it down at Horsted Keynes. More may be revealed on that front later, watch this space for now. :-$

Obviously it makes sense to move as much inert spoil from Imberhorne as possible in preparation for the eventual excavating and removing the waste tip.

Going off at a tangent, my most recent photos are now online taken whilst manning last Thursday's Spoil Train, which was worked by class 73 ED, No.73136. Features spoil being loaded on the NORTH side of Imberhorne Lane Bridge, views showing how the triangle at Horsted Keynes is being landscaped to form an amenity area, and a photograph of a damp but readable newspaper dated 9th December 1965 found amongst the excavated spoil.

See: http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/c1680600_21.html


Chris

 

Axe, is the original cutting slope reappearing North of the bridge? I just wondered if maybe the cutting had been widened after the closure of the railway and prior to infilling, ie to create more space at the expense of digging away the sideslope of the cutting? It's just that you dont appear to be able to see much "original" cutting side re-emerging.

46118

 

If you view the image at http://gallery74781.fotopic.net/p57461442.html and the six (6) photos that follow, you will see the original rock sides to the cutting that have now been exposed. Currently they are covered in a layer of clay, but this will be rinsed clean by future downfalls of rain. From what has been exposed thus far, there is no sign that the original side walls to the cutting were altered after the former railway line closed.

Chris

 

Excellent, thanks for that Chris.

Does the actual brickwork of Imberhorne Lane bridge require much remedial work? Bar the odd missing or damaged bricks it doesn't look to be in too bad order.

46118

 

The bridges north of Horsted Keynes are generally in good order, Imberhorne lane bridge is in far better condition than all of the bridges between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes, even though :smt073 :smt073 a few have been 'preserved' by blowing them up! :smt073

 

Apart from the problem regarding water drainage in the immediate vicinity that is currently being remedied, Imberhorne Lane Bridge as far as I'm aware is in a relatively good state.

Chris