Toddington update - Chcken Curve slip

Little Miss Westie.
I noticed that there is a likeness of her on the side of a Class 37 Diesel at Toddington!

 

I was there yesterday and, with this discussion in mind, did a quick head count, mainly of the Adults as it was a 'kids go free' week.

I reckon there was 30+ adults and probably 20+ children.

Assessing the service prior, and the one following, I'd estimate that the numbers were similar.

[Declaring an interest: I am a volunteer for the GWR]

 

I hope that the GWSR had a successful half term week running the DMU. I didnt manage to get down myself cos I work nights and we were very busy last week!! Will try and get down when the line opens up again in march.

Last time I went to Toddington was autumn last year (I think). I rode the dmu to laverton and hailes abbey (got the front seat both times!!) and twas great fun. DMU wasnt packed, but there were plenty of people on the train. I had a chat to one of the volunteers aswell who was very friendly and he told me all about the problems and challenges of the landslip.

And, as an added bonus, I had a ride on the narrow gauge which was hauled by 0-8-0 1091 so I still got my steam fix!!
so all in all a great day out. Cant wait for the line to be reconnected.

 

Hopefully the GWSR website will soon carry an update on the progress of the "Chicken Curve" embankment work, following from the initial 6th February "works starts" posting. There is a passing reference to "pressing on" with the work in a general review of winter work on the line, but no further detail or any images as such. Hopefully the relatively kind winter weather has enabled their contractors to get off to a good start with the work, which presumably at this stage is mainly concerned with removal of the embankment.

 

Chicken Curve update 24th February 2012:
A new update on progress on the repair of the Chicken Curve embankment has just been posted on the GWSR website:
GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - Chicken Curve Update 24th February 2012
In summary it says:
- Good progress has been made on setting up the site
- New drainage has been installed on the down side
- Work has begun on drainage on the other side of the embankment. Once this is completed the major repair can start
- Work is currently on schedule
- Further donations are very welcome
I'm sure you can read the rest of the article for yourselves. Good to get a progress update to see how things are coming along. Still need to close the funding gap, though...

 

Yes, it certainly does! Some good news from the Chicken Curve nightmare at last. The GWSR update makes very interesting industrial archeology digging up some of the material that has been placed there over the years to try and stabilise the embankment but it would have been better if had been better built in 1906!

 

Yes indeed, no wonder there have been ongoing problems with the embankment. Sounds as though the GWR and BR just used whatever was to hand, without thinking through the consequences.
I guess all the rubbish taken out will simply have to be carted away and dumped. Loco ash, foundry slag, whatever else will they discover!



Whilst the current benign weather will be a help, we must also remember that the Glos-Warks do not yet have enough money to actually do the whole job.

 

Final push for funds!
The pressure is on (literally) to raise the cash to fill the present shortfall in funds to complete the Chicken Curve embankment by the summer.
The pressure gauge (GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - The landslip appeal: the pressure) on the GWSR website has set a target of £200,000 to pay for completion of the work on Chicken Curve and allow for any nasty surprises the repair might throw up as well as paying for the cost of new track, ballast, and enough to facilitate improvements to drainage elsewhere on the line.
Currently the 'pressure gauge' reads £70,000 which has been enough to get the work started on the repair. Help increase the pressure to at least £180,000 by donating now via the GWRT which allows the railway to claim back tax on your donation through gift aid if you're a UK taxpayer. Reaching the £180,000 milestone would allow the job to be finished and anything raised above that and toward the £200,000 target will provide a little breathing space.
So increase the pressure today by doing any of these things:

• Donate through the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust (GWRT) and, if you are a tax payer, use the Gift Aid facility to make your money go a little further, thanks to the Chancellor donating some of the income tax you have paid on your donation also
• Buy shares - that way, your money goes into the railway's capital which is spent on the infrastructure. Being a shareholder gives you the right to attend the Annual General Meeting and have voting rights - in other words, a say in how the railway is operated and managed. Shares at £1 each are available in units of £50 and depending on how much you invest depends on travel privileges you can enjoy
• Buy £1,000 worth of shares and you qualify as a '300 Club' member and you'll qualify for other benefits including a 'Golden Pass' which will qualify you for unlimited travel on the railway for life. You can use this as a gift, too - many people have bought their shares in the name of a youngster, for instance!

Read more and see the pressure gauge for yourself.
Thanks.Your support is much appreciated.

 

I will be sending a donation, but can I respectfully ask that the Glos-Warks post regular updates on their website so that we can see how the work is progressing. What progress has happened since the 24th February update please? Any images?

Thanks in advance.

(On a different topic related to Toddington, good to see the new diesel facility completed by the 29th January, at least as far as the building is concerned. Thats the way to do it!)

46118

 

GWSR website now has a detailed update dated 8th March, with pictures and words explaining just how and why the materials in the embankment have moved. Most interesting.

 

Very interesting indeed; here's the link to the news item:
GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - Chicken Curve Update 8th March 2012

 

Another new update on the work which is ongoing on Chicken Curve:
GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - Chicken Curve Update 19th March 2012
Progress is good - the piles have been installed in the first dig
But, although donations are coming in, the railway still needs to raise a further

£115,000 to meet the £1million target. You can help close the gap and build the pressure on the railway's pressure gauge, which measures how close funds are to the target by ​

making a donation

.​

 

New Steam Railway appeal in aid of the GWSR's landslip appeal launched in the magazine's 400th issue which dropped on the door mat today. The SR appeal aims to raise £75,000 and if Gift Aid is applied then this would be around £94,000, by the end of August 2012. Various incentives have been added for those who donate particular amounts to the appeal.
Full details of the SR appeal can be found in the opening three pages of the news section of the latest issue.

 

Another update on the tremendous progress being made on Chicken Curve is now on the Glos Warks Railway Website.

 

Here's the link: GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - Chicken Curve Update 2nd April 2012
Yes, the progress being made is great. But remember progress will only continue to be made if the money keeps rolling in. Donations are still very welcome - every little helps.
Find out the current state of play with funding and make your donation at: GWR - Gloucestershire's mainline heritage railway - Funding latest

 

Does anyone know how the Steam Railway appeal (in aid of Chicken Curve) is going? I haven't been able to find an update anywhere.

 

excellent question !the GWR "pressure gauge" is still at £80000 since one month at least!
regards
Noel

 

At the concert fund raising event in cheltenham last week the plc chairman gave out the news that the appeal had topped the £900,000 mark. Where this leaves us in relation to the final figure shown in steam railway is unclear but it must be close to being under the 100k figure. Every volunteer on the railway is working hard to ensure that once services resume over the re-connected line the railway will look better than ever. As part of the learning curve of drainage and bank maintenance the lineside clearance team have worked there socks off over the winter and there are several new vistas opened up. Indeed as loco crew, you turn to your mate and say 'never knew that was there before'. As a little teaser, both the diesel gala and the popular steam gala will return in 2013 - both looking good already in the pre planning stages.

 

Presumably considerable progress has taken place since the update on 2nd April. Has anyone happened to pass through the area and can give us an update?

Edit: 19th. Brief update on the Glos-Warks website reports all digging out and piling now complete, and the embankment is now being rebuilt with new materials. Excellent news.

 

From the GWSR today, 19 Apr 12.

“Just a brief update at this stage. Unfortunately no new pictures.
Work continues to progress well on the site. The new S&T cable has been dug in and buried. All toe berms are now complete and all digging out of the bank is now complete along with all the piling. Currently stone infill is being rolled in and the slip area brought back up to the profile of the original bank.
Due to a slight design change the soil nailing cannot commence until the slip area has been rebuilt, however this should be very soon now. Work is still on schedule to be completed by early June. All that remains to be done is completing the slip rebuild, installing the soil nails, finishing off the drainage under the road on the Malvern side and then hydra-seeding the berms and bare areas of embankment and tidying up the site and fencing.
Once soil nailing is under way I will provide some more photographs.” Report from Neil Carr.
From the GWSR News Website