Bluebell track laying South from EG?

Indeed. Fair comment, much work still to be done, but I hope that with the waste largely out of the way, they can at least "see the wood for the trees" as they say.

Lets hope the further works can be completed without too many unforseen issues arising.

 

I'm slightly confused. On Mr philpots site it seems to be saying that there is now only clay left. Am I reading it wrong?

 

Take what Mr Philpot writes with pinches of salt the size of the tip and wait for an official update (probably at the end of the current dig).

 

As a disinterested follower of this thread, it seems to me that Mr Philpot does not deserve the negative comments that he sometimes receives. Have I missed something?

 

Well, at least Mr Philpott's photos have shown people exactly what is happening , which is more than can be said of the Bluebell updates.

 

Whilst his photos are very helpful in showing progress, his inaccurate and misleading commentary isn't.

 

Blog posts on his website and comments on the Bluebell Yahoo group can probably be blamed for this. I think we are all grateful for his photo's, but his other contributions havent always been as constructive - i think its fair to say his attitude has been very much 'glass half empty'.

Chris

 

And you are such an expert are you?

Are you a volunteer there then?, NO!
Are you a member of the management team then ? NO!

It would be fair to say that Mr Philpott is far better placed to comment than you ever will.

This is not a dig at you just stating the facts. , though I suspect that as ever you will have the hump over this .

Regards
Chris Willis.

 

One trip down to Imberhorne Lane Bridge will prove that some of his comments are less than factual!

Its a shame that his excellent photos are sometimes tainted by the inaccurate commentary.

 

I’m not a Bluebell member and do not live locally. If I may comment, as a disinterested observer
The Bluebell websites do not give real-time indications of money raised or required. While they give tonnages moved they do not know the final tonnage so are not giving a real idea of progress - the Glos-Warwicks extension site, for example, had a map lined to show how far they’ve got. Also I have learnt more from other posters on this site than from the official sites in terms of evolving strategies.
That Mr Philpott blogs, and that people here read and comment on it, demonstrates there is a wider interest in the subject.
If there is no official real-time source of information, unofficial (and therefore possibly inaccurate information) will fill the vacuum. I can appreciate that such a massive project takes so much resource, but if there is enough interest to run two blogs perhaps the Bluebell could have engaged those people to do it for them, with a link off the website?
I see they have a ‘matched giving’ week around 5 December. I will contribute via that.

Patrick

 

I would be surprised to hear that Mr Philpott was a volunteer and manager of the Bluebell, since his blog has had a few comments I wouldn't expect from a member of the team.

 

We both know that this is not true though I understand your sarcasm and irony.

It is just that Robert has a chance to see it all close up which others do not. His pictures are very good though I have no comment to make on his text, I will leave this to those with their heads in the clouds.

Regards
Chris

 

I agree Robert Philpott's pictures are good and that he means well. I also edited my post immediately after it appeared since I thought it appeared a little too sarcastic too:tongue:. Nevertheless I agree with Christopher125's comments on his text, head in the clouds or not.

 

I have kicked around a good few excavation sites in my youth, and based purely on the photos it looks like they may have been quite lucky so far. There does seem to be a little less waste than we were perhaps originally led to believe and no doubt less than they expected as well. Obviously they are not at the bottom yet so there may still be gremlins but it is pleasing to see all that lovely clay overburden which should be much cheaper to deal with than the waste, and for that there won't be anything like the urgency, hence why it appears to be being shoved to one side.
Lets wait and see what they say officially though as photo's never tell the full story, but it does look optimistic.

 

if there had not Robert 's pics we should be poorer with updates on the Tip progress..........and his comments are sometimes questionable BUT always interesting
regards
noel

 

We both know that this is not true though I understand your sarcasm and irony.

It is just that Robert has a chance to see it all close up which others do not. His pictures are very good though I have no comment to make on his text, I will leave this to those with their heads in the clouds.


We also know from your previous posts that you will take any opportunity to have a go at the Bluebell management, so that has to be factored inot your defence of Mr. Philpott.

Personally, I feel I'm a reasonably disinterested observer, although I am a great admirer of much of what is done there, and I feel that the Bluebell website is one of the best around, if not the best. However, I do think that it could have added a little more information on this project. As we have seen in instances, for example the information vacuum immediately after the recent incident at Grosmont, a lack of official information will soon be repllaced by speculation that may be well removed from the truth. For such an important project as the tip clearance, with its fundraising implications, I'm surprised that the Bluebell didn't have a dedicated website with the level of coverage achieved by Mr. Phillpott but with informed comment rather than speculation in the captions - something along the lines of the SVR's "Floodlines" It is a lesson the SVR has learned, witness tlast year's "Mudlines" and this year's "Underground Lines"

 

(I'd rather not do this, but i think its worth pointing out)

...and you ARE an expert?

Are you a volunteer there, then? Not for some time, unless things have radically changed.
Are you a member of the management team then? No

...do you have an axe to grind due to your past history with the line? Yes
Do you have a history of jumping on anyone who dares suggest the Bluebell dont deserve the criticism some people give it? Yes

I dont pretend to be an 'expert', but i keep up to date with the project on the Bluebell e-group and so get to read what is said in reply to this gentleman's posts and website by the people actually doing the work - THEY are the experts, and it is quite clear (as latest progress has shown) that their predictions have been far, far more reliable than Robert's, something which i think even he is now realising.

Im sure he'll admit in due course that his pessimism, even suggesting that there was so much more waste than being reported that it should be re-capped and the appeal stopped, was misplaced.

Chris

 

I can remember working on a huge landfill site in Brum when I was training as a landscape architect... everything suddenly came to a grinding halt because an object had turned up in the bucket of one of the diggers..... cables? No. Munitions? No...... It was a fresh, slightly decomposing human leg (female). Yes, the Bluebell have been lucky!

Foxy

 

Without taking sides the pictures do serve to show the rate of progress, remember, this is another what was thought to be mission impossible, and the day will come, when the two halves will be connected .
Who would have thought that!!

If, as reported , the residue is clay, and it can be dumped on and around the railway, then how much would it cost the bluebelle to hire the same wagons to clear away the clay once the diggers have cleared the cutting and the two railheads have been joined? or do the bluebelle have plans to resume clearance trains from the southern end once more