Toddington update - Chcken Curve slip

My modest donation is in the post today, wish it could be more.

A question, with this latest slip, is there any chance that it could be sorted as a "volunteer" or "in-house" effort, or do you have to get in contractors?

Being somewhat simplistic, is the starting point mechanised plant to dig out the embankment? Can volunteers do that? Particularly if you are fortunate enough to have a member or members with access to such plant?

 

Some good news to counteract all the bad!

Courtesy of our PWay team here's a photo (http://nigel-black.fotopic.net/p68739421.html) showing 08683 becoming the first loco north of Laverton bridge. Presumably the previous train on this stretch of line would have been the tracklifting trains in the late 1970's?

Another important step in getting Laverton open so that we at least have somewhere to run trains to from Toddington!

Chris
GWSR member & volunteer

 

A little more good news and publicity for the appeal. The GWSR appeal has appeared on the 2nd page of a local newspaper today there was also a photo.
Has the GWSR considered asking any local authorities for any money, because I know that some govenment agency gave about £500,000 towards the cost of repairs for the SVR after the floods. It could be an avenue worth persuing.
donation page

 

The timing could not be worse if you expect any local authority help - there are not enough £££s to cover even basic services as described daily in the media at present. That is unlikely to change for at least the next 3 years.

The SVR did receive some assistance from Advantage West Midlands but I believe that organisation is now disbanded.

 

BBC coverage can be found at these links.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-12213505

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00xmj0p/Midlands_Today_19_01_2011/
(start 23 minutes into the programme)

Chelt Rail

 

The SVR did receive some substantial Advantage West Midlands money, and were supposed to receive some of the EU Solidarity Fund grant to the UK to cover the extensive flooding that took place in 2007, but I'm not sure if that money ever materialised. Insurance cover also came into play, and there was the Flood Appeal that raised somewhere around £600-700 thousand, but I think they still had a shortfall of substantial proportions which they have had to absorb.

As 1472 mentions though, times are very much different from 3/4 years ago, sadly.

Lets hope a solution can be found, even if it involves self-help as far as possible.

 

I imagine we're investigating local authority, etc. aid, but it seems unlikely to me that they will have any money to spare at the moment, unfortunately.

Cheers,

Chris.
GWSR member & volunteer

 

Did the GWR use a different way or material when building the embankments on this railway? because looking at the embankment on chicken curve it looks like quite a gentle incline to its banks.

 

It is a much gentler incline on the slip area compared to the rest!
The rest of the bank on the curve are fairly steep on the "Cotswold" side, other bank angles "Malvern" side show lower angles many due to the 100 years of gradual movement. Both GWR and BR have continued to "fight" against gravity here, this being the loaction for the 1976 derailment that sparked the closure. Not seen why train came off but would guess 16Tonne mineral wagons, rigid wheel base, track twist due to subsidence, speed?, derailment!

 

I thought that just occured to me was - does it cost the railway money to process online donations via credit cards, and, if this is the case would it be better to send donations by post to avoid the railway incuring any other costs?
Thanks

Totally-transport..co.uk webmaster
GWSR member

 

Gloucestershire CC is facing cuts of over £3 million (and was always short of money even in the boom times!) so I doubt much support, if any, will be forthcoming.

 

I can confirm that our online ticketing company has been great and is waving the fees for online donations and shares.

Thanks everyone for the messages of support here and one the website. We should have some more detailed coverage of the Chicken Curve slip on the site soon but as always bare with us. Things will be communicated as soon as they can be.

Thanks,

Steve
GWSR webmaster

 

Can this slip not be repaired like most railways were built, with picks and shovels? Now I know that this might sound silly, but I, and I'm sure many thousands more, would happily put the odd days graft in digging the old embankment out and then building a new one. Yes I know theres Government created obstacles like H&S etc, but I'm sure something can be worked out to massively reduce the costs to the G&WR?
Jim

 

See the latest information on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Website. Removal of the ballast at Chicken curve has already started and there is some pick and shovel work that the railway volunteers are already doing evident from the photos. However the nature of the problem means, I presume, that more exploratory work on the damage is needed before anything else can be done. It does appear that some serious repair work is needed.

 

My donation is on its way. Good luck with repairs etc.

 

Not all bad news for GWSR: http://www.gwsr.com/news/latest-news/not-all-bad-news!.aspx

 

Thanks RASDV. Its good to read some good news at last and good of the GWSR to keep us informed as much as possible in these difficult times. Good news in particular regarding the Broadway overbridge as it looks, to the casual observer at least - like me, to be in a right bashed state! Onwards!

 

Ive not seen the bridge in question other than on the blog, but is there any consideration there of putting a bar in place in front of the bridge to take such impacts? Network rail has installed one such device on the rail bridge over the Malmesbury-Chippenham road near Hullavington, and so far seems to be relatively successful in taking all the impact off the bridge structure itself.

No idea if its feasible here, but it might save expensive repairs in the future.

 

Seems a sensible idea, even if just a relatively lightweight, sacrificial 'loading gauge' type structure a few metres in front of the bridge which would hopefully alert any dozy lorry/tractor drivers that there is an impending problem!

 

Latest news now up on the GWSR website, basically the railway will be running in two halves. The main section will be Winchcombe to Cheltenham and all marketing will push Cheltenham as the joining point (limited parking at Winchcombe) This will be a steam operated service. The northern section will run Laverton to Hails, motive power still being looked into. We will be overhauling the format of our footplate courses and will be offering them on many many more dates. They will include some 'lower end budget ones' through to hopefully something like taking control of 2807 on a gwr freight.

Many thanks for the encouragement and support from several well known induviduals and indeed heritage railways. Much appreciated.

Hoping to get a small stand together to start trolling the upcoming spring gala's. Will post with info when i get it. (I should know- i've just become chairman of the loco dept management team. . . .)

To start with we need 17k just to undertake the full survey of the area around the slip - this will supply the correct method for the repair.