Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 04:55 29 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
* Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
07:00 Bedwyn to Newbury
07:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
08:13 Newbury to Bedwyn
08:46 Bedwyn to Newbury
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
Short Run
04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:12 Reading to Bedwyn
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:55 Plymouth to London Paddington
06:00 Bedwyn to London Paddington
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
Delayed
21:45 Penzance to London Paddington
23:45 London Paddington to Penzance
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 05:02:40 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[98] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[97] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[86] Return of the BRUTE?
[74] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[53] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[23] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Brunel's Viaduct over Chippenham - major repairs  (Read 3589 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« on: March 01, 2019, 06:58:02 »

From The Gazette and Herald

Quote
THE Grade II listed Chippenham railway arches are undergoing major repairs as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan. Repairs to Brunel's railway arches will finish in spring.

The viaduct, where New Road meets Marshfield Road, is one of the town’s best-known landmarks and has been partly fenced while work is underway.

A spokesman from Network Rail said: “The natural deterioration of the Bath stonework and original brick construction is such that some parts of the structure are crumbling, which in some instances has required the closure of adjacent roads and footpaths. These works will address those areas that are most in need of repair.”


The work, which will be finish in spring, includes the removal of vegetation, the replacement or repair of damaged bricks and Bath stone, and the repair of cracks through the structure.

The nine-arch viaduct, which has limestone on the north side and brick on the south, was built in 1841 to carry Brunel’s Great Western Railway over the town.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
SandTEngineer
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3485


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2019, 10:08:17 »

...now, I wonder who let the vegetation grow to cause the problems in the first place..... Roll Eyes Tongue
Logged
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5190


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2019, 12:25:37 »

Quote
...as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan...

Shouldn't this be covered by the Raliway Maintenance Plan? Wossat? Oh, I see...
Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
GBM
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1468


View Profile Email
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2019, 11:13:43 »

"Not us guv. Blame our cutbacks on our paymaster"  Grin
Logged

Personal opinion only.  Writings not representative of any union, collective, management or employer. (Think that absolves me...........)
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2019, 16:41:10 »

For it to have lasted for over 170 years is testament to the strength of the design. I shall doff my stovepipe hat in deference. With modern methods of fixing it, it should be good for another 20 years or so.  Grin
Logged

Now, please!
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2019, 16:57:34 »

...now, I wonder who let the vegetation grow to cause the problems in the first place..... Roll Eyes Tongue

Doesn't it rather depend on who let it get into the state such the vegetation could take hold

For it to have lasted for over 170 years is testament to the strength of the design. I shall doff my stovepipe hat in deference. With modern methods of fixing it, it should be good for another 20 years or so.  Grin

Prior to 1948, it was the responsibility of GWR (Great Western Railway) who owned the track as well as the trains
from then until 1994, it was British Railways
for the next 8 years - to 2002, it was Railtrack
and in the recent past it has been Network Rail
As I understand it, some (but perhaps not enough) people and expertise has been passed down, so that each acquiring body in turn really shouldn't have been walking in with any doubt as to what they were taking on.

Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
SandTEngineer
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3485


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2019, 17:27:48 »

Having worked for three of those companies (no, not the first one Roll Eyes) I could tell you from frontline experience where it was allowed to go to pot, but I'll let you guess..... Tongue
Logged
SandTEngineer
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3485


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2019, 21:28:31 »

Now then I wasn't aware of this (but might have missed it if we discussed it elsewhere):
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/network-rail-vegetation-management-review-valuing-nature-a-railway-for-people-and-wildlife
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2019, 21:41:45 »


More of a weekend read than a bedtime one.   Railways and canals are certainly nature corridors as well as train an boat ones ... a subject I've seen before, but nor sure if we have a thread ... best I could come up with was http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=14268.msg157553#msg157553.  But there are community rail groups encouraging bee keeping on (suburban / inner city? ) platforms to use the corridors.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page