Like thousands of other people, I decided to watch the Flying Scotsman pass by on its way to York. Where else to go but the Hitchin Flyover. It wasn't completely successful! Unbeknown to me, remedial works were being carried out next to and under the viaduct. According to one of the workman, the soil around the settlement pond was being replaced because nothing was growing. Unfortunately Hera fencing had been put all round the viaduct spoiling the view slightly. I decided to carry on at that location rather than risk moving elsewhere and missing it altogether.
Steam centre picture heralds Flying Scotsman's approach. Also emphasizes the significant curve as the ECML leaves Hitchin.
Flying Scotsman appears with a cloud of steam obscuring the rest of the train.
The viaduct disappears in steam plume as Flying Scotsman passes under.
Evidence of work being carried out with some excavation between the viaduct and the ECML.
Heaps of spoil being stored under the viaduct.
Moving closer to the scrapyard there is a line of equipment stored under the viaduct.
Managed to grab a shot of the Class 67 locomotive heading north behind the Flying Scotsman. Allegedly the insurance policy if Flying Scotsman failed. Fortunately it wasn't Thunderbird to the rescue!
Soil being removed from the settlement pond area. Also evidence of the line of trees adjacent to the scrapyard being cut down.
Having learned that today would be the first opportunity to see a steam train travel over the Hitchin flyover and poppy bank, I went down to have a look. This was the Railway Touring Company's Easterling tour to Lowestoft with 61306 Mayflower in charge. On the way down I took a couple of pictures of the settlement pond with its planting of trees to replace those removed during the construction.
Looking towards the River Hiz, very little vegetation has established itself yet.
Looking back from the river bank towards the viaduct.
I then moved up on to the higher triangle of land between the East Coast mainline and the former Bedford line.to await the arrival of Mayflower. There were quite a few other people already waiting. Mayflower can be seen just approaching the viaduct.
Now Mayflower is on the viaduct with the rest of the train partially obscured by the steam.
At this point it can be seen crossing the mainline.
Now almost at the end of the viaduct about to move on to poppy bank.
Moving right on to the embankment section known as Poppy Bank because the sides were covered in poppies the week the line went in to service.
Interestingly if you zoom in here, you can actually see the quadcopter of my good friend, Marcus Dawson who was taking a video on the other side of the mainline. I have put a link to his video at the end.
Zooming in again, you can see the steam trail as Mayflower enters the deep cutting on the approach to Letchworth.
I took a few more shots while I was there. This one shows a Govia service in the latest livery crossing the mainline.
With the benefit of trees without any leaves, you can appreciate how much of a curve there is on the viaduct.
Here a Virgin East Coast service passes under the viaduct with partial Virgin livery on the locomotive.
Again the bare trees let you see the embankment of the former Bedford line quite clearly. Looking across from the side of the mainline.
Now the public footpath has been reopened, you can walk right alongside the viaduct. There has been some tree planting on the reinstated Bedford line embankment. Before the work started it was very densely covered. A couple of Govia services passed over in quick succession. The first in new livery.
Then the second in the old First Capital Connect livery.
This is the excellent video taken by Marcus Dawson
I took the opportunity today to see how the drainage work was going. It is moving much closer to completion now. Most of the temporary fencing on the west side of the main line has gone now allowing photo opportunities from some different vantage points.
Here a much neater looking settlement pond than two weeks ago. Smooth landscaped sides with some subsoil being spread around the perimeter on top of a membrane. Despite earlier appearances, I think it is going to look quite good when it is finished.
A closer look reveals that the water level has been higher recently but not high enough to leave by the outfall. It has either evaporated or seeped away. There is some planting of what could be reeds that I guess are there to help with cleaning the run off.
The removal of the temporary site fencing allows me to take a shot from the other end of the new pond looking towards the river.
Here is the end of the open drainage channel where it enters the link to the new pond. Presumably there is one coming in from the other direction.
Looking the other way the channel follows the viaduct up to the higher ground.
Looking back from the higher ground. When it is raining heavily there must be a mini waterfall as the channel drops down to the lower level.
This the start of the channel. Sadly the low fencing has resulted in more graffiti.
Again I am amazed at how quickly nature has reclaimed the bare ground. Even the re-instated Bedford line embankment which was more or less bare chalk is greening over.
It is particularly thick here with thistles.
The higher triangle of land between the two embankments is still quite sparsely covered though.
I took this shot because it demonstrate quite well how steep the initial gradient is on the first section of the viaduct. In the centre between the trees you can just see the main line before Hitchin North Junction. To the right you can see how much higher the viaduct is.
A four car service approaches the junction.
Then moves onto the flyover.
Now reaching the far side about to move onto the embankment section.
Zooming in as it leaves the viaduct.
On my way out of the Bury Mead Springs area, I took a grab shot of one of the recently refurbished class 365 units in its fairly neutral colour scheme. This will make the re-branding easier when FCC loses the franchise to Govia in September.
I learned that work to complete the drainage channel had finally re-started so I have taken a few pictures of this area. A small work compound has been established by the viaduct and the sheeting has been removed.
In this first picture a three car service has just moved onto the viaduct. Water from the viaduct will fill this pond and any contamination will settle out. Only when the level reaches the outflow link bottom right will any water move through to the river.
A closer look reveals the outflow from the viaduct drainage system. The sheeting that has been removed is rolled up and stored on the left.
At the other end of the settlement pond, the link to the final outflow on the River Hiz has been installed.
And this is the outfall into the River Hiz which can be seen top right.
Same location showing both ends. Riverside footpath has become really overgrown again. Fenced section the only clear part!
Not quite sure what this trench to the side is for yet. I guess it will become apparent in due course.
This is what it looked like before the current work started.
Nature is reclaiming the cleared embankment quite quickly. This was bare a year ago. Two trees cut down above the bridge are re-establishing themselves.
Here are three pictures I took from the Icknield Way footbridge in March. First shows a FCC service crossing the viaduct as it passes over the ECML.
Now moving onto the section that passes through the redundant sewage treatment site
Finally zooming in, you can see it it joining the Cambridge line at Hitchin East junction.
For anyone interested, I have started a new blog covering the East West line work including Chiltern Railways Evergreen Three Project. This will be a longer term project as the timescales have already slipped since I started it. I will try to do a monthly update whenever possible.
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