Latest developments 25th March

Sorry so late updating this week.  Had trouble uploading the photos.  Work is moving on apace by the scrapyard in Cadwell Lane.  Work has started again between the River Hix underbridge and the scrapyard bridge.  Quite a lot of hardcore has been laid and  some plant can be seen here.  Tree root removal has been carried out as the second photo shows more clearly.  I was in Cadwell Lane a couple of times during the week and there was a constant stream of lorries carrying hardcore entering the site via the gas works.  This means the haul road is complete all the way from Stotfold Road.

Moving behind the scrapyard, a new larger water tanker has appeared and one of the smaller bowsers has gone.

A new machine has also arrived, the purpose of which I am not sure about.  It has steel reinforcing rods coming out of each corner so maybe it is for the viaduct pier foundations.

This shot looks north from the same spot.

Moving along and looking back towards the scrapyard.  The level has been built up again since my last visit.

A fairly deep hole has been dug out right into the embankment.

I then moved up onto the old Bedford embankment as it moved away from the main line.  The level between the embankments has been raised considerably with hardcore.

Looking back down to the lower section, a fresh area of concrete has been poured

 The new gantries have been wired in and the original staunchions this side have been removed.

A fairly deep square hole has been dug adjacent to the new gantries.  The next photo holds a clue to what it is possibly.  Pier 15 of the viaduct?

Water pipes extend all the way from the water tanker to the upper level of the site so they must using quite of lot of water.

Had a quick look around the other side of the mainline.  The settlement beds have been levelled and hardcored and the other water bowser is now located here.  Also another large water tanker has appeared on the haul road.

Other than that not much change over towards the main work site

Update March 11th

First visit for two weeks due to bad weather last weekend. Weather was glorious today, so different from the snow of a few weeks ago. First thing I noticed was the installation of a couple of water bowsers and a portable pump. The ground level where they are situated has been built up considerably as the first two photos show. I am not sure if they are filling the bowsers from the numerous springs and streams that are present on the site or they are bringing water in.

Previously the ground level was about where the pump is situated

Looking back towards the scrapyard from the former Bedford line embankment.  There is a new circular are to the middle right that has been excavated and levelled since my last visit.

Circular area is middle left and the new access road runs up to the top right and continues right across to the main line.

New overhead gantries have been erected but not wired up.  This is to allow space for the viaduct to pass over the main line.  They are in pairs, each one covering two tracks.  The large gantries that cover all four tracks will be removed.  You can also see the end of the haul road.

Across the other side of the line, quite a bit of plant is in evidence, presumably constructing an extension of the haul road through the former gas works sidings.  This eventually will link up both work sites via the underbridge at the scrapyard.  All lorry movements must come via the A507 and Wilbury Hills Road.  Signs have already gone up around the area forbidding access for rail construction traffic

I continued along the Bedford line embankment past the spoil heaps.  There is just room to pass along the new fence.  This shot looks back towards the scrapyard.

 This looks across the rear of the heaps to the main line.

And finally looking the other way towards Ickleford.  The Icknield Way and Gerry's Hole are just through the trees in the background.

 A closer shot of the water bowsers.

The last shot looks towards what appears to be a new dry ski slope but is the spoil heap.  This has grown considerably as demonstrated by the large truck parked at the foot which appears quite small.  Despite all this activity, this is still preliminary work as there is no evidence of any actual railway line construction yet.