Video update

Discovered that I had a video function on the camera so I made a short video of the embankment construction work to give a better idea of the rapid pace of work.  Taken from Hillgate, this section of embankment has grown rapidly.  Another layer is being added.  Trucks were arriving less than two minutes apart which is good going.  The quality is not great but I will try and improve with practice.

West side story 26th August

A quick visit to the west side of the main line where work is also continuing at an impressive rate. Two more sections of viaduct have been installed and work to prepare the former Bedford line trackbed for the new junction continues.

 As I approached the work site from Bury Mead springs, I could see the viaduct for the first time through the trees.  These were the two new sections added in the last week.

 A closer shot with the viaduct now moving off the higher ground on to the first pier on the lower ground.

 As I suspected, the two new sections are not as deep and there is still a gap between these two.  Decking has been added to the bottom of the left section.

 New sections from further north looking towards the scrapyard.

 Looking back from the trackbed of the former Bedford line.

 I then moved down to the lower ground at took this shot looking north.  The crane that lifted the sections in to place is still there.

And another further on.  The curve is quite apparent from this angle.  The next two piers are ready to receive their sections so I am guessing there will be two more next week.  I think there are probably eleven more sections to go in counting the piers.

On my way out I took a few from the River Hiz underbridge.  The mound of brick rubble has been reduced making it possible to take pictures looking north.  Here the first viaduct support can just be seen middle left.

A drainage pipe protrudes from the side of the embankment. The striped pattern below is a row of concrete piling exposed when the rubble was removed.  I am pretty sure these were put in quite early on as I remember seeing a piledriver at this end. 

Standing slightly precariously on the gas pipe that crosses the river here, I was able to get a better shot of the first three viaduct supports.

Moving round to the scrapyard entrance, a shot of pier number one. Behind it is the shuttering for what I guess will be an end wall similar to the one at the other end of the viaduct.  The prepared trackbed can be seen getting ever closer in the background.

 Turning round, piers number one and two ready for their mountings to be installed, while construction of number four is now well under way.

Further news from the east side.

The incredible pace of work continues.  All sections of the viaduct on the east side of the main line are now in place.  The embankment continues to grow and the section next to the Cambridge branch is having its soil covering put in place.  I accessed the Icknield Way from the Wilbury Hill end to see what the quarry looked like close up but very little could be seen other than the haul road.  First photo was taken from the top of the hill and is a long lens shot of the viaduct as it passes over the main line and through the redundant sewage works. An East Coast service marks the main line.

The viaduct section ends with a concrete end wall where the embankment will take over.

 The section of embankment being covered with soil. 

 Turning slightly right, the farmer's accommodation bridge with the embankment not at full height here.

Close-up of the bridge with a First Capital Connect service passing.  From this angle the bridge looks to be the right height!

Haul road crossing of the Icknield Way.  No sign of the banksman today!

 Drove round to the end of Wilbury Way to take this shot showing the end of the viaduct.

 Close up of the end wall where the embankment will take over.

Finally a picture showing all eight sections of viaduct on the east side.

Update 19th August

I visited the site on what felt like the hottest day of the year.  Very close and no breeze whatsoever.  Consequently my dog found this too much and I had to curtail the visit.  I had intended to go along the Icknield Way to the quarry but this will have to wait.   First picture shows the increase in level at the River Hiz underbridge. 

 The blue safety fencing has disappeared now as the former Bedford embankment is built up to match the main line behind. 

 Looking north from the scrapyard.

 Shuttering has been removed from more piers.  Looks south towards the scrapyard.

 New section of viaduct in place.  Crane that lifted it is resting on the ground behind.

 Interestingly the new section is not as deep as its neighbour hence the reason for the different pad heights.

 Judging by this photo, the next section will be even shallower.

Taken from the Icknield Way bridge, you can see the viaduct passing through the trees as it approaches the former sewage treatment works.

 A longer shot from the same place.

And finally a view towards the embankment under construction from the Icknield Way.  Farmers bridge is just right of centre.  This is where I had to turn round.

Embankment gets bigger

 Quick visit to embankment work site and it has grown considerably in size in just one week. 

Looking across the growing embankment as a dumper returns from the quarry.

Looking right towards the future junction of the new and old lines, there is a hive of activity.  The final section is matching up nicely with the farmers access underbridge.  The bulldozer and roller were working continuously whilst I was there.  A drainage pipe can be seen emerging in the centre of the picture.

Chalk removal is on a much higher terrace today.

Zooming in as far as I could, one dumper is being loaded with another waiting.
More later this weekend all being well.

Update 12th August

The impressive speed at which the work in all areas of the site is being carried out continues.  Two more sections of viaduct have gone in on the east side of the main line.  Work has started on constructing what I believe is the last viaduct pier.  The embankment continues to grow in height.
I took a sturdy stick with me today and I was able to gain access to the area just north of the scrapyard.  If beating nettles was an olympic sport, I am sure I would be a gold medal contender!
First picture is looking north from the side of the scrapyard.

 This is what I think is the start of the last viaduct pier, number four

Pier number three can just be see between the dead tree and the scrapyard.

 The shuttering and scaffolding has been removed from the pier next to the higher ground.  Doesn't look as big now but impressive all the same.

A closer shot of the same pier.

It looks as if the next two are being prepared for another viaduct section.  Interestingly the tops are at different heights as can be seen in the next picture.  I am guessing the green steel sections seen on the ground in both pictures are some sort of joiner.

Turning to the right the last pier on the higher ground.

Same pier looking south.  The first pier is by the orange plant to the left of the crane.

Although difficult to make out, a shot of the new sections of viaduct curving away on the other side of the main line.

On my way out through the river Hiz underbridge, a shot of the embankment where work has recently started.  It will be interesting to compare this in a few weeks to see the difference in height.  Although this single arch bridge only carried the two tracks of the former Bedford branch, it measures around 60ft deep, about the same as the three arch four track main line behind it. The next bridge along by the scrapyard was not nearly as big and there was a gap between the two bridges.

View from the other side of the main line of the new viaduct sections extending out across the former sewage treatment works.  Not easy to make out as there is a lot of green here!

 Turning around from the same spot, the embankment work has started here now.

 Turning even further round, a longer shot right over to the Cambridge branch where the new embankment can be seen reaching right up the road bridge which is further than I expected.  I will try to visit that area in the next week.

Embankment work in progress photos

Managed to visit Wilbury Way this morning and take a few pictures of the embankment construction as it was happening.  I must say it is a very slick operation.  I counted six dumper truckers working and in the short time I was there there was always one full and one empty truck on the haul road from the quarry with another being filled.  I could see one bulldozer and one roller working but I guess there must have been others.

 First picture shows a loaded dumper arriving with the roller and bulldozer waiting in the foreground

 Here an empty truck returns to the quarry while a full one makes its way down to the site.  Another empty one can just be seen moving into position to be loaded by the excavator.

 A loaded truck moves around the corner out of sight to another part of the site.  The purple strip in the background is a lavender field for which Hitchin is well known for.  There is a tea room and you can pick your own lavender.  It is at Cadwell Farm, Ickleford for anyone interested.

 This is another shot of the area where the existing and new embankments converge.  The difference in height from the same shot on the 5th August is quite dramatic considering it was only five days ago..

 I took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures from the redundant part of the sewage treatment works in Bury Mead Road while I had the camera with me.   Centre left is the access road that has been built up from the entrance of the scrapyard in Cadwell Lane.  The two orange clad workers are standing on the former Bedford branch embankment which ran alongside the mainline at this point.  This has been cleared in readiness for the height to be increased to match the mainline.  The extreme left of the picture is where the viaduct starts.

A longer shot of the same area with more workers visible to the right.  There is also some plant hidden by the trees.  A more secure fence has been installed along the main line to protect the workers.  This doesn't stop trains sounding their horns all day long as they pass!   Somewhere to the right will be the new junction where the Cambridge bound trains will leave the main line to move onto the new alignment.