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Washout at Dawlish


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Captain & Others on the project,

 

Just to show your efforts are well appreciated by those not just on here, a page appears to have been set up on Facebook by those local to Dawlish.  

 

https://www.facebook.com/dawlishorangearmy

How very sweet of those kind folk - and thanks for letting us know of the link (also thanks to Combe Barton for the link to the YouTube film). I'll make sure that the guys at work know of this (although I suspect most of 'em do already!).

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Could you please find out if what the team has done is a case of implementing the long term solution for Dawlish several year ahead of scheduled of is what they have done a completely emergency measure to repair the track that was damaged in the storm?     

Pete, I can assure you that this is simply the repair to get the trains running again. What is being done now is not part of any longer term planning, that will have to wait until the governmental-sponsored review is concluded.

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Though that said,replacing the infill with concrete will I'm sure have made the wall stronger than it was before.

 

Just thinking that the (concrete) former Saunderfoot Railway sea wall at Wiseman's Bridge is at a similar location in relation to prevailing winds/tides etc and survived this winter intact (though the concrete wall at Amroth, which is less sheltered, did not).

Edited by RJS1977
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And then in 1964/65 when Douglas Gasworks closed a lot of the waste was used to reballast the Port Erin line. It was blue in colour, and no weeds grew anywhere near it. I often wonder what side effects it may have had on the P-way staff.

Known as "Blue Billy" it is actually ferro-ferric-cyanide. So no, you wouldn't expect any weeds to grow.

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The cast blocks of slag are called scoria. However, they, like solidified lava, have loads of air bubbles exsolved as the lava/slag cools, and are not suitable to long term defenses as their bulk density is too low. (think opening a lemonade bottle and freezing it as it opens) And, because of the high proportion of iron, oxidise readily and decompose. They can be used for docks where the wave action is limited, but I don't think coastal; defenses are their forte. There's a lot of walls and some small buildings around Hayle built from scoria.

 

 

[EDIT] The most convenient gabbro quarry for RipRap is at Porthustock - direct sea access. They do big lumps as well as small lumps. Trouble is to get it to Dawlish you'd have to have a spell of calm weather to float the boat (barge) close enough in to be offloaded.

 

The waste from the Cornish Copper Company (from whence comes the name Copperhouse, the locality which is the eastern part of Hayle) was cast into large roughly cube-shaped blocks.  It is very hard and a real pain to cut but is too brittle for railway ballast use as it splinters under extreme pressure.  

 

I'm not sure if the quay at Porthoustock is still serviceable nor the quarry still in production.  At best it could only cope with small coastal vessels though for shipping to Dawlish those should be adequate and able to unload nearby at Teignmouth.

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I'm not sure if the quay at Porthoustock is still serviceable nor the quarry still in production.  At best it could only cope with small coastal vessels though for shipping to Dawlish those should be adequate and able to unload nearby at Teignmouth.

Porthustock quarry is fully operational. They JUST** got in with weeks to spare before the permissions expired (1994 if memory serves). They've constructed a new quay and are loading to that - from gravel sized upwards. They load into barges and cart off from there, which is why I suggested that it would be a source of rip-rap.

 

There is a complaint from the divers to the Manacles that the quarry waste is making sea life round the Manacles disappear as it's filling up all the holes that the creatures live in and stifling all food growth.

 

** However the provisions of the Biological (ospreys) and Geological (Ocean ridge complex) SSSIs are probably not mentioned anywhere.

 

[EDIT] and here's a youtube of the loading to show how large a vessel it can take

 

Edited by Coombe Barton
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attachicon.gifteignmouth.jpg

 

This is the 2nd of two large piles of pre bagged ballast amassed in the station car park at Teignmouth ready to go to 'The hole in the wall' at Dawlish

I suspect this ballast is destined for various locations between Teignmouth and Dawlish. There is a huge pile of ballast in Riverside Yard ('virtual quarry'), waiting to be taken to the site of the main breach by train. There is also a re-ballasting job planned next week at Smugglers, to deal with the site of last year's major landslip and the contaminated ballast at that location.

 

Good news re the 4th April announcement!

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Well done to everyone at NR this shows that things can be done when required.

Judging by the positives from all directions, I do get the feeling that railways are "in" again, they just don't seem to be quite on the receiving end as much these days as they used to be.

 

Stewart

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I suspect this ballast is destined for various locations between Teignmouth and Dawlish. There is a huge pile of ballast in Riverside Yard ('virtual quarry'), waiting to be taken to the site of the main breach by train. There is also a re-ballasting job planned next week at Smugglers, to deal with the site of last year's major landslip and the contaminated ballast at that location.

 

Good news re the 4th April announcement!

They are drilling in Teignmouth station car park at the moment. Some geo outfit, taking some samples.

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pointstaken, on 04 Mar 2014 - 16:26, said:

And when it does re-open, perhaps those of us on the side lines or in our armchairs will raise a glass in thanks to all the fellows for all the efforts that have gone into Dawlish etc.

 

Dennis

And those of us who are reasonably local perhaps ought to buy a ticket and enjoy the delights of a ride along the wall to likewise salute the hard work. 

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Well I suppose it's one way of getting Teignmouth rock

 

hat, coat, whoosh ...

 

The easiest way to get Teignmouth rock is to listen to Muse. :jester:

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They are drilling in Teignmouth station car park at the moment. Some geo outfit, taking some samples.

I have absolutely no idea what that's about... I think I might stop off there and have a closer look tomorrow...

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Hows this for an idea - and I am being serious?

 

When it is all done, re-open the line in style as a big PR excercise. Run a GWR Castle through in front of the TV cameras. (Not a bad suggestion seeing as I would rather see a GE Claud, but you can't have everything).

 

Stewart

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