Bonds Mill Bridge Re-lined
by: Buffs
Starting out for Western Depot
in deeper and deeper shades of burgeoning dawn reminds me that the autumn
equinox will soon be here. The golden fields of summer are laid bare and there
already signs of preparation for the next crop. The brown and ochre of the
pastures scorched by the intense summer sun have returned to a more healthy
shade of green with the heavy rainfall of late August. Here and there the
offspring of our local bird population are losing their juvenile colouring and
becoming more readily identifiable as swans, blackbirds and robins and other of
our feathered friends. The evening skies have fallen silent as the swallows,
swifts and martins have left for African to overwinter.
Four weeks ago the yard was
filled with emptiness as the large boat trailer had been taken to Brimscombe
for storage after it had been used to transport and launch workboat Stuart at
Pike Lock slipway. The tipper was refused an MoT Test and was standing in the
space left by Patricia in the car park and even the space under the barn roof
was largely vacant. Since then we have taken delivery of a new pickup and
tipper whilst the old (damaged) Mitzi remains in service pending a formal
decision on its future. The yard seems fuller. Into this mix work was started
to provide a level concrete floor under the barn roof.
Everything that was stored in this space had
to be cleared into the open yard. If you have ever had to clear a room for recarpeting
you will know just how much stuff emerges from dark corners untouched for many
years. You will have wondered if there is space to hold all the finds. So it
was as the barn floor was cleared for Andy to manoeuvre the mini digger under
the eaves to start the excavation. David, Andrew and Duncan helped with the
digging and levelling. Even more space in the yard was soon occupied by the
spoil. The work continues…..
In the afternoon Richard, David
and Chris developed a new skill when they reinstated the white lines on Bonds
Mill bridge. The previously marked pedestrian route across the bridge had
become worn away and was lost completely in places. No-one in WD had set
traffic lines except by painting which requires drying time when traffic of any
kind has to be discouraged. The method chosen was to use precut thermoplastic
lines which were melted onto the road surface which requires little time to
cool and set before traffic can pass over it.
The instructions were simple: lay out the lines where they
are to be used and heat with a gas torch until the material melts sufficiently
to flow just enough to take the form of the surface below. Simples they thought. Just one slight impediment. The white lines come with a protective film on one
side to prevent the rolled up material bonding to itself. The instructions
state without a hint of irony “..first remove the film..”. The tightly bonded
thin plastic film did not yield easily. Like a small child not wanting to leave
a special place it held on tightly tearing in many random ways twisting across
the surface of the white material. The volunteers fought valiantly against a
determined tantrum and removed the fine film from each 5 metre length. The time
taken to strip the protective film was more, much more than the time taken to set
the lines across the bridge and on the approaches on either bank. Two ‘walking
pedestrian’ images were also set into the line of the footway.
The final result looks good and should last until the bridge
is replaced as part of the 1B restoration activities.
Richard tidies up beside the Visitor centre