Back filling of CRC2A began today as planned. It was a busy day with 10 guys on site, but also with Kier's more active than usual, employing not only the two 20T lorries, but two very large dumpers as well, quite a traffic. Our poor old level crossing was getting a real beating.

We've only got this little wheelbarrow...

We started the day collecting some spare ballast to level out the approach ramp to the platform foundations, so that the two dumpers had a level run at it.

We already had a sample load of crushed concrete, and eventually two further 20T loads were delivered, so that we had about 45T to play with in all. This was loaded bit by bit into our two 1T dumpers by a mini digger:

A dumper is loaded, while more crushed concrete is delivered

The little dumpers had an unusual arrangement for operating it - there was neither accelerator nor brake pedal, nor gearbox, nor handbrake - all was commanded through a joystick, which took quite a bit of getting used to. One advantage though was that it could run backwards at the same speed as forwards, which was handy when reversing back along the platform wall.

Oi, what's taking so long then, get on with it....

A gang of volunteers armed with shovels waited for the first load, which eventually materialised and was driven carefully down the foundations, and then behind the wall. We built up the crushed stone behind the pipe run and pea gravel, taking out the scaffolding boards as each 4m section was backfilled for the first 9'' layer.

The happy shovellers

A second dumper driver soon joined us from B&S and this enabled your scribe to take this picture of the dumping and shovelling operation. The need for a narrow dumper is clear in this picture, indeed at the end of its run it had to fit inside the upright boards on the right. Quite a squeeze, but the MO did work and we encountered no major problems.

Put it right there, mate !

The day started damp and ominous black clouds raced along the Malverns on the horizon. Slowly however the weather cleared, and by lunchtime it became decidedly hot, many shovellers being down to T shirts and shorts.

Cheltenham where?

I have to admit there are worse places in the world than CRC to have your lunch - outside the cabin, cup of tea and a mini Swiss roll in hand, garden chair in the shade. No trains to look at though - maybe tomorrow then.

Listen carefully, I will say this only once...

Can two builders agree on anything? 'You didn't want to do it like that mate, you wanna do it the way we used to do it...'

The first day's result.

Towards the end of the afternoon, we had managed to back fill the full 100 meters up against the drain pipe. Result ! All the scaffolding boards are out, and lying on top of the platform wall, ready for the next, second layer of pea gravel around the drain pipe. That will be tomorrow's job.

The infill was then thoroughly rolled by John C.

Finally, a picture from the other end of the platform. Bob and Brian are spreading out the last load tipped. After the picture was taken, they actually managed to start off the other way again, with 8m of pea gravel and crushed concrete on the second layer. 92m to do tomorrow then!

All in all a good day. We felt happy, and left with a sense of achievement.

Forgot to mention - we heard a loud jet aircraft and looked up -  A B2 stealth bomber - wow ! It seemed to be heading NW, towards the US.