Progress continues to be rapid as Day 5 saw the end of site stripping, ditch clearance and tree felling to allow the site excavations to start in earnest.

The eastern boundary of the site includes an open drainage ditch and the original railway company fence but both had been overtaken by years of undergrowth. The team have stripped all of the excess material and will start to prepare a large piped culvert to replace the open ditch. This will not only create a safe walkway but will allow ground maintenance to take place and the original hedge to regrow.

After a week of extreme gardening and clearance of all material in the yard, our hardy team of volunteers saw the arrival of the larger excavator yesterday to start stripping the yard of the poor quality ash and ballast surface layers.

A dumper will take spoil to our digger playpen so that the material will have a future operational use for demonstrations with the dragline and Euclid lorry paring.

After the surface is bared, the drainage and services runs will be dug before the inspection pit is excavated.

All change (again) at Cottesmore!