Nature Between the Fences

Nature between the fences – Winter 2024

By Dr. Ian S Pogson

It’s that time again, when the celebration of a certain person’s birth is obscured by a large rotund man in a red suit.  In the real, wild world, we see much of the flora dying back on our railway and many of the fauna hibernating or hiding from the cold.  It has been a strange year for these living things: as a bee-keeper I have lost 100% of my colonies, tried to “save” them by purchasing new Queens (which failed/departed) and bought one replacement colony, which also failed/died.  It has not been a good year for much of Nature.As we prepare our Railway for Winter with the Santa Specials and all that follows in 2025, we still see interesting natural sights alongside the Permanent Way (that’s what any railway is called, although since the actions of that rascal Beeching and his puppet-master boss Earnest Marples, it’s not been so permanent).  As part of the Drainage team, I am fortunate in being ‘Between the Fences’ for most of each shift that I work.  The team has feasted on autumn fruits, such as plums, pears and apples of many varieties, cooked pies and enjoyed fruity crumbles.  You can see just outside Winchcombe station travelling north and at the southern end of Greet Tunnel where Trackside Clearance have planted more fruit trees and created wet areas for amphibians to thrive.  We have seen far fewer insects this last season, but have spotted a long list of creatures, such as weasels, stoats (we checked on the differences), roe deer, muntjacs, foxes, Red Admiral butterflies and a couple of kestrels have ‘visited’ us.  The latter might have been searching for small mammals that we may disturb in our Drainage work.You can look out for pheasant’s nests from the train if your eyes are good!  The kestrels may be easier to spot.  We also noted (in the Autumn) that fungi are highly prevalent and varied.  Every work day, we are well supplied with crows, starlings (before they migrate, but after some impressive murmurations), regular kites and buzzards aloft and usually deer of one form or another.  The odd chase or the stalking prior to the running is occasionally something to see from the trackside or train.  Look out for raptors in the upper branches and its prey in the fields.If you can get near the trackside fenceline, on a public footpath, or on a station platform, there are many opportunities to look down or at your side and see plenty of insects.  Having said that, this year hasn’t been the best for these small creatures, but do look.  We see many varieties of spiders and early in the mornings, sometimes a patch of grass can be seen literally carpeted in web, accentuated by dew.Our railway is a fifteen-mile (if you count the end bits north and south that we own) wildlife corridor.  It has footpaths that cross it, so you can see wildlife.  So, use a decent OS map, and ensure that you get close to the railway and don’t trespass.  One of the best paths is the Wyche Way, which crosses the railway at Stanton and sits right on top of our one and only aqueduct!  There are very few of these on any railway in the UK, and we have one.  It is a metal foot-bridge on top of a steel pipe and is painted white, so it’s quite easy to see!  If you choose one of the paths that cross over the railway itself, be careful to follow the code that you may have seen at other crossings – Stop, Look and Listen, before attempting to cross.  All our locomotive drivers always follow the rule of the “SW” (Sound Whistle) boards that are placed either side of all our crossing points.  If you hear a whistle or a horn, look for the oncoming train.  Do NOT take chances to cross, just wait, enjoy the sights and sounds of our heritage machines passing by at speed (Well, the maximum we are permitted is 25mph!), but that is different when you are at ground level and those steel wheels pass close by.  Stay behind gates and keep tight hold of any children or dogs.  Steel wheels take no prisoners.  Whoever has no child or animal to take care of can then take a really close-up video or photos, without the usual platform being in the way!  They do look most impressive that close (the rolling stock, not dogs!).  Please exercise care and take the opportunity to drill into children the importance of “Stop, Look and Listen” and staying the safe side of any gates or barriers.  Trains can “creep up” on people if the wind is blowing the sound away.As Volunteers who have permission to be ‘Between the Fences’, we have to pass a Personal Track Safety course and we are obliged when trackside to be dressed in a minimum of dayglow orange torso with white reflective bands.  Most of us you will see with orange trousers and hats as well, so as to be seen by loco crews.  We are obliged to acknowledge a warning whistle/horn as a result of an SW board or when the crew spot us.  We each raise our arms to say we have heard and seen the oncoming train, having turned to face it and stepped at least 3m from the rails.  The crew then send a shorter whistle or horn and we lower our arms.  This proves communication between crew and trackside staff.  We can only move once the train has passed, so you may see us waving at you after the loco has gone; that’s because we love you being on our railway!Do enjoy looking for Nature between the Fences.  We work hard to maintain the fences as any other part of our infrastructure and remember, we are all volunteers.  If you fancy a real treat, make your way to Hailes Abbey Halt.  There are few trains that stop there and these will only be short trains, but with the departure of our DMU’s (Diesel Multiple Units), we are restoring some other diesel unts, so that trains can once again halt at the Halt, which has a useful waiting hut (room is stretching the point!) and is a great, quiet place to have a family picnic, watch the trains and see what volunteers have created.  Opposite the platform, there are fruit trees planted, as on other places along the line.Dr. Ian S Pogson CEng, GWSR Drainage Team

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More terrific lineside photos are available on the page set up by Mike Peers on the image-hosting website,flickr.

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