Greetings
Clive Smith
Clive Smith
Wishing Keith, Valerie, Roger and all Cornwall Railway Society website readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Regards, Clive Smith
Regards, Clive Smith
Artwork by Clive Smith Copywriter
On behalf of the team many many thanks Clive for your excellent artwork and best wishes. Also many many thanks for your continued support of our website - it only exists because of the support which you and other kind folk give it.
A Massive Milling Machine
At Truro
Roger Winnen
At Truro
Roger Winnen
211222a A brand new Milling Machine at Truro Yard this morning mounted on 2 six wheel bogies per vehicle. Copyright Roger Winnen
The Milling Machine in Truro Yard. Copyright Roger Winnen
Ken at
Kemble
Kemble
No water needed as this IET pauses at Kemble dominated by thel lsted water tower. 21st December 2021. Copyright Ken Mumford.
A very nicely posed shot as the ET stops at Kemble.. With a green light it will soon be on ts way towads the tunnel, Swindon and eventually Paddionton. 21st December 2021. Copyright Ken Mumford..
Another footbridge view of the same service- the the 13.46 for Paddington.. 21st December 2021. Copyright Ken Mumford..
The test train calls at Kemble 21st December 2021. Copyright Ken Mumford.
The returning test train out in the country at Oaksey Road. 21st December 2021.
Many thanks to Ken for his observations at Kemble yesterday. It looks a pleasant spot for an our or two - but don't forget the inner man.
Test Train at
Swindon
Colin Pidgeon
Swindon
Colin Pidgeon
Hi Ken.
The two power cars 43290 & 43299 looking rather shabby at the station.
Colin.
The two power cars 43290 & 43299 looking rather shabby at the station.
Colin.
Test train at Swindon. the 1Q15 Derby RTC to Landore.21st December 2021. Copyright Colin Pidgeon.
Test train at Swindon. 21st December 2021. Copyright Colin Pidgeon.
Many thanks Colin - your message to Ken at 18.13 arrived in my in box at 02.32 - Ken working night shift!!
A request for information
Clifton Downs Tunnel
Mark Dennis Howells
Clifton Downs Tunnel
Mark Dennis Howells
Good Morning,
I have often looked at photographs on your excellent website when undertaking pre site visit reconnaissance in my role as a drainage engineer for Network Rail on the Western Route.
The photographs on your website are an excellent source to see what was at certain sites before the advent of continuously welded rail across the Western Route which required larger ballast shoulders that unfortunately often covered many drainage assets.
My role often takes me to Devon/Cornwall and I have the pleasure of covering the entire geography of the Western Route. I’m due down on the 4th/5th January to inspect the St. Dennis Branch and parts of the Newquay branch.
As part of my duties I have a large team of maintenance and renewal staff working on drainage assets including many sites in Devon & Cornwall. Photographs are taken frequently and almost always provide a different perspective than would be available to the public.
If it would be of interest, I have extensive records of mostly infrastructure related photographs dating back to 2009 when I joined Network Rail.
One of our upcoming jobs in February 2022, which is slightly off patch, is the refurbishment of the former 6ft drainage system through Clifton Down tunnel on the CNX in Bristol.
My team and I have walked the entire length of the tunnel and can only find a single drainage catchpit at the Clifton end of the tunnel, this has a 375mm internal diameter vitrified clay pipe which flows into the tunnel freely towards the Sea Mills end of the tunnel.
I have enquired with our records department who have unfortunately come back with only limited information.
I’ve got an active enquiry with the Great Western Society in Didcot via Richard Antliff on the same subject.
However, I’m hopeful that your membership might have some photographs or records of the tunnel or it’s drainage system.
Any help much appreciated.
Mark Dennis Howells BEng (Hons) MPWI MIAM
Senior Asset Engineer (Drainage & Lineside)
Western Route
Network Rail
Email: [email protected]
I have often looked at photographs on your excellent website when undertaking pre site visit reconnaissance in my role as a drainage engineer for Network Rail on the Western Route.
The photographs on your website are an excellent source to see what was at certain sites before the advent of continuously welded rail across the Western Route which required larger ballast shoulders that unfortunately often covered many drainage assets.
My role often takes me to Devon/Cornwall and I have the pleasure of covering the entire geography of the Western Route. I’m due down on the 4th/5th January to inspect the St. Dennis Branch and parts of the Newquay branch.
As part of my duties I have a large team of maintenance and renewal staff working on drainage assets including many sites in Devon & Cornwall. Photographs are taken frequently and almost always provide a different perspective than would be available to the public.
If it would be of interest, I have extensive records of mostly infrastructure related photographs dating back to 2009 when I joined Network Rail.
One of our upcoming jobs in February 2022, which is slightly off patch, is the refurbishment of the former 6ft drainage system through Clifton Down tunnel on the CNX in Bristol.
My team and I have walked the entire length of the tunnel and can only find a single drainage catchpit at the Clifton end of the tunnel, this has a 375mm internal diameter vitrified clay pipe which flows into the tunnel freely towards the Sea Mills end of the tunnel.
I have enquired with our records department who have unfortunately come back with only limited information.
I’ve got an active enquiry with the Great Western Society in Didcot via Richard Antliff on the same subject.
However, I’m hopeful that your membership might have some photographs or records of the tunnel or it’s drainage system.
Any help much appreciated.
Mark Dennis Howells BEng (Hons) MPWI MIAM
Senior Asset Engineer (Drainage & Lineside)
Western Route
Network Rail
Email: [email protected]
Many thanks Mark for your contact - herewith my reply - KJ
Dear Mark,
Many thanks for your most interesting enquiry - it's made me look a bit more into what I thought was just a long straight tunnel, however, digging a little 'deeper' I find that it had vent shafts both to the surface in Clifton Downs Park and outwards level towards the Avon Gorge. This information with the help of Wikipedia. I have further found, with the aid of Google Earth Street view what I must assume is the vent chimney located in Clfton Downs, about 45 yards north of the junction between Upper Belgrave Road and Pembroke Road - I have an image courtesy Google Earth of the vent/chimney which I attach.
The Cornwall Railway Society is a group of enthusiasts which has been in existance for over 40 years now - the website is really a 'Scrap Book' of varous pictures collected by members over the years. Obviously, as well behaved railway enthusiatswe do not encourage any pictures inside the fence - we are lucky in that we get various views taken by railwaymen who have ligitimate business to be on railway property. So if you would be wlling to let us have some interesting views not normally possible to the general publc we would be more than grateful.
As far as Clifton Downs tunnel is concerned we used to live at Calne and took many trips from Chippenham to sample to 'glories' of the Severn Beach line . Severn Beach I believe has gone considerably 'up market' nowadays . In my time 1965-69 it comprised of a run down fun fair and a few houses.
Our journey took us everytime through the tunnel - double track at the time, the Hallen Marsh to Filton line was freight only. The line to Pilning had unfortunately just closed. One advatage, a big advantage, at the time were the Heritage DMU's with their drop down windows and of course - if the driver was obliging and kept the curtains back views forward from the front seats.
I attach one of my views taken of the tunnel mouth from the station end which shows very clearly the straight bore. The other view is of what I believe to be vent chimney- it looks as if it once had a plaque on it - no doubt this was removed during the war years - parhaps the chimney has been 'capped' as it looks as if a tree is peering out of the top?
I do hope that you can obtain more information on the history of the tunnel, and even, fi you have the time show us pictures of the evidence of the vents - especially the horizontal one out through a cave.
Maybe your letter to us and its publication in our news will generate some interest and hopefully contacts. I hope that our readers will reply however limited their knowledge.
I hope you don't mind us publishing your letter;
With Kind Regards,
Keith Jenkin , Webmaster.
Many thanks for your most interesting enquiry - it's made me look a bit more into what I thought was just a long straight tunnel, however, digging a little 'deeper' I find that it had vent shafts both to the surface in Clifton Downs Park and outwards level towards the Avon Gorge. This information with the help of Wikipedia. I have further found, with the aid of Google Earth Street view what I must assume is the vent chimney located in Clfton Downs, about 45 yards north of the junction between Upper Belgrave Road and Pembroke Road - I have an image courtesy Google Earth of the vent/chimney which I attach.
The Cornwall Railway Society is a group of enthusiasts which has been in existance for over 40 years now - the website is really a 'Scrap Book' of varous pictures collected by members over the years. Obviously, as well behaved railway enthusiatswe do not encourage any pictures inside the fence - we are lucky in that we get various views taken by railwaymen who have ligitimate business to be on railway property. So if you would be wlling to let us have some interesting views not normally possible to the general publc we would be more than grateful.
As far as Clifton Downs tunnel is concerned we used to live at Calne and took many trips from Chippenham to sample to 'glories' of the Severn Beach line . Severn Beach I believe has gone considerably 'up market' nowadays . In my time 1965-69 it comprised of a run down fun fair and a few houses.
Our journey took us everytime through the tunnel - double track at the time, the Hallen Marsh to Filton line was freight only. The line to Pilning had unfortunately just closed. One advatage, a big advantage, at the time were the Heritage DMU's with their drop down windows and of course - if the driver was obliging and kept the curtains back views forward from the front seats.
I attach one of my views taken of the tunnel mouth from the station end which shows very clearly the straight bore. The other view is of what I believe to be vent chimney- it looks as if it once had a plaque on it - no doubt this was removed during the war years - parhaps the chimney has been 'capped' as it looks as if a tree is peering out of the top?
I do hope that you can obtain more information on the history of the tunnel, and even, fi you have the time show us pictures of the evidence of the vents - especially the horizontal one out through a cave.
Maybe your letter to us and its publication in our news will generate some interest and hopefully contacts. I hope that our readers will reply however limited their knowledge.
I hope you don't mind us publishing your letter;
With Kind Regards,
Keith Jenkin , Webmaster.
Clifton Downs tunnel 13th August 1967 Copyright Keith Jenkin. N.B. You can just make out the farr end of this almost mile long tunnel.
Clifton downs tunnel chimney - courtesy Google Earth Street view the chmney is 45 yards N of Jct of pper Belgrave Roadwith Pembroke Rd..
Any help would be appreciated.