Travelling by train and the
Rail Replacement Coaches
Roger Winnen
Many thanks to David Tozer and friends for updating me with movements during the day.
Alan Harris
Original Signal Box
Roger Winnen / Chris Osment
Ron Kosys
On 19th May 2009 I was heading for the M4 at Avonmouth and negotiating the roads around Ashton Gate when I noticed through the houses an mgr sitting at the commencement of the Portbury branch. They normally sat here waiting for the barriers at the level crossing to drop before entering the Gorge and heading for the docks at Portbury. Close to the level crossing was a bridge from which I could photograph the mgr. But would I make it in time?
The traffic crawled towards the A4; the barriers dropped just as I was approaching the crossing. A quick left into a convenient lay-by. Grab a camera and run up onto the bridge, to get totally soaked and a phot of 66070 heading for Portbury with the 4F61 1050 empties from Aberthaw Power Station.
This was the only time I managed to photograph a freight on the Portbury branch. Well done and many thanks.
John Cornelius
After their arrival by road to the upside yard, it left us in a quandary as how to get them across to our site on the down side.
The quickest and easiest option of moving them across by rail was deemed too expensive for the company. So our site engineer came up with an idea of constructing a low two wheel sledge to do the job and that was how we got them under the bridge and onto the site.
At a later date the sledge was used again to bring the four small diesel locos across, once the cabs had been removed to reduce height.
Congratulations to the devoted YRC team on a fine effort.