Christmas Eve
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.
Distant Memories of November 1977
Roger Winnen
Roger Winnen
771126a Coombe Junction Signal Box. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126b Having exchanged the token at Coombe Junction Signal Box the train proceeds to Coombe Junction Platform. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126c A Class 50 is seen crossing St Germans Viaduct on route to Penzance. Copyright Roger Winnen
771126d A Peak class diesel comes off the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. The station still has its canopy and footbridge. Copyright Roger Winnen
Roger Winnen wishes everyone a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year for 2018
Ashburton
Ron Kosys
Ron Kosys
Ashburton station seen on 8th August 1972. The track has been removed - it awaits its fate. Meantime it has found other uses but, importantly it is still there Copyright Ron Kosy
Hi All
You may have aready seen this petition, about Ashburton station.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-ashburton-railway-station
please pass on. Regards Steve Widdowson
You may have aready seen this petition, about Ashburton station.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-ashburton-railway-station
please pass on. Regards Steve Widdowson
Steve Carter remembers
Bristol Bath Road Shed
Bristol Bath Road Shed
Having read recently that the last trace of Bristol Bath Road depot's existence, namely the track work adjacent to Temple Meads Platform 15 (seen as it was in August 2015), had been removed came as something of a shock to realise that nothing now remains of a depot with which was familiar to me for so long.
My acquaintance with it began in 1980 when I would regularly pass by en-route to Exeter and then after moving to Weston-super-Mare in 1986, Bath Road (or BR as British Rail coded it) became 'my' local depot.
Surrounded by running lines to the West and rear and the River Avon to the East, attempts to get around the site proved almost impossible due to official access being via the walk way over the running lines at Temple Meads or the main entrance to the shed off Bath Road itself. Many was the time on going down the depot access steps that I would be walking back up them moments later!
In common with depots around the country, Bath Road saw a gradual decline in importance as traffic patterns and impending privatisation saw locos withdrawn or reallocated. By 1995 the writing was on the wall and in July of that year InterCity Cross Country pulled the plug on their locos being serviced at the depot. The two other users of Bath Road would follow suit in the same year with RES (Rail Express Systems) opting for a site at Bristol Barton Hill and InterCity Great Western concentrating on the adjacent St Philip's Marsh site. The depot finally succumbed to closure on the 28th September 1995.
Having taken many an image of the depot from the platforms at Temple Meads, I realised that time for getting pictures from within the depot confines was becoming less and on hearing that Cross Country were to leave the site I decided that maybe this would be my one chance to succeed.
Thus early on Sunday 23rd July I made the familiar journey from Weston to Bristol Temple Meads and duly made my way up Bath Road but this time with a different method of entry planned! Squeezed in between the rear of the depot and the avoiding line to St Philip's Marsh was an access road which led up to Bath Road (this was the main reason the depot kept its turntable in order to turn visiting delivery vehicles due to lack of space to reverse).
Donning a hi-viz vest I wandered down the road, under the Bath Road bridge and into the depot before making my way around to the front where I found the depot supervisor at work in his office. I fully expected to be given the boot but on striking up a conversation with him I was told to not make it too obvious what I was about and to let him know when I had finished - success at last!
I managed to secure quite a few images amongst which were some of 47.743 "THE BOBBY" which was involved in a severe derailment North of York the very next day.
As I left the depot I managed to take a picture of the gentleman who had been kind enough to facilitate my visit with the intention of passing it on by way of thanks. Unfortunately I never got to visit again before the depot shut and not having his details I wasn't able to send him the image.
I have listed the picture on a number of forums but to date haven't succeeded in finding any details for him so if anyone recognises the face then that would be great - with the advent of social media then maybe I can finally put a name to that face. See below.
My acquaintance with it began in 1980 when I would regularly pass by en-route to Exeter and then after moving to Weston-super-Mare in 1986, Bath Road (or BR as British Rail coded it) became 'my' local depot.
Surrounded by running lines to the West and rear and the River Avon to the East, attempts to get around the site proved almost impossible due to official access being via the walk way over the running lines at Temple Meads or the main entrance to the shed off Bath Road itself. Many was the time on going down the depot access steps that I would be walking back up them moments later!
In common with depots around the country, Bath Road saw a gradual decline in importance as traffic patterns and impending privatisation saw locos withdrawn or reallocated. By 1995 the writing was on the wall and in July of that year InterCity Cross Country pulled the plug on their locos being serviced at the depot. The two other users of Bath Road would follow suit in the same year with RES (Rail Express Systems) opting for a site at Bristol Barton Hill and InterCity Great Western concentrating on the adjacent St Philip's Marsh site. The depot finally succumbed to closure on the 28th September 1995.
Having taken many an image of the depot from the platforms at Temple Meads, I realised that time for getting pictures from within the depot confines was becoming less and on hearing that Cross Country were to leave the site I decided that maybe this would be my one chance to succeed.
Thus early on Sunday 23rd July I made the familiar journey from Weston to Bristol Temple Meads and duly made my way up Bath Road but this time with a different method of entry planned! Squeezed in between the rear of the depot and the avoiding line to St Philip's Marsh was an access road which led up to Bath Road (this was the main reason the depot kept its turntable in order to turn visiting delivery vehicles due to lack of space to reverse).
Donning a hi-viz vest I wandered down the road, under the Bath Road bridge and into the depot before making my way around to the front where I found the depot supervisor at work in his office. I fully expected to be given the boot but on striking up a conversation with him I was told to not make it too obvious what I was about and to let him know when I had finished - success at last!
I managed to secure quite a few images amongst which were some of 47.743 "THE BOBBY" which was involved in a severe derailment North of York the very next day.
As I left the depot I managed to take a picture of the gentleman who had been kind enough to facilitate my visit with the intention of passing it on by way of thanks. Unfortunately I never got to visit again before the depot shut and not having his details I wasn't able to send him the image.
I have listed the picture on a number of forums but to date haven't succeeded in finding any details for him so if anyone recognises the face then that would be great - with the advent of social media then maybe I can finally put a name to that face. See below.
Bristol Bath Road Depot Supervisor - a kindly gentleman. Can anybody name him please? Any contact details? 23rd July 1995. Copyright Steve Carter - a very grateful young man at the time.
Seen from left to right in front of the depot office building RES liveried Class 47s Nos. 47.475 "RESTIVE", 47.716, 47.732 and 47.743 "THE BOBBY" 23rd July 1995/ Copyright Steve Crter
Nameplate 47.743 "THE BOBBY" applied at Bristol T.M. station on 30th March 1995 (name later transferred to 47.746 but using newly cast plates). 23rd July 1995. Copyright Steve Carter
Class 08 08.668 with non-standard numbers appears to be being used as a source of spares (given that the official date of withdrawal was April 1997). Fellow class member 08.804 sits in front and went on to become one of the last of its type, being offered for sale by DB Cargo in September 2016. 23rd July 1995. Copyright Steve Carter
47.815 seen filling the shed with exhaust as it prepares to come off shed after undergoing an 'A' examination. Alongside sits HST power car 43.005. 23rd July 1995. Copyright Steve Carter
47.508, once proudly named "GREAT BRITAIN", sits withdrawn at the depot before finally being cut up on site in November 1995. Also in the scrap line were 47.527, 47.509 and 47.432. 23rd July 1995. Copyright Steve Carter
47.432 in faded large logo livery had been withdrawn as long ago as March 1992 and had obviously been used to yield spares for fellow class members. It was finally cut up on site in September 1995. 23rd July 1885. Copyright Steve Carter
Many thanks Steve for a very interesting article and photographs. You were very lucky to get in!
Christmas at
Yeovil Railway Centre
Yeovil Railway Centre
Happy Christmas to all. Copyright John Cornelius