Items added on 26th July 2017 Those added most recently come first

County of Gloucester
St Blazey
Roy Hart

St Blazey 1015 County of Gloucester abt 1953 Copyright Roy Hart

The date is about 1953 and 1015 County of Gloucester is 'on the blocks' at Par Bridge Crossing box, having coaled and watered at the shed in the background. She was a Laira engine at the time and had probably come in on a special to Newquay and was awaiting her return trip. The track in the foreground is the single line to Fowey and the box and level crossing are behind the photographer. This line is still there today as a siding to Par docks. Apart from a short-lived experiment in the summer of 1960, 'Counties' were not shedded at St Blazey. Notice that bracket signals were painted entirely white: this was the GWR practice. The Western Region painted the gantry work black.
Copyright Roy Hart                                           Many thanks Roy

Bristol Area
Fact finding tour
Guy Vincent

​Yesterday (24th) 37405 and Inspection Saloon 975025 'Caroline' were used on a Network Rail fact-finding tour of the Avonmouth Loop and Portbury branch. In fact two full round trips were planned but in the event the second trip omitted the Portbury line.  Two pics of the duo parked up for the night in platform 2 at Temple Meads.

Guy V

37405 Bristol TM. 24th July 2017 Copyright Guy Vincent

975025 & 37405 Bristol TM. 24th July 2017 Copyright Guy Vincent

Congratulations are due all round for superb photographs by Guy Vincent and the immaculate condition of the rolling stock and station at B.T.M.

​

Stapleton Road
Girder Bridge Demolition
Guy Vincent

Stapleton Road Bridge 8th May 2013 Copyright Guy Vincent

​Guy Vincent writes :- The large lattice steel girder bridge with cross-braced arches at Stapleton Road, Bristol, is about to be demolished according to local press reports.  Work has now started to remove the landmark structure which was last used by trains in February 1984.  A new bridge will be built in its place as part of the £33,000,000 (2014 cost, so probably much more by now!) 'Filton Bank Redoubling' project.   Plenty of info on this work and the Stapleton Road bridge project by 'Googling' the subject and by checking out the bristol-rail.co.uk (Bristol Railway Archive) website.   It is still just possible to photograph the bridge either from the platforms or footbridge of Stapleton Road station or from the public road close by although access is to be denied during the removal works.

The condition of the bridge was, I believe, given as the main reason for 'dequadrifying' the four-track section from Dr Day's Junction to Filton Junction. Also, of course, in the early 1980s when that decision was made nowhere near as many trains used the local Bristol rail network which was still in decline through the effects of the then economic recession.  Improved motorway links (the M32 passes through the area close by) also caused traffic to be lost.   Remember the BTM-Severn Beach service being almost totally in the hands of a single class 121 'bubble car?

I for one will miss the 3 span bridge as it is very much a part of the railway heritage of Bristol and a reminder of a now departed age in heavy engineering.  I recall one of the last times I travelled over the structure. This was on January 3rd 1984 when returning from Birmingham New Street to Temple Meads on a 1307 York-Plymouth relief train hauled by 37263. The bridge always 'rattled' as trains passed through, especially at high speeds and this was exactly such an occasion!   My last trip over it was, appropriately, on the last day it carried scheduled services, Saturday February 18th 1984. This was behind 45141 on the 1V95 1935 Birmingham New Street-Bristol Temple Meads. 

Another source of very interesting information is the RM Web site, 'Western Region 1980s freight - West of England division'. Some excellent photos and recollections of the railway we all miss, not only around Bristol but, as the title suggests, covering the west country as a whole.

A similar recent casualty was the large girder bridge at the west end of Newport station which was replaced last year.

Guy Vincent
As usual a very comprehensive and interesting article - many thanks Guy

A Tour of Ride Cornwall
Andrew Triggs

Using a Ride Cornwall Ticket priced at £10.75 Andrew was able to cover most lines in the Duchy last Saturday.
The Cornwall Railway Society will be riding Cornwall this coming Saturday 29th July 2017.
Details are available on the Outdoor Events page

170722e Penzance at 05.00 150102106 shortly before departure for Truro with 2C52 Copyright Andrew Triggs

170722f 57603 arriving at Truro with the 1C99 Night Riviera. Copyright Andrew Triggs

170722g 150233 at Coombe Junction working the 2L75,first time I've actually made it to Coombe by train....... only took me nearly 50 years. Copyright Andrew Triggs

170722i 150104 at Gunnislake having worked the 2G74 from Plymouth. Copyright Andrew Triggs

170722j Newquay arrival for 43135 having worked 1C80 from London Paddington. Copyright Andrew Triggs

170722k Par Voyager arrival 1V56 with threatening skies to the east. Copyright Andrew Triggs

Bristol Harbour Railway
John Cornelius

A delightful scene in days of yore - 1984! Copyright John Cornelius