Last Day of the Bridport Branch - 3rd May 1975
By Roger Winnen
Part 2
The Weymouth Quay Line with the Dorset Dawdler. Copyright Roger Winnen
The Weymouth Quay Line with the Dorset Dawdler. Copyright Roger Winnen
Weymouth Station. Copyright Roger Winnen
The 14.35 to London Waterloo. Copyright Roger Winnen
The 14.48 Arrival from Bristol Temple Meads. Copyright Roger Winnen
The 18.37 Weymouth to Waterloo working leaves Weymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen
Push Pull at Weymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen
The 16.00 ex Bristol arrives at Weymouth. Copyright Roger Winnen
Portishead branch - still a future
The below is from the Portishead Railway Group:
There's been a lot of comment this week about the Portishead & Pill line reopening and a lot of work has been going on to establish what is happening and what happens next. Here's a few facts about where we are and details of what PRG is now planning to do:
1. The Government have cancelled the Restoring your Railways fund.
2. Almost all the funding for the Portishead project has been in place for years ... and does not come from that fund.
3. However, it turns out the final Dept. for Transport tranche of the £152 million plus the additional funding now required due to delays and cost increases had no other source than the Restoring your Railways fund.
4. No one has cancelled reopening the Portishead line and all the parties involved, locally and nationally, remain committed to the project being completed.
5. There will now be a delay (again) whilst the review required by the new government is completed and any revision of the funding sources is addressed.
As you know, an enormous amount of work has already been completed. That work has taken 10 years and construction was due to begin shortly. The reopening therefore offers a project that could be delivered quickly and demonstrate the new Government's aims and intentions. However this can only happen if the funding can be found. We therefore need to campaign rapidly and loudly to the Treasury and Dept. for Transport about this.
We had a very useful meeting with our new MP, Sadik Al-Hassan, on Friday. He is well-briefed on the reopening of the Portishead & Pill line and has already secured its removal from the list of cancelled projects. He sees the reopening as one of his two top priorities (NHS being the other). He will be opening his constituency office shortly - in Portishead by the station site.
We have agreed with him that we need to keep the pressure on the Treasury and DfT to find the funds to see the project through. To do this, we should organise a Public Petition. This is different to the parliamentary e-petitions that are widely used. It has to be written in a specific way and is actually presented to Parliament by an MP. If you've not heard of Public Petitions, you can find out more here: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/sign-a-petition/paper-petitions/.
The work for this needs to happen during August ready to be delivered when Parliament returns. We need your help in doing this as we want to get as many signatures as possible. Signatures will be collected online and also locally on paper in various local shops. Details of the online process will be available soon. So that we reach everyone in Pill, Easton in Gordano, Ham Green, Portbury and Portishead, we want to deliver a printed mailing. If you would be willing to help us do that in your area, please do reply to this email now. Also, please do share the news with as many people as you can. Thank you.
There's been a lot of comment this week about the Portishead & Pill line reopening and a lot of work has been going on to establish what is happening and what happens next. Here's a few facts about where we are and details of what PRG is now planning to do:
1. The Government have cancelled the Restoring your Railways fund.
2. Almost all the funding for the Portishead project has been in place for years ... and does not come from that fund.
3. However, it turns out the final Dept. for Transport tranche of the £152 million plus the additional funding now required due to delays and cost increases had no other source than the Restoring your Railways fund.
4. No one has cancelled reopening the Portishead line and all the parties involved, locally and nationally, remain committed to the project being completed.
5. There will now be a delay (again) whilst the review required by the new government is completed and any revision of the funding sources is addressed.
As you know, an enormous amount of work has already been completed. That work has taken 10 years and construction was due to begin shortly. The reopening therefore offers a project that could be delivered quickly and demonstrate the new Government's aims and intentions. However this can only happen if the funding can be found. We therefore need to campaign rapidly and loudly to the Treasury and Dept. for Transport about this.
We had a very useful meeting with our new MP, Sadik Al-Hassan, on Friday. He is well-briefed on the reopening of the Portishead & Pill line and has already secured its removal from the list of cancelled projects. He sees the reopening as one of his two top priorities (NHS being the other). He will be opening his constituency office shortly - in Portishead by the station site.
We have agreed with him that we need to keep the pressure on the Treasury and DfT to find the funds to see the project through. To do this, we should organise a Public Petition. This is different to the parliamentary e-petitions that are widely used. It has to be written in a specific way and is actually presented to Parliament by an MP. If you've not heard of Public Petitions, you can find out more here: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/sign-a-petition/paper-petitions/.
The work for this needs to happen during August ready to be delivered when Parliament returns. We need your help in doing this as we want to get as many signatures as possible. Signatures will be collected online and also locally on paper in various local shops. Details of the online process will be available soon. So that we reach everyone in Pill, Easton in Gordano, Ham Green, Portbury and Portishead, we want to deliver a printed mailing. If you would be willing to help us do that in your area, please do reply to this email now. Also, please do share the news with as many people as you can. Thank you.
If you can help, you can reach the group by email on: [email protected]
We wish them the best of luck with their endeavours.
You can see a selection of images of the Portishead Branch on our website - click here.
We wish them the best of luck with their endeavours.
You can see a selection of images of the Portishead Branch on our website - click here.
61306 'Mayflower' works 'The English Riviera Express'
03.08.2024
David Tozer & Martin Scane.
61306 Mayflower top tail 47805 working 1Z60 06:00 Wolverhampton to Kingswear. Copyright David Tozer.
61306 passes Sprey Point, Teignmouth heading for Kingswear. Copyright Martin Scane.
Many thanks to you both for sharing your images.
Weedkiller at rest
Andrew Triggs
GBRf 66781 'Radcliffe Power Station' with 66751 'Inspiration Delivered' arrived at Truro Yard this morning (02.08.24) with KEA Wagons 93450/95380/93371 having worked 3Q98 23.24 Exeter Riverside N.Y-Truro Yard Weedkiller. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
66751 at rest in Truro Yard. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
Details of the weedkilling train. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
Details of the weedkilling train. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
Details of the weedkilling train. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
66781 in Truro Yard. Copyright Andrew Triggs.
Many thanks Andrew.
The weedkiller is on the move tonight (03.08), departing Truro at 18:00. Click here for the schedule. Let's hope they've got some strong stuff on board!
The weedkiller is on the move tonight (03.08), departing Truro at 18:00. Click here for the schedule. Let's hope they've got some strong stuff on board!
47306 with the clay wagons
Jon Hird
47306 drifts down towards Bodmin Parkway working a driver experience course on 03.08.2024. With a departure from Bodmin General of just-before midday, photography is awkward as the sun is neither one side or the other, but here's an attempt regardless. Copyright Jon Hird.