NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 111
Brimscombe Station
Michael L. Roach
The station was built by the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway and opened on 1 June 1845. It lay 99¼ miles from Paddington, 22 miles from Swindon and 15 miles from Gloucester Central in the beautiful but heavily graded line through the Golden Valley. The GWR had another line called the Golden Valley between Pontrilas and Hay-on-Wye. Right alongside Brimscombe Station was the A419 main road, later widened when railway land became available. The station buildings were typical of Brunel wayside stations. There was a goods shed and later a small engine shed where banking engines were based to assist trains up the 1 in 75 bank to Sapperton Tunnel some 3½ miles away. In 1961 there were 21 positions at Brimscombe Shed for drivers, firemen and cleaners, but some could not be filled; and they worked seven banking turns. The shed closed on and from 28 October 1963. For the last few years the banking engines would have been mostly large prairie tanks in the 4100 and 5100 series. At the time there were a lot of coal trains travelling from South Wales to London and to the South Coast, via Salisbury, with some coming via Gloucester to ease congestion in the Severn Tunnel. There was a loop and a couple of sidings. Alongside the railway was the Thames and Severn Canal which was marked disused on the 1936/38 25-inch OS. A short distance away on the canal was an interesting milestone saying Wallbridge 3 and Inglesham 25¾, which meant nothing to me at first.
I only stood on the platform at Brimscombe Station just once, and that was on Monday 12 October 1964 just three weeks before the station closed to passengers and completely – it had already closed to goods. I also passed through on one of the last trains on the last day of passenger services, Saturday 31 October 1964 but took no photos because it was dark by the time I got there, as I had already been to two other lines closing to passengers the same day.
I finish the images with two that have nothing to do with Brimscombe, but are interesting. The first records some interesting figures for the Western Region in 1980; while the second shows a trolleybus; a first for these pages. I lived in Cardiff for a few months in the autumn of 1960 when the trolleybuses were still running. The system closed in 1970. Was I impressed by the system – no, the trolleybuses were too quiet for my liking and they de-wired too often. The trolleybus in the photo is preserved at the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, one of 17 homed there. There are also trams and motor buses in the museum which is well worth visiting. The trolleybus came from Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, where the system was one of the smaller ones with 5 routes and a maximum of 19 trolleybuses at any one time. For comparison the adjacent Manchester system had a maximum of 189 trolleybuses. This is not the Ashton in the news recently which is on the other side of Manchester.
I only stood on the platform at Brimscombe Station just once, and that was on Monday 12 October 1964 just three weeks before the station closed to passengers and completely – it had already closed to goods. I also passed through on one of the last trains on the last day of passenger services, Saturday 31 October 1964 but took no photos because it was dark by the time I got there, as I had already been to two other lines closing to passengers the same day.
I finish the images with two that have nothing to do with Brimscombe, but are interesting. The first records some interesting figures for the Western Region in 1980; while the second shows a trolleybus; a first for these pages. I lived in Cardiff for a few months in the autumn of 1960 when the trolleybuses were still running. The system closed in 1970. Was I impressed by the system – no, the trolleybuses were too quiet for my liking and they de-wired too often. The trolleybus in the photo is preserved at the East Anglia Transport Museum at Carlton Colville near Lowestoft, one of 17 homed there. There are also trams and motor buses in the museum which is well worth visiting. The trolleybus came from Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, where the system was one of the smaller ones with 5 routes and a maximum of 19 trolleybuses at any one time. For comparison the adjacent Manchester system had a maximum of 189 trolleybuses. This is not the Ashton in the news recently which is on the other side of Manchester.
Collett Hall 6955 Lydcott Hall of Severn Tunnel Junction Shed waits in the loop at Brimscombe with a freight train for the auto-train to pass before coming out onto the mainline on 12 October 1964. The engine was withdrawn four months later in early February 1965. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Brimscombe looking west towards Stroud and Gloucester showing the delightful Brunellian wayside station buildings, later demolished. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Brimscombe looking east also showing the footbridge and the small engine shed beyond. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The auto to Chalford arrives at Brimscombe behind 0-4-2 tank 1458 which was also in use on the last day of passenger services. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The auto-train departs past the disused engine shed. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
6955 leaves the loop to attack the bank without a banker from memory. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
A fact sheet about the Western Region dated 1980; with some interesting facts.
Here we see BUT trolleybus YTE 826 no. 87 in the Ashton-under-Lyne fleet, dating from 1956. The destination box on the front showed 218 Stalybridge via Openshaw on the day of our visit which was 10 August 1991. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Evening Freight
Clive Smith
It's 20.10 in the late summer evening light and still 30C as 66755 approaches Daveys Bridge in Ivybridge with a specially pathed 6V73 11.27 Cliffe Vale - Goonbarrow Junction empty JIAs. 23.06.2026, copyright Clive Smith.
Nice light - many thanks, Clive.
Sea Wall 175
Martin Scane
175111 approaching Teignmouth this afternoon (23/6/26) at 15-44 with 2C32 Exeter St Davids to Penzance. I was waiting for the ecs Southall to Goodrington which got progressively later and later this afternoon. I ended up heading for home never to see it. 23.06.2026, copyright Martin Scane.
Many thanks Martin - poor luck regarding the ECS, a challenging day for the railway in the heat by all accounts.
Sunny Steam
James Bown
On a very hot day the Bodmin Steam Railway was very busy with 5552 performing well with a full train. It's seen here running round at Boscarne Junction. 23.06.2026, copyright James Bown.
5552 takes on water whilst running round at Bodmin General. 23.06.2026, copyright James Bown.
Many thanks James - the crew must have been roasting in that cab today!
June 1976
Part 24
Roger Winnen
The BLS chartered DMU at St Blazey Depot. 27.06.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.
The BLS chartered DMU at St Blazey Depot. 27.06.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.
Class 25's at rest on St. Blazey. 27.06.1976, copyright Roger Winnen.