BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY

President: Pete Waterman OBE DL

Chairman: John Froud    

 Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com

JUNE NEWSLETTER 2020

Dear Member,

Firstly may I thank those of you who kindly sent messages of appreciation following the publication of the May newsletter. It is pleasing to know that in these difficult times, and the lack of news, that you enjoyed reading it. 

We do hope you are keeping safe and well, but with the continuing ‘lock down’ and social distancing we are having to cancel the June 4 meeting, which incorporates our AGM, , as you have been advised.

BRS current members should now have all received the AGM papers in advance of this Newsletter and we trust that you will respond by voting Yes or No in acceptance of them on June 4. As previously mentioned, this may seem an unorthodox/constitutional method to hold the AGM, but the committee feel that this is appropriate in the exceptional circumstances we find ourselves in, and also we do not want to cut into another meeting later in the year. 

An additional newsletter will be sent out in July/August to update you on the AGM and any other news before our September Newsletter.

I did ask in the last Newsletter if anyone knew the whereabouts of our BRS headboard used on the brewery tours at Burton on Trent in the 1960’s, but sadly nothing has come back. If anyone has knowledge or knows any former members who might, then please do get in touch. It would be lovely to track it down if it does still exist.

The Fry's Sentinel locomotive at the Avon Valley Railway received its final coats of paint last month.  It had a pre-lockdown 'holiday' to the workshop of specialist contractor Heritage Painting for the final top coats as well as the application of its decorative wording and imagery. The locomotive has returned to Bitton and it is now ready to haul brake van rides again once restrictions are lifted.

A Class 08 shunter that was originally destined for the North Dorset Railway Trust at Shillingstone has been sold. The Trust bought 08995 at auction in the knowledge it needed extensive repairs, and it has been stored on a site in the Midlands for a number of years. With restoration costs rising, 08995 has now been sold to the Gwendraeth Railway near Kidwelly in Wales. In its place, the NDRT have purchased an industrial Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 diesel, which is in full working order and which is named ‘Ashdown’. It was originally a member of the Manchester Ship Canal Railway diesel fleet, and has been part of Andrew Briddon’s Collection at Peak Rail.

The Government has announced that ten bidders have been successful in their applications for funding to enable them to progress their proposals towards developing a business case for re-opening closed stations and lines. Proposed schemes approved, include a new station to serve Devizes at Lydeway (on the Berks & Hants line 3 miles from Devizes) and the re-opening of stations at Wellington (Somerset) and Cullumpton (Devon) which would form part of the ‘Devon Metro’.  Other schemes to get further funding for consideration are The Totton to Marchwood/Fawley line in Hampshire and the re-opening of lines on the Isle of Wight to Newport and Ventnor.  The decision to fund proposals for the Totton – Fawley line reverses a previous decision the council made four years ago not to seek reopening of the line, which is still currently used almost daily by military traffic. Over 1,500 new homes, restaurants, shops etc. are due to be built in the area and a re-opened line could be served by extending the current Romsey – Southampton – Totton via Eastleigh local services which are operated by South Western Railway. One proposal that didn’t make this short list, which was expected to do so, is the old SR Okehampton to Plymouth line via Tavistock which had considerable backing from councils, MP’s and campaigners along the route. However, the Government is now seeking submissions from councils, rail action groups etc. for a second round of applications which have to be received by June 5. A third opportunity to submit applications will then take place in November.

60 years ago this month on Whitsunday June 5, British Railways ran an excursion train from Bristol Temple Meads to Bournemouth West made up of twelve coaches. The train ran via Mangotsfield and Bath Green Park from where it was hauled over the S & D to Evercreech Junction by Eastleigh based 76015 piloting 73050 of Bath shed. At Evercreech 76015 was detached with 73050 working the excursion onto Bournemouth. (73050 luckily went into preservation and is now named City of Peterborough being owned by Peterborough City Council and operated by the Nene Valley Railway). The same month saw the re-introduction of a through Exmouth to Cleethorpes Saturdays Only service over the S & D, with a corresponding working in the other direction. On June 25, 31632, from Yeovil Town shed, worked the first part of the ‘up’ journey, the 1040 from Exmouth through to Templecombe, where it was replaced for the run up to Bath Green Park by 7F – 53807. 

Children’s TV series that featured railways as a theme were covered In the May newsletter, and this time I am going to cover three general UK ‘railway’ films.  In 1937 the Southern Railway were approached by Gainsborough Pictures who were looking for a ‘country’ station location and Cliddesden station in Hampshire on the completely closed Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway was choosen. This was to become the fictional Buggleskelly station in Northern Ireland for the film ‘Oh Mr Porter’ starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt. In October 2018 a commemorative bench was unveiled in Cliddesden village to commemorate the film and Buggleskelly Station with decedents of the main cast being present at the unveiling ceremony. This was carried out by our President Pete Waterman OBE DL and attended also by members of the Will Hay Appreciation Society, (who organised the commemorative bench), plus local villagers. The film ‘The Ghost Train was first released in 1931, having had its location shots filmed at Monkton Combe station, but over time this film was lost for some years. However, from the original eight reels of the film, parts of it were rediscovered in a much decomposed state, these being reels 2, 3, 6 (all silent) and 5, 8 (both with sound). These remaining reels have been restored and 50 minutes of the film can still be viewed on You Tube with the opening scenes showing good views of Monkton Combe station and signal box. In 1941, the film, which tells the story of seven people stranded in a train station on a dark, stormy night only to witness to a Ghost Train, was remade by Gainsborough Pictures. Locations for this film included Barmouth Bridge, Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth, plus Fairbourne and Liskeard stations. It starred Arthur Askey, Richard Murdoch, Peter Murray – Hill and Carole Lynne with the story again taken from a 1923 play written by Arnold Ridley. He of course has local connections, and is buried in Bath’s Abbey Cemetery.   Monkton Combe station was to again feature in what has to be one of the most well-known railway films - ‘The Titfield Thunderbolt’ filmed in 1952 on the then closed Limpley Stoke to Camerton line. Monkton Combe became Titfield station and it featured the 1838 built Manchester & Liverpool Railway Locomotive ‘Lion’ which masqueraded as ‘Thunderbolt’. You must all know the story of this film which was directed by Charles Crichton, and starred Stanley Holloway, Naunton Wayne, George Relph and John Gregson. It had its general public release on 6th March 1953 and it is still being shown on TV as recently as last month!

Whilst no public trains are running at present, the Severn Valley Railway is still having to monitor two locations on the line where there have been land movements and slippages of embankments. To investigate the stability of the land, three boreholes have now been completed and investigations continue. The areas affected are at Sterns, where there have been previous problems, and Alveley Woods. A vegetation clearance operation at the affected areas has taken place. The SVR is still operating engineering trains during the closure.

The Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway also have a major landslip at Gotherington and are urgently appealing for funds to complete the repairs as it could endanger the future of the line. The railway has currently cancelled its train services until the beginning of September at the earliest due to the Coronavirus, and made the decision to cancel all special events in 2020, although they are looking at organising some form of Christmas - ‘Santa Experience’.

Please don’t forget to place your AGM votes on June 4, and if you do have any questions, then contact our Chairman - John Froud (address and email in the header). As previously mentioned, an interim newsletter will be sent out to update you in due course before the September one. Please do take care and stay safe.

Bob Bunyar – BRS Vice Chairman