BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY

President: Pete Waterman OBE DL

Chairman: John Froud    

 Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2020

Dear Member, 

This Newsletter would normally be welcoming you back to our new season of meetings, but as previously advised in the August Newsletter, we have decided to suspend meeting until the end of the year due to the present covid restrictions. The committee are of course keeping the situation under review, and it might it be possible to start again in January 2021. It is hoped that speakers booked for the period until and including December 2020 can be transferred to next season. We will of course keep you fully informed of any developments.

Bristol could be getting its first new station in 20 years, as the Government has announced it will fund £1m towards a station as part of its ‘shovel ready’ projects. This will serve the Portway Park & Ride, and be built on the Avonmouth/Severn Beach line. Planning for this station has been progressing for some time and it could now soon become a reality.

Another new station, also under the same ‘shovel ready’ projects, is to be built in Devon between Newton Abbot and Torquay. Edginswell station will serve a new complex of office and industrial buildings plus 400 new homes. The close by Torbay Hospital is also due for a £400m rebuild.

Not a railway item but it does come under ‘transport’ and may be of interest. The Transporter Bridge in Newport Docks, South Wales is due to close this month for renovation from September 26 and won’t re-open until 2023. It’s open Wednesday to Sunday for visitors and is quite unique and worth a trip and ride over on it.

We have received an enquiry, and can anybody help with this question? Does anyone happen to know the name of the Station Master at Oldfield Park station in the 1950/60’s? His first name was Bob, but his surname is unknown. If you can help, or provide any further information, please let us know. This is for someone who is carrying out research on East Twerton, for a book.

There will be alterations to train services in the area this month due to Network Rail engineering works. On September 5 & 6, London Paddington to South Wales services will use an alternate route between Swindon and Newport, not calling at Bristol Parkway. London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads will be diverted via Newbury and the Berks and Hants line and will not call at Didcot Parkway, Swindon or Chippenham. The Swindon to Westbury services will not run on these dates, and replacement buses will link Swindon and Chippenham, where buses will run towards Westbury. Buses will also replace trains between Swindon and Bristol Parkway as well as those between Swindon and Bath Spa.  Further engineering works will take place on September 26 and 27, On the London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads route some trains will be diverted via Bristol Parkway and won’t call at Chippenham or Bath Spa. Other services will still call at Chippenham but will terminate at Bath Spa where buses replace trains to Bristol Temple Meads.  Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central trains will be diverted after Trowbridge and run via Melksham to Swindon. (Change here for South Wales services). In the opposite direction, Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour trains will terminate at Bristol Temple Meads and buses will then replace trains to Bath Spa. Trains will run from Bath Spa to Westbury, but it may be quicker to travel to stations beyond Westbury via Swindon instead. Westbury or Weymouth services to Bristol Temple Meads will terminate at Bath Spa, where replacement buses will run to Bristol Temple Meads. South Western Railway services between London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads will also terminate at Bath Spa. If you are travelling by train during these periods, you are strongly advised to check on services in advance.

Looking ahead to next year, it is hoped that a large ‘Open Day’ will take place at Exeter. This will be held at the new Train Care Depot by Exeter St Davids station, and it is being planned for April. This of course may change due to the Corona Virus restrictions.

60 years ago this month, Bristol Bath Road shed was closed to steam and the remaining allocation there was either transferred to the Midland – Barrow Road shed, or to the Western - St Philips Marsh. After Bath Road closed, the structures were demolished to make way for the new diesel depot that was constructed on the site, but one of the original turntables was retained. Twenty five years ago this month on September 28, Bath Road diesel depot ceased all operations when it was closed, and work was transferred to St Philips Marsh T&RSMD. The Turntable, a Ransom Rapier 65'3" standard-pattern over-girder & electrically powered type was originally installed in 1957 and on closure of the depot was successfully bid for by the Severn Valley Railway. It has been stored for many years at Eardington, and last year, planning permission for it to be installed at Bridgnorth was finally granted by the council.

Looking back to 30 years ago on September 16, Pathfinder Tours ran a special called ‘The Taw Retour’. This originated in Manchester and ran to Bristol T M behind 47 974. This was the last pick up point and where Class 50 50 031 took over for a run to Exeter St Davids. Here 50 032 came on the rear to have two 50’s in top ‘n’ tail mode. The train then ran up to Barnstaple and back and then down to Exmouth. Returning to Exeter it headed to Newton Abbot for a journey up the Heathfield branch and back. From Newton Abbot 50 032 brought the train back to Bristol T M where 47 974 took over for the return run up to Manchester.

Locomotive D1120 has left Midsomer Norton station to have vacuum brakes fitted and small repairs completed. It is likely to return in early 2021 with the work costing several thousand pounds.

Taff Vale Tank Number 28 is to be restored to working order by members of the Gwili Railway’s Vintage Carriages Group with whom it has been on loan since 2014. It is hoped it will be returned to steam by 2024 and working services on the railway.

South Western Railway have been looking for takers for its Isle of Wight fleet of Class 483’s which are shortly to be made redundant. The former London Underground Northern Line units are to be replaced by Vivarail 484 units, with the first set due imminently for testing on the Island Line. Most of the 483 Units are now 80 + years old and there are conditions attached to their acquisition.  Some of the units are not in working order having been used for spares to keep other running. The Class 484’s are converted London Underground ‘D 78’ Class stock which were introduced into public service in January 1980, with the last being withdrawn from LU service on April 21, 2017. In total some £26M is being invested and this includes major infrastructure improvements and track upgrades, plus the provision of a passing loop at Brading. This will enable the synchronisation of services with the ferries. 

The former LNER owned Paddle Steamer Waverley has had a successful boiler refit and on August 13 she returned to sea and is now undergoing sea-trials.

On August 21, the DfT announced that funding of £5.8M is being released by the Government to start design work on upgrading Cardiff Central station. A further £2M is being allocated for development work to speed up services and provide extra capacity between Severn Tunnel Jnc – Cardiff – Swansea.

Despite being closed until at least the end of this month, a small team at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway have been making progress at Hayes Knoll on the restoration on their accessible coach, Laura, and also on a Buffet coach. Welding repairs have been completed on Laura, along with interior works, and now final rubbing down and undercoating is in progress. Painting of top coats will proceed in the near future. Substantial structural repairs have been undertaken to the Buffet coach and work is also progressing on this. At Taw Valley Halt, the P Way department has extended the head shunt and the locomotive department have been working on and refurbishing parts from 0-6-2T 6695. 

An online petition was started on August 11 to re-open the former Stonehouse (Bristol Road) station in Gloucestershire, once situated on the former Midland line between Gloucester and Bristol. The station closed to passengers on January 4, 1965 and to goods the following year. The petition to Gloucester County Council is open until July 31 next year and is supported by local councillors and MP’s. Campaigners have been told to apply for the DfT’s ‘New Stations Funds’, and if successful, it could be named Stroudwater.  Stonehouse does still have a station on the Swindon-Gloucester "Golden Valley" line, but a new station would give better connectivity to Bristol and beyond.

Bob Bunyar – BRS Vice Chairman