Newsletter

BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY

President: Pete Waterman OBE DL

Chairman: John Froud    

 Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com

APRIL NEWSLETTER 2021

Dear Member,

We now seem to be heading for a recovery, and many of our Heritage Railways are looking at re-opening this month. Most have been hit very hard over the last year with the loss of income, but with bills still to pay. Many of you may have seen that the Llangollen Railway has gone into receivership, so if you are now getting out and about, do pop in and visit a railway and put a few pennies in their coffers. I’m sure they will welcome you.

The answer to the quiz in the last Newsletter was the ‘Lancashire Fusilier’ - Peak Class D52. Another quiz for you at the end of this Newsletter.

Work to strengthen the sea wall and stabilise the cliffs at Dawlish is continuing, and Network Rail are now wanting to provide a shelter to protect the track from rock falls at Parsons Tunnel. You can read about their plans here: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/plans-submitted-for-rockfall-shelter-extension-to-protect-vital-stretch-of-railway-in-devon

If you are a fan of the old ‘Southern’ routes in Devon & Cornwall, you may be interested in a new book by railway photographer and former railwayman, Bernard Mills called 'Backtracking around Plymouth, Callington, Tavistock North and the SR main line to Okehampton' (ISBN 9781916019041). It is published by Plymouth-based local history specialist Pen & Ink Publishing and copies can be bought online from Pen & Ink's partner website www.chrisrobinson.co.uk/shop/books @ £16.95

Also in North Devon, the Barnstaple branch will be closed completely from April 10 to 13, and between Crediton to Barnstaple from April 14 to 18 for engineering works. Part of the works will see the platforms at Eggesford station being extended, while elsewhere track will be replaced to improve speed limits and give a better ride quality for trains. Work is also continuing apace on the Okehampton route in preparation for its reopening this year with new concrete sleepers and longer length rail being delivered and laid and ballasting undertaken. Trains normally operate from Westbury to Okehampton and return, but due to the lack of run round facilities at Okehampton, they are top ‘n’ tailed. In the Budget on March 3, a further £40M spending was announced towards getting services started between Exeter and Okehampton. It was then officially announced by the Government on March 19 that the line will reopen be the end of this year with a two hourly service. The Real Times Train website is showing services commencing on May 16, but it is likely to be a later date than this.

Archaeologists working just east of Bath in the Kensington Meadows area have made a remarkable discovery. At a dig of a Roman Settlement, they have discovered a type of tramway/railway using stone for sleepers. The gauge is close to our present day standard one, and is probably set to the distance between the wheels of chariots. A spokesperson for the dig said “this is an extremely rare find, and probably the Roman equivalent of our ‘Park & Rides’ of today”. It is speculated that it was designed by Aprilio Fulstius IV, a Roman engineer whose works are known to have been associated with the area. It is hoped that the discoveries might be put on display in the future.

Engineering works will be affecting local train services during the Easter holiday and later this month. On Friday April 2 to Thursday 8, works will affect trains running between Taunton and Castle Cary during the Easter period. As a result, trains between London and the South West that normally run non-stop between Reading and Taunton will be diverted and journey times extended by around 40 minutes. In addition, planned engineering work is also taking place between Frome and Yeovil Pen Mill from Good Friday to Easter Monday. On Saturday & Sunday April 10 & 11 trains between London and the South West will call at Frome instead of Westbury and trains for Portsmouth Harbour or Weymouth will terminate at Bath Spa and then restart from Westbury. Buses will replace trains between: Bath Spa and Westbury and Chippenham and Westbury. Buses will also replace trains between Swindon, Chippenham and Bath Spa on Sunday April 11. Do check if you intend travelling.

45 years ago this month a locomotive left the Barry Scrapyard run by Dai Woodham. Class S15 30506 was purchased in March 1973 for £4,000, but it was not until April the following year that it was able to leave the yard for a new life at the Mid-Hants Railway. It was the first former LSWR built loco to leave Barry. Also leaving the yard ten years later in April 1986 was West Country Class 34028 ‘Eddystone’. This was purchased by Southern Locomotives Ltd for £6,000 and initially moved to Sellinge in Kent where restoration commenced. It was later moved to the Swanage Railway and returned to working order. At present it is very near the end of a major overhaul, and is due back in service shortly.

30 Years ago this month, the Victoria Travel Company ran a through special from Leeds to Minehead. The train departed from Leeds just under an hour late of its booked time and then suffered a further delay waiting for a guard at Stockport. Class 47 47580 was used on the 12 coach special from Leeds to Bristol Temple Meads, where 47468 took over as far as Norton Fitzwarren Junction. Here 08 584 was waiting to haul it to Bishops Lydeard. The run to Minehead was then behind steam in the form of 6106 and 3205, arriving at the seaside at 1607. This was twenty minutes after the booked return departure time! The train left at 1645, so participants didn’t get long in Minehead. 53808 hauled the train back to Bishops Lydeard where 47468 was waiting for the run back to Bristol. 47580 then returned the train to Leeds arriving there at 0020hrs, 110 minutes late. A rather long day out!

John Lakey has kindly supplied the following article for this month’s Newsletter:-

MY TIME WITH THE GREAT WESTERN SOCIETY

Around the time the S & D closed, I made the acquaintance of Derek Fear, who was a booking clerk at Bath Spa station, previously at Radstock and Midsomer Norton.  Derek and I, together with our wives became lifelong friends. Derek introduced me to the Great Western Society, and in particular the Bristol Group which had recently succeeded in purchasing 0-6-2T No 6697 from BR and were working on its restoration at Ashchurch, which was then also home to GWR No. 7808 Cookham Manor and LMS No. 46201 Princess Elizabeth.

Many working party trips to Ashchurch followed, and on occasions 6697 was steamed, and run up and down the headshunt adjacent to the main line.   No H & S in those days! This activity was brought to a sudden end after the mechanical signalling on the main line was replaced by the new MAS power signalling controlled from Gloucester. Our travels up the headshunt caused lights to appear on the Gloucester panel signalbox and we were ordered to stop such excursions!

In 1970, the GWS decided to move all of its collection at Ashchurch to its newly opened permanent base at Didcot loco shed. Our last working party at Ashchurch in 1970 involved the taking down of the motion and connecting rods on 6697 and 7808 in preparation for the move.

A GWS member subsequently purchased 2-6-0 No 5322 from Woodhams, and it was moved to Caerphilly works site for restoration. This was quickly achieved, and I was amongst the Bristol Group members invited over to Caerphilly for one of its first steamings one Sunday. We were able to drive the engine up and down the yard towards the main line for the afternoon until we ran out of coal!  Fortunately a coal merchant had some staithes half way along the siding and the South Wales group members were able to fill some bags to keep us going! The coal yard was closed on Sundays, so I have no idea how the coal was paid for.

During the early 1970s, the Bristol group activities, as well as organising a number of “rambler” DMU excursions over goods only branch lines, and annual model railway exhibitions in Bath, turned more towards acquiring signalling exhibits for Didcot. One memorable incident with the “Devon Rambler” tour occurred at Torrington, Leaving Torrington for Meeth, the line entered a sharply curved cutting on approach to the river Torridge viaduct. As we entered the cutting at walking pace, the driver opened the sliding door between the cab and passenger compartment and called out “Just watch this!”  As we approached the bridge he blew his horn.  The narrow single line bridge was packed with anglers, and several dogs, sitting on the rails and fishing the river.  There was absolute pandemonium for a time while they grabbed their kit and dogs, scrabbling off the bridge to let us pass. The surprising thing (to us) was that exactly the same thing happened on our return an hour or so later!

By now I was elected to the group committee and took over as treasurer for a few years. I remember signing a cheque for a few hundred pounds for GW auto trailer 190, now at Didcot. Other items, such as redundant timber signal posts from the Radstock area and at Upton Lovell near Warminster, a corrugated iron goods store from Winscombe (Cheddar alley line) and an S & T mess van (converted from a “Toad” goods brake van) were amassed, until thoughts eventually moved towards the possibility of acquiring and rebuilding a GWR signal box at Didcot. To extract the signals, my wife’s uncle who worked for BT was able to borrow a manually operated pole jack, normally used to pull out telephone poles. This did the job admirably.

Alan Price, one of the group’s most active members, drew attention to the recently closed Frome Station Signal Box.  This was a standard hip roof design, but unusually was constructed of pre cast concrete sections which could be dismantled and re assembled at Didcot.  Unfortunately the weight of these sections and the lack of access for a crane made it beyond our means to recover the box and we had to abandon the attempt.

Radstock West crossing signal box was the last remaining in the town, on the North Somerset line. It was constructed with a brick base (locking room) and a timber built cabin on top. I felt that this could suit our purpose as the cabin was (just) small enough to be lifted off in one piece, allowing the brick base to be demolished and the lever frame recovered. I put this to the group committee which agreed we should investigate the possibility.

I therefore wrote to the BR regional HQ at Bristol to enquire about purchasing the ‘box. Unfortunately the reply was that although the 2 level crossings would soon close, the Box was still required operationally as accommodation for the sole remaining railman in charge, Ken Evans.

Despite further requests, the matter remained as such for the next two years. Eventually, in 1975, I noticed a report in the local paper to the effect that the local council were to meet BR at the level crossing to investigate how the road junction could be widened following removal of the crossing. 

I felt this might just be our opportunity and, knowing the past BR attitude, decided to ring the council first to explain our interest in acquiring the signal box, and suggest that, if we could attend the meeting as observers, we might just be able to assist the process.  To my relief, the council officer seemed quite interested and agreed my proposal.  A call to BR secured their agreement and so Derek Fear and I went over to the crossing on the appointed day where to our surprise we were treated as a party to the meeting and not mere observers.

The outcome was that in order to facilitate the road improvements BR agreed we could buy the signal box as long as we gave an undertaking to remove it from site in a reasonable time. BR would find alternative accommodation for Ken. Success!

The Box, including lever frame and some level crossing ground equipment and gates cost us the princely sum of £56, but the cost of removing it and transportation to Didcot cost rather more.  The move took place on a Sunday, with a local police presence to control the road traffic. A Sparrow’s mobile crane lifted the cabin off its base. (there were no physical fixings whatsoever) and weighed 6 tons. The lift nearly didn’t happen, as the local council inspector ran a tape around the ‘box and declared that it was about 2 inches wider than the permissible width to travel by road. After discussion the solution was found by breaking the ends off the slates overhanging the eaves flush with the eaves.  The inspector pronounced himself satisfied and the lift went ahead. I think all the slates were eventually replaced at Didcot.

It was probably also a tad too high, because when passing under the concrete railway bridge at the bottom of Wells Road at Bath, the cast iron stub vent on the roof scraped the front edge of the bridge. I believe the scrape mark can still be seen on the bridge to this day.`

One amusing (to us) incident during the lift was that a car driver approaching the level crossings from the Bath direction, was so distracted by the sight of the cabin dangling in the air from the crane, that he drove straight into the other (S & D) crossing gates. The policeman calmly walked over to him to ensure he was ok and to take down his particulars.

The frame was lifted out of the base still on its supporting beams and placed on a second lorry together with all the ancillary equipment and crossing gates, also importantly the cast iron locking room window frames and door were carefully recovered. The bricks of the base were too far gone to save and were pushed into the former locking room floor in order to level up the site to the surrounding ground.

The convoy proceeded on to Didcot where it was craned onto rail wagons for transfer into the GWS site. The cabin was so rigid that not a single window pane was broken during the move.

The next few years were spent in building a new brick base incorporating the original windows. We had to dig an enormous hole in the soft ash ground for an adequate foundation.  The cabin then had to be moved over to the completed base by means of rolling with scaffold poles over a sleeper “road” and then jacking and packing before finally rolling the cabin across onto its new base for further fitting out.

The signal box is now fully restored and operational complete with gate wheel operated level crossing and signals for present and future generations to enjoy. It now proudly carries its original (replica) cast GWR nameplate “Radstock North Box” which had been changed by BR to “Radstock West” in the 1950s. A nice touch is the “Nempnett Thrubwell” SCC road sign adjacent to the crossing.

Thank you to John for a most interesting article. Next month we will be hearing from Brian May. If you have a story to share, please get in touch.

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The Severn Valley Railway is now ceasing to issue lineside photographic passes, and they will not be running anymore privately organised photographic charters. This is due to tighter safety issues and more scrutiny of heritage railways by the Office of the Rail Regulator.

The Bideford Heritage Railway Centre has purchased, at auction, the nameplates and number plate from West Country Class 34019 "Bideford", bringing them back to the town the loco was named after.

You may recall in previous Newsletters, the sale of Calendars in support of reopening the Ivanhoe Line was mentioned. Sadly Geoff Bushell, who was leading the campaign and producing the calendars, has passed away. See https://ivanhoeline.org/  If anyone had ordered a calendar and hasn’t received it, please get in touch with our Secretary Robert Howes, using the BRS email address on the front page.

You may be interested in the latest news from the 82045 Steam Locomotive Trust which is in the process of building the next member of the extinct Riddles BR 3MT 2‑6‑2 82000 tank class. This class of loco were frequently seen at Bath Green Park and usually used on Bristol services. 82004, 82040 82041and 82044 were examples. For the latest news see http://www.82045.org.uk/

Bob Bunyar – Vice Chairman 

Please note:    All events and special trains etc are mentioned in good faith and hopefully details are correct at the time of publication of the Newsletter.      Please however, do check before travelling or attending events as things can change

<<<<<<<< COMPETITION >>>>>>>>

Take the first letter only from each answer (first word unless indicated otherwise), and then unscramble them. These letters will make up the name of a station on a Heritage Railway. The quiz is just for fun and no prizes are given. Hope you enjoy it? The Answer will be given in the next newsletter.

Answer is the name of a station on a Heritage Railway

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