Newsletter

BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY

President: Pete Waterman OBE DL

Chairman: John Froud    

 Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2021

Dear Member,

As you have already been informed, our first meeting for the coming season will be a zoom meeting on September 2, at 7.30 pm with Adrian Shooter, Chairman of Vivarail, talking about the company's role in battery train technology.  The speaker has request this meeting via Zoom.   There will be no physical meeting at St Mary's that day. If you would like to attend this meeting, please send an email to BathRailwaySocietyZoom@gmail.com by Wednesday 1st September: You will be sent a link before the meeting to the email address you give us. Details of further meeting will be sent out when finalised, and initially it will be a mix of zoom and physical meetings depending on the speaker’s requirements.

As many of you will already know, we have received the sad news that former member Terry Nichols has passed away. Terry was a member of the Society up until the 2014 season but still occasionally attended meeting after this as a guest. However, Terry presented to us on no less than 10 occasions, and we were certainly thankful for him standing in for a speaker at short notice on several occasions. His last presentation to us was in March 2016, when using his original film and projector, he concluded the joint presentation ‘The Last Rites of the Somerset & Dorset’ to mark the 50th anniversary of closure of the S&D which we held at the ‘Bath Museum of Work’. Terry’s funeral will be taking place on September 1 at the South Bristol Crematorium, Bedminster at 1245hrs. He was a great friend of our Society, and he and his railway knowledge will certainly be missed.

On BRS matters, we are very pleased to announce that Mike Dodd has kindly agreed to join the committee, and we look forward to his input. As previously mentioned, Anne Meddick has now stood down from the committee, and I am very pleased to announce that for her services to the Society, Anne has now been made an Honorary Member.

The answer to the competition in the last Newsletter when you had to find the name of the A4 Class was Sparrow Hawk, BR number 60018. Another competition for you at the end of this newsletter. As stated with the competition last month, 60018 was scrapped in July 1963. 

A planning application for a new station at Filton North in Bristol, is being submitted by Network Rail as part of the MetroWest phase two project. This will also include new stations at Henbury and Ashley Down in phase two. A new station at Filton North would serve an entertainment complex in and around the historic Brabazon hangars at the former Filton Airfield plus new residential accommodation. Subject to planning permission being approved, the station should be operational by 2023, and it will mean passengers will be able to travel between the new Filton North and Temple Meads in less than 15 minutes.

As you will be aware, considerable work is being undertaken around Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol East Junction. At Temple Meads, the new eastern entrance is making significant progress. During the past month, piling to create the walls of the subway extension has been taking place, and at a point when train services are unable to use platforms 13 and 15 because of the junction upgrade work, Network Rail will be removing a section of Platform 15 and the adjacent track. This will be undertaken so more piling can be completed to tie in to the existing subway and the installing of a concrete deck. The platform and track will be reinstated ready for services to run when the track upgrade finishes on September 3, and the platform canopy will be reinstated soon afterwards. Work will then continue on the new eastern entrance through the autumn and into 2022. Once complete, this new entrance will open the station to the eastern half of Bristol City Council's Temple Quarter and St Philip’s Marsh regeneration zone. Making the most of the access opportunity presented by the track work at Bristol East Junction, the roof renovation project continues at Temple Meads with the refurbishment of platform canopies, including installation of new dagger boards that line them, and the painting of the forecourt canopies.

 

The North Dorset Railway, based at Shillingstone station, have now received permission to start planned preparatory works this month to extend the line northwards. Although planning permission has already been granted, they had to avoid the bird nesting season and enable replacement badger sett work to proceed. The track extension will be along council owned land up to and over Lamb House Bridge with an enhanced North Dorset Trailway alongside. Track laying will then continue adjacent to Bere Marsh House, on an embankment, on land which donated to the NDR. This will take it as far as a cattle creep underpass which will form the northern boundary of the running line. The ultimate aim of the Railway is to reach Sturminster Newton, for which they have backing from the local council, as they see the line as a tourist attraction to bring in visitors to the area.

It was 60 years ago this month when The Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR) closed to passenger traffic from Monday, September 11, 1961, with the last public services on the Saturday.  On Sunday September 10, two rail tours - ‘Farewell to the M & SWJ Rly’ - traversed the line, both originating from Birmingham. One tour was organised by the Stephenson Locomotive Society (Midland Area) with the 7 coach train hauled to Andover Junction and back by 7808 ‘Cookham Manor’. The second special took the same route and this was organised by the RCTS (London Branch). Their 8 coach train was hauled by 5306. Except for freight stubs from Savernake to Marlborough, Swindon main line to Swindon Town and Cirencester, and Andover to Ludgershall, the entire line from Cheltenham to Andover was closed. The final remaining section of the M & SWJR was from Swindon Junction on the GWR main line to Swindon Town station, once the HQ of the railway. This was used to carry construction materials for the building of the M4 Motorway. This section of remaining line did see a number of rail tours traverse it with the last being in 1972. By 1978 all the then remaining derelict tracks were lifted. Part of the M & SWJ has of course been re-born with the Swindon and Cricklade Railway relaying on its formation, and they are currently extending the line northwards back to the town of Cricklade from their present northern terminus at Hayes Knoll.

40 years ago on September 5, Hertfordshire Rail Tours ran the ‘Severn Freighter’ tour from London Paddington formed of a 3 car DMU. This ran via Newbury and Hawkeridge Junction to traverse all three sides of the then triangle at Bradford Junction.  From here it ran over a variety of freight branches to Ashton Gate (Portishead Branch), Uskmouth (from East Usk Jnc.), Tidenham (Wye Valley), Sharpness and finally Tytherington Quarry (Thornbury Branch) returning to London via Bath Spa.

As part of Swindon & Cricklade’s Northern Extension (as mentioned above), a damaged and collapsing main culvert, just north of South Meadow Lane, has been replaced. It was excavated and replaced with a steel pipe, with the track-bed then levelled ready for track laying. The original brick culvert was over 130 years old, and the supporting wall was severely cracked and leaning.  The brick arch itself was also failing underneath. A local company to the Railway, “The Hills Group Ltd”, provided the grant funding for this work with the Community First - Wiltshire organisation facilitating the grant application on behalf of the “Landfill Communities Fund”.

Two interesting rail tours are currently booked to be passing through the Bristol area on Saturday September 25. The Loco Services Ltd. HST Blue Pullman should be running from Swansea to Penance and return. ‘The Cornish Costal Pullman’ will pick up/set down locally at Patchway, Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Temple Meads. Also ‘The Champion Torbay Express’ will be running to Kingswear on the Dartmouth Railway. This originates at Eastleigh and runs via Swindon to Gloucester where Class 52 – D1015 ‘Western Champion’ takes charge to Kingswear and return. This train is being run by Pathfinder and picks up/sets down at Swindon, Kemble, Gloucester and Bristol Parkway. Its return run from the West Country is routed via Westbury and Bath Spa.

A new TV series starting next month on ITV, has been filmed on the Bluebell Railway. Based on the fictional Larkin Family (The Darling Buds of May), Horstead Keynes became Littlechurch station and the story line over the six episodes will tell of the proposed closure of the station, which is opposed by ‘Pop’ Larkin. Q Class 30541 was used during the filming.

Residents in Lockleaze in Bristol have started a campaign for a station to serve their area. They are being supported by the ‘Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways’ and the campaigners are suggesting that the location for a new station should be in Constable Road. 1,200 new homes are planned for the area.

The Severn Valley Railway has announced the first guest engine for its autumn gala.  LMS 6233 Duchess of Sutherland will join the line-up for this event, which takes place between 16th and 19th September. In other SVR news, £80,000 has so far been raised for the ‘Home & Dry’ appeal to replace the leaking roof of Bridgnorth’s shed. £475.000 is needed for this project, which also includes the installation of an overhead crane. Costs have risen due to the rising price of steel.

The Bluebell Railway will be holding its first Beer Festival on the weekend of Friday 10 – Sunday 12 September. The event is mainly taking place at Sheffield Park, but there will be some special beers at Horsted Keynes and on-board trains. There will be up to 90 real ales and ciders on sale. See the Railway’s website for further details.

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Memories - The Bath Midland Yard Shunt by Mike Dodd

In the late 60’s early 70’s a morning’s entertainment was usual watching the daily shunt mainly for Bath Gas Works traffic. A pal and I used to watch from the Tump by the Shunters cabin. As well as the sights the sounds of wagons being shunted was evocative with the clang of buffers and 3 link couplings echoing over a wide area of Bath!

Occasionally if we were lucky the Driver would invite us into the cab, usually a Hymek. One such visit was in April 1970 which saw us watching that days loco, a green Hymek with full yellow ends descend down to the “Boat Road” with a bogie flat which was then set back into Stothert and Pitts private siding. The loco returned and halted by the Shunters cabin and shut down. It was tea break! The driver climbed down and invited us to “cab” the loco, he then joined the days crew- 3 Shunters, Guard and Wagon Inspector (who permanently wore a yellow helmet, we always referred to him as “yellow Hat”).

Climbing aboard the Hymek we had a good nose round, including the oily, suffocating depths of the engine room. Also evident on the control desk was the staff for the Yate to Bath section. Break over the Driver joined us saying “stay where you are lads”! He then started the engine which burst into life, settling down to the heavy rhythmic throb of a Maybach MD870.

We then spent an enjoyable hour or so shunting rakes of 16ton coal wagons from the Gas Works sidings, running round and loose shunting them into Midland Yard. Evident was the uncomfortable position for the Driver when setting back, he was kneeling on his seat, craning far out of the cab to watch the Shunters signals whilst operating the power handle and loco air brake. Also noteworthy were two of the 3 Shunters who looked near retirement but were moving around like “spring chickens”!

A final reverse and the Driver said “ok we’re done!” We climbed down, he loco was positioned well beyond the loading gauge on the yard exit road such was the length of the train which stretched back to the buffer stops in the yard.

The crew then inspected the train checking brake levers were off before one of the Shunters gave the “right away”, the Secondman appeared and boarded the loco (where had he been all morning?!) A honk on the horn and with a crescendo of Maybach roar the train departed for Gloucester. After an enormous rake of 16ton coal empties rolled by a 20ton BR brake van brought up the rear complete with madly waving Guard- A good mornings work completed.

Thanks Mike for another interesting article.

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More News

The owner of the former Somerset & Dorset line station at Masbury is currently restoring the buildings and he wants to obtain a number of wagons and a small amount of track to put between the platforms. If you know of any items which might suite, please contact Joe Bourne at joe.bourne@live.co.uk or phone 07963 56600.

The Avon Valley Railway are staging a 1940s weekend on September 18 &19. There will be vintage vehicle and Home Front re-enactor displays, plus some live music from the era. Train rides will be in operation from Bitton station, but you will need to book these in advance as they are still limiting numbers being carried.

Down in Devon, the former signal box at Bere Alston (Gunnislake – Tamar Valley Line) has been restored externally and painted into the old Southern Region colours. The box stands on the disused and trackless ‘up’ platform at the Tavistock end of the platform. It is of course at Bere Alston that trains to/from Plymouth to/from Gunnislake reverse, with the point operated by the train crew. Also in the county at Torrington station, the home of the Tarka Valley Railway, the group have now laid track into the stations former dock siding. The siding comes off a brand new ‘King’ point, which BRS did make a small donations towards at the request of two past speakers, in lieu of their expenses.  If you are ever in the area on a Thursday, do call in at Torrington station, they are always happy to tell you what is happening there.

The former LSWR branch line from Mount Gould Junction to Cattewater in Plymouth, has been place ‘out of use’ by Network Rail. The branch last served a scrapyard but in previous years it also served a bitumen terminal, but over the years it has been cut back in length. The last known train to traverse the remaining stub of the branch was a Network Rail track testing train on December 22, 2020. It must have been an interesting run recording the track details as it was in a ‘quite ropey’ condition! The train was propelled down the branch with DBSO 917 leading, and with Class 31 – 31465 on the rear providing the power. A Sentinel diesel shunter, which was originally used at the bitumen depot, is now preserved in working order at the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore and it has been named ‘Cattewater’. On the same date the test train visited the Gunnislake branch bringing the rare appearance of a loco hauled train on the line, this running in daylight between service trains.

Reading West station, served by GWR trains on the Reading to Basingstoke and Reading to Newbury services, is to have improvements carried out, which are due to be completed by this time next year. A new station building is to be provided with ticket gates, a shop plus toilet facilities.

The Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway are holding a gala on September 11 & 12 with four home fleet locos in use. They will be running passenger trains and a demonstration coal train and further details are available on the railway’s website www.bhrailway.co.uk

Finally, don’t forget to sign up for the Zoom meeting, if you wish to participate. Send an email to BathRailwaySocietyZoom@gmail.com by Wednesday 1st September and you will then be sent a link.

More news and articles next month. 

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 >>>>>>>>


As previously mentioned, this month marks the 60th anniversary of the closure of the Midland & South Western Junction Railway to passenger traffic. For this month’s competition you have to find the name of one of the stations on the line from Andoversford to Andover. As usual, just take the first letter of each answer (unless otherwise specified) and then unscramble then to work out the name. There are no prizes, it’s just for fun!


Answer

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