BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY

President: Pete Waterman OBE DL

Chairman: John Froud    

 Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com

FEBRUARY 2023  NEWSLETTER

Dear Member,

SOCIETY MATTERS

We were taken back to the 1950/60s for a nostalgic look at ‘Branchline Byeways and Railtours’ at our January meeting. Mike Dodd from Cheltenham showed us his father’s photographs of mostly railtours on lines such as The Heads of the Valleys in South Wales, The Montgomery & Shropshire Railway, the Cromford & High Peak, Weymouth Quay and Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead to name just a few. It was certainly a most interesting evening, covering a lot of railway mileage around the country.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday February 2 at the Museum of Bath at Work, when Dave Peel presents ‘842 Useful Engines’ - A sample of LMS Black 5’s at Work on BR + LMS Jubilees. This show will be a ‘must’ for Midland’ steam fans, and as usual, doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Just a reminder, teas or coffee + biscuits are now priced at £1, and only served at the interval, and not before the meeting.

As already advised, we were very saddened to hear of the passing of member John Lakey on Sunday January 15. John’s funeral will be taking place on Friday 17th February at 1045am at Haycombe Crematorium, Whiteway Road, Bath. A card of condolence has been sent by the Society to John’s family.

We welcome Peter Adley who joined the Society at the January meeting.

Just to give you advanced notice, our April meeting will be on the second Thursday, April 13, and not on the first Thursday as is usual.

In last month’s competition, you had to find the name of the TfL station on the Piccadilly Line. This was Southgate. There is another competition this month later in the Newsletter.

NEWS ITEMS

On Saturday February 4 the ‘Bath & Gloucester Steam Express’ will be offering passengers a choice of destinations to visit for the day.  The train originates from London Paddington picking up at Slough, Reading and Newbury.  It is steam hauled throughout by a locomotive from the Carnforth pool. On February 18, UK rail tours are running ‘The Heart of Avon’ tour to Bath & Bristol, diesel hauled.

Looking ahead, you might be interested in events taking place on the Isle of Man this year? On Saturday July 1, the IoM Railway will be celebrating 150 Years of Steam. This will be followed by a week-long festival on the Islands Heritage Railways from Sunday July 23 to Sunday July 30. On Sunday September 10, there will be a commemorative day to celebrate 150 years of the unique Manx Electric Railway. For further details of these events, go to www.rail.im

The North Dorset Railway at Shillingstone station are to receive more wagons from the Somerset & Dorset Trust who have to vacate their Washford base on the West Somerset Railway. The NDR already have two items of rolling stock moved from Washford, and discussions are continuing about moving other wagons, plus two six wheel Victorian coaches to Shillingstone over the coming months.

Engineering work will affect GWR train services between Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth from Monday February 27 to Friday March 3 Inclusive. Other weekday engineering work will then be taking place until Friday March 10. GWR will aim to provide replacement road transport between the stations affected. Do check if you intend to travel on the Heart of Wessex Line during these dates. South Western Railway services between Weymouth and Bournemouth will still serve Upwey and Dorchester South stations during the above dates.

LOOKING BACK

50 Years ago on January 31 and February 1 and 2, 1973, British Rail ran a number of special trains from South Wales to Edinburgh Waverley  for  the supporters of a Wales v Scotland international rugby match. Two specials started at Carmarthen also calling at Swansea, while a further four trains commenced their journeys at Swansea, also calling at Cardiff.  Two more specials started at Cardiff and one started up the valleys at Treherbert.   The trains were either of 10 or 11 coach lengths, with some having refreshment coaches in the formation, including the one from Treherbert. Class 47’s were used for haulage of all the specials, which returned to South Wales on Sunday February 4. This amount of trains is probably something which could not happen today with the privatised railway!

Also during February 1973, BR Standard Tank 80064 left Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry for a new life in preservation. The locomotive was built at Brighton Works during 1953 and went new to Watford shed. It was then transferred to the Southern Region being shedded at Ashford, Tonbridge and Exmouth Junction before a final transfer to the WR at Bristol Barrow Road shed where it was withdrawn in August 1965. It was condemned and towed to Barry where it languished until being purchased. It went to the Dart Valley Railway where it was restored to working order in 1981 before being moved by its owners to the Bluebell Railway in 1984.  It was moved back to the DVR, and then it transferred again to the Bluebell in 1997, where it still resides today, currently out of traffic and awaiting an overhaul.

MORE NEWS ITEMS

At the West Somerset Railway, a working group has been established to develop a long-term strategy for Bishops Lydeard station and site.  The cost of any option will be significant, and the WSR’s long term aspirations to connect Bishops Lydeard with the main line will also be taken into account, which the Reconnecting Working Group is currently developing an outline business case for. This is due to be ready at the end of March. Discussions with Network Rail and Great Western Railway have confirmed an operating method for the section between Norton Junction and Bishops Lydeard, which is being validated with Network Rail and a draft interim timetable is being modelled by GWR. A full commercial timetable will not be possible until infrastructure and signalling works at Taunton station are completed. These will come under the Exeter area signalling scheme, which should be funded from 2024 onwards.

On Saturday February 4, The Shirehampton Model Railway Club will hold a Model Railway Show at the Shirehampton Public Hall, Station Road, Shirehampton, Bristol. They hope to have four members & one guest layouts together with two demonstrations by club members plus one trade stand. Opening times:  10.00 - 17.00 and Admission prices:  Adults £3.00, Family £5.00. On Saturday 11 & Sunday 12, - Cale Rail and the Gartell Light Railway are holding their 17th Model Railway Exhibition at the Gartell Light Railway, Common Lane, Yenston, Near Templecombe. 10 layouts are expected + 3 trade stands. Refreshments will be available and a limited train service will run on the GLR (2ft Gauge), subject to additional charge and availability.  On Saturday 18, the  Sodbury Vale Model Railway Club hold their 2023 Exhibition at the Yate Community Hall, Yate Parish Hall and Yate YMCA Hall, Station Road, Yate, Bristol with 20 layouts, 7 traders, 4 demonstrations and 6 heritage societies attending. On Saturday 18 and Sunday 19, the Sedgemoor Gauge O Group hold their  Annual Model Railway Show at The King Alfred School & Academy, Burnham Road, Highbridge, Somerset with a minimum of eight layouts and six trade stands.

Four rail mounted dockside cranes, built by Stothert & Pitt in Bath have been given Grade II listed status. The cranes are alongside the floating harbour in Bristol and all are maintained in working order.

2H Unit 1305 is going to a new home at the Bluebell Railway along with Class 73 – 73133. Both are being moved from a site at Bicester and will join the Bluebell’s other non-steam locomotives, Class 33 - D6570 and Class 09 - D4106. The Railway also has 4 VEP Unit EMU 3417, which is currently away from the line being overhauled. With the Class 73 running on diesel power, it will be possible to operate the 4 VEP in push – pull mode when it is returned to the Sussex line.

The Greenways and Cycle Routes Development Group, for community walking & cycling, has won a National Railways Heritage Award for its work in opening the former Tidenham Railway Tunnel for public use. The 1.1Km long tunnel is situated on the former Wye Valley Line between Chepstow and Tintern and it has had lighting fitted and flat surface laid. The heavily overgrown and long-time disused track that remained on the section of line from Chepstow was removed by the Dean Forest Railway during 2020 after it was donated to them by Network Rail.

MEMBERS CONTRIBUTION

We are very grateful to Ken Ayres for providing these three short reminiscences of trips in the Plymouth area, including a visit to Laira Shed on Christmas Day!

THE LAST DAY OF THE PRINCETOWN BRANCH, SATURDAY, MARCH 4TH, 1956

We started the day by cycling the nine miles to Yelverton where we left our bikes at the Station. Here we saw 6406 on a train to Tavistock then watched our train being prepared for the journey to Princetown. This was hauled by 4583 with a pilot engine 4568, and was made up of six coaches. We left at 15.00, called at the first station stop at Dousland at 15.30 then continued on to Burrator Halt at 15.40. This stands on the left of the large reservoir which supplies water to Plymouth.

The line then climbs up onto the moors to Ingra Tor Halt arriving at 15.49. Leaving this stop, the two locos worked very hard ascending to King Tor Halt at 16.00, then coasted downhill to Princetown terminus station by 16.05. After watching our two engines being turned and watered for their return journey, we looked around the granite town and saw the 1806 Dartmoor Prison walls in the distance before heading home to Plymouth.

AN EVENING TRIP TO TAVISTOCK on MARCH 17th, 1956

We left Plymouth North Road Station at 17.23, hauled by 34062 17 Squadron. We called at Devonport Kings Road at 17.30, Ford at 17.32, St. Budeaux at 17.35, Tamerton Foliot at 17.41, Bere Ferres at 17.46, Bere Alston at 17.53, arriving at Tavistock North at 18.06, where we saw 30037.

We then walked down to the town to visit a pub before continuing to Tavistock South Station, where we saw 5569 on the 21.14 train to Launceston. Our train to Plymouth via the GWR route was hauled by 4591. This departed at 21.26, and called at Whitchurch at 21.30, Horrabridge at 21.37, Yelverton at 21.42, Clearbrook at 21.45, Shaugh Bridge at 21.48, Bickleigh at 21.53, and Marsh Mills at 22.00, arriving at Plymouth North Road four minutes late at 22.24.

ENGINES STANDING at LAIRA DIESEL DEPOT on DECEMBER 25th 1965

Bulldog  602,      Conquest   603, Dragon      814, Grenville 820,    Monarch 831,

Pathfinder  834,       Ramillies    837,    Roebuck    841, Tenacious  852,    Triumph 855,

Vanquisher 859,   Victorious 860, Vigilant  861,    Zambesi 864, Zulu      870.

Western Advocate   1055, Western Challenger 1019,   Western Ambassador 1051,  

Western Dragoon    1034, Western Monarch     1049,   Western Pioneer 1003,

Western Viscount, 1045. 

2177, 2178, 2197, 4005, 6300, 6303, 6305, 6307, 6309, 6316, 6325, 6333, 7036, 7038, 7053, 7069

ENGINES STANDING at LAIRA WORKS on DECEMBER 25th 1965

Active    600,   Centaur  808,    Druid   815, Eclipse      816, Foxhound 817,

Glory      818,   Hercules 822,    Panther 833, Strongbow 847, Swift       850.

Western Lancer   1027,   Western Hussar   1028,   Western Rifleman 1031, Western Emperor 1036,

Western Duchess 1044,   Western Lady  1048,   Western Patriarch 1063. 6317, 6322, 7086, 7097.

Ken prepared this list of locomotives seen on Christmas Day 1965. He said that our Diesel-Hydraulic fans may be interested to see what was about then, as no main line Diesel Electrics had arrived in the West Country at that time. On shed Ken recorded 38 locomotives with a further 21 in the works making a total of 59 locomotives. 

It is interesting to note that three of the above listed locomotives have been preserved. 2178 is at the Gwili Railway and 2197 is at Mangapps Farm Railway, while 1048 Western Lady is at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterly. We thank Ken for his articles and sharing the details with us.

If you have a story to tell for our members, please do send it in as we are short of articles for future newsletters. Has anyone else been ‘on shed’ on Christmas day recording numbers?

For our March issue, Alan Price will be telling us the story of the Railway Home Guard.

COMPETITION

The first water trough to enable a steam locomotive to replenish its water supply while in motion, was introduced by the London North Western Railway on June 23, 1860. All the major railway companies subsequently introduced water troughs with the exception of the Southern. The GWR had troughs between Bath and Bristol east of St Anne’s Tunnel, and others in this area were at Chipping Sodbury and Fairwood (Westbury). In this competition you have to work out the location of another trough on the GWR system. As usual all you have to do is find the name of this location by taking the first letter of each answer, then re-arrange the scrambled letters to find the name. There are no prizes, it’s all for fun!

• Liverpool once had an above ground railway which closed on December 30, 1956 known as the  ?  Railway

• Nickname of the USA Tank locomotives that were used at Southampton Docks

• A station on the Bristol to Birmingham line which reopened on June 1, 1997 and is also for Tewksbury

• Name of the Green Engine Number 3 that runs on the Island of Sodor with Thomas the Tank

• Jubilee Class 45564 with an Australian connection

_ _ _ _ _

Newsletter Archive