BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY

President: Pete Waterman OBE DL

Chairman: John Froud    

 Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com

DECEMBER  2024  NEWSLETTER

Dear Member,

SOCIETY MATTERS

Stephen Gay certainly gave us a most enjoyable presentation when he came to our November meeting with his tales of ‘Woodhead - The Lost Railway- Part Two’. We had trains, railway and social history, and even a ghost story for good measure. This all made up a very entertaining evening, together with his dry Yorkshire humour! Stephen does have more talks, so we hope to invite him back again in the future, and we thank him and his wife, for travelling down from Sheffield to visit us.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday December 5, back at our normal venue of the Museum of Bath at Work. We will be welcoming Roy Kethro, who will be presenting ‘The Rise and Fall of Bristol Bath Road Diesel Depot’. Bath Road was one of the first sheds on the Western Region to be closed to steam locomotives from September 1960 then being rebuilt as a diesel depot and retaining one of its original turntables. It was officially closed on September 28, 1995, when all operations were transferred to St Philip's Marsh T&RSMD. Roy was a young lad and apprentice at Bath Road, when the WR was experimenting with Diesel Hydraulics. Doors open at 7pm for a prompt start time of 7.30pm.

The funeral service for Kevin Plummer took place at Haycombe Cemetery on November 21 and was attended by members of the society. After the service, family, friends and former work colleagues adjourned to Kevin’s local, the Charmbury Arms close to Oldfield Park station. It was from here that Kevin made his daily commute to Bristol and clearly his sense of humour and energy was something that his fellow travellers recalled, no doubt providing some relief on those days when services didn’t run to plan.  We will miss his contributions to our own Society and in recognition will be donating £25 to the British Heart Foundation.

We are pleased to announce that Robert Howes has re-joined the committee as an ordinary member.

In the competition last month, you had to find the name/location of the South Wales steam shed. The answer was Tondu.

NEWS ITEMS

Two major milestones have occurred with new build 2-6-2T, 82045 at the Severn Valley Railway. The first was the trial fitting of the boiler in the frames, with the tanks being removed again for the fitting, with the other highpoint being the arrival of the completed Coupling Rods. There is still some way to go with numerous brackets having to be made along with pipework to bend.

At the Bideford Railway Heritage Centre, work has started restoring their BR Brake Van to return it to passenger use. While some restoration work has commenced on the vehicle, it will be restored with an extended verandah. This means it will it be able to take more passengers, but most importantly, it will be accessible for wheelchairs and push chairs

The Bristol & South Gloucestershire Circuit of The Methodist Church are running their annual Carol Train at the Avon Valley Railway on Saturday December 7. This will feature the Bristol East & Kingswood Brass Band, and seasonal refreshments will be available. Advanced booking is essential with tickets priced at £12 for adults, and £6 for children (5 – 16 years). Further information is available at www.eventbrite.co.uk then search for carols and steam or contact Adam Biddlestone on 078096 20074. The train will depart from Bitton at 7pm with participants asked to arrive at 6.45pm.

A new restaurant and farm shop has opened at Castle Cary station, in the former milk factory.  The lampposts on the station now have replica BRWR brown totem style nameplates fixed to them, giving a 1950/60s feel to it.

Between December 27 and 29, GWR will be running some of their Devon & Cornwall and South Wales services into London Euston, with other high-speed services terminating at Reading. Services from Didcot Parkway will terminate at Ealing Broadway, with some extended back to Swindon, Bristol Parkway or Cardiff Central. Customers will be able to use the London Underground from Ealing Broadway into Central London, as well as Chiltern (from Oxford) and SWR services too. The Thames Valley branch line services (Greenford, Windsor, Marlow, and Henley) are unaffected, but the Heathrow Express will also not be running to the airport on the dates listed above. This is due to engineering works in the Old Oak Common area associated with HS2.

The National Railway Museum at York is asking people to send in photos from their visits ahead of its 50th anniversary next year. Pictures must include at least one person and permission from both the photographer and person must be given for the photo to be used. Images must have details of when it was taken. They can be sent to 50years@railwaymuseum.org.uk 

Land for the southern car park of the new Charfield Station has now been acquired by Gloucestershire County Council. It has been cleared of crops and the ownership boundary, using temporary stakes, is about to be marked out.

Following a very successful visit to the North York Moors Railway, West Country Class, 34028 ‘Eddystone’ was transferred directly to Herston Works at Swanage for a valve and piston exam, and other necessary maintenance prior to the installation of air braking gear in the tender. This locomotive is going ‘main line’ and the electronic acronyms necessary for this should be fitted by early March. Extensive testing including a loaded test run will then be required.

On November 14, the Transport Secretary Louise Haigh launched a 10-week consultation for the East – West Rail project linking Cambridge with Oxford. Communities along the route are being asked to submit their thoughts and have their say on the shape and the development of the line.

LOOKING BACK

On December 3, 1994, 30 years ago, Hertfordshire Rail Tours ran The Westerleigh Wizard rail tour from London Paddington. The train first ran down the GW main line to Didcot where it ran round the then power station loop. It continued to Swindon for a visit to the remains of the Highworth branch before heading for Bristol T.M. via Badminton and Bristol Parkway. It continued through the station to Bristol West Junction where it reversed to take the avoiding line via St Philips Marsh to North Somerset Junction and Dr Days Junction then up to Filton Junction - Filton West Junction - Hallen Marsh Junction to the Bristol Bulk Terminal at Avonmouth. Next it went to Bristol Parkway and Westerleigh Junction to Yate Middle and South Junctions to reverse and traverse the former Midland Line to Westerleigh Sidings. Retracing its route to Bristol Parkway it ran down to Lawrence Hill to return to London via Bath Spa, then running over an hour late, traversing the Challow Loop enroute. Locomotives used on this tour were 37072, 37264 & 47705 with a rake of 11 coaches.

In December 1964, 60 Years ago this month, a section of the Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line from Aberystwyth to Strata Florida was closed early due to flooding from the River Ystwyth. The cost of repairs was deemed unjustified and official closure took place from February 22, 1965. Llandderfel railway station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line also closed to passengers early on December 14, 1964, due to flooding from the River Dee. This station had been due for closure from January 14, 1965.

On the Great Western Main Line, again 60 years ago, local passenger services were withdrawn at the stations of Steventon, Wantage Road, Challow, Uffington and Shrivenham from December 7,1964. There are plans to reopen Wantage Road station, and if it happens, it will be called Wantage & Grove.

MORE NEWS ITEMS

There are a number of special trains scheduled to visit Bath this month in the run up to Christmas, both steam and diesel hauled, if they all run! On December 2 & 4, Saphos trains are running specials from the West London area, steam hauled, details to be announced. On December 6 it will be the turn of the Steam Dreams with another train from West London via Newbury and Trowbridge. Saphos have another two tours on December 9 and 11. The first is from Three Bridges, followed by one from Staines. Both are routed via Salisbury. Another special from Three Bridges on December 14 will feature 35028 ‘Clan Line’. This is organised by the Railway Touring Company. At the time of preparing the Newsletter, excepting 35028, steam locomotives had not been specified. Log into Real Time trains for timing details and search under Bath Spa on the date of the special.

Go-Op, the co-operative owned train company have been given the go-ahead by The Office of the Rail Regulator to operate services on routes between Taunton and Swindon via Westbury. They could be operating by December 2026 providing they can prove they have the financial resources and suitable rolling stock. Originally, their plans included storing and servicing units on the West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard, and also having a depot at Thingley Junction near Chippenham. It is not known if there plans still involve these options. The WSR is currently looking at the possibility of expanding their services into Taunton with a price tag of £6m, and Network Rail have in their future planning the possibility of installing a loop at Melksham. Both of these could benefit any Go-Op services.

On Sunday December 29 & Wednesday January 1, the Avon Valley Railway will be running Mince Pie specials from Bitton Station. These will be served during the journey. Adults £11, Concessions £10, Children £7, Under 5’s FREE.

MEMBERS CONTRIBUTION 

A Hidden Railway In Bath by Mike Dodd

In the Spring of 1974, I was completing my last year at school. A good pal and I decided to spend a week based in Dawlish at a B and B overlooking the West of England main line on the famous sea wall. We would use Rover Tickets to travel behind and photograph class 52 Westerns which in 1974 were still in charge of many freight and passenger workings, only a handful had been withdrawn.

The main problem for me was financial being a 16-year-old schoolboy! Living at Rush Hill in Bath I was fortunate to get a holiday job at what is now known as Whiteway Garden Centre, back then it was Wares Garden Centre. This would cover my expenses for the week’s "jolly" in Devon and Cornwall.

Turning up on my first day I was redirected by the manager down the adjacent Haycombe Lane to what was originally Walter T Wares Englishcombe Nurseries. Upon arrival on my cycle, I was amazed to see a vast expanse of huge glass houses spread down the valley sides. About 90 per cent of the site was overgrown with derelict and disused glass houses. By 1974 only two glass houses remained in use, and they were to be my work location for the next three weeks. I was employed to "prick" out seedlings and transplant them into seed trays for eventual sale as summer bedding. It was tedious and hot work especially when the sun shone which seemed to be every day to me! Only three men worked there, they were friendly guys and took me under their wings.

Immediately apparent to me was a narrow gauge railway running through the glass house the rails being set in the concrete floor, the gauge was around 2 feet- I didn't measure it .It was still in daily use, we used a long wheel base timber framed trolley, unbraked with wheel sets outside of the frames. The trolley was used to transport large bags of potting compost from a large stockpile outside of the glass house in which we were working. It was also used to transport loads of filled seed trays to the other end of the glass house prior to dispatch. During my lunch breaks I explored the site further and was surprised to find intact but buried in the undergrowth a once extensive narrow gauge rail system. There were points, loops and sidings serving other areas of the site all long disused, the rotting remains of more trolleys stood in one of the sidings. In a nearby building was a completely intact but disused coal fired boiler, along with another on site which I never located it had provided heating to the complex.

It was sad to see the decay and dereliction of what Walter T Wares Nursery had once been set up in 1883 complete with rail system and steam boilers from the outset and employing up to 100 workers at its peak. A huge amount of produce was at one time transported by road to the S and D and GWR in Bath for distribution through the U.K. by rail.

Returning to the rail system I would have loved to have found out more about it, for example what motive power was employed, locomotive, horse or human as we were doing in 1974? My big regret was not taking any photographs at the time or questioning my co-workers as they were long term employees.

Not too long after I finished my short working stint there, I believe the site finally closed, it was clearly on borrowed time when I was there and the whole complex was demolished eventually.

If any members have any knowledge of the nursery and rail system, please contact me via the BRS email address. 

Many thanks Mike, a bit of Bath’s forgotten history. Don’t forget, if you have an article to share, do send it in.

COMPETITION

Many of our heritage railways have started or are about to start their season of ‘festive’ trains. For many it is a slick operation operating over quite a number of weekends and days, which they have done for many years, and it brings in much needed income. Other smaller establishments may just operate for a much lesser number of days, but again it is important revenue, but also, they are run more for the local community. Some of the trains are advertised by names, and in this competition all you have to do from the clues is workout the name of the ‘express’, Just take the first letter of each answer and unscramble them to give you the name. No prizes given, it’s all for fun and this should be very easy!

• Location of a former sleeper creosoting and chairing works on the ‘southern’, just west of Southampton which also has a station of the same name.

• Station between Tresmer and Camelford on the former North Cornwall line, closed in October 1966.

• A new station in Bristol between Stapleton Road and Filton Abbey Wood, opened this year.

• Name of West Country Class 34012.

• The Cornish Rivera Express ran from Paddington to the other end of the line at this station.

MORE NEWS ITEMS

The new winter National Rail timetable comes into effect on December 15. Do check if you are travelling as there may be changes to some train services. For GWR timetables go to https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/train-times

A heavy snow fall, between Crediton and Okehampton, on November 21 caused 37 trees to fall on to the line! Network Rail worked to clear the trees and inspect the line for any damage, then flooding near Yeoford caused further closure due to concerns about a bridge over the River Yeo, and no trains ran until services were restored on Thursday 28. This also affected the Barnstaple line. Storms also caused the electricity to fail at Avoncliffe station and trains could not stop. Flooding of local roads also prevented customers reaching it!

At the Plym Valley Railway, Polish built 0-6-0 Tank Tkh49 is due to enter service in 2025. It has been subject to running in turns plus crew training.

After Christmas, the Swanage Railway will be running a steam service of four trains per day from December 27 through to January 3 inclusive. The Gloucestershire & Warwickshire are running services also from December 27 through to January 2 inclusive while the Swindon and Cricklade Railway are running on New Years Day, Wednesday 1st January 2024. The rostered Locomotive is Willy the Well Tank. At the West Somerset Railway, they are running ‘Panto’ trains on December 27 to 29 inclusive, and 31 plus January 1. At The Somerset & Dorset Railway at Midsomer Norton, on December 27 they are holding Diesel Driver Experiences, and on January 1, they are running Mince Pie Specials. Do check with the railways before travelling, as things can change.

At the Avon Valley Railway, they are offering footplate rides on selected dates during 2025. You can have a complete round trip, but note, you will not be taking the regulator. Prices and full details can be found on the AVR website under events.

LOOKING FORWARD

Our first meeting of 2025 will be on Thursday January 9 at the Bath Museum of Work at 7.30pm. Please Note: This is the second Thursday of the month. Our guest speaker will be Nick Waton who will be telling us about the East Somerset Railway, the original line and the ESR today.

If you have any news about railway events or happenings which would be of interest for our members, or a story to tell, do send them in.

We hope that you will be able to attend the meeting in December, but if you can’t, the committee wish you a Safe and Happy Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year. 2025 will of course be the 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825. There is going to be a large range of events and activities throughout the country, including a touring exhibition train. 2025 is also the 140th anniversary of the opening of the Swanage branch, and events are being planned there. It is also possible that new build BR Standard 2-6-2T 82045 might steam by the end of next year, so there is certainly plenty to look forward to.

Bob Bunyar

Newsletter Editor

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