BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY

President: Pete Waterman OBE DL

Chairman: John Froud    

 Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com

JANUARY  2024  NEWSLETTER

Dear Member,

SOCIETY MATTERS

A Happy New Year to you all and hopefully you have had an enjoyable Christmas.

At our last meeting on December 7, we welcomed back Brian Arman, from Bristol who gave Part 2 of his talk ‘Swindon Works: from Hawksworth to End of Steam and Beyond’. Brian dealt with Swindon's role in the late 40s- early 50s beginning with improvements performance wise with several classes of former GWR classes  then moving through the 50s into the 60s. During this later phase many older classes were withdrawn, stored or scrapped at the works. Brian highlighted several locos with information on final overhauls, withdrawals and storage, including some which came tantalizingly close to preservation, only to be scrapped at the eleventh hour. Other notable items was the amazing sight of S&D 7F 53806 in Swindon receiving attention to its valve gear, and views of the prototype Mk2 coach under construction. The second half finished with the introduction of diesel hydraulic locos on the Western Region. Brian concluded with part of another talk on Swindon concentrating on various structures and workshops on the vast site, he will return to complete this in a future visit.

For our first meeting of 2024, we will be having a ‘local’ subject on Thursday January 4, when we welcome to our meeting, guest speaker Mark Glover. He will be presenting ‘Railway Signalling in Chippenham’. As usual doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Would you ensure that you ‘sign in’ when attending a meeting? In the unlikely event of us having to vacate the building, in an emergency, we can then do a head count to ensure nobody is missing! Richard tries to see everyone when they arrive to tick their names off, but sometimes people do get by and get missed. Please do try to find Richard and let him know you are there, so we have accurate numbers. Your co-operation with this would be greatly appreciated.

In the competition in the December issue of the newsletter you had to find the name which two stations had which had a slight ‘seasonal’ connection. The name was Holly Bush. One station was located in Monmouthshire, Wales (opened 1891 & closed June 13, 1960), and the other was in Ayrshire, Scotland (opened 1856 & closed April 6, 1964). There will not now be a Competition until April.

For your information, the February and March editions of the Newsletter will have less content, than normal, as there will be a change of editor(s) due to holidays. Normal service will resume in April.

NEWS ITEMS

First Great Western have issue some statistics of their services they operated to the Bath Christmas Market, which ran from November 23 to December 10, 2023. On each of the three Saturdays of the Market, they operated 145 services to Bath Spa with 21 additional services over the three Saturdays giving an extra 8,000 seats. On average a GWR service arrived at each platform at Bath Spa every seven minutes. In addition to this, there was of course, a number of charter trains that also ran to Bath, pathed in between the GWR services.

Transport for Wales (TfW) is planning to open five new stations between Severn Tunnel Junction and Cardiff. A public consultation is now open into the proposals for stations at Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton (south-east of Newport), Llanwern and Magor & Undy. The consultation closes this month on January 14. The stations would be built on the four track sections between Severn Tunnel Junction and Cardiff central, with platform faces being most likely constructed on the relief lines. It is planned to run additional services to serve these stations, with two stopping services to/from Bristol, in addition to two fast services every hour, and additional stopping services to/from Cheltenham.

The Swanage Railway will be holding a ‘Winter Warm Up’ on January 6 & 7. The event will see a combination of Steam and Diesel locomotives hauling both passenger and freight trains. (Note: Passengers cannot travel on the Freight services). Locomotives in use will be from 34028 ’Eddystone’, T3 563, D6515 and 33 111. Swanage catering kiosk and shop will be open, subject to volunteer availability, and the Corfe Castle museum will be open. Tickets can be booked in advance online.

The Western Locomotive Association (WLA) are holding their 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Steam Museum, Swindon on Saturday, January, 27, 2024. This will include Slide shows, films and a meal. See https://westernlocomotives.com/event/wla-50th-anniversary-celebration-steam-museum-swindon for full details of the day’s events. The WLA have D1013, D1048 & D1062 in their care.

LOOKING BACK

Sixty years ago this month, on the night of January 18, 1964, the relief signalman at Broadheath (Altrincham) in Cheshire, (L.M. Region), on a line then used almost exclusively by freight trains, intended to shunt a freight train from the Up to the Down line. This was to allow an ‘Up’ Class 1 mail train that ran on the route, to pass the freight, but the signalman omitted to reverse the facing end of a crossover, with the result that the freight train was set back onto the ‘Up’ line. By the time the driver and the guard of the freight train had realised what had happened, it was too late to avert a collision. This resulted in the engine of the mail train, Jubilee Class 45695 ‘Minotaur’, being turned over on its side, with the first five coaches of the mail train being derailed and extensively damaged. The brakevan and last six wagons of the freight train were also very badly damaged. The guard of the goods train, Robert Williams of Birkenhead, was treated as a hero, as he waved his red hand lamp in an attempt to stop the mail train. He was unhurt, but the mail train guard was taken to hospital suffering from shock, while the driver of 45695 suffered burns to hands and face. His fireman was bruised. 45695 was well beyond repair, and immediately withdrawn from service. It was cut up on site at Broadheath goods yard over a long period, with the operation taking over eight months to be completed. The line on which the accident happened had closed to passenger traffic in 1962 and was completely closed in July 1985, due to expensive repairs being required to a Viaduct. The former line now forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail.

On January 21, 1984, Hertfordshire Railtours ran ‘The Mendip Artificer’ tour from London St Pancras to Merehead Quarry and Cranmore, with a trip up the remains of Swindon’s Highworth branch included. This was behind 08 849 tailed by the main tour engine 45 121. The train had run via Bedford Midland, Fenny Stratford - (via Bletchley Flyover), Claydon LNE Junction and Oxford to Swindon. It then ran to Westbury via Melksham where 45 121 was replaced by 37 187 and 37 189 in top and tail mode to visit Merehead and Cranmore. On returning to Westbury, 45 121 again took over for a run up the ‘southern’ via Salisbury, Woking and Virginia Water, to Brentford, South Acton and Cricklewood to return the tour to  London St Pancras. The train was formed of ten coaches, and maintained reasonable time keeping, arriving back in the Capital eighteen minutes late of its booked time.

MORE NEWS ITEMS

On Saturday & Sunday, January 6 & 7, the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust are holding their   49th Annual Model Railway Exhibition at Edington Village Hall, Lippetts Way, Edington, near Bridgwater, Somerset. Eleven layouts, plus traders and demonstrations, are booked for the weekend.  Also on the same weekend,  the Wessex Association of Model Railway Clubs are staging the  Frome Model Railway Exhibition  at The Cheese & Grain, Market Yard, Frome, Somerset There are layouts in total ten layouts covering  N, HO, OO, OO9, & 0 Gauges, with six trade stands booked and refreshments available. On Sunday January 14, the Burnham and District Model Railway Club hold the Weston-Super-Mare Model Railway Show at Priory Community School, Queens Way, Weston-Super-Mare. There will be 24 layouts and 12 trade stands. The nearest railway station to the event is Worle (0.31 miles). 

Engineering works will effect train services on the Tarka Line from Saturday 6, to Sunday 14 January. Due to track renewal work between Yeoford and Barnstaple, replacement buses are planned between Crediton and Barnstaple. Trains will still run between Exeter and Yeoford to Okehampton. On Sundays January 7 & 14, trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will be diverted, not stopping at Didcot Parkway, Swindon or Chippenham. Trains between London and South Wales will also be diverted, not stopping at Didcot Parkway or Swindon, but stopping additionally at Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads. Between January 20 to 28, replacement buses will operate between Bristol TM and Weston Super Mare. Services between Bristol and Taunton/Exeter will be diverted.

MEMBERS CONTRIBUTION                            

School Days Part Two by Mike Dodd.  (Part one was published in the November Newsletter)

With the demise of the Westhill School model railway all was not lost! In 1971 the school acquired its first mini bus a 16 seat version of the iconic Ford Transit. Our railway enthusiast member of staff Mr. John Fenning was quick to see the potential of using it for trips of a railway nature!

A number of weekend trips were organised, there being enough pupils from various year groups to fill the mini bus. The first was a trip to Patchway to see the return to mainline steam featuring 6000 King George V on the Bulmers Pullmans on 2/10/71. I remember the King gliding almost effortlessly up out of Patchway tunnel- it was away and gone in seconds after we had waited for an age among hordes of onlookers to get a glimpse of what was an historic moment.

A longer trip was made to London departing on a Friday evening from school, returning on the Sunday night- no homework completed that weekend! We stayed in a grotty B&B near Paddington Station which was handy being just down the road. On the following two days we visited all the main London terminal stations and Clapham Junction. I had not been to any before and enjoyed the atmosphere of the great stations even though all locomotives seen were of course diesel or electric.

A suggestion was made to Mr. Fenning regarding a trip to South Wales to try to see some of the remaining NCB steam locos still in use at various collieries. I cannot recall the exact date of this Saturday excursion- probably in 1973. Unfortunately we were late departing Bath and by the time we arrived in the Valleys it was nearly lunchtime and most shunting appeared to be over at the locations we visited. The only steam we saw in action was at Mountain Ash where we caught Pecket 1859 "Sir Gomer" running light engine to the shed. We did however, look round the shed which contained several locos - most out of traffic including ex GWR Pannier 7754.

We decided to head for Newport, en-route we stopped at Aberbeeg for a sandwich. Our lunch stop location gave us a grandstand view down into the valley where a yard and loco stabling point existed in those days. 4 class 37s and a couple of 08 shunters were resting there along with lines of coal wagons. A class 37 arrived on a rake of coal wagons and stopped in the yard, the crew and some yard staff then proceeded to fix a huge number of detonators to the rails in front of the train. Most likely the detonators were past their "use by date" (5 years I believe). After a while all was ready for an explosive departure, with a huge blast on its horns the 37 throttled up and departed, the exploding detonators echoing off the valley sides. Yellow flashes and smoke adding to the extraordinary spectacle, the sound of the blasts even drowning out the snarling growl of the 37 at full chat!

After this lunchtime entertainment we continued to Newport Ebbw Junction Shed where a friendly driver gave us a tour, this included a mass "cabbing" of a class 25 which was duly fired up  the driver running through the start-up procedure for us. On alighting from the 25 we were told to stand clear as the solitary class 53 1200 "Falcon" arrived light engine on shed. By 1973 it was based at Ebbw Junction seeing out its last few months in service on lowly coal and ore trains. Built by Brush in 1961 numbered D0280 “Falcon" it was a diesel electric but powered by two Maybach MD655 engines, it confused the head by looking slightly class 47ish but sounding like a class 52 Western! It was for a few years a familiar sight in the Bath area powering Bristol to London trains and based at 82A Bristol Bath Road depot, then in green livery receiving rail blue in 1970 when BR purchased it and renumbered it 1200. She was finally withdrawn in 1975 and scrapped at Cashmores, Newport in 1976. This was the last time I saw the loco which I had always had an interest in. To finish off an interesting day as we were about to leave two class 25s passed the depot propelling a brake tender on a heavy freight- the only time I ever saw one of these vehicles.

Our final trip before I left school was on a normal school day to see 6000 "King George V". How Mr. Fenning managed to persuade the Head to let us off school on a weekday I'll never know! We left after registration and travelled to Badminton Station which was still standing but closed. The date was 22/3/74 and the King was running as the 07-08 Hereford to Swindon Works as a running in trip. The train was due to pass Badminton at about 10-15, problems with one of the coaches at Severn Tunnel Junction led to a two hour delay. The King finally passing Badminton at 12-16 looking and sounding superb. At least plenty of trains passed through while we were waiting, 7 class 47s and a class 52 on passenger trains, a class 52 running light and a class 37 on a coal train. By the time we arrived back most of the school day was over and I doubt a member of staff was ever given permission to engage in a "jolly" with the school minibus again!

We thank Mike for both of his very interesting stories about his ‘School Days’.

If you have a story for future newsletters, please send it in so it can be shared with members. We look forward to hearing from you.

MORE NEWS ITEMS

The Tarka Line (Exeter – Barnstaple) has proved to be one of the most successful branch lines showing recovery in the south-west post-pandemic. It has achieved 700,000 users in one calendar year, but this recovery has caused serious overcrowding on some services. Teams in Network Rail and Great Western Railway are now looking at ways of increasing capacity, and improving infrastructure on the line. One idea being looked at is to re-instate platform 2 at Barnstaple. This would allow some excursion trains to run up to the town, but also give capacity for an early morning through train to London to be considered in future timetabling. One problem on the route is between Cowley Bridge Junction (Exeter) and Crediton. This once double track section has been a single line for many years, but it is at full capacity now, this being due to the hourly service to Okehampton also operating.

Another scheme connected to the Tarka Line is its extension from Barnstaple back to Bideford, which is being supported and backed by all the local councils, railway user groups, GWR and other bodies. The line from Barnstaple through Bideford closed to regular passenger traffic from October 2, 1965, but it remained opened for milk traffic from Torrington and china clay traffic from Meeth. It completely closed in 1982. One interesting fact is that between 1977 and 1982, local resident Roger Joanes persuaded British Rail to allow him to run excursions trains starting on the line, most of them from Bideford. During this time he organised or helped to run some 19 specials, going through to such destinations as London, Portsmouth, the Tamar Valley, Kingswear and Bristol.

The re-opening of Ashley Down station (Bristol) took a further step forward with the installation of the footbridge over the Christmas period. The full installation of the station’s two platforms was achieved last summer, as well as the installation of the two lift shafts and their foundations. This will now be followed by glazing of the footbridge and work to fit out the station with electrics, furniture and equipment. It is expected the station will open sometime later this year. The original station at Ashley Hill closed from November 23, 1964.

West Coast Railway Company, the operators of ‘The Jacobite’ and the Flying Scotsman, have lost a high court judgement in a case brought by the Office or Road & Rail. This was regarding the fitting of central door locking to their Mk1 stock used on the national system. The ORR argued that all rolling stock must be fitted with central door locking, and this was challenged by WCRC who said their system of doors being locked by a steward using a sliding bolt was adequate. However, the high court judge ruled against West Coast, who currently has an exemption in place until February 29 2024. The cost of fitting central locking to the stock is approximately £30,000 per coach, and this could be prohibitive, as toilet retention tanks are also becoming a requirement on the main line. West Coast estimated to convert all their coaching stock would cost them in the region of £7m.

This year could also be a crunch time for many of our heritage railways, who are facing a financial uncertainty, with many now appealing for funds to help save them! The Severn Valley, North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Swanage Railway, Great Central and others, large and small, are now seeking donations to help keep them viable. The South Devon Railway launched a share issue on December 1 to raise additional funds which will be used  for a number of projects including; a  new building for carriage repairs, construction of phase 2 of the running and maintenance shed, station improvements and locomotive restoration to name a few. Currently the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway is trying to raise £1.5m for urgent repairs to damage to its Stanway Viaduct, caused by water penetration into the stone work. Unfortunately, as you may already know, the cost of coal has risen considerably from around £125 per ton, to approximately £450 per ton. On average, to fire up and use two steam locomotives per day would use 3 tons+ of coal, which equates to £1,350 per day, with the longer heritage railways using more. To this you have to add the costs of water and oil. Do try and visit a heritage railway this year and either ride on them, buy something in their shops, or buy food in their catering outlets, as they certainly need your support!

COMPETITION    

No competition this month.

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