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BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY
BATH RAILWAY SOCIETY
President: Pete Waterman OBE DL
Chairman: John Froud
Email: bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com
JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
Dear Member,
SOCIETY MATTERS
A Happy New Year to you all and we hope you all had a pleasant Christmas.
At our last meeting of 2025, member, Fred Parkinson, told us all about ‘Unusual Overseas Rail Journeys’ which started in Norway and finally finished in Tibet. This was a fascinating tour with some very interesting photographs and video clips, and we thank Fred for his informative presentation. Our thanks also go to Mike Dodd for providing the mince pies with the teas and coffee.
For the first meeting of 2026, our secretary, Mike Beale, will present The Langford Collection Part 1, Western Region 1956-65. This is a selection of black & white and colour photographs taken by Bristol based railway enthusiast the late Derek Langford. It features mostly steam with a few diesels for good measure. This will be on Thursday January 8, 2026, the second Thursday of the month at the Museum of Bath at Work at 7.30pm, doors open at 7pm.
As previously mentioned, there will be a committee meeting prior to our January meeting. If you have anything you would like to raise or put forward, please send in using the contacts above. We welcome any suggestions for talks or subjects you would like to see featured. Please do get in contact.
Looking ahead to June 2026, after our AGM, we will be holding a members evening and invite you to do a short presentation of about 20 minutes. We are now compiling a list of anyone interested in doing so. Please do get in touch if you want more details or are willing to present a slide show, power point or any other type of presentation.
In the competition last month, you had to work out the names given to the Pathfinder Rail Tours. They were: The Hacienda, The Cumbrian Explorer and The Blue Boys Merry Mixer. As previously mentioned in the last newsletter, Pathfinder ran their final tour in December after 50 years of trading.
NEWS ITEMS
The Swanage Railway is holding a ‘Winter Warm Up’ gala on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 of January which will see a total of five locomotives in use. The locomotive lineup will feature a mixture of steam and diesel locomotives, and these will be T3 563, U Class 31806, 34070 Manston, D6515 and 33053. Some trains will be running north of Norden on the railway’s extension towards the main line to Frome River Bridge. Two passenger services will be in use, alongside a 3rd service which will be formed of a mixture of coaches and other non-passenger stock, forming a "Corfe Shuttle". Further details and advanced tickets are available at https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/winter-warm-up
Starting on January 6, major engineering works will be taking place on the Swanage Railway at Harmans Cross. A rotational slippage of a bank on the Swanage side of the station, just before Haycrafts Lane Bridge, will be dug out with sheet piling then put in place to hold the bank back. In the longer term, the points for the loop into the ‘up’ platform will then be moved towards the bridge to make the curve less severe into the platform. An appeal has been launched to raise money towards the estimated £200,000 costs of the first phase of the works.
Planning issues with South Gloucestershire Council have led to the cancellation of the plans to restore a miniature railway at Severn Beach. After a long battle, the 0.25-mile (350m) 10¼” gauge railway will not now be reinstated as owner Joe Nemeth has been unable to reach an agreement with the planners. The railway was to be steam operated, with historic locomotives, some of which are nearly 90 plus years old. There was originally a miniature railway there from 1936 to 1939, and then 1955 to 1976.
The Bluebell Railway Trust has been able to increase its stake in the company which owns BR Standard 4 Tank, 80151, from 40.3% to 90.6%. This means the long-term future of it at the Railway is secured.
LOOKING BACK
It will be 60 years ago this month when the Somerset & Dorset Line was due to close, however, at the 11th hour, the closure date was put back to March 1966 after a bus operator pulled out of providing a replacement service. Two final rail tours had been planned for January 1and 2, and although closure had been deferred, they still went ahead. On January 1, 35011 'General Steam Navigation' headed a LCGB tour from London Waterloo to Templecombe No. 2 Junction via Bournemouth and Poole bringing the very rare sight of a Merchant Navy Class to the S & D (because of weight restrictions they were officially banned from the S & D). At Templecombe, Ivatt Tanks 41283 and 41307 took the train forward over the ‘branch’ to Highbridge where BR 9F 92243 was waiting to haul the train via Bristol TM to Mangotsfield and Bath Green Park. At Lawrence Hill Junction, D864 came on to the rear of the train and banked it to Fishponds with 92243 continuing, but this then failed at Warmley as the brick arch in the firebox collapsed. 8F 48760 was sent from Bath to rescue the train and haul it to Green Park. With the train now running 1hr 32mins late, 8Fs 48309 and 48760 took the train over the S & D to Templecombe Station where 35011 was waiting to return it to Waterloo, via Salisbury. Arrival into the capital was 1hr 16mins late.
The following day, 35011 was again in action on a RCTS Special, again originating at Waterloo. This time the Merchant Navy Class only ran as far as Broadstone where U Class 31639 and West Country Class 34015 Exmouth replaced it. It was also rare to see a U Class on the S & D, and the two locos worked through to Bath Green Park. Here 8F 48309 took the train forward to Highbridge via Mangotsfield and Bristol to be replaced there by Ivatt Tanks 41307 & 41283 for the run over the ‘branch’ to Templecombe Station. 35011 had worked up light over the S & D from Broadstone and was waiting to haul the train back to Waterloo via Salisbury. Time keeping on this train was much better than the day before! On January 3, an emergency timetable commenced on the S & D with a much-reduced service.
Mentioning the S & D and Bath Green Park, this charming picture from the 1950’s, shows two refreshment ladies with their trollies on the south platform at Green Park, no doubt waiting for a train to arrive. Does anyone know the names of the two ladies. It has been suggested, that one of them may be a Mrs Miles or Mills but this is certainly not confirmed.
MORE NEWS ITEMS
The Severn Valley Railway will be hosting its third annual Winter Steam Gala, on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 January. The two-day festival of steam will feature six locomotives from the home fleet operating a busy timetable between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. Details SVR website. The SVR has also been named as a finalist in the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards 2026 under the Rolling Stock award for its restoration of GWR coach 9581, into an accessible buffet and saloon car.
Can anyone help me with some photographs? I am seeking any photographs that show the Admiralty Sidings at Corfe Mullen by the pumping station on the Somerset & Dorset Line, and also an image of the sidings at Creekmoor that served the Royal Ordnance Factory there. More locally I am also in search of photographs taken after the Bath Road Diesel Depot open day held on October 22, 1966, of USA Tank 30064 double heading with Longmoor Military Railway 196 ‘Errol Lonsdale’ on Monday October 24, 1966. The pair were heading back home, and I have seen a photograph of them east of Bath, but I’m now unable to trace it. The images are being sought for a further book I am writing. ‘Military Branch Lins and Sidings Part 3’. Any help gratefully received bob.bunyar@outlook.com or contact me at 7, Anglebury Avenue, Swanage. Dorset. BH19 1QP.
On the weekends of January 17/18 and 24/25, signalling and track work in the Yeovil Pen Mill area will mean buses replace trains between Castle Cary and Weymouth. GWR will still operate services between Castle Cary and Bristol Temple Meads. Check before travelling.
MEMBERS CONTRIBUTION
This month we have a ‘local’ contribution from our treasurer Richard Blunden.
In the summer of 1961, I lived in Trowbridge. I was about to leave Newtown School and, having passed my 11 Plus, had a choice of grammar schools from which to choose.
I had 2 friends who went to City of Bath Technical School, and they encouraged me to go there, and my parents were happy for 2 older boys to take care of me on the journey in the early days.
At Newtown we had the railway behind the back wall of the playground and could hear the first Hymek diesels mixed with the steam although we could not see the trains.
To attend school in Bath meant a daily journey on the new DMUs with occasional steam trains on the journey home.
In the 2 years travelling from Trowbridge the trains still called at Limpley Stoke and Bathampton and I alighted at Oldfield Park. For journeys home there was a choice, one was an 0-6-0PT and 2 coaches which departed from the bay platform at Bath Spa and went to Melksham using the 3rd side of the Bradford Junction and stopped at Staverton Halt and Holt Junction. At Melksham the PT ran round and took the train back to Holt and Staverton, then to Trowbridge and Westbury.
Sometimes in the early morning at Trowbridge, we saw the train to London, via Devizes, in the bay platform. It was, quite often, a smartly turned out loco recently released from Swindon after repair or overhaul. There were occasions when the crew were making breakfast on a shovel in the cab and sometimes there was a piece of fried bread and maybe some bacon on offer!
For my 3rd year at in Bath I lived in the city and didn’t do much train travel but at school the new metalwork and woodwork block was built, and woodwork was upstairs with a good view of the line between Oldfield Park and Bath Spa. This was the era of the Blue Pullmans and the Westerns.
The remaining 4 years at school involved travelling daily from Swindon. The Beeching cuts came in the following January (1965) and the stations at Wootton Bassett, Dauntsey, Christian Malford, Corsham, Box, Box Mill Lane, Bathford and Bathampton all closed along with the branch from Calne into Chippenham. My memories from those years are of very early morning starts, I think the train was 0725 off Swindon, and late finishes. The 1530 Bath Spa to Swindon was too early, the 1630 Bristolian did not stop at until Paddington, so my regular train home was the 1730. I do not recall what the locos were, but it was usually Mk1 compartment stock, steam heated.
Happy Days!
Thank you, Richard for sharing your story with us, it was certainly happy memories for you. If any of you have an interesting story or a favourite memory which would be of interest in the newsletter, please do send it in to either bathrailwaysociety@gmail.com or bob.bunyar@outlook.com
MORE NEWS ITEMS
The final workings of the GWR Castle Class took place on Saturday December 13, with the last four sets in use now due to be handed back to the leasing company on January 3. The final set to be in use was GW06 formed of power cars 43156 and 43189 forming the 21.22 service from Newquay to Plymouth which arrived there at 2340, some 26 minutes late. This set had been used on the Newquay branch following the failure of a Class 150 earlier in the day
At the site of the new station at Charfield in Gloucestershire, work took place continuously for 35 hours from 7am on Christmas Day until 4pm on Boxing Day. A new 'under track crossing' was installed which will allow the National Grid to re-align an existing power supply cable in the new year. The station is due to open later in 2026.
At the Great Western Society depot at Didcot, the group doing the rebuilding work of the Heyford Station, on the main running line, would dearly like to hear from anyone who has any materials suitable for use as kerb stones at a reasonable price. If you know of any or want any further information please contact us via the email above, and we will pass this on. Work on the reconstruction of the Heyford Station building has now stopped until spring.
The Vale of Berkeley Railway in Gloucestershire has taken delivery of a Class 122 bubble car, W55026. This was withdrawn from passenger service in 1993, and it then became 977859 ‘Pandora’ with Railtrack, and then Network Rail, being used as a video survey unit. The vehicle is part restored.
COMPETITION
In 1958, a railway training film called ‘Mishap’ was shot on the former Cheltenham to Kingham Line with the stations of Cheltenham Leckhampton and Andoversford being used in the filming, which also included locomotives 75025, 75174, 76012 plus a WD Austerity 2-8-0 on a freight train. For the film, the stations were renamed, and for this month’s competition, can you unscramble the letters to find the two fictional station names. No prizes given, it’s just for fun.
BYYRAU and NBTAOE
Answers in next month’s newsletter
MORE NEWS ITEMS
The Plym Valley Railay has been donated two abandoned items of rolling stock that had been left for many years in sidings at Tavistock Junction yard, Plymouth. They have taken delivery by road haulage of Travelling Post Office vehicle, full brake 94540, and an air braked ballast wagon DB993840. Network Rail has taken over full control of the Tavistock Junction Yard and is currently working to bring it back into use for commercial freight clearing the site of years of vegetation with re-usable components being stored for future use. The yard has not been used since 2000, and an announcement on the future use of the freight yard is expected during the early part of this year. The Plym Valley Railway has also been donated some track materials from a former clay works at Marsh Mills, which has lain used and heavily overgrown for many years. Volunteers had to cut back and clear the vegetation before the track materials could be recovered,
For those who were present, and recall, the presentation to the Society on December 4, by Fred Parkinson (on Unusual Overseas Rail Journeys); he has been in communication with his friend in Croatia. The old steam locomotive on display in one of the photographs of Knin (see photo here), has just been allocated money by the Government for restoration. Unfortunately, there is the money, but no people to do the work. The engine is of Hungarian manufacture. SO: if anyone wishes to spend some time in Croatia restoring a steam engine – please contact Fred Parkinson.
On January 3 and 4, the Wessex Association of Model Railway Clubs hold their Frome Model Railway Exhibition the Cheese & Grain, Market Yard, Frome, Somerset with 10 layouts and eight trade stalls attending. Opening times are Saturday 10:00-17:00 and Sunday 10:00-16:00. Admission is £6.
The planned Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust - 50th Annual Model Railway Exhibition at Edington Village Hall, Edington, Nr. Bridgwater, on January 10 and 11, has been cancelled.
A decision on plans to reopen a Hampshire branch line has been delayed until next year by the Office of Road and Rail. (ORR). Grand Union Trains has submitted proposals to reintroduce passenger services on part of the Totton to Fawley branch line and run services to Southampton and Waterloo from Marchwood under their Alliance Rail banner. A decision is now due from the ORR in the spring.
The Swindon to Gloucester line, through Kemble, Stroud and Stonehouse, could be seeing an extra 180 trains per week using the line as part of the ‘Midlands Rail Hub’ proposals. A new direct service would link Swindon to Birmingham without the need to change trains at Gloucester or Cheltenham. Funding for the proposed new services has been approved, and meetings have taken place, but no firm date has been given when it could potentially start or who will operate it.
The Swindon & Cricklade Railway is offering trips in its DMU on Thursday January 1, 2026. The first-round trip departs from Blunsdon Station at 10.30am. with the last round trip departing from Blunsdon at 15.30 pm. Their Whistle Stop Cafe opens from 10:30am, and it will be offering a range of food to ease you into the first day of 2026. An All Day Breakfast (2 Bacon, 2 Pork Sausages, 2 Fried Eggs, 2 Hash Browns, Fried Bread and Baked Beans) costs £10.00, and other items are on the menu.
LOOKING FORWARD
Just a reminder, our January meeting will now be on Thursday January 8, 2026, the second Thursday of the month. On Thursday February 5, we welcome Peter Brabham who will be telling us about Industrial Steam in South Wales.
Bob Bunyar
Newsletter Editor
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
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