The Bristol Railway Archive

Some of you may have noticed that I have not posted much on the forum recently. Unfortunately the reasons for this are medical.

I was diagnosed with glaucoma in 2007 and since then it has gradually progressed. I contracted a mild dose of COVID in June last year and since then my eyesight has got ...

My first wish is for a few more people to join this forum.I'm sure there were more on it's previous existence.
My second is for more threads to be started; only 27 during 2021. That's roughly one a fortnight.


Oh dear; half way through 2022 and only seven new threads. :cry:


Unfortunately I ...

I can certainly believe that the 7Fs may have worked to Gloucester because Bath Green Park footplate staff worked there

Birmingham is also possible, especially on unbalanced specials where the engine would have returned light. Another possibility would have been one working to Brum en route to ...

The 7Fs were designed specifically for the S&D and, whilst one was trialled in the 1920s on the Toton to Brent coal workings, the class never strayed far from their home patch except for overhauls at Derby.

As regards where else they actually worked during their lifetimes, the most diplomatic thing ...

Devonian wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 12:48 pm Four buses were set aside by Bristol Omnibus Co. for inclusion in the museum. Sadly three were subsequently scrapped. One escaped scrapping by a hairs breadth and is fortunately still with us.

But is it a proper bus? By which I mean with a half cab and an open rear platform?

.... and in the same working timetable almost by way of an addendum was the following ....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/galatea5699/51652909466/in/album-72157720101844388/

Summer Saturdays Loco Changes at St Philips Marsh
A handful of summer Saturday expresses originating in the West Country ...

So would that have meant Bath (Midland) based locos being used on Portishead locals? Or just the Bath crews?


I believe they were through workings with engine and crews. In the last few years the classes involved would have been the Ivatt class 2 and BR standard class 3 2-6-2Ts. At the time ...

The reason for diesel workings to Bath GP is that these turns were worked by St PhillipÔÇÖs Marsh men.

It was a reciprocal arrangement whereby Bath GP men worked trains to Portishead. I presume it started after Nationalisation but perhaps somebody else knows for certain.

By the time I got ...

Presumably they could just do return tickets with no alighting at the bottom station. A bit like circular journeys on things like the Ashton Court railway.


I think the problem with that would be the general public simply saying "why bother to go?"

At least with circular railways or heritage ...

This came up recenty somewhere but I can't remember where.

The point was made that a major hurdle to any reopeing proposal would be the lack of any circulation area at the bottom station. Since it closed the Portway has been built and it is now a major access route from the M5 to the city centre. H ...