The Bristol Railway Archive

A conundrum! I'm currently putting together a talk on my time working at Bath Road depot in the 1970s. As significant working passing through Bristol at the start of that decade was the fly ash trains from Aberthaw which provided the material for the foundations of the M5 motorway. The destination was initially Puxton but later on down by Highbridge. To the best of my recollection, the traction was always a pair of English Electric type 3's which became the class 37 hauling 35 HAA air braked hoppers. I would like to mention these but apart from seeing them being held outside the depot on the down through line, I can't remember if the depot had any direct involvement. So my question to anyone who might have been involved at the time is:-

Did the Cardiff crews (assumption on my part) work through to the unloading facility?
Were they relieved by Bristol crews who would have route knowledge but not necessarily traction knowledge on 37's
Did Bristol men pilot the Cardiff men through?

Roy

Unfortunately I donÔÇÖt know the answer to this question either (see my non-answer to railwestÔÇÖs question earlier today), but I do have an associated question: was the Puxton fly-ash loop (I assume it was a loop rather than a siding) on or near the former station site? I did visit the site at the time - with member C2759 I think. I even took a (mediocre) photograph of a fly ash train there- but I donÔÇÖt recall the exact location.

I've never seen a photo of the Puxton facility but there is one in the Rail Photoprints catalogue credited to John Medley showing the facility at Highbridge. The incoming loaded formation climbs up to a discharge point at the top of a hump then drops back down the other side. There appears to be a loop at ground level to allow the pair of locos to run round. I think it's reasonable to assume the same applied at Puxton unless anyone knows differently. Likewise, I'm not sure of the exact location.

Roy