The Bristol Railway Archive

I can't say for sure, but my hunch is that this is very unlikely. The most recent internal communication I have received that mentions the loco states that it will be leaving, and @AVRBitton has tweeted that it is expected to return to the Dean Forest Railway "in the near future".

OK, I'm not here to pick a fight or start bickering: I should probably have taken a rather more diplomatic tone in my previous post. That said, I can't allow your previous couple of posts to go unchallenged, and I'm going to explain why.

I've been involved with the AVR as a working member for over ...

That is certainly the intention... Given that the loco has been at Bitton for less than a week, I think your somewhat negative attitude is rather premature.

Thanks! Not sure what I was doing wrong...

Not sure exactly when it's due to enter service, I think late May was tentatively mentioned but will update if/when I know any more (unless someone else beats me to it!).

And it's arrived...!

https://twitter.com/#!/AVRbitton/status ... 9785396224

(sorry, can't get this to function as a link for some reason...)

In fairness I don't think the demise of the railway or model railway clubs were anything to do with "political correctness" or "health and safety" - I think it just reflected (sadly) a genuine lack of interest among the pupils. There were still plenty of other groups and societies (at least whilst I ...

Anyone else go there?

Certainly did - 1993 to 2000. Railway club was long gone by then, unfortunately... I did hear various mentions of a mythical railway layout lurking in a loft or basement somewhere but never came across it. When I very first started I recall reading that the model railway ...

Close but not quite...! I'm ready to be corrected if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but as I understand it the loco has been overhauled by Bill Parker's workshop at the Flour Mill in the Forest of Dean and is being run in at the AVR prior to travelling back to Bodmin where it's based. 4247 ...

Some superb pictures in that album mow - thanks for posting! The four lamps on the loco are a nice touch as well.

A key member of staff at Bitton station informed me that ''this sort of thing happens to the best of railways!!'' .....I think not. I hope that they don't mention that to the railway inspectorate. With an attitude like that this railway needs to change it's ways, and quickly. <BJ>

Unfortunately ...

Picture of 1369 and 45379 - both now arrived at Bitton.

We know...! Alternative loco under very active investigation at the moment

Just for information, the class 107 DMU is due to be running on the AVR on Wednesdays during June. It will run a modified timetable from the usual "timetable A", but unfortunately this has not made it onto the website. Trains leave Bitton for Oldland Common at xx00 from 1100 to 1600, and for Avon ...

It's been moved into the goods shed for the final stages of restoration. When I last saw it a couple of weeks ago all the woodwork had been fitted and the wagon was getting pretty close to completion.

J A Taylor railway supplies used to provide a comprehensive range of spares, however I haven't bought anything from them for several years and don't know for sure if they are still trading. They still have a website up at http://freespace.virgin.net/jat.railway_supplies_and_services/page2.html with ...