Mangotsfield station plans

[Blandford1969]

Progress has been made today with a couple of new people it has been suggested i talk to. Also asked a mate at the Rwy mag if he can look in their archive.

[Rich_Eason]

I said the guys would help

[nige2222]

Hi Gents
Have you ever thought of turning these photos and your memories into a book ?

[Robin Summerhill]

Hi Gents
Have you ever thought of turning these photos and your memories into a book ?

The odd thing about the way that this thread has gone (and I started it!) is that I actually knew more about Staple Hill station than Mangotsfield in those days. (I lived almost exactly mid-way between the two).

I would use Mangotsfield when going up north or to Bath and the S&D, but I would use Staple Hill when going to Bristol, and I went to Bristol more often!

Train spotting sometimes went on at Mangotsfield, but more usually along Signal Road at the bottom of Teewell Hill. Down there you didn't run the risk of missing anything (that might be the case in the unlikely event that someting interesting took the Bath line when you were perched on the rock ledges at the Gloucester end of the main line platform at Mangotsfield, although I suppose you could have run like the clappers down the footpath to the east of ter station to see what it was ).

I used to "unoficially help out" in the booking office at Staple Hill when Cyril Batten was on duty (which was more often than not the case during the 1960s) but, after the passage of 45 years or so I'm not certain of the layout of the main building at Staple Hill (there was also a small ticket office on the down platform that tickets were sold from a few minutes before trains were due to depart.

What I can remember is: as you walked in to the station yard at Staple Hill the booking office/ waiting room was in front of you slightly to your right, and the stationmasters house was also to the right by the entrance. The door to the staff side of the booking office must have been facing towards the cutting at the rear of the building, but I'm blowed if I can remember!

[horace]

Staple Hill for going into Bristol TM, and on the way back, well a Staple Hill return ticket somehow seemed to stretch to Mangotsfield, had to go through the tunnel. Even the time when indecision on a mates part led to him getting off at Staple Hill only to trap his fingers in the slam door of the coach. The Staple Hill station master took him home, well we all stayed on the train to Mangotsfield. Somehow we always got away with it. The walk home from Mangotsfield was bit longer and meant a up hill walk up Middle road but we were high on excitement.
My main trainspotting was done on the way home from school on Tewell Bridge, Signal road and later Charnhill bridge.
Weekends in the summer were spent on the flats at Rodway hill or on Mangotsfield itself, especially above the pedestrian tunnel from Siston to Rodway hill. on the Siston side you could get a spot next to the sidings and get photographs of the passing trains, you will see from my photographs exactly where i used to hang out.
I used to have a lot more photographs taken around Mangotsfield, but they were kept in a cupboard that was above the entrance to our cellar beneath my fathers shop, in 1968 the cellar became flooded to about 3'-0" deep and the main object of the time was to get it pumped out, by the time we got around to recovering my photographs many of the negatives had been attacked by the damp and humidity, the great flood of 68 was in July the usual flood time for this country.
Oh my the memories.

[Robin Summerhill]

The Staple Hill station master took him home

Mr. Josephs. Was he Welsh?

My main trainspotting was done on the way home from school on Tewell Bridge, Signal road and later Charnhill bridge.

Way way off topic now!!!! Did you go to Staple Hill Primary then?

[Robin Summerhill]

After posting about Cyril Batten at Staple Hill earlier on this thread, a few more memories of staffing came to me as I stopped a pint going sour in the "Two Pigs" in Corsham this evening

Fishponds: Courtney Parkin was a regular there. I fell foul of him once as I had arranged with Cyril at Staple Hill that I could travel with my bike from Fishponds without charge. The idea was that I would turn up at the atation just before the train was due and tell Courtney that I would pay at the other end. Unfortunately, Courtney spotted me "lurking" just outside the station for 10 minutes or so, so he didn't let me on, and I rode the bike back to Staple Hill instead! He did apologise some time later after Cyril had told him what was going on, and told me that I shouldn't have looked so "furtive" !!


Mangotsfield: There was a Scottish station foreman/ senior porter. We always called him "Jock" (though not to his face as I recall!). A regular booking clerk was Cliff Griffin - I worked with him later in ther 1970s at Bath Road depot. He used to live in Yew Tree Drive and it crossed my mind that, if he was still alive, then he might be a useful reference point for our proposed plan of Mangotsfied. Unfortunately he does not appear in the phone book so that line of enquiry appears to be closed.


Warmley: Usually staffed for the last few years by Len Sayles. Somebody told me he became a Dustman for the Council after he was made redundant.


Bitton: Can't remember the bloke's name. Always wore a suit, rather than railway uniform, and a bit of miserable sod until you got to know him!

As Horace said, Ah memories!!

[horace]

Soundwell primary, Staple Hill Secondary modern until closure and chase for one year, finished in 1967.

My dad used to take me to the lane that ran from Seymour road to watch the trains. we used to stand by the signal just before the tunnel.

[Blandford1969]

Hi all, I have juist got a book which has really helped with some of the detail called trains Mangotsfied to Bath written by an Ian bishop who says in his intro that a Jim Wiltshie helped with a lot of the detail on the statio n.do any of you. Know either of thede people and how I. Might contact them. I have found out there was a door iinto the waiting room bay at least on the Bath side I do. Not yet know about the Gloucester side. I also have the contact details for an ex Ops manager of the AVR who may know somethings looking forward to getting to the site on the 10th. Have you managed to find your shots from the hill yet Horace? Kind regards Duncan

[Robin Summerhill]

Somebody else who might be able to help with this project is one Alan Hireson.

The last I heard he was living in North Street, Oldland Common (he'd lived there for years) and a number of his photographs of the line (mainly around Warmley and Oldland) are on the AVR site. He was active on the AVR years ago, but I have no idea if he still is, or indeed if he is still in the area.

I was in email correspondence with him some years ago, but he was using a "railtrack" email address which is probably not valid any more! He doesn't appear on the BT phone book pages, but that doesn't mean much these days with all the other providers out there

Does anybody know the guy? Could they PM me with an email address or alternatively contact him on my/ our behalf?

[Shovel]

There is a group called the Mangotsfield Railway Circle who meet I believe bi monthly. They do produce a magazine with lots of information in it. I will when at the AVR take details from it and post here.

[bristolian]

Good evening everyone,

I have a contact email address for Richard Strange and the Mangotsfield Railway Circle.

I have emailed him asking for information on the Circle.

Very Best Wishes,
Bob.

[Blandford1969]

Hi Bob that's great if we could tap into their knowledge and arclhives. That would be excellent please make it clear if they can help I will provide a copy of the plans etc to them when done. I have also realised Warmley probably has the same doors and windows so that aspect of the drawing can be more accurate. Look forward to hearing the result and if anyone knows Alan that Robin mentioned that will also be good

[horace]

Duncan, my pics from the hill are either gone or hiding where i have yet to find them. I will keep searching but i can see it will be a while.
Sorry. But with as many negs and photos that i have and uncatalogued it is a bit of a problem!

[mangotsfield_mauler]

Duncan,

I'm Geoffh22 on Flickr, and I posted the Warship entering Mangotsfield from Bath. The picture was taken on the last day of operation, I believe, or at least the last day that my aunt took the train to work. I have the ticket from the journey somewhere. Along with the Warship picture, I have one of the signal box, and one of the head porter (Jock, I believe), all taken on the same day. When I locate them, I will upload to Flickr. I'm too young to remember passenger trains, and only remember the coal trains to Bath, diesel-hauled, down the avoiding line in the very early 1970's. There are a couple of picutres of the avoiding line in my Flickr photostream, and I'm always eager to see more, as I used to live in Syston Farm next to the line on Carsons Road.
People have mentioned Richard Strange, I believe there are 2 Strange brothers, and between them have a large collection of photographs, and have a good list of activity on the line. The last I heard, from a relative of mine who had some involvement with the Mangotsfield Railway Circle, was that the Strange brothers were attempting to have their collection digitised. That would be worth seeing. George Heiron pictures might also be helpful.Good luck with your quest.

Pete (Hattie), is there any way you can post video? I have video of a Peak class diesel approaching Rodway Hill/Carsons Road bridge in the snow of 1963 from Shortwood. I would need to edit it though, and I don't currently have the software.
Geoff