Southern Region Locos in the Bristol area ?

Hobbler · Post by **Hobbler** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:13 pm

What an interesting picture.

Only had a chance for a quick look at the rest of the site but there is a lot of S & D stuff and some unusual other shots like a Prairie awaiting departure to Bristol TM from the original Portishead station in 1952.

Will be bookmarking that site for future reference. Good Find!

mjt · Post by **mjt** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:28 pm

and what about this:

http://www.railphotoprints.co.uk/index/ ... 1.jpg.html

4405 at TM in 1952! I don't think I've ever seen a photo of a 44xx in Bristol. So what was it doing there? If it was heading to Swindon it's surprising that it's bunker first. It's in pretty scruffy condition so I don't think it's on it's way back from Swindon. In any case I guess west country 44xx would have been maintained at Newton Abbot. 4405 wasn't withdrawn until 1955 & (according to the Rail UK site) was shedded at Newton Abobot in 1948 & at withdrawal.

Hobbler · Post by **Hobbler** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 4:54 pm

I have to agree the presence of a 44XX in Bristol in that condition is odd . Was there maintenance work that Newton Abbot couldnt do so necessitating sending the loco to Swindon ?. Do we know who the photograher/s are as they certainly seem to be well aware of anything out the ordinary going on.

Still going through the site but there are some interesting pics of PBA locos at Canons Marsh and Avonmouth and a a photo of a ECS Zoo excursion taken from I would think Sneyd Park Junction footbridge with a County Class on the front coming down the bank from Clifton Down is probably the first picture I have ever seen of one of those workings.

mjt · Post by **mjt** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 5:51 pm

Hobbler wrote:I have to agree the presence of a 44XX in Bristol in that condition is odd . Was there maintenance work that Newton Abbot couldnt do so necessitating sending the loco to Swindon ?. Do we know who the photograher/s are as they certainly seem to be well aware of anything out the ordinary going on..

If it was on it's way to Swindon for overhaul I would have expected it to be moved 'dead'. I can't tell who the photographer was but RailPhotoprints is based in Temple Cloud & on his home page the site's owner writes of trainspotting at TM & Green Park - but that doesn't necessarily make him the photographer.

Hobbler wrote:Still going through the site ... a photo of a ECS Zoo excursion taken from I would think Sneyd Park Junction footbridge with a County Class on the front coming down the bank from Clifton Down is probably the first picture I have ever seen of one of those workings.

Yes, I saw that too. It's an unusual location & I can't recall any other photos of a County on the Avonmouth line - though I can remember them going through Clifton Down occasionally c1960.

How about this one:
http://www.railphotoprints.co.uk/index/ ... 3.jpg.html

a LMS 4-4-0 at Burnham-on-Sea (August '56) with some interesting-looking rolling stock (& a nice signal).

Hobbler · Post by **Hobbler** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 11:19 pm

Copies of that picture have been on ebay several times recently.

As the train is stood at the excursion platform its fair to assume its some sort of special thats worked through from another part of the S & D , probably the southern end as that looks like ex LSWR coaches but I am quite happy to be corrected on that.

Interesting that the loco is facing Highbridge . Does that mean it worked all the way up the line to Burnham tender first or its gone back to Highbridge to use the turntable and left its train there while its passengers enjoy the delights of B-O-S ?

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:26 am

Hobbler wrote: Interesting that the loco is facing Highbridge . Does that mean it worked all the way up the line to Burnham tender first or its gone back to Highbridge to use the turntable and left its train there while its passengers enjoy the delights of B-O-S ?

An excursion train would probably leave its passengers at their destination for a few hours.

Plenty of time to run LE to Highbridge for turning, coaling and watering

Hobbler · Post by **Hobbler** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 7:45 am

Robin Summerhill wrote:
An excursion train would probably leave its passengers at their destination for a few hours.

Plenty of time to run LE to Highbridge for turning, coaling and watering

Yes thats true of course but Burnham had very little siding space and the only place a train of that length could be left while the engine went to Highbridge would have been the excursion platform which was also the run round loop. When the picture was taken I think there there would have still been timetabled traffic on that section so would it have been allowed to effectively put the station out of use by blocking the run round loop for a few hours to turn , water and coal an engine ?

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:39 am

Hobbler wrote:
Robin Summerhill wrote:
An excursion train would probably leave its passengers at their destination for a few hours.

Plenty of time to run LE to Highbridge for turning, coaling and watering
Yes thats true of course but Burnham had very little siding space and the only place a train of that length could be left while the engine went to Highbridge would have been the excursion platform which was also the run round loop. When the picture was taken I think there there would have still been timetabled traffic on that section so would it have been allowed to effectively put the station out of use by blocking the run round loop for a few hours to turn , water and coal an engine ?

Just a thought:

1. Detrain passengers
2. Propel stock to Highbridge and stable
3. Engine to shed for coaling, watering and turning
4. Light engine back to stock
5. Propel stock to Burnham
6. Await passengers.

I would think it unlikely that an engine would run tender first along the whole length of the branch

mjt · Post by **mjt** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:45 am

Hobbler wrote:
Yes thats true of course but Burnham had very little siding space and the only place a train of that length could be left while the engine went to Highbridge would have been the excursion platform which was also the run round loop. When the picture was taken I think there there would have still been timetabled traffic on that section so would it have been allowed to effectively put the station out of use by blocking the run round loop for a few hours to turn , water and coal an engine ?

The photo date was 6 Aug 1956 - a Monday & in 1956 it would have been Bank Holiday Monday. Regular passenger services had stopped in 1951 so would there have been any traffic that day apart from excursions?