Jubilees south of Mangotsfield

Punker · Post by **Punker** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:31 pm

Thanks for the photo's.

They are brilliant and it really brings back the memorys of when I was a little un' watching steam and warships and peaks from what we called the wooden bridge by the chocolate factory. My dad was a fireman at Barrow Road and he took me and my brother up to Mangotsfield a couple of times.

I have since found out it was called the Johnsons Road footbridge but it will always be the wooden bridge to me.

Marsh'Un · Post by **Marsh'Un** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:55 pm

Super photos from BristleGWR

Re the shot of the `Peak`, my grandparents lived in one of the flats on the left of the photo.
The living room overlooked the main line, the rear kitched had a view of the Clifton Extension line - A spotters heaven !

Another favourite haunt was by the foot crossing slightly to the north of Kingswood Junction signal box. Being stood at ground level approx 6 feet away from a hardworking`Jubilee`on a northbound train was quite an experience....

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:10 am

Jubilees had regular workings into Bath Green Park principally on the north and southbound workings of the Pines Express. One worked in during the early morning (on I believe) a parcels working to return north at midday - a regular on this duty was New Hebrides. The other Jubilee came in at about 3 pm on the southbound Pines to return north later that evening on another parcels working.

The Jubilees were somewhat pushed aside in the early 60s when the Royal Scot class locos were allocated away from the West Coast main line work and appeared regularly on the Pines Express.

Marsh'Un · Post by **Marsh'Un** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 1:10 am

Mention of the `Scots` takes me back to the aforementioned foot crossing near Kingswood Junction....

As a kid, I was fascinated by the regimental names carried by the class, especially the ones with Scottish connections - Royal Scots Grey, Argyll and Sutherland Highlander, etc.
How I wished to see one !!

Anyway, one day I happened to notice a `spotter had inscribed on the paintwork of one of the crossing gates "46121 HLI was here", followed by the relevant date.

Intrigued, on returning home I consulted my `ABC Combined` to discover that 46121 bore the awe-inspiring title of of `Highland Light Infantry, City of Glasgow Regiment".

Rapidly turning green with envy, I thumbed through the latest copy of the `Locoshed` - 46121 was allocated to 66A !!
No way would a Glasgow Polmadie engine work to Bristol, I thought..
The spotter with graffiti tendencies was lying !

Years later, glancing through an old (1962?) copy of `Modern Railways`, the truth became apparent. Recorded as visiting Bristol was a certain engine from 66A. - HLI itself !!

And did I ever spot a`Royal Scot` - Did I heck !
The envy still lingers.....

trafalgar45682 · Post by **trafalgar45682** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:43 am

Marsh'Un wrote

I thumbed through the latest copy of the `Locoshed` - 46121 was allocated to 66A !!
No way would a Glasgow Polmadie engine work to Bristol, I thought..

I remember the occasion well. It was on Tuesday April 24 1962 that 46121 arrived in Bristol on 1V43 York to Bristol, arriving at 18.21. The older spotters cheered when it arrived, but at the time I didn't realise the significance of a Scottish engine arriving as far south as Bristol. Apparently it left next day on 1N32 7/40 Bristol to Bradford.

the green mile · Post by **the green mile** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 3:45 pm

Along with a few pals, I spent quite a few evenings by that foot crossing near Kingswood Junction. We knew it as Clay Bottom. I think we were exploring on foot trying to find a place called Stoke Gifford at the time. We failed dismally because it was far too long a walk to be back home before the curfew at dark.

Stood at track level on the down side, a 9F drifting down the bank was equally awe inspiring as something working hard up the gradient. I know somebody experimented by putting an old penny on the railhead to see if he could get it as big as a saucer. Nearly succeeded but then it got caught by a flange and flicked out like a bullet. Luckily, nobody managed to catch it in the eye. Just above here was a big landfill site. In between trains, we used to use an old tin bath as a toboggan to slide down into the big hole. Kids just don't know how to keep themselves amused these days!

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:32 pm

Marsh'Un wrote:And did I ever spot a`Royal Scot` - Did I heck !
The envy still lingers.....

If you were around at the right time (ie early 1960s to the beginning of 1963) then you were singularly unfortunate not to have seen one, because they were working into Bristol quite regularly. It all came to a sudden end when diesel reliability improved after the worst of the 1962/63 winter.

I remember one notable occasion (Patrick might have more details, probably around Christmas 1962) when I saw three in BTM on the same day. 46130 and 46135 were two of them - the number of the third escapes me.

trafalgar45682 · Post by **trafalgar45682** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 6:03 pm

Robin Summerhill wrote:

when I saw three in BTM on the same day. 46130 and 46135 were two of them - the number of the third escapes me.

They were certainly very frequent visitors when Saltley suddenly received an influx of ten or more - but they were all soon transferred to Carlisle. The Holbeck and Sheffield Scots then appeared fairly frequently.

Here are some examples

Friday December 7 1962 1V39 (Devonian) 46113
Wed December 12 1962 3V20 Derby Parcels 46130
Fri December 14 1962 1E64 8.40 Sheffield 46114
1V28 10.07 ex Leeds 46109
1V36 1.20 ex Bradford 46135

Here is photo of one of the Sheffield Scots on Barrow Road in Summer 1962, taken by my friend john48677 on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60631240@N ... hotostream

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:30 pm

trafalgar45682 wrote:They were certainly very frequent visitors when Saltley suddenly received an influx of ten or more - but they were all soon transferred to Carlisle. The Holbeck and Sheffield Scots then appeared fairly frequently.

I never knew about the allocation of Scots to Saltley, but luckily I've got my database that tells me all about such things, and I brought a copy with me to the Southern Hemisphere to while away the summer evenings down here

It appears that all this was before my time, which explains why I didn't know about it before. Scots appeared at Saltley in June 1961, mainly but not exclusively arriving from Kentish Town and Trafford Park. This would tie in with the dieselisation of the St Pancras to Manchester service.

The allocation in June 1961 was 46103/06/18/22/23/37/41/57/60/62 - as you say, 10 in total. They all left again between April and June 1962, all going to Upperby although 46106/18 went to Leicester Central first for a short time. 46103 subsequently went to Holbeck in September 1962 so was seen regularly in Bristol again after that.

As my personal interest didn't start until September 1962, that is clearly why the allocation of Scots to Saltley escaped my notice.

DriverTonyB · Post by **DriverTonyB** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:18 pm

The picture of 41208 passing Kingswwod Junction is interesting as the old Ford car on the road beside it has been recognised as my Dad's! He was the signalman on duty at the time the picture was taken!

Pines Alan · Post by **Pines Alan** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:32 pm

but if you have some numbers that would be grand

I have a list of about 40 Jubilees (by no means complete) that have worked to Bath Green Park; am happy to post on this forum but it may take up more space than the site moderator may wish. Is this OK or shall I contact Tony "off-list"?

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 8:11 pm

Pines Alan wrote:
but if you have some numbers that would be grand
I have a list of about 40 Jubilees (by no means complete) that have worked to Bath Green Park; am happy to post on this forum but it may take up more space than the site moderator may wish. Is this OK or shall I contact Tony "off-list"?

Bearing in mind that, between us, the green mile and I listed about 100 staff members at Bath Road from the 1970s just lately, and we appear to have got away with it, I wouldn't foresee a problem with a list of 40 Jubilees visiting Green Park

the green mile · Post by **the green mile** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 11:54 am

...and it's been a bit sleepy on here in the past week so there's probably a bit of spare space.

By the way, Happy New Year to everyone.

Marsh'Un · Post by **Marsh'Un** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:04 pm

Returning to the subject of Kingswood Junction, does anyone have any memories of the branch that ran from the main line to Pecketts factory (and originally to Speedwell and Deep Pit collieries) ?

The landfill site previously referred to by the Green Mile was formerly waste heaps from Deep Pit coal mine and the line ran through this area.

I had a walk around Clay Bottom on Christmas Day - although the landscape has been transformed to a very pleasant `Green`location, what appears to be the curved line of an infilled cutting can be found following the boundary fence of Rajanis` car park.

Reference to Google Maps (Satellite) and the excellent map in the Mitchell & Smith book "Bath Green Park to Bristol" seems to confirm this.

Post by **madhattie** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:01 pm

I've not been around much of late which is why I'm so quiet but post away with any lists of that sort. There's loads of room on the database and that kind of information is just what this website was intended for

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