The no. 33 bus thread ....

[Shovel]

There is more tram track and can be seen in the car park of Gloucester Road Medical centre,Horfield.
The address is Tramway House, 1a Church Road, Horfield.
It was a planning consent condition that the tram tracks where kept as it was part of the Horfield tram depot(Ashley Down terminus)

[Ian L Jamieson]

There is more tram track and can be seen in the car park of Gloucester Road Medical centre,Horfield.

Well I'm blowed! I lived in Horfield for sixteen years and never knew that. I don't know what 1A Church Road was in those days, but I am pretty certain it wasn't a medical centre.

Going off topic for a minute, but in a way connected, a Morrisons supermarket has been built on what was originally railway land in Inverness. To mark the site of the turntable - which is the car park - granite sets have been sunk into the tarmac to show its position. Thousands of people must walk over these, not knowing their significance.

[Andrew]

I may be dreaming or mixing up my locations, but I seem to have a memory of tram lines at the top of Colston St, below the retaining wall (on which the signalbox sat) on the slope up to what was, I seem to recall reading, a horse depot for tram horses........?

[76026]

There were 50 Leyland PD1s in the fleet, all allocated to Eastville depot and therefore as I remember they worked routes 2, 2A, 10, 18, 84, 284 etc.
Half had ECW bodies (eg C4044 - my all-time favourite bus) and the rest had local bodies supplied by Longwell Green or the company's own body shop at Brislington.

There are two shots taken at Longwell Green (2 Bristol K6Gs and a Guy Arab II)

about 2/3 of the way down
http://www.skylineaviation.co.uk/buses/busnews2.html

[76026]

Apologies Stantheman - I didn't intend to plagiarise your post of 1st October 2010 in mine earlier today about Longwell Green - I seem to have failed miserably to use the quote function

[Philip M. Hicks]

Hello - Following my last post on the Bristol Tram routes in the 1920's / 1930's. How many of you have noticed that there is still a very small bit of tram track still visible in Bristol. At least it was still there when Google Earth took their Street View camera car past the location in the last few years.
Obviously, I can't check up on it physically - other than to look at GE but if one of you looks over the wall on the left side at the bottom of the ramp up to Temle Meads you will see about 20 - 30 metres of tram track set into the cobbles.
When I looked at Google Earth a couple of days ago there were cafe tables set out over the area. However one can clearly see the rails. An interesting relic? Did the number 8 route terminate on this bit of track, out of the way of other trams going over Bath Bridge?
My regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

I believe this track was used for terminating some services. At one time it was a proper "tram station" and had a roof built over it.

There is a another remaining bit of tram track quite nearby: In St Mary Redcliffe churchyard a length of tram rail can be seen sticking out of the ground where it was flung by a bomb blast during the Blitz.

Andy - Yes I had heard about the bit of far flung track in St. Mary Redcliffe's churchyard. However to have a small section of track still in existance in its original location some 70 years after the last tram ran is remarkable. I recommend that people that like to preserve Bristol's history do their utmost to preserve this relic - as is!
Your belief that this track was used for some terminating services is borne out by the route of the #8 tram - Centre to Temple Meads. I feel sure this tram would not have terminated in the middle of the Bath Road. [ Victoria Rd.? - My memory fails me for the correct name. ]
My regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

[Philip M. Hicks]

I may be dreaming or mixing up my locations, but I seem to have a memory of tram lines at the top of Colston St, below the retaining wall (on which the signalbox sat) on the slope up to what was, I seem to recall reading, a horse depot for tram horses........?

Andrew - Yes I remember that little siding [ ? ] at the top of Colston St. - There was certainly track there in the 1950's. Did you realise that all the Westbury and Blackboy Hill trams went up Coston St. then along Park Row. No trams climbed Park Street. Regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

PS. - I've just looked at Google Earth Street View and although the level area is still there - still cobbled for the first bit then it goes under a steel arch with the words 'Zero Degrees' across the carriage way. It's original purpose - a place to park spare trams? Phil H.

[jules]

the level area is still there - still cobbled for the first bit then it goes under a steel arch with the words 'Zero Degrees' across the carriage way. It's original purpose - a place to park spare trams?

Earlier than that I believe - I think it was originally a stable yard, so a place to park spare tram horses

Phil - Zero Degrees is a rather nice bar and micro brewery - been there a couple of years now.

[Andrew]

I may be dreaming or mixing up my locations, but I seem to have a memory of tram lines at the top of Colston St, below the retaining wall (on which the signalbox sat) on the slope up to what was, I seem to recall reading, a horse depot for tram horses........?

Andrew - Yes I remember that little siding [ ? ] at the top of Colston St. - There was certainly track there in the 1950's. Did you realise that all the Westbury and Blackboy Hill trams went up Coston St. then along Park Row. No trams climbed Park Street. Regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

PS. - I've just looked at Google Earth Street View and although the level area is still there - still cobbled for the first bit then it goes under a steel arch with the words 'Zero Degrees' across the carriage way. It's original purpose - a place to park spare trams? Phil H.

Thanks for confirming that Philip. Yes, I knew the trams went that way. The first route ran from the top of Colston St to Blackboy Hill, and was later extended down Colston St by the difficult hairpin bend. Perhaps Park St was considered too steep?

Off-topic, don't suppose you are related to Jerry Hicks are you?

[Philip M. Hicks]

I may be dreaming or mixing up my locations, but I seem to have a memory of tram lines at the top of Colston St, below the retaining wall (on which the signalbox sat) on the slope up to what was, I seem to recall reading, a horse depot for tram horses........?

Andrew - Yes I remember that little siding [ ? ] at the top of Colston St. - There was certainly track there in the 1950's. Did you realise that all the Westbury and Blackboy Hill trams went up Coston St. then along Park Row. No trams climbed Park Street. Regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

PS. - I've just looked at Google Earth Street View and although the level area is still there - still cobbled for the first bit then it goes under a steel arch with the words 'Zero Degrees' across the carriage way. It's original purpose - a place to park spare trams? Phil H.

Thanks for confirming that Philip. Yes, I knew the trams went that way. The first route ran from the top of Colston St to Blackboy Hill, and was later extended down Colston St by the difficult hairpin bend. Perhaps Park St was considered too steep?

Off-topic, don't suppose you are related to Jerry Hicks are you?

Andrew - Park Street would surely have been to steep for the horse drawn trams, this would have set the route for the electric powered ones later on? Even the buses struggled in later years going up! I don't know that I'm related to Jerry Hicks incidently. Regardsfrom Phil H. Oz.

[Andrew]

[quote="Philip M. HicksOff-topic, don't suppose you are related to Jerry Hicks are you?[/quote]

Andrew - Park Street would surely have been to steep for the horse drawn trams, this would have set the route for the electric powered ones later on? Even the buses struggled in later years going up! I don't know that I'm related to Jerry Hicks incidently. Regardsfrom Phil H. Oz.[/quote]

Just wondered - Jerry was my art teacher at Cotham Grammar many years ago.

I have seen an old photograph somewhere (probably a Recce Winstone book) of an additional pair of horses being coupled (if that is correct equestrian term!) to a horse bus prior to it ascending Park Street.

[jules]

Strange - just talking about the tram horse stables and here it is mentioned in print today!

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/Plenty-cl ... story.html

[Philip M. Hicks]

Hello - Following my last post on the Bristol Tram routes in the 1920's / 1930's. How many of you have noticed that there is still a very small bit of tram track still visible in Bristol. At least it was still there when Google Earth took their Street View camera car past the location in the last few years.
Obviously, I can't check up on it physically - other than to look at GE but if one of you looks over the wall on the left side at the bottom of the ramp up to Temle Meads you will see about 20 - 30 metres of tram track set into the cobbles.
When I looked at Google Earth a couple of days ago there were cafe tables set out over the area. However one can clearly see the rails. An interesting relic? Did the number 8 route terminate on this bit of track, out of the way of other trams going over Bath Bridge?
My regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

I believe this track was used for terminating some services. At one time it was a proper "tram station" and had a roof built over it.

There is a another remaining bit of tram track quite nearby: In St Mary Redcliffe churchyard a length of tram rail can be seen sticking out of the ground where it was flung by a bomb blast during the Blitz.

Andy - Yes I had heard about the bit of far flung track in St. Mary Redcliffe's churchyard. However to have a small section of track still in existance in its original location some 70 years after the last tram ran is remarkable. I recommend that people that like to preserve Bristol's history do their utmost to preserve this relic - as is!
Your belief that this track was used for some terminating services is borne out by the route of the #8 tram - Centre to Temple Meads. I feel sure this tram would not have terminated in the middle of the Bath Road. [ Victoria Rd.? - My memory fails me for the correct name. ]
My regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

Hello - I 've done this post as a reply [ quote ] as I want to keep the context. Whilst conversing in another forum I came across this map. It is of an old OS map that shows a 'Tramway Station at the foot of Templemeads ramp - It is very interesting in the light of our discussion.
I might not be able to give it to you directly but will here give a link :- http://www.flickr.com/photos/topspictures/6999595043/. Look at the tram tracks in the map given by FAC 51. I hope this will display OK for you all. Regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.

[jules]

My sister Judy is staying in Bristol at the moment and last night, she happened mention one of those odd little bits of personal history.

Growing up in Lawrence Weston and attending Lawrence Weston School in the late 50s / early 60s, she recalled a bus conductor of the time whom she referred to as "Bink Bink".

I had to ask "Why did you call him Bink Bink"? She explained he would come along the bus saying: "Tickets please! Bink, bink!"

This was obviously a nervous speech tic and thinking about it, I too have a vague recollection of the same person still working the buses in the later 60s.

My question is, does anyone else here remember this particular conductor or recall anything about him?

[Marsh'Un]

Given the political comments currently rumbling around this site, I could not resist reviving this thread.....
Back in September last year, I had the pleasure of visiting Asheville, North Carolina.
Walking down one of the main streets in the centre of town, I spotted a `green` cafe (organic teas/coffees etc) with a rather unusual seating area- a double-decker bus.
The red livery plus the `Tralfalgar Square` on the destination blind made my wife remark "Oh look- a London Bus".
"Blinking `eck (or similar) says I - "That`s a Bristol Lodekka!!"

The Bristol logo above the radiator had been sprayed red, but the original registration plates had been retained - 808 SHW.

A bit of research found that the Lodekka had carried Bristol Omnibus Fleet No. 7115, having been built during the early 1960`s.

If the vehicle actually worked within the City confines, I could well have travelled on it going to and from school.....

Not being an expert on such matters, does anyone know of any other ex- B.O.C vehicles in foreign lands ?

I should add that the bus was discovered before and not after visiting the excellent microbrewery a few hundred yards away....