Filton Railway Chords

[RonWells]

Hi from New Zealand

I emigrated to New Zealand in 1965, having lived in Filton, Bristol up to 1957. I lived in Conygre Grove very close to Filton-Avonmouth railway chord. As a boy, I played regularly with friends in the area bounded by the Filton Junction/Patchway - Filton Junction /Avonmouth - Filton Junction/Stoke Gifford - Stoke Gifford/Patchway rail lines. We called this area the TRIANGLE.

Recently I looked at Google Earth satellite images of the area, and was surprised to see what appears to be a railway line linking the old Filton North station to Patchway. Does this line actually exist. When was it built. And why was it built now. In my youth I often wondered why there was no connection then, as the land had been only used a rubbish tip for a number of years.

I sometimes travelled into Bristol by train from the old Filton Junction, and to Bristol Rovers matches at Eastville Stadium.

I knew the Triangle area very well, and the section between the Patchway/Stoke Gifford/Filton North lines was used for the disposal of rubble and earth - either by the railways or someone else. Part of the section enclosed by the Filton Junction/ Patchway/Stoke Gifford lines seemed to have been filled with blue clay at some time, which did not seem to be local. Perhaps it came from the Filton Bank cutting around Horfield Station on the Bristol/Cardiff line .

RonWells
Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, New Zealand

[jolly47roger]

I think the 'north to west' chord was laid in the seventies to give a route from South Wales to Avonmouth after the closure of the section of line between Severn Beach and Pilning.

[Robin Summerhill]

I think the 'north to west' chord was laid in the seventies to give a route from South Wales to Avonmouth after the closure of the section of line between Severn Beach and Pilning.

That's what I thought as well but couldn't remember certainly enough to post it!

It always seemed odd, prior to laying that line, that anything coming out of Avonmouth and heading for the Severn Tunnel always had to reverse at either Pilning or Stoke Gifford.

[jules]

It always seemed odd, prior to laying that line, that anything coming out of Avonmouth and heading for the Severn Tunnel always had to reverse at either Pilning or Stoke Gifford.

It didn't matter so much then, as a lot of traffic from Avonmouth was re-marshalled at Stoke Gifford anyway. But when the yard (and the Pilning - Severn Beach section) were closed as part of the 1970's Bristol Area resignalling, it became a problem, so the chord was put in as part of that project.

But somebody had obviously thought about it before, as I believe the earthworks had been there for many years before the chord was actually laid in.

[Roger]

We lived in Swansea for a few years in the mid 1970s and on one occasion we caught a "Monkey Special" that used the curve to enable the working to drop us off at Clifton Down for the zoo. The stock went on to Malago to be prepared for the evening return run. I vaguely remember the motive power being a Class 37 to and from Cardiff.
I have a 1953 Ordnace Survey map which shows the curve as "track bed" (apogies if that is not the correct term).

[Robin Summerhill]

We lived in Swansea for a few years in the mid 1970s and on one occasion we caught a "Monkey Special" that used the curve to enable the working to drop us off at Clifton Down for the zoo. The stock went on to Malago to be prepared for the evening return run. I vaguely remember the motive power being a Class 37 to and from Cardiff.
I have a 1953 Ordnace Survey map which shows the curve as "track bed" (apogies if that is not the correct term).

Now you come to mention it, BR ran a number of excursions in those days and I took a day trip to Aberystwyth on Sunday 8th August 1971 on one of them (I happen to still have a log of the run).

Outbound the train stopped at Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road and Filton, but on the return run we stopped at Patchway and then took the then new curve to run via Hallen, calling at Avonmouth and then all stations to Temple Meads.

The motive power might almost be interesting too - D1633 to Shrewsbury and return, D210 for the Cambrian section.

[Robin Summerhill]

But somebody had obviously thought about it before, as I believe the earthworks had been there for many years before the chord was actually laid in.

I have a 1953 Ordnance Survey map which shows the curve as "track bed"

It certainly appears on the 1" 7th series OS map 1953 revision as a "course of railway" rather than a railway line itself.

I wonder if there might have been a spur there in wartime that was subsequently removed. Anybody know?

[jules]

I wonder if there might have been a spur there in wartime that was subsequently removed. Anybody know?

As far as I know, the 1970's was the first time track had ever been laid on the earthworks ...

[Noguidedbus]

It's 3 years since the last post here, but things are going to change dramatically in the next few years. For the benefit especially of expatriate readers:

Filton Airfield is to close on 31 December 2012, with thousands of new houses being the favoured option for replacement. If the building happens, it may be the spark that gets the Henbury stretch open to passenger traffic again. BUT

A new deepwater port is being built at Avonmouth. Container traffic will increase greatly, and 40% or more will leave by rail.

Agility Trains, part of Hitachi, are to build a depot for the new IEP electric trains, due to arrive shortly after the GWR is electrified in 2016. This will be on the north-east segment of the "diamond". This will see considerable action, with the South West's fleet of electric and bi-mode trains being serviced there. Planning permission has been given, not without considerable objections from worried residents.

So watch this space!

(Oh, and Bristol Rovers no longer play at Eastville).

[the green mile]

First time I've come across this thread. The missing chord was definitely there in the early 1980's. I regularly took class 50's out from Bath Road for trial runs around that time. Normally we would go to Worle and back but while we were waiting to go off shed one day, we were asked if we could go to Chittening to assist a freight which had stalled coming out of Avonmouth. This was a train load of copper ingots with a 37 on the front which had come to grief on Hallen bank. We went on the front and piloted it through to Severn Tunnel Junction. Very rare to see a 50 and a 37 working together and it was also uncommon for 50's to work through the Severn Tunnel. When we pulled into the down yard, a mate of mine was on the platform purely by chance with his camera. I think I ruined his shot by hanging out of the cab window and 'waving' several fingers at him. Pretty sure it was 50044 and the trial run was deemed a success.

I went to Filton College in the early 70's and the memory is a bit vague but I have an idea that track on the missing chord could have been laid as early as that. I seem to recall rakes of hopper wagons (HAA's) using the chord but no recollection as to what they were loaded with or in which direction they travelled when loaded. Could it have been fly ash from Aberthaw being used as a foundation for the M5 in that area as it was used further down in Somereset (Puxton) around the same time?

[jules]

Pretty sure it was 50044 and the trial run was deemed a success.

Last time I was on that thing was a couple of years ago, hitching a lift from Bishops Lydeard to Taunton. 3 x 50s all together if I remember and collectively, they had almost gassed me to death by the time I staggered out of the cab at Taunton

Anyhow, back to the subject in hand: I am 99% certain the Avonmouth - South Wales curve was not put in during the 70s re-signalling - as from my post 3 years ago, the earthworks had been there since before the war, but for some reason, it just never got any track. I seem to recall the curve was opened in the 1980s? Possibly at the same time Filton Bank was cut back from 4 to 2 tracks (dequadrupled, if there is such a word!).

[Robin Summerhill]

I seem to recall the curve was opened in the 1980s? Possibly at the same time Filton Bank was cut back from 4 to 2 tracks (dequadrupled, if there is such a word!).

See my post above from May 2nd 2009. I actually traveled it on a special on Sunday 8th August 1971.

[jules]

My memory must be failing me! I just don't ever recall it being there that early, but it must have been.

Re-reading the old thread though, there was never a route without reversal between Avonmouth and South Wales before this chord was put in. Even when the Severn Beach to Pilning Low Level line was in existence, it joined the main line in the up direction, so still no way to get to South Wales without a reversal.

Which raises the question - before the curve was put in, where did the Monkey Specials reverse? Stoke Gifford? Or maybe even Stapleton Road or TM?

[Ian L Jamieson]

I was living in Bristol in the seventies, and I recall nothing of this chord whatsoever. Surely it would have been in the BEP or even Points West when it was re-instated.

Unless my memory has completely failed me!

[madhattie]

From a certain Bristol railway website... 'This section of line is known as the Patchway Curve. It came into use on 22nd February 1971, although it has been marked on maps since the 1920s. '