Steam in Bristol in 1964

[Geoffers]

The only one I have is this panoramic view of the main line taken from the road.

Thanks for that - not seen it before Actually the dreamland of my childhood!

I hadn't seen it before, either, though I suppose I experienced it real life at the time. I doubt that much of the track is still visible from the spot from which you took that photo. I might walk along there and see if I can re-create it in 2012 -- shame there are no steam trains due! Must have been taken between the Chesterfield Road and Hurlingham Road turnings off Ashley Hill, I assume.

[Marsh'Un]

Patrick

Belated thanks for a fascinating memory-evoking website.

On a previous thread, I mentioned seeing my first `Britannias` over 2 successive Sunday afternoons at 82B in early 1964.
I now know the days in question were 29th March and 5th April.
I always assumed that the Brits (70017/18) had worked down from Crewe on parcels/freight turns and was surprised to learn the Saturday 12.05 Manchester-Bristol passenger brought them to the Marsh.

Interestingly, the visit of 70018 coincided with 82B hosting B1 61002.
I well recall seeing `Flying Dutchman` and `Impala` at the Marsh but had forgotten that the 2 sightings were on the same day!

The website image of 47623 at Barrow Road really rolled back the years.
As you state, Jinties were practically unknown at 82E by 1963/64, and this was the only occasion that I saw one in B.R service, parked by the coal stage on a weekend afternoon.
I wonder if the engine was being transferred from Gloucester to Bath Green Park mpd, which could possibly explain its presence at 82E?

Finally, the visit of 45530 `Sir Frank Ree` was a real event..
Less than a dozen Patriots were in service by mid-1964 and all were shedded well away from this area..
45530 was a Willesden engine at the time, and I would guess that her visit represented the final appearance of the class in Bristol
I only wish I had seen one, unrebuilt or not........

Regards
Roy.

[Robin Summerhill]

The website image of 47623 at Barrow Road really rolled back the years.
As you state, Jinties were practically unknown at 82E by 1963/64, and this was the only occasion that I saw one in B.R service, parked by the coal stage on a weekend afternoon.
I wonder if the engine was being transferred from Gloucester to Bath Green Park mpd, which could possibly explain its presence at 82E?

My guess is that it would have been at 82E for repairs that neither Barnwood or Green Park could carry out.

[trafalgar45682]

With regard to Jinties, amazingly 47276 was working off Barrow Road from mid-September until Tuesday November 2, 1965. Whether it was initially under repair from Bath (as Robin suggests 47623 was), it was certainly used locally in the six week period, often working what the Roster Board called 8.15 Enparts, presumably the same turn as Pannier 9672 was on in this photo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/6646805043/

Two Jinties were also among the last five of the S&D engines to be stored in Bristol before being sent to South Wales

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/7220894018/

As far as Patriots were concerned, the last recorded instance I have of one in Bristol was 45531 which worked locally from Tuesday September 22 to Thursday September 24, 1964, when it left on 5M19 8.50 St Philips Yard - Water Orton.

The Britannias from Crewe made occasional visits to Barrow Road on 1V93 13.20 arrival from Liverpool, which was the only North to West express which did not stop at Newport, unitl late in 1965, when the Brush failed at Crewe.

[Marsh'Un]

I vaguely recall reading in `Railway Magazine` circa late `65/early`66 that 47276 had been used for filming work around the Bath Green park area , for which it was painted green on one side only(!).
I believe the film was titled "The Wrong Box".

The same Jinty also appeared at a Bath Road open day in Oct `65 (I have the exact date somewhere), but 47623 was the only one of the class I ever saw in steam.

The next 82A open day was March/April1966 from where (following a tip-off from a knowledgeable enthusiast), I wandered over to a side street off the Bath Road for a distant view of the line-up of withdrawn ex-S&D engines in Pylle Hill yard.

[trafalgar45682]

Marsh'Un wrote

I vaguely recall reading in `Railway Magazine` circa late `65/early`66 that 47276 had been used for filming work around the Bath Green park area , for which it was painted green on one side only(!).
I believe the film was titled "The Wrong Box".

It was indeed called "The Wrong Box". As you say there is a photo of 47276 at the buffer stops in Bath Green Park Station on September 10, 1965 in the December 1965 edition of Railway Magazine.

The engine then appeared at Barrow Road shortly afterwards.

The Open Day on Bath Road was Saturday October 23 and there were a number of steam engines present.

7029, 6859, 1420, 6435, 7924, 6141, 3659 and 47276.

1420 and 6435 had worked down to Bristol on a special a week earlier. Here they are seen on my friend John's Flickr site on Barrow Road

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

[Bill]

We left Bristol, and our house in Whitchurch which backed onto the Radstock line, towards the end of 1962. However the two regular locomotives from this line, 4103 and 4131, are still apparently in the city in 1964, although they have moved on from SPM to Barrow Road. I can't find any reference to them in the workings, so I am wondering what they were actually doing.

In the years up to 1962 these two were the daily performers on the two freights (almost entirely coal traffic from the remaining Somerset coal mines) which went south with empties at about 8.00 and 8.30, climbing the considerable gradient quite noisily, and which both returned at various times through the afternoon, just coasting quietly back down the grade, probably in fact being pushed by the loaded wagons.

[trafalgar45682]

Bill wrote

However the two regular locomotives from this line, 4103 and 4131, are still apparently in the city in 1964, although they have moved on from SPM to Barrow Road. I can't find any reference to them in the workings, so I am wondering what they were actually doing.

From the WTT of June 1963 the two turns to Radstock were T803 and T804, both diagrammed for 41xx engines. 4103/31 were transferred to Barrow Road in November 1962, joined by 6148 in April 1963 and these three covered the two turns until they were dieselised (I imagine) from mid-June 1964, when all three were transferred away. According to the WTT T803 departed Brislington at 7.44 and T804 arrived at Pensford at 9.00.

On the Barrow Road Roster Board they were one of about ten trip workings labelled "Bath Road Turns" which can be seen clearly on this photo of the Board from October 1965

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolste ... 5402030561

One of the Bath Road Turns was T820, diagrammed for a Pannier Tank which involved shunting and trip work around Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, East Depot and Kingsland Road. T803/4 would have been similar.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolste ... 5402030561

I didn't start recording engines on these turns until May 13, 1964, but two of the three praries were used daily on Bath Road Turns, almost certainly T803 and T804.

4103 last worked the turn on June 1, was on Barrow Road in steam on June 2 and was then Away Under Repair from June 3 until June 12, but I don't know where. 4131 worked one of the turns for the last time on Friday June 12, 1964. 6148 was transferred to Taunton from mid-June and although on paper 4103/31 remained at Barrow Road until withdrawal in September, they had gone by Monday June 15, as there are no further records of them on the Roster Board. They may have gone to Taunton like 6148. Both were sold to Birds Commercial Motors at Morriston for scrapping.

Here is a photo of 4131 inside Barrow Road Shed, alongside its more illustrious classmate, Barrow Road's last surviving Jubilee, 45682.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/5132939170/

[Bill]

Thank you Trafalgar (I'm sure I had your namesake underlined in my ABC!) for the time in doing these notes.

I never had a chance to take the passenger train from Whitchurch Halt, unlike my elder siblings who spoke about it, but I do recall being directed to the house rear windows to see the last passenger train, southbound. It was dark, so I only recall the lights of two coaches, I would guess with a 55xx on the train.

Those two freight trains in the morning, the first normally was visible from my bedroom window while getting ready for school, the second only seen in the holidays. I presume it had to wait at Brislington until the first cleared Pensford signalbox. I recall sufficiently that they were normally in numerical order, 4103 on the first train and 4131 on the second. Occasionally there was a pannier instead, and on just a couple of occasions a 43xx, presumably when the regulars were washing out.

Occasionally one train would return at lunchtime and, about an hour later, would be climbing again with an afternoon extra freight. Other than these, the only other workings on the line were the platelayers' petrol trolleys, which seemed to go up or down a couple of times a day. Going north, downhill, they were the fastest service on the line !

Loco 6148 was after my time, but I remember it turning up at Taunton where it was a regular on the Minehead branch for what was maybe the last summer before dieselisation of that line. I always thought as it was a 61xx it must have come there from London. The two 41xx didn't come there I don't believe - I would have remembered Old Friends!

Visiting former neighbours in later years, one must have been about 1966, when I was surprised to see a Hymek rumble past, and again a few years after that, when all that remained was recently uprooted rails thrown down on the trackbed.

[trafalgar45682]

Bill wrote

Occasionally one train would return at lunchtime and, about an hour later, would be climbing again with an afternoon extra freight.

T803 had an afternoon turn to Hallatrow (not quite sure where that is) and T804 had an afternoon turn to Radstock West.

Both engines had quite a long day with T803 leaving Barrow Road Shed at 6.45 a.m. and not returning to shed until 21.30, while T804 left shedat 7.45 a.m. and returned at 21.40.

From your knowledge of Taunton, it does appear that 4103/31 did not go there from mid-June 1964. It would be interesting to know where they were until September. Perhaps other readers may be able to help.

[free2grice]

T803 had an afternoon turn to Hallatrow (not quite sure where that is).

The route of the railway runs from Bristol TM - Whitchurch - Pensford - Clutton - HALLATROW - Farrington Gurney- Radstock. <BJ>

[trafalgar45682]

Many thanks !