Severn Beach - was it a dead end pre-Beeching?

43126 · Post by **43126** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:53 pm

I think a miniature railway may have run around the boundry of the lake grounds, Severn Beach was alway's known as Bristol's seaside resort with its caravans and chalet's that looked more like garden sheds, But it was a happy holidays for the city people of Bristol.

the green mile · Post by **the green mile** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:10 pm

A family day trip to Severn Beach in the 50'sand 60's by train from Stapleton Road was considered to be a treat. The miniature railway was at the north end of the village by a lake as stated. Not a great deal to do there except waste money in the penny arcades.

In the 60's it was possible to see the Severn Bridge being constructed. Three decades later, I often enjoyed a bracing walk along the newly constructed sea defences to sit and watch the 2000 ton caissons of the Second Severn Crossing being manoeuvred into position. I went there on the day it was opened by HRH the Prince of Wales and filmed the preserved vessels Balmoral and Waverley sailing downstream under the main span. Following the opening ceremony, myself and the young lady I was with drove across to the Welsh side and found a very secluded hilltop overlooking the two bridges whereby we 'celebrated' the event in the open air. A very memorable day out!

I drove my first train on a return trip from Severn Beach through Clifton Down Tunnel. I was sat in the seat behind the cab of car W51070 when the driver invited me in to sit on his lap and have a go. I would have been about 8 at the time. Somehow, I just can't see something like that happening these days.

jules · Post by **jules** » Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:23 pm

I did tell them its not quite like as advertised and they may be a little disapointed, Off we went on our journey to Severn Beach, They asked when they got off the bus how often the bus run back to Bristol, Every hour i said but i am going back in about 15 minutes,

Amazing that there was a bus on that route (was it 324?) that ran every hour. My Aunt lives in Hallen (on the same route) and nowadays, they get one bus in the morning and one in the evening - if they are lucky!

That's progress, eh?

acook · Post by **acook** » Sun Feb 10, 2013 12:14 am

Why was there such a large canopy at the front of the old station?

jules · Post by **jules** » Sun Feb 10, 2013 11:10 am

Why was there such a large canopy at the front of the old station?

Believe it or not, huge crowds used to travel there from Bristol on bank holidays. In the beginning, there were no facilities at all - not even toilets.

So, I should imagine the large canopy was for all those happy holidaymakers to stand under and shelter from the rain ...

43126 · Post by **43126** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:29 pm

jules wrote:
I did tell them its not quite like as advertised and they may be a little disapointed, Off we went on our journey to Severn Beach, They asked when they got off the bus how often the bus run back to Bristol, Every hour i said but i am going back in about 15 minutes,
Amazing that there was a bus on that route (was it 324?) that ran every hour. My Aunt lives in Hallen (on the same route) and nowadays, they get one bus in the morning and one in the evening - if they are lucky!

That's progress, eh?

You have a good memory, Yes it was the 324, I had to think about that even though i drove the dam things.

jules · Post by **jules** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:42 pm

You have a good memory, Yes it was the 324, I had to think about that even though i drove the dam things.

Those funny little Bristol single deckers with the rounded roof and split windscreens with the door at the front - we used to call them "Spaceships" when I was a kid. Only other routes they were used on in Bristol was the 19 and the CCC (City Centre Circle). Not too difficult to remember, it's the 624 nowadays - they added 300 to the number when South Glos took over paying for it.

Anyhow, not to hijack this thread with ancient bus ramblings - We have a perfectly serviceable and long standing "No 33 Bus Thread" on here for that!

Ian L Jamieson · Post by **Ian L Jamieson** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:27 pm

jules wrote:
You have a good memory, Yes it was the 324, I had to think about that even though i drove the dam things.
Those funny little Bristol single deckers with the rounded roof and split windscreens with the door at the front - we used to call them "Spaceships" when I was a kid.

I wish that I knew what you are talking about, Jules.

That description just about covers every single-decker bus ever made. My guess is that you are talking about the Bristol MW but I stand to be corrected on that.

43126 · Post by **43126** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:02 pm

jules wrote:
You have a good memory, Yes it was the 324, I had to think about that even though i drove the dam things.
Those funny little Bristol single deckers with the rounded roof and split windscreens with the door at the front - we used to call them "Spaceships" when I was a kid. Only other routes they were used on in Bristol was the 19 and the CCC (City Centre Circle). Not too difficult to remember, it's the 624 nowadays - they added 300 to the number when South Glos took over paying for it.

Anyhow, not to hijack this thread with ancient bus ramblings - We have a perfectly serviceable and long standing "No 33 Bus Thread" on here for that!

You are quite right Jules they were called Spaceships MWtype but were indeed used on a lot of the country services around Bristol.

Ian L Jamieson · Post by **Ian L Jamieson** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:27 pm

You are quite right Jules they were called Spaceships MWtype but were indeed used on a lot of the country services around Bristol.

Yes, the MWs were the standard Bristol/ECW single decker from around 1959 until 1966 or thereabouts. I never heard them called spaceships though.

43126 · Post by **43126** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:06 pm

Ian L Jamieson wrote:
You are quite right Jules they were called Spaceships MWtype but were indeed used on a lot of the country services around Bristol.
Yes, the MWs were the standard Bristol/ECW single decker from around 1959 until 1966 or thereabouts. I never heard them called spaceships though.

It was a nickname the drivers called them.

jolly47roger · Post by **jolly47roger** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 2:40 pm

I've read that there used to be a miniature railway at Severn Beach

Not a brilliant picture - from the summer of 1960

jules · Post by **jules** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:04 pm

Ha ha! So Deltics DID work to Severn Beach!

Bill · Post by **Bill** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:25 pm

Ah, Severn Beach. or Severn Mud as it was known in our family!

The train service from either direction, which I faintly recall from before much was closed, was essentially run as two separate services which happened to meet there. If trains were run through round the circle, it was just an operating convenience. I can only recall from just after the diesels took over, it was three-car sets on all the operation, and even in summer you might have the carriage to yourself on the last lap.

It was the setting for a somewhat ghostly television production in probably the 1970s, after we had moved away, filmed in deserted wintertime, but we all at home instantly said "that's Severn Beach".

I drove my first train on a return trip from Severn Beach through Clifton Down Tunnel. I was sat in the seat behind the cab of car W51070 when the driver invited me in to sit on his lap and have a go. I would have been about 8 at the time.

Me, same age, same time, same experience, only in my case returning from Portishead. Allowed to blow the horn for the various crossings as well. My mother said I did one back to front, high-low instead of low-high. I wonder if it was the same kid-friendly driver .....

Not a brilliant picture - from the summer of 1960

I think this is here, on Beach Road. Here it is 53 years on

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=51.563989, ... 82,,0,5.76

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 1:14 pm

There were at least 3 drivers who let me into the cab on the 'Beach line regularly, and one always used to let me stop the train at my station - Redland. Got quite a dab hand at it after a couple of goes! They all got me to hand over the token at Hallen Marsh on return from the 'Beach