Did anyone see "Inside Out" on BBC1 at 7:30pm today (Monday)? Much of it was focusing on the Severn Beach line! I didn't have time to tape it (I wish I did, as I only discovered it was on halfway through) but it is on their website! A very good read for those interested in Bristol's Severn Beach line:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/west/ser ... lway.shtml
Enjoy!
Severn Beach line on today's Inside Out, BBC1, 7:30pm!
During my time as a guard in Bristol I worked to "The Beach" regularly.
When I first transferred to Bath Road from Westbury in 1984 I was a freight guard and did the "Avonmouth Tripper" quite often. Part of this duty entailed shunting the Rowntree's vans at Avonmouth, which involved entering their high-security compound behind Avonmouth station. Then there was the chemical plant at St. Andrew's Road: I'm not sure exactly what the chemicals were, but the whole place stank of the stuff and no vegetation grew anywhere near the site. Then there was the yellow smoke that continuously spewed from the works chimney....
Far worse was the ICI plant at Severn Beach: I had to form up trainloads of dangerous goods for onward shipping to London. These trains of highly toxic stuff required a brakevan for the guard to ride in. Not for braking purposes, but in case the train was involved in an accident, in which case the driver would, theoretically, run forward to protect and the guard would run back to protect the rear.
When I became a passenger guard I worked the old DMU's up and down the line until I had the seniority to progress to better jobs. They were hard work, what with being pay-trains. We used Omniprinter ticket machines and took a ú5 float with us. We used to put a rubber band around the last two levers on the ticket machine to disable them, as these were for setting fares over one pound, and no fare on the line was that much.
We had one particular turn which involved four trips to "The Beach" with a "Bubble Car". Whenever I got that job it was always a three-car unit and that annoyed me no end. One day I had done two trips with a three-car and was about to take my break before doing the next two, when a member of station staff at Temple Meads came up to me and said that the foreman at Bath Road wanted me to take that set round to St. Phillip's Marsh and bring a fresh set out for my next two trips. I won't go into too much detail about my reply, but in the event the foreman found someone else to do it.....
Hard work as it seemed then, I look back on those days with much fondness.
Andy
When I first transferred to Bath Road from Westbury in 1984 I was a freight guard and did the "Avonmouth Tripper" quite often. Part of this duty entailed shunting the Rowntree's vans at Avonmouth, which involved entering their high-security compound behind Avonmouth station. Then there was the chemical plant at St. Andrew's Road: I'm not sure exactly what the chemicals were, but the whole place stank of the stuff and no vegetation grew anywhere near the site. Then there was the yellow smoke that continuously spewed from the works chimney....
Far worse was the ICI plant at Severn Beach: I had to form up trainloads of dangerous goods for onward shipping to London. These trains of highly toxic stuff required a brakevan for the guard to ride in. Not for braking purposes, but in case the train was involved in an accident, in which case the driver would, theoretically, run forward to protect and the guard would run back to protect the rear.
When I became a passenger guard I worked the old DMU's up and down the line until I had the seniority to progress to better jobs. They were hard work, what with being pay-trains. We used Omniprinter ticket machines and took a ú5 float with us. We used to put a rubber band around the last two levers on the ticket machine to disable them, as these were for setting fares over one pound, and no fare on the line was that much.
We had one particular turn which involved four trips to "The Beach" with a "Bubble Car". Whenever I got that job it was always a three-car unit and that annoyed me no end. One day I had done two trips with a three-car and was about to take my break before doing the next two, when a member of station staff at Temple Meads came up to me and said that the foreman at Bath Road wanted me to take that set round to St. Phillip's Marsh and bring a fresh set out for my next two trips. I won't go into too much detail about my reply, but in the event the foreman found someone else to do it.....
Hard work as it seemed then, I look back on those days with much fondness.
Andy
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Guest
severn beach line
I used to lived in Bristol; used to catch the train from Montpelier to Temple Meads to get to work, as buses were always getting held up in traffic it was much quicker.
7p, I think it was in 1973. Used to see the Bristol Pullman at TM, about to go to London. I also recall diversions in 1974, and seeing Westerns pass through Montpelier with expresses.
On a fine Saturday, it made a nice trip in the other direction to Severn Beach. I remember class 37s on the South Wales to Clifton Down excursions, usually during the week, but I managed to combine this with taking exams once in 1977. When did these trains stop?
It's a pretty line around Sea Mills and Shirehampton, and I went on it last year, while back in Bristol for a weekend, for old times sake. I noticed that the old station and sidings at Shirehanmpton had gone.
Thanks for a very interesting web site and fascinating bits of history.
Best wishes
John
7p, I think it was in 1973. Used to see the Bristol Pullman at TM, about to go to London. I also recall diversions in 1974, and seeing Westerns pass through Montpelier with expresses.
On a fine Saturday, it made a nice trip in the other direction to Severn Beach. I remember class 37s on the South Wales to Clifton Down excursions, usually during the week, but I managed to combine this with taking exams once in 1977. When did these trains stop?
It's a pretty line around Sea Mills and Shirehampton, and I went on it last year, while back in Bristol for a weekend, for old times sake. I noticed that the old station and sidings at Shirehanmpton had gone.
Thanks for a very interesting web site and fascinating bits of history.
Best wishes
John