Canon's Marsh

BristleGWR · Post by **BristleGWR** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:26 pm

Canon's Marsh as viewed from the Cabot Tower. I think the now shot might look a bit different!!

stuartjenkins · Post by **stuartjenkins** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:02 pm

That's a cracking shot, any ideas of the date?

BristleGWR · Post by **BristleGWR** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:13 pm

Not too sure of the date, the council house looks complete so I would say late 50's to mid 60's.

If anyone knows when the building being built in the foreground was built that should narrow it down to a year or so.

Agency_Scum · Post by **Agency_Scum** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:45 pm

God that's beautiful! Cheers mate.

stumpytrain · Post by **stumpytrain** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 1:09 pm

Amazing photograph, absolutely fantastic!

Injector · Post by **Injector** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:18 pm

I think the date of photo is 1961 as the railway is still running and the flats on Radcliffe hill are completed and that was done in 1960 hope that helps

Arch · Post by **Arch** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 2:17 pm

I remember the sidings adjacent to Anchor Rd being removed (oxy-acetylene cutters) sometime 1965-67 - you had a great view from the Cath School Chem Lab !

simon · Post by **simon** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:23 pm

Arch wrote:I remember the sidings adjacent to Anchor Rd being removed (oxy-acetylene cutters) sometime 1965-67 - you had a great view from the Cath School Chem Lab !

Another ex-cathadralian?, though a bit earlier than me. 1969-1976

Arch · Post by **Arch** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:30 am

Yep - but I was only there for 6th Form '65-'67.

The Chem Lab was the top (2nd) floor of the Armstrong (?) Wing, so there was a pretty good view over the road. The sparks from the cutting torches were really spectacular.

Chemistry master was a Mr Thursfield - I can recall feeling a bit guilty at not paying attention much during that lesson, but he didn't notice (or at least, he didn't say anything). I actually passed A-level chem, rather to my surprise.

[Best teacher there was Teddy Martin (as John Fortune keeps saying)].

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:03 am

simon wrote:
Arch wrote:I remember the sidings adjacent to Anchor Rd being removed (oxy-acetylene cutters) sometime 1965-67 - you had a great view from the Cath School Chem Lab !
Another ex-cathadralian?, though a bit earlier than me. 1969-1976

And me 1967-74. All the track had gone by the time I had started, though I do remember seeing shunting there in earlier years. I think the Canons Marsh line was full of atmosphere - weaving between the houses and squeezed between the Hotwells road and the river.

It's very under-photographed and I've never, ever seen any pictures of trains on the quayside lines. Has anyone else?

Agency_Scum · Post by **Agency_Scum** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:17 am

It just strikes home what a grand job Madhattie's doing. Photographing everything before the whole damn network becomes either a housing estate or some councillor's bus-lane-wet-dream that'll last for 10 minutes ( the last comment aimed at the poor beleagured souls of the " Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways " ).

Post by **madhattie** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:13 am

Thanks Mr, errrr.... scum!

It's definitely teamwork on this website nowadays though, with the memories shared on the forum and the archive photos of the area that I've been sent.

Thanks everyone, happy christmas to you all

mjt · Post by **mjt** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 3:17 pm

AndyK wrote:
And me 1967-74. All the track had gone by the time I had started, though I do remember seeing shunting there in earlier years. I think the Canons Marsh line was full of atmosphere - weaving between the houses and squeezed between the Hotwells road and the river.

It's very under-photographed and I've never, ever seen any pictures of trains on the quayside lines. Has anyone else?

Andy,

There are a few published photos that I've come across. Here are the ones I can lay my hands on:

Colin Maggs' 'Rail Centres: Bristol' (Ian Allan): an undated photo of a Dean Goods on a down goods alongside Hotwells Road, & also one shewing 2070 (2021 cl. 0-6-0PT) shunting, also undated but carrying a smokebox numberplate, so BR-days.

Mike Vincent's 'Reflections on the Portishead Branch' (OPC) which also covers the harbour lines in some detail: a photo dated 25/7/35 shewing an unrecorded open-cab 2021-class pannier, & one of 9769 crossing the Cumberland Basin Swing Bridge at the head of a 3 coach RCTS railtour of 26/9/59.

Dowling's & Whitehouse's 'British Rlys Past & Present, vol 16': a photo dated Feb '59 of 3776 on an up goods alongside Hotwells Road, & also one dated 20/11/63 of D6351 alongside Avon Crescent Signal Box on an up goods, having just crossed the Cumberland Basin Swing Bridge.

Railway Bylines for August 2000 has a 14 page article on the Harbour lines by editor Martin Smith (using a nom-de-plume, & who coincidentally is also an ex-Cathedralian). The cover photo shews 9769 on that RCTS railtour heading towards Canons Marsh alongside HMS Brinkley moored at Mardyke Wharf. It also has the photo of D6351 at Avon Crescent described above.

Finally 'GW Steam around Bristol' (Bradford Barton) has another (& different) photo of 9769 & the RCTS railtour alongside HMS Brinkley.

Mike Vincent's book on the Portishead branch & that Railway Bylines issue are definitely worth getting hold of if you are interested in the Bristol Harbour lines. Both are well illustrated & have a good selection of maps. The magazine includes the 1918 edition 25" OS map for the harbour area (albeit reduced a bit).

I hope this helps. The line certainly was atmospheric - I knew it a bit in the early 60s. I would always check out was was happening on it when I visited the Central Library (where the railway section was so much more comprehensive than that in my local library by Clifton Down station & where I could read Railway World & Model Railway News in the periodical section in the basement!)

Regards

doggeface · Post by **doggeface** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:38 pm

The Quayside lines were not worked by locomotives but by either horses or water hydraulic capstan vertical drumheads. The locos propelled the wagons across the road from the Yard where the loading team took over.

When I last moored up at Z shed (after the Lloyds building pushed us out) the capstans were still in position. I guess that would have been 1987/8.

I always have thought it a pity that the routes were never taken up as tram ways.

Regards