Industrial Locomotive Scene

[Grayo59]

What recollections have you of Industrial railways around Bristol?
Obviously there were the PBA locomotives and the 0-4-0 Sentinel diesel shunters at the "Smelting Works" in Avonmouth - any others?

ICI, Bristol Docks, etc?

I remember the smelting works had an 0-6-0 saddle tank on standby until at least January 1971, over two years after the end of BR Steam.

[madhattie]

What recollections have you of Industrial railways around Bristol?
Obviously there were the PBA locomotives and the 0-4-0 Sentinel diesel shunters at the "Smelting Works" in Avonmouth - any others?

ICI, Bristol Docks, etc?

I remember the smelting works had an 0-6-0 saddle tank on standby until at least January 1971, over two years after the end of BR Steam.

I remember the shunters at ICI, in fact Mike P and myself have been scouring the net for months now hoping someone, somewhere will have a pic of one to refresh our memories.

Mike found a pic of the correct type of loco at http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/ and photoshopped the ICI livery over it:



I think I only ever saw these locos 'end on' from the road past the works!

Of course, my own personal fave would be Western Pride, the loco that worked the coal trains at Bristol Docks. I must have spent hours watching that loco shuffling backwards and forwards.



Does anyone remember the self-propelled crane that was dumped for ages at Bristol Docks? It was on the bit of land between Gasferry Road and Hannover Place? It seemed like it was there forever, then suddenly vanished! I was always surprised that it never ended up at the Industrial Museum. (or did it??)

[APW]

There is an old small self-propelled crane in use at the Industrial Museum.

It runs along the track on two axles, and they use it for track laying etc. I last saw it being used just a few days ago.

Is this what you mean?

[madhattie]

There is an old small self-propelled crane in use at the Industrial Museum.

It runs along the track on two axles, and they use it for track laying etc. I last saw it being used just a few days ago.

Is this what you mean?

Blimey, could be! I'll have to go and have a look now

I remember the one I'm thinking of as being tall, upright I guess, and I think it was just a two axle jobbie. Not very big.

[APW]

Aha! I've found a picture of it:

http://nightbreeze.8m.com/nb7.jpg

Is that it?

[madhattie]

Is that it?

Nope!

I think the one I remember may have been a steam crane with an upright boiler. I have only a very hazy recollection though and may be completely wrong!

[simon]

My Dad was in charge of the locos at the smelting works at one stage - he was responsible for the change over from steam.

As you say the saddle tank was kept as standby until being sold to Avonside Engineering and thence on to the Bristol Suburban Railway - now the Avon Valley. If you look on my site there are a few photos of it...including one on its way to the open day at Bath Road - 1971 or 72(?); one at Fry's being restored

I'm still loking for others....
http://simon71.fotopic.net

[AndyK]

Does anyone remember the self-propelled crane that was dumped for ages at Bristol Docks? It was on the bit of land between Gasferry Road and Hannover Place? It seemed like it was there forever, then suddenly vanished! I was always surprised that it never ended up at the Industrial Museum. (or did it??)

I think I do remember that. It might have belonged to Charles Hill's shipyard. There was a siding that extended from the Wapping Wharf lines over Gas Ferry Road and into the shipyard. I remember in about 1970 (when ships were still being built there but the rail connection was no longer in use) peering through a locked gate into the shipyard and seeing a rail-mounted steam crane. I did take a photograph and I might still be able to find it, but unfortunately I don't have the means to scan it.

[jules]

Here's a few more for you:

There was a private diesel shunter based at Filton Junction coal yard - I believe it was owned by The Bristol Mechanised Coal Company.

Also, there was one at Wapping Wharf until quite late on (at least the late 70's/early 80's) owned by The Western Fuel Company.

I seem to recall they were both painted yellow - maybe even the same beast? From what I remember - 0-6-0 mechanical.

[madhattie]

There was a private diesel shunter based at Filton Junction coal yard - I believe it was owned by The Bristol Mechanised Coal Company.

Also, there was one at Wapping Wharf until quite late on (at least the late 70's/early 80's) owned by The Western Fuel Company.

That's Western Pride, a small picture of which is in an earlier posting in this thread!

The one at Filton was (grabs reference books) a Baguley 0-4-0. I always remember it as being green, but I wouldn't put money on that recollection. (the pics in the reference books are B&W)

Western Pride is owned by a member of the Avon Valley Railway and is currently stored at Long Marston. Hopefully one day she'll return to Bristol..

[madhattie]

The one at Filton was (grabs reference books) a Baguley 0-4-0. I always remember it as being green, but I wouldn't put money on that recollection. (the pics in the reference books are B&W)

To follow this up, I asked on the Industrial Railway Society mailing list if anyone knew the fate of this loco and I got the following reply courtesy of Ken Scanes:

"Baguley 3410 of 1955 went to Marstons Brewery, Burton-on-Trent, then on to Barrow Hill.

New to Marston, Burton, Staffs.
To Bristol Mechanised Coal, Filton, c12/66.
Rtn Marston, Burton, for preservation, 3/90.
To Barrow Hill Shed, Derbys, 2/9/1997."

So both locos have survived into preservation

[madhattie]

To Barrow Hill Shed, Derbys, 2/9/1997.

And to follow this up again! The loco is now at the Chasewater railway:

http://railfoto.fotopic.net/p11499400.html

Great stuff

[Grayo59]

My Dad was in charge of the locos at the smelting works at one stage - he was responsible for the change over from steam.

http://simon71.fotopic.net

My Dad was at the smelting works from 1947 to 1983 - in later years he was stores/supplies superintendent.

I was there from 1978 to 1983 as stockchecker and I remember stock checking four tyres every six months for the sentinel 0-4-0's

Also my Uncle was foreman shunter on the PBA and he left me the brass whistle from the shunting loco "kenneth" (Peckett saddle tank built 1900)works no 808 scrapped in 1959 by Pugsley's of Bristol.

[simon]

My Dad was at the smelting works from 1947 to 1983 - in later years he was stores/supplies superintendent.

I was there from 1978 to 1983 as stockchecker and I remember stock checking four tyres every six months for the sentinel 0-4-0'

my dad was there from '51 to some time in the mid 80's his name is Stan Whittingham, as he ended up as general manager i'm sure you will have heard his name. As I say he was in charge of the locos at one stage - he tells me they had a ex-GWR pannier tank. There was also a narrow gauge network within the works steam driven at one stage.

[Grayo59]

That name rings a bell - I started off on the mail rounds and the guy in charge of production services was Terry Moule (superintendent) - sounds like your dad was his boss (in engineering dept?)

My Dad was Colin Gray - sadly passed away now - I'm sure your father would have known him - however he was in the Chief Accountant's (Dick Taylor) department not on production or engineering. The works manager in my time was Ron Bath.

I beleive the narrow guage system closed down in 1971 - before my time - but I remember evidence of it in the rail/road crossings around the No 1 site.