Good Pics of the Old Portishead (New) Station

[Portishead Prowler]

On BBC Bristol. HERE

[tonyperks]

some of the date captions are wrong, the one taken from the cab rank can't have been 1954 as the line of mini estates give this up to be at least 1959 as the mini wasnt launched 'till then. Good pics though.

[Stav]

Indeed, that looks like a Jag Mk2 at the bottom left and they wasnt released till about 1956 either.

Id be inclined to say, going by the BR Blue diesel, the signs, and the cars, it might even be 10yrs out on the date, the last year of passenger service, 1964.

[horace]

The give way sign is the give away this has to be 1964 or later, that is a modern Worboys give way sign. Which actually was not formally introduced until Jan 1st 1965!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_sign

I would also look at the Mk2 Cortina going past the sign that was not introduced until 1966!!!

Could the coaches be a workman's train or old coaches being taken away. The roadworks layout looks very modern. i would suggest this was in between the end of the passenger service in 1965 and final closure in 1981.
Early 70's ???

[Stav]

The car directly below right of the Esso logo is a Mk1 Cortina rather than Mk2, so anytime from 1962 for that one.

The white car facing the camera top right looks like a Singer Chamois (a posher Hillman Imp), which would make it late 60s at earliest if it is one.

The loco is a Warship isnt it? Which would put the date at very early 70s at latest.
The train consists of 2x passenger cars and the parcels van by looks of. This before my time so I wouldnt know what the usual passenger trains consisted of back then to Portishead, but im sure some of you do.

The roadsigns certainly do seem too modern for even 64 though, I wasnt too happy saying 64, but the passenger train forced me to it, lol

[sideways]

That is a mk2 cortina,I had two,one was a 1600E

[jules]

The loco is a Warship isnt it? Which would put the date at very early 70s at latest.

It's definately NOT before 9th June 1966, when BR blue was first applied. The loco is a Warship, with BR Blue and full yellow ends (early versions of BR blue only had small yellow warning panels). It took the WR quite some time to get going on BR Blue, so the pic is between late 1967 and December 1972, when the last Warships were withdrawn. My personal guess would be 1970/1?

As to what the Warship is doing at Portishead with passenger coaches, long after any passenger service was withdrawn, I've no idea. An inspection train maybe?

[Portishead Prowler]

Did anyone notice the caption about track clearance, with a view to reopening the line?????

Have I missed something now that I am a "distant" observer in the Cotswolds?

[horace]

The mk 2 cortina is the one going away turning right, not the mk 1 parked beside the sign.

The last coal train for the power station was in 1973 so it is before then as there are still coal trucks parked up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portishead_power_station

i again say early 70's about 1971??

[Stav]

Good info about the BR blue, I didnt know the exact date but also expected that to be after even 64.

That is a mk2 cortina,I had two,one was a 1600E

I think we are looking at different cars, You mean the white one at the front? I wasnt sure what it was from that angle.
I mean the darker one behind it, which deffo is a Mk1, as can see the circular tri-segment rear lights.

[Hobbler]

The loco is a Warship isnt it? Which would put the date at very early 70s at latest.

It's definately NOT before 9th June 1966, when BR blue was first applied. The loco is a Warship, with BR Blue and full yellow ends (early versions of BR blue only had small yellow warning panels). It took the WR quite some time to get going on BR Blue, so the pic is between late 1967 and December 1972, when the last Warships were withdrawn. My personal guess would be 1970/1?

As to what the Warship is doing at Portishead with passenger coaches, long after any passenger service was withdrawn, I've no idea. An inspection train maybe?

I think I remember several enthusiasts trips down the line in the late sixties. Certainly the BAC Railway Society organised a Brakevan tour then so perhaps it was one of those type of workings .

[Ian Bennett]

Gents,

Most of these were obtained from my collection of pictures of Portishead. The car at the bottom IS a Mk 1 Cortina!

The Warship excursion was, I understand organised in 65 or 66 by a teacher at the Gordano school.

Ian B