53809 visiting AVR

Rich_Eason · Post by **Rich_Eason** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 2:17 pm

Made it up to Bitton yesterday and the turn out of the public was pretty impressive.

I just hope that the numbers of people equated to a healthy number of donations recieved as it was gettinig pretty busy about 14:00.

One of a few shots captured yesterday...

Shovel · Post by **Shovel** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:18 am

AVR Gala will have the following steam engines in service, 53809;70;7151;4015 also D2994 will be operating.

First passenger train will be at 9.50a.m hauled by 53809.

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:12 pm

Good crowd today with many children taking the ride in the half term hols. The cycle track was packed with cameras although one or two cyclists didn't appreciate that they weren't wanted on video or on camera!!!!

53809 needed little effort to pull 4 coaches up the gradient from Riverside but oh to hear that distinctive whistle again.

I bumped into a near neighbour of mine from some 40 years ago who used to be on the footplate of the 7Fs (David Norman) - good to have a chat about the old days.

MKC · Post by **MKC** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:03 pm

Think i may pop along sunday for a few phots

get_that_bus_out · Post by **get_that_bus_out** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:39 pm

Evening all,

The final information regarding arrangements for the gala has now been posted online. At risk of repeating myself or other people, there are four loco diagrams (subject to availability, of course). These are for 53809, 7151+4015 (the RSH and the Ferrum) working in tandem all day, MSC70 (which does a fair bit of banking of goods trains between Riverside and Bitton) and D2994. All the locos work some passenger, some goods and some light engine services over the course of the day.

Full working timetables will be available from the booking office at Bitton, price Ãº1.50 which includes a greetings card with a painting by Alan Ward of 53809 hauling a goods through Bitton in the snow. Passenger trains depart Bitton at...
09.50 to Avon Riverside,
10.22 to Oldland Common,
10.50 to Avon Riverside,
11.28 to Oldland Common,
12.05 to Avon Riverside,
13.31 to Avon Riverside,
14.10 to Oldland Common,
14.38 to Avon Riverside,
15.16 to Oldland Common,
16.13 to Oldland Common and
16.52 to Avon Riverside.

As any recent visitors will know, parts of the car park at Bitton are doing a very good impression of a building site at the moment. Additional free parking has therefore been arranged close to Oldland Common Station on the A4175 (just over 1 mile from Bitton Station) from where a free preserved bus shuttle service will operate from 9am throughout the day.

Full details are at
http://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/events/gla.html

I'm rostered as secondman on D2994 during the morning then as the "signaller" at Oldland Common for the rest of the day: hope to see as many of you as possible there as we can only make the event a success with your help!

mow · Post by **mow** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:59 pm

Took some shots of 53809 running this afternoon. It was a shame the sun wasn't shinning but it was good to see this engine running on the AVR.

http://michael527.fotopic.net/c1395304.html

Have just added some pictures of 53809 on the drivers' course yesterday afternoon. It was coupled up to some goods stock.

http://michael527.fotopic.net/c1397203.html

Post by **madhattie** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 6:10 pm

Some shots from today.

mow · Post by **mow** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:48 pm

I liked the second shot, thought it was black and white to begin with! Looks as if the conditions were challenging.

BristleGWR · Post by **BristleGWR** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:01 pm

A few of mine from the past week.

The 7F crosses one of the 3 arch bridges on the driver experience course on Saturday 20th October

The 7F viewed from Bitton Hill on the driver experience course on Saturday 20th October

The 7F coming off shed on Saturday 20th October

The 7F between Oldland Common and Bitton on Sunday 21st October

The 7F crosses one of the 3 arch bridges on a normal passenger service on Tuesday 23rd October

The 7F between Avonside and Bitton viewed from near Hanging Hill (Upton Cheney) on Tuesday 23rd October

7151 & Karel double heading between Bitton and Oldland Common on Sunday 28th October

The 7F between Avonside and Bitton viewed from near Hanging Hill (Upton Cheney) shortly before the sun set on Sunday 28th October

mow · Post by **mow** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:10 pm

Nice shots of the 7F on the three arch bridge, did you take the pictures on Tuesday? It would have been a good day to get over there. Were the distance shots taken from the hill overlooking Bitton and Willsbridge?

I tried with limited success to photograph the goods train climbing the gradient but there was a bit too much moisture in the air yesterday mid afternoon.

Thanks for posting them.

BristleGWR · Post by **BristleGWR** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:36 pm

mow wrote:Nice shots of the 7F on the three arch bridge, did you take the pictures on Tuesday? It would have been a good day to get over there. Were the distance shots taken from the hill overlooking Bitton and Willsbridge?

I tried with limited success to photograph the goods train climbing the gradient but there was a bit too much moisture in the air yesterday mid afternoon.

Thanks for posting them.

Hi Michael,

I've just added some descriptions to the photos in the post above.

Ian

get_that_bus_out · Post by **get_that_bus_out** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:18 am

Evening all, just got home after the gala. Thanks to all of you who turned out today, sorry we couldn't arrange the weather a bit better (although yours truly probably came off as badly as anyone, being posted at Oldland Common all afternoon...) Hope you enjoyed the event as much as I did. Good news is that it would appear that 53809's visit has been a reasonable success financially too, so hopefully there will be scope for similar visits of large locos in the future.

Post by **madhattie** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:56 am

One more of mine. Black locos and rainy days make for hard work when getting photos! Like all the sunsets up above, smashing stuff!

mow · Post by **mow** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:44 am

Ian, I'm glad to see that the weather abated for the sunset shots at Hanging Hill yesterday. Conditions looked rather challenging for much of the morning!

simon · Post by **simon** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:02 pm

some excellent photos on show above, much better than my efforts.

I'm glad conditions improved on Sunday as around lunch time it seemed set for the day and I decided to call an end to standing in the rain and went home.

It was a pity Saturday was driver expereince only, there were a fair few members of the public who turned up expecting the trains to be running.

The Bristol Railway Archive

53809 visiting AVR

Final gala info now available online