Southern Region Locos in the Bristol area ?

[Robin Summerhill]

Here they are!

Pete

Thanks for uploading them so quickly.

My notes on the back of the photographs only say "May 1972."

[AndyK]

In the thread relating to locomotive types that worked on the Portishead branch is a reference to a couple of Southern Region classes not being allowed to work further down the branch than Clifton Bridge station.

I've always supposed that the provision for these exotic locos on the branch was in case they might be hauling football excursions to Ashton Gate.

[mjt]

In fact the next 2 pictures shew 3440 & the tender of Caley 4-2-0 123 which of course visited TM at the end of March 1960 after being on display at the naming of 92220 at Swindon.

Oops, an embarrassing typo! Of course I meant 4-2-2. Photos by Ivo Peters in his 'Steam Around Bath' shew the pair passing Keynsham on their way to TM on 25 March 1960 & at TM waiting to depart for Cardiff on 1 April 1960. I was lucky - quite unaware of their presence I went 'spotting at TM on the 1st so caught them on their last day in Bristol.

[Hobbler]

I've always supposed that the provision for these exotic locos on the branch was in case they might be hauling football excursions to Ashton Gate.

A very good point - I was never often in that area on match days so would not have been likely to see any football excursions and therefore have no way of knowing if "foreign" locos were frequent visitors to the branch.

Was there much football excursion traffic for the Rovers matches at Eastville ? I presume that would have gone to Stapleton Road or Ashley Hill ?

[Robin Summerhill]

I've always supposed that the provision for these exotic locos on the branch was in case they might be hauling football excursions to Ashton Gate.

A very good point - I was never often in that area on match days so would not have been likely to see any football excursions and therefore have no way of knowing if "foreign" locos were frequent visitors to the branch.

Was there much football excursion traffic for the Rovers matches at Eastville ? I presume that would have gone to Stapleton Road or Ashley Hill ?

When I was on the railway (1969 to 1976) all football traffic went to Temple Meads. In earlier days I wouldn't know.

Stapleton Road could have handled long trains and quite large crowds, but Ashley Hill and Clifton Bridge???

[Rich_Eason]

I remember seeing the class 204 and 205 DEMU's doing the Portsmouth Cardiff runs at Patchway when I were a lad...

If you could call them "Locos" is another thing...although they did have the dielsel engines out of Class 73's so guess that kinda makes them "locos"?

The "EMU Trailers" are/were 4TCs and are simply coaches without any traction motors but have 3rd rail pick up and control gear...

[Hobbler]

When I was on the railway (1969 to 1976) all football traffic went to Temple Meads. In earlier days I wouldn't know.

Stapleton Road could have handled long trains and quite large crowds, but Ashley Hill and Clifton Bridge???

Clifton Bridge was not used for football traffic but Ashton Gate platform which was only a few yards from the City ground was as far as I know especially built to cater for football trains.

[AndyK]

When I was on the railway (1969 to 1976) all football traffic went to Temple Meads. In earlier days I wouldn't know.

Are you sure about that Robin? I took a photo in the early 70's (unfortunately I have now lost it) of Ashton Gate station with newly installed British Rail-style black-on-white nameboards.

As I remember, the station, which had been completely disused, was reinstated for football traffic. Some of the funding, I recall, came from a body named the Football Trust. How long this opening lasted for, I don't know. Maybe no excursions ever actually called there.

[jules]

Maybe no excursions ever actually called there.

During the '50's and '60's there were regular Saturday football specials from Avonmouth via Clifton Down to Ashton Gate platform, calling all stations when City were playing at home. Probably ceased when Portishead lost it's passenger service. I have a timetable somewhere at home ...

To the best of my memory, the platform was re-instated for long distance footex's early 70's but was never that much used.

The very last time it was used for sure was when Billy Graham did a preach-fest at the City Ground, 1984.

[Marsh'Un]

I have been trawling through my old railway mags and discovered the following details on S.R engines noted in the Bristol area


15/4/54 34049 "Anti-Aircraft Command " worked to Ashton Gate on a troop train from Andover;
Turned at Bath Rd MPD, worked ECS back to Hook.

Sept 54 "King Arthur" 30738 "King Pellinore"on Eastleigh - Ashton Gate football excursion.

26/02/56 34046 "Braunton" worked through to Weston-Super-Mare with excursion from Brighton

16/03/58 34053 "Sir Keith Park " at BTM

06/09/58 34048 "Crediton" on Brighton - Ashton gate football exc.

12/06/60 34031 "Torrington" and 34051 "Winston Churchill" worked into BTM on excursions

31/12/60 "Arthur" 30803 at T.M (as seen by mjt !)
This was a Vickers-Armstrong excursion, presumably from the Supermarine works at Southampton.

19/04/61 "Arthur" 30796 "Sir Dodinas le Savage " at Bath Rd MPD

30/06/61 34057 "Biggin Hill" ECS on Bristol-Avonmouth line, then at 82B.

11/08/62 34051 (again) Salisbury - Bristol pass; Return as pilot to "Hall" 4960 on 10.30 am to Portsmouth Harbour.

30/08/62 34045 "Ottery St Mary" Warminster-Bournville excursion to Bristol, then to SPM

18/04/63 34038 "Lundy" Salisbury-Bournville excursion to Bristol, with a 2-3 week stay at SPM due to collapsed firebars.

27/04/63 34054 "Lord Beaverbrook" football exc. from Southampton

28/04/63 34007 "Wadebridge " Southampton-Bristol special.

Finally, the diversion of the "Pines" 05-09/12/60
05/12 34102 "Lapford" worked through to Birmingham
08/12 34045 to Bristol , engine change at SPM.
09/12 34105 "Swanage" to Bristol, return via Mangotsfield and S&D

I must confess that I missed all of the above, but did spot "Battle of Britain" 34079 in steam at Barrow Road shed , June 1964...... !!

[mjt]

I have been trawling through my old railway mags and discovered the following details on S.R engines noted in the Bristol area


31/12/60 "Arthur" 30803 at T.M (as seen by mjt !)
This was a Vickers-Armstrong excursion, presumably from the Supermarine works at Southampton.

Fantastic - after almost half a century you've provided the answer (& I remembered the date correctly - it was actually a Saturday so I did think it might have been a football special from Ashton Gate).

Many thanks for listing all of these

[jules]

15/4/54 34049 "Anti-Aircraft Command " worked to Ashton Gate on a troop train from Andover;
Turned at Bath Rd MPD, worked ECS back to Hook.

That's an interesting one. I used to have an allotment right next to Ashton Meadows / Ashton Gate Platform and the old Civil Engineer's depot. The allotment field was called "White City" and I always wondered about the name as it seemed a little strange for the place.

So, on doing a little research, I discovered that White City was actually an exhibition ground back in 1914, but I believe the exhibition was cancelled with the onset of WWI. Then somebody further told me that White City was converted into an Army Base, where hundreds of mules were kept.

I have no idea why or when it closed, but obviously proximity to the railway would have been central in the decision to locate the exhibition / camp and the mules there and there must have been a lot of army rail traffic.

There is very little info out there on the net about the Bristol White City. other than mention of a wooden tracked roller coaster (more rail!) It was apparently named after the White City Exhibition in London a few years earlier and had white canvas pavilions, thus reinforcing the name.

Just thought I'd add this interesting bit of little-known Hotwells history and see if anybody else knows anything about it. Though it would have all been long closed by 1954 and the troop train that ran then was probably for soldiers to march into Bristol City centre for a parade or something. Just my guess there ....

[Robin Summerhill]

When I was on the railway (1969 to 1976) all football traffic went to Temple Meads. In earlier days I wouldn't know.

Are you sure about that Robin? I took a photo in the early 70's (unfortunately I have now lost it) of Ashton Gate station with newly installed British Rail-style black-on-white nameboards.

As I remember, the station, which had been completely disused, was reinstated for football traffic. Some of the funding, I recall, came from a body named the Football Trust. How long this opening lasted for, I don't know. Maybe no excursions ever actually called there.

I'd forgotten all about Ashton Gate

Having slightly less than no interest in football may have something to do with it!

That said, I do recall Saturday lunctimes at BTM in the 70s, the place crawling with police, and fans being shepherded by them towards the appropriate gound!

[Hobbler]

That's an interesting one. I used to have an allotment right next to Ashton Meadows / Ashton Gate Platform and the old Civil Engineer's depot. The allotment field was called "White City" and I always wondered about the name as it seemed a little strange for the place.

Historically the whole area between the site of Ashton Gate Platform and Clifton Bridge Station was used as "Pleasure Grounds" with even several tea rooms being established there , one of which I think had to be demolished when the Portishead branch was constructed.

I have seen old postcards and photos of the White City fairgounds and pavillions , not sure where but they may have been in one of Reece Winstone's books on Bygone Bristol . I do recall my late grandfather ,who was in the Royal Horse Artillery in WW1, mentioning something about a horse/mule supply depot at Ashton Gate.

More recently I think I have read somewhere that army training camps were sometimes held on part of the Ashton Court estate so the troop train may have had something to do with that.

Edit for more info:- The Bristol International Exhibition was held from 29th June to 15th August 1914 and was known as the Bristol White City Exhibition . On closure the pavillions were taken over by the War Office to become Long Ashton Barracks which were at one time occupied by the Third South Gloucestershire Howitzer Company as well as other units. Probably closed after cessation of hostilities.

[mjt]

Look what I've stumbled across:

http://www.railphotoprints.co.uk/index/ ... 0.jpg.html

2 consecutively numbered West Countrys at Bath Road on 20 March 1954! That was a Saturday - so they may be on football specials; who were City or Rovers playing?

BTW the RailPhotoprints site has quite a few photos from the Bristol area - it's worth a look through.