The Bristol Railway Archive

I'm hoping that this does produce more work for us in the building of the depot. Although Churngold are right next door so will probably be the ones to move spoil etc.

All those years of dumping spent ballast and fill there, Now they have to take some away again

All those years of dumping spent ballast and fill there, Now they have to take some away again

I recall a time many years ago when Rolls Royce diverted a stream on their land down by Filton West onto BR land, much to the irritation of the civil engineer, as the stream started washing the formation away.

Rather than resort to the correct legal process, several hundred tons of that very spent ballast was ordered to be dropped over the side at the dead of night. It solved the problem much faster than any lawyer could!

I would have loved to have seen the look on the Rolls Royce peoples' faces the next morning. Their site was flooded for weeks after

I'm a bit late with my thoughts, but still...

I don't see why in this day and age people should have to put up with added noise and light pollution. It's all very well saying the railway was there first (or similar such arguments) but the railway has contracted to such an extent that there are a lot of places away from homes that could be used. And i don't go with the cost of empty stock movements either because, me being me, I think the railway having to pay to use the track is an abomination anyway. So scrap that, put people first, and lets have a proper railway.

In Bristol I would suggest Pilning Junction. There's a massive amount of unused railway land, well away from peoples homes, and unlikely to ever be used for anything at all. If not there, well Bath Road Depot is still vacant. Out of Bristol I would go for Severn Tunnel junction. Or just anywhere near a road! If the powers that be can compulsory purchase huge swathes of land for the coming high speed network, then buying a farmers field or two should be no problem at all.

I wouldn't want this thing on my doorstep. I must be a NIMBY! heh...

In Bristol I would suggest Pilning Junction. There's a massive amount of unused railway land, well away from peoples homes, and unlikely to ever be used for anything at all. If not there, well Bath Road Depot is still vacant. Out of Bristol I would go for Severn Tunnel junction.

Well, Pilning and STJ are certainly suitable locations that hadn't until now come into the mix.

But Bath Road is a pretty constricted site and even though it's central, it would still suffer from Temple Meads congestion. Rumour has it the council will even build something else there one day too - if you believe in flying pigs or the Evening Pest!

Still, I guess it's a done deal now ...

Now that approval has bbe granted where can we see the plans.

My bedroom window is less than 50 yds from a main line with freight trains rattling past all through the night.
My house is 20 years old, the railway over a hundred, first come first serve. I cannot believe how people moan nowadays, probably the same people that complain about the lack of public transport. Sorry trains don't descend from space and return there after working.
When I moved here a year ago it took me about a week to get used to the noise, the biggest thing that disturbs my sleep now is the silence when the trains don't go past when the line is being maintained.
Filton junction always was railway facilities and with a working coal mine and freight yard as well. The maintenance depot as far as i understand will be in the middle of the junction, i just cannot see the problem. With modern cut off lights there should be no light spillage to the surrounding area, and as the train will be maintained inside the buildings the noise should be no more that train movements which happen at this location all the time anyway.
At least Rolls Royce are not test bedding Concorde engines there any more so it must be a lot quieter now.

Now that brings back memories. You could hear the old Olympus 593's on test from Barton Hill. And with the wind in the right direction, you could hear a Western growling up through Patchway then power off as it headed round towards Stoke Gifford.

we used to hear Concorde Engines on test in Yate!, and also at Codrington which is a fair ol' distance away. As for hearing trains coming Just a few months back when waiting for the Deltic Railtour to come past our house me and my lad were sat on the fence waiting you could hear it coming from Wickwar, quite an odd sound realy, and she was going Down Hill too, must have sounded good from Wickwar coming from Charfield especially then as there was a PW slack for the new Track at Charfield in the Down Direction.

Just a few months back when waiting for the Deltic Railtour to come past our house me and my lad were sat on the fence waiting you could hear it coming from Wickwar, quite an odd sound realy, and she was going Down Hill too,

Deltics were legendary for making more noise when idling than when under power. Something to do with all those loose EE gears rattling around ...