The Bristol Railway Archive

We're expecting Fowler 7F 53809 to be delivered to Bitton on Wednesday this week (17 October), although this is subject to change and we really don't know what time of day it's likely to arrive, sorry. Or, come to think of it, if the loco and tender will even roll up at the same time. Keep an eye on the front page of the website, http://www.avonvalleyrailway.org, for updates.

Although there may be some test runs before then, its first booked duties in traffic are a driver experience course on Saturday 20 Oct, possibly a murder mystery train that night followed by the normal passenger service on Sunday 21 Oct.

**UPDATE**
The following has now been posted on the main AVR page:

TUESDAY 16TH

Locomotive due to be loaded AM, followed by tender PM

WEDNESDAY 17TH

Locomotive and tender due to arrive together 'around lunchtime'. Route is M5, M4, M32, A4174, A420, A4175, A431.

It' already here !! I understand that it arrived on Tuesday evening. This morning it was already unloaded and sat in the sunshine being admired by several enthusiasts and passers by. If you drop in to see the loco, please donate to the hire fees by putting some coins (or notes!!) into the collection tin.

Thank you. <BJ>

So is anyone else from here going to the AVR this weekend.

I'm hoping to make trhe trip down at the weekend?

simon wrote:So is anyone else from here going to the AVR this weekend.

I'm hoping to make trhe trip down at the weekend?

I'm hoping to go on Sunday, but have three gigs over the three days so depends on how knackered I am!

I'm likely to be working on Sunday so would be good to see a few of you there...come and say hello! Remember though that if you can't make it this Sunday 53809 is also booked to be running Tue, Wed, Thu next week, as well as the gala on Sunday 28th. If any of you have complimentary/members or other free tickets/discount vouchers these will be accepted as usual on most of the days 53809 is in traffic except the actual gala day itself.

simon wrote:So is anyone else from here going to the AVR this weekend.

I'm hoping to make trhe trip down at the weekend?

Yes I'll be there, probably with NDTSDN & Mighty Mogul.

get_that_bus_out wrote:I'm likely to be working on Sunday so would be good to see a few of you there...come and say hello! Remember though that if you can't make it this Sunday 53809 is also booked to be running Tue, Wed, Thu next week, as well as the gala on Sunday 28th. If any of you have complimentary/members or other free tickets/discount vouchers these will be accepted as usual on most of the days 53809 is in traffic except the actual gala day itself.

Will 53809 still be doing the driving experience courses tomorrow and next Saturday? If so do they normally run up and down the whole line or just part of it?

I am getting ahead of myself. I won't be going this weekend - but a week on Saturday.

I (and the rest of the family) are off to the SVR this weeekend to (belatedly) celebrate my 50th.

53809 has been advertised as the "star" loco for the driver experience courses this and next weekend, so unless something untoward happens it should be out.

Although the courses normally run "pony and trap" in this case I think that in addition to the brake van there may also be a short goods train (not 100% sure on that though). The experience courses normally do four round trips over the whole line during the course of the day, starting around 1000-1100 and finishing around 1700 with a break for lunch around half time, although there's no fixed timetable per se.

Thanks for the info.

Wandered over to the AVR in the late afternoon, and there was quite a respectable crowd watching this 'local' loco. It was worth seeing it run slowly up to Oldland Common and back to Bitton, although there was quite an unpleasant squeal as it run back in the loop towards the bridge near Bitton Station. I will post some pictures later on.

This afternoon 53809 was running clearance tests. First of all it was up to Oldland and around the loop. Then at about 16:40, after the coaching stock was moved out of the way, the loco ran from the shed to the station area to test the clearances there. The track in the Bath direction will be tested tomorrow morning.
I understand that the driver experience courses tomorrow will involve the use of a goods train. Please try to make the visit of the 7F financially profitable. You never know, it may give the railway a good excuse to invite other locos at a later date.

Thanks. <BJ>

free2grice wrote:This afternoon 53809 was running clearance tests. First of all it was up to Oldland and around the loop. Then at about 16:40, after the coaching stock was moved out of the way, the loco ran from the shed to the station area to test the clearances there. The track in the Bath direction will be tested tomorrow morning.
I understand that the driver experience courses tomorrow will involve the use of a goods train. Please try to make the visit of the 7F financially profitable. You never know, it may give the railway a good excuse to invite other locos at a later date.

Thanks. <BJ>

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to seeing the 7F tomorrow. Any idea when the clearance tests are due to start ?

Yesterday about 5.00 I saw the engine running in revese over the road bridge at Bitton towards the Riverside. I presume that when I saw it return about 5.10 it had been down to the other end of the line.
I have now added some shots of the return of the 7F to LMS metals.

http://michael527.fotopic.net/c1392015.html

This is an opportunity not to be missed and I shall be going to Bitton on Tuesday to get my first ever ride behind a 7F - saw all of them many times when I lived quite near to Combe Down Tunnel in the 50s and 60s.

weather looks good too for photographs.

Just come back from seeing 53809.

What a lovely sight, the loco coming back to where she belongs (abeit for just the week).

Looked atmospheric with the nice rake of wagons.