The Bristol Railway Archive

Its very quiet on here at the moment!

nineflover wrote:Its very quiet on here at the moment!

I've just spent my dinner time researching and writing a history of Sharpness railway station.

ok well you accepted then boss! , its very quiet on here. I think we should all try and recruit new members, seeing that bristol was once second city in the land

It is always reasonably quiet on here - which is an advantage over some forums as the members on here tend not to fall out with each other - the curse of too many forums

What we need is to burn a bit more coal and burn a little more diesel oil! there is enough history in the Bristol area for someone to entertain us with what they have learnt or been told by some one so come on chaps lets hear it Please! to make me

hi tugboatcharly2
You could tell us about the railway in the winter of 1947, bloody freezing as I remember it went on for weeks

I was still at school in 1947 but 1963 well that is a different story!.
If my memory serves me right this tale of snow and ice starts on or near January 3or4 1963.
Booking on duty at Bath road the foreman being Tom Senior tells be up Barrow kid for the Wells goods I forget the fireman for that day but it was awful getting to Wells but worse was to come,up Barrow road again for the Wells goods and this day I do remember the fireman who an hero and he was Clive Joslin So if you want to hear this tale it will have to be in installments so if you want me to go on Yes or no.

I remember Tommy Senior very well Right from when I was a cleaner
I was still at school in 1947 and had just left the railway in 63 so please carry on with the story because being very deaf I am all ear

The story starts up at Barrow Road depot on Tuesday 8th of January 1963.when Clive and me gets 46506 ready to work to Wells again arriving down at West Depot at 4/10 am the yard foreman tells me that control would like a word and after having a chat with someone on the other end of the phone it was agreed that we should try and get to Wells and back (joke) Well off we jolly went running down to Yatton arriving there at 04/45 on going up to the box to see what was happening the signalman tells me my mate who was the signalman at Congresbury had opened up the box and was waiting for us to get to him so that we could unfreeze his points as they were set for the wrington Branch as per closing down overnight. So we filled up the tank got a steam lance from under the frame in the box and a couple of platelayers shovels. good job we did little did we know how badly we were going to need them on arriving at Congresbury we unfroze the points and was waiting for Sandford box to open so whilst we had a bacon sandwich and tea we were told to wait as another engine was coming down with a snow plough and an inspector!

Hi Tugboat Did you get the e-mail I got madhattie to forward to you with the picture of all that's left of West Depot
I started there as a inspectors lad booking in transfers etc before transferring to Loco Bath Rd
cant wait for rest of story

My Inspectors name was Rubin Lewis you may have known him

Oops, I've been so busy working on the new website that I've forgotten to do this! yer tiz!

At Congresbury we were told to await another loco with a snow plough and a inspector?, any how this loco duly arrived with Hughie Arlott in charge with this new inspector inspector then went on tell us what he was going to do (not a very good ideal) well he wanted the snow plough to pull us and when he wanted us to assist he would whistle up, well off we jolly well went up to Sandford with no problems but the the cutting was fairly deep in drifts which we dealt with but at Winscombe he spotted the snow was platform high and to boot there was a fellow stood on the platform i said to Clive come and watch this he called for us to open up and i leave it to your imagination what happened next oh dear the poor man disappeared in the snow the like the flour grader advert.He was covered from head to foot!NOT much happened the until Cheddar where the fun was now about to start.

Hi all,this is my 1st post having being a regular reader of this excellent forum for the last 2 years.my dad worked on the railways for nearly 40 years as a fireman and then driver at Barrow road and then Bath road.
I am sure that tugboatcharly2 must have known my dad and his friends.
Sadly my dad passed away 3 years ago but left some wonderful photo's and old cine film of the Bristol area from the footplate and cab,the photo's are on slides so i hope to get some converted soon.
My interest in the Bristol railways are on the old LMS line,i used to stand by the old wooden bridge next to the chocolate factory in Greenbank and watch the warships going north. I have some great old books on that line but have never seen a photo taken of the bridge or from it or of that straight stretch from Barrow road yard to the chocolate factory.
Anyway as i said keep up the good work on this excellent site,it certainly given me a lot of pleasure over the last couple of years and my dad would have loved it to.

Punker wrote:I have some great old books on that line but have never seen a photo taken of the bridge or from it or of that straight stretch from Barrow road yard to the chocolate factory.

Not the best of quality I'm afraid, but here's a couple from that stretch of line taken by my father.

The Chocolate Factory (looking towards Barrow Road)



I believe the bridge in the background is Devon Road (looking towards Barrow Road)

hi there I am pleased to read your entry we could with more of that . I remember most of the x -Barrow rd drivers so please give me a clue like what seniority would he have been and or who would have been close to him Do let me know please.