The Bristol Railway Archive

Here's a photo sent to me by Chippy. Anyone know the location? It reminds me of South Liberty Lane, but I think that would have been four tracks. Anyone?

Bathampton with less trees?

I'd agree. Bathampton West - entrance to the Up Goods Loop.

You can clearly see the line of the canal to the left, the hills of Bath in the right background and the blur of the bridge from which the photo was taken at bottom of the pic.

Only problem with the 'bathampton' idea is the missing bridge...there should be another bridge beyond the loop,if we are saying the picture was taken from the road bridge that leads the the george pub,there should be a bridge further up the line,not seen in this shot...I am happy with the canal being up to the left..I thought that myself.

i dont see this being bathampton in the location mentioned above, trees or not.

the loop ends far far too close in the distance from the mill lane bridge to be there. in reality it goes for a good few hundred meters from the bridge.

it also ends seemingly past the bridge in the pic, it doesnt now at least.

unless this was taken from the other bridge further along, the meadow lane bridge, and the 3rd track went under it and further on than i thought it ever did?

Stav wrote:i dont see this being bathampton in the location mentioned above, trees or not.

the loop ends far far too close in the distance from the mill lane bridge to be there. in reality it goes for a good few hundred meters from the bridge.

it also ends seemingly past the bridge in the pic, it doesnt now at least.

unless this was taken from the other bridge further along, the meadow lane bridge, and the 3rd track went under it and further on than i thought it ever did?

I agree with you stav, I am convinced it is taken from the bridge (mill lane) the signal box base is still there and as mentioned the K & A canal can be clearly seen, what a difference a few less trees makes. The bit that stumps me is the loop which now starts behind the photographer instead of where it does in the photo.
Another interesting point, if you look where the loop starts in photo, where the signal stands by start of loop, This looks very similarly located to a light signal with route indicater which is there now ( not that easily spotted from bridge but if you walk along canal towards Bath a couple of hundred yards you will see through hedge, it usualy seeems to have flashing yellow aspect which Alex was able to explain reason for.)

Try South Liberty
If you study the up line curvature coming down from the cutting to the signal which will having taken you to the up loop the next box being West Depot signal box. The photo looks like it was taken from the foot bridge which is still in situ PS Was always glad to see that signal arriving home off the Drump lane double home turn from Tavistock yard at about 3-00am..

http://bristol-rail.co.uk/wiki/images/t ... Lane13.jpg

I don't think it's South Liberty Lane. There's not enough tracks, the bank on the left, although hidden by trees, clearly rises faster than the b&w photo, and the skyline doesn't match. It just doesn't feel right.

Bathampton from Meadow Lane bridge, where the signal box base remains:
http://www.uktrains.fpic.co.uk/p56491669.html

The formation is clearly wide enough to take the longer loop, and this video shows that the left arch of the bridge is as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaWnQ_oUhQc

I'm still in the Bathampton (West) camp. The line of the canal is just too defined.

So, as Bathampton West was closed in September 1956, the pic must be dated before then. It wouldn't surprise me if the UGL wasn't shortened, either when Bathampton West was transferred to Bathhampton in 1956, or when MAS was introduced in the area on 15th August 1970. See here http://www.signallingnotices.org.uk/sca ... ge%205.pdf this document mentions that new connections to the UGL were installed and the old connections would be recovred.

So, my guess is still Bathampton some time prior to 1956 ...

On looking at some of my very old pictures and rexeamining the one shown I will conceed it looks very much like Bathampton.

The signalbox looks pretty new judging by the gable cladding and bargeboards, which would mean not long after 19th october 1942. It closed on 21st Sept 56 when the up loop was shortened back 26 chains east. Interestingly, the R A Cooke layout diagram shows a down refuge siding starting at the same spot as the up goods loop in the 1942 photo and extending back under meadow lane bridge, nearly meeting the west end of the down goods loop. there is no trace of this in the 1942 photo, but might it have been added soon after? does meadow lane have a disused single south span for this? or did Mr Cooke get his researched tracing wrong?!