The Bristol Railway Archive

Hi

Does anyone out there remember the open days at Bath Road MPD ?

I believe that the 1st one was around 1964/5 - but for how many years were they held ?

I can remember going until at least 1969 - what a highlight those days were too

Best thing for me as a pre-teen Bristol kid was to see an electric loco from the LMR! Very exotic!!

I think they went on, on and off, into the mid 1980's. I say this, as I am pretty sure D&EPG Hymek D7017 attended one during the '80s.

I think the first one was in 1965 or 1966. I recall it was at the time that the D9500 centre cab diesels were beginning their short lives.

It seemed strange to be allowed in the front way rather than having to go through the fence at the back and over the avoiding line to get in!

The 1967 one was a little odd in that there were a couple of ex-SR steam engines on display that had paused on their journey to a South Wales scrapyard. Not sure what that was supposed to signify! Cookham Manor and Clun Castle were also there that year.

The last one was on 29th June 1991, the year I regained my interest in railways. Locomotives present included 59005, D7017 and D1010 masquerading as D1035. St Philips Marsh was also open as I have recorded 91005 as being there but don't remember anything else apart from being able to walk between the two depots along the Temple Meads avoiding line.

I remember many enthusiasts complaining that there weren't many freight locomotives present. But what did they expect as both depots were InterCity depots at the time?

I seem to remember going to GWR150 event ( still got the ticket somewhere, black with gold embossed hst and steam loco and words GWR 150 celebration ) which as I remember was entry st phils marsh look around depot and sidings, variouse diesels and steam locos, nunney castle seems to ring a bell and a loco with large central driving wheel. It was interesting to walk through hst set in depot and see just how much litter was left for cleaners by the punters.
Then it was a bit of a hike along line that runs over dogs home and on to access point to Bath road where we had good look around depot. I think there had been a loco naming ceremony on the turntable earlier. It was a fascinating place to look round and walk along the engineers platforms that were at different heights to work on different parts of locos. Lot of public there.

Went to a few in the late 60s early 70s.

No pics unfortunately but i have a few on my site of the Imperial Smelting works No2 breaking the BR steam ban on its trip from Avonmouth to Bath Road.

The movement of 7F 53808 from Barry scrapyard to Radstock was arranged to coincide with a Bath Road Open Day and as a result no charge was made for the movements within the Bristol Division .
I seem to remember there was loco and coach from the Dart Valley Railway there the same year . I also have vague recollections of an 8F en route for scrapping being displayed on another occasion and possibly the two pannier tanks that had been reserved for the embrionic Clevedon branch preservation scheme and on which cosmetic work was being done at the back of Bath Road Shed at one of the early open days.

No pics unfortunately but i have a few on my site of the Imperial Smelting works No2 breaking the BR steam ban on its trip from Avonmouth to Bath Road.

What is your site URL please?

jules wrote:

simon wrote:No pics unfortunately but i have a few on my site of the Imperial Smelting works No2 breaking the BR steam ban on its trip from Avonmouth to Bath Road.

What is your site URL please?

Jules, click on the www icon at the bottom of simon's post

A few photo's taken by my brother and/or father at what appears to be two open days. One of the photos is double exposed but I've included it anyway as it's still worth a look.

Jules, click on the www icon at the bottom of simon's post Wink

Well, well - been on here about five years and never knew you could do that! Learn something new everyday, eh?

A few photo's taken by my brother and/or father at what appears to be two open days.

I know I was there ... I just keep looking at those pics and thinking "Is that little kid me?" I remember some Blue Pullman vehicles being there now too ...

Didn't people look and dress so completely differently back then? They look like ghosts of the 1950's .....

6697, Cookham Manor and Princess Elizabeth would no doubt have travelled to the event from their then base at the Dowty Railway Preservation Society premises at Ashchurch , which would put the event date around 66/67 . Not sure about the industrial behind 6201 - maybe its the ICI tank ?.

A couple of figures in the pictures are familiar - in the photo of the Longmoor loco 196 I am fairly certain the chap in overalls and grease top hat with his back to the camera is Gerald Peacock who at that time was very involved with 6697.

jules wrote:

Jules, click on the www icon at the bottom of simon's post Wink

Well, well - been on here about five years and never knew you could do that! Learn something new everyday, eh?

sorry I should have put the link in but given the number of hits, I guess people found their way to the phots.

Good to see No2 in some of the photos in this thread.

Hobbler wrote: Not sure about the industrial behind 6201 - maybe its the ICI tank ?.
.

Nope its the Imperial Smelting tank No 2 now at Bitton.

I'm sure I can see myself in one of those photos

Of course it is - I dont know why I typed ICI instead of Imperial Smelting .
Probably something to do with getting my Imperials mixed up .

Put it down to the onset of old age - well thats my excuse anyway.

By coincidence there is a pic in this month's steam railway of the 1965 open day.

Including people literally all over the engines.