The Bristol Railway Archive

Not railway related (unless you count the cranes running on rails!!), here are a few then and now shots of the docks near Redcliffe Bridge.

Fabulous! Got any more?

I definitely preferred it "then" LOL

jules wrote:Fabulous! Got any more?

I definitely preferred it "then" LOL

As we're off topic anyway, a joke from the days of the Soviet Union:

The octegenarian had his census forms to fill out. He went through the questions one by one:

"Where were you born?" - St Petersburg
"Where were you living at age 21?" - Petrograd
"Where do you live now?" - Leningrad

"Where would you like to live?" - St Petersburg

Great pictures! Seems we're a lot keener on trees than our grandparents were.

The octegenarian had his census forms to fill out. He went through the questions one by one:

"Where were you born?" - St Petersburg
"Where were you living at age 21?" - Petrograd
"Where do you live now?" - Leningrad

"Where would you like to live?" - St Petersburg

I can relate to that. I live in Oregon now, but am Bristol born and bred. And only last night my partner and I were discussing whether or not I get homesick, as a Bristolian living away.

Decided the fact is, I get homesick for the Bristol of the 1960's and '70's. Maybe it's just an age thing, but when I come home - things seem distinctly, well - sterile and foreign nowadays - that's the only words I can think for it.

Oh for the smell of United Yeast down by Temple Meads on a foggy 1970's morning once again ...

And thirty or forty Maybach's ticking over on Bath Road shed ....

jules wrote:And thirty or forty Maybach's ticking over on Bath Road shed ....

My preference would be for Scots, Jubilees and the occasional B1 in Barrow Road, with Counties and Castles "round the Marsh"

My preference would be for Scots, Jubilees and the occasional B1 in Barrow Road, with Counties and Castles "round the Marsh" Smile

Each to our own point in time

jules wrote:

My preference would be for Scots, Jubilees and the occasional B1 in Barrow Road, with Counties and Castles "round the Marsh"

Each to our own point in time

Just a couple of years could make a big difference. My interest in railways started in earnest in September 1962 so I got to see the last three years of steam in the Bristol area. Presumably you came along just a little bit later?

Seeing the Hymeks new as they arrived (from Gorton was it?) was of some interest, but of course we were aware that when the deliveries were completed, that would be the end of steam on the GW lines at least.

jules wrote:

My preference would be for Scots, Jubilees and the occasional B1 in Barrow Road, with Counties and Castles "round the Marsh" Smile

Each to our own point in time

Well, I'd like to see things I just missed: Star, Saints, & Bulldogs at Bath Road, Compounds & the occasional Garrett at 22A.

Great pictures, thanks for posting them.

I think everyone gets homesick once in a while, I know I do. I've lived on the left side of the Atlantic for nearly thirty years, but still think of myself as English and I've lived 2/3 of my life here.

I lived in Cam but my grandparents lived in Kingswood, other relatives lived in St. George and I still have relatives in Stockwood, so lots of memories of Bristol. Time to plan another trip home, third time lucky????

I lived in Cam

Small world I lived in Dursley for a couple of years, just off Long Street opposite The Bell. Even then I used to get homesick for Bristol - and that was only 20 miles!

BristleGWR wrote:Not railway related (unless you count the cranes running on rails!!), here are a few then and now shots of the docks near Redcliffe Bridge.

I think the middle picture actually is railway related, as I believe the wharf on the right was owned by the Midland Railway.

Andy

I think the middle picture actually is railway related, as I believe the wharf on the right was owned by the Midland Railway.

I think you are right. I went to St Mary Redcliffe school and was once told the MR used Redcliffe Caves for storing large quantities of Bass barrels. I know they had lots of boats that plied the docks from their Quayside sidings behind Temple Meads, at Avonside Wharf.

Anybody know the origin of the Avonside street name "Free Tank" BTW? Now sadly obliterated ...

Robin Summerhill wrote:
Seeing the Hymeks new as they arrived (from Gorton was it?) was of some interest, but of course we were aware that when the deliveries were completed, that would be the end of steam on the GW lines at least.

Was that really 1962 ? How time flies . I think we ended up with half the Hymeks coming to Bristol and the other half went to South Wales initially . I used to stay on at school for a choir practice on a Friday evening and catch a train from Montpelier to Sea Mills around 530pm which seemed to be used as some sort of proving turn for the Hymeks as there would be a new one every week whilst any other weekday night the train would have a Standard Class 3 Tank as motive power or possibly a DMU.

I still help look after a pair of Hymeks when I am in UK - D7017 & D7018 on the WSR at Williton. See www.depg.org

D7017 is in perfect operational order and D7018 is a long term rebuild project

We got a Class 14 (D9526), a Warship (D832) and a Western (D1010) too! Plus 2 x Class 33 (D6566 & D6575), Class 25 D7523 and Brush Type 4 D1661 North Star, also an 08 (D3462) and an 03 (D2119) - all operational.

Sorry for the D numbers - I was pre-TOPS!

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