The Bristol Railway Archive

Those of you who have been following the "North Somerset" thread will know that I have been digging around the internet for a photograph of West Town Lane bridge.

Stll no joy on that front but, whilst looking, I came across a few shots of byegone days of Bristol railways:

Brislington station
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebor ... 410635351/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebor ... 063261078/


Barrow Road 1969
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fray_bentos/467622731/

St Phillips station
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebor ... 3268307923
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebor ... 3268307923

County 1009 on 82B
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart166axe/3859311297/

Staple Hill station
http://www.flickr.com/photos/midlandexp ... 833913300/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebor ... 105503970/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebor ... 432106832/

(and Horace/ Clive - I agree with you - there are two that say "Staple Hill" that quite clearly aren't )

Fishponds station
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rustysea/2955070259/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4224072290/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4219779525/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4219780129/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4211449565/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4216435251/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4249546868/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4248774569/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10163027@N05/4223309011/

There is a good deal more stuff out there, but this one caught my eye as it brought back a lot of memories although its not Bristol. A ex MR 0-4-0T at work on the Gloucester Docks branch

http://www.flickr.com/photos/midlandexp ... 166480132/

I've spent countless hours looking at BBB's and FB's pictures....great stuff.

Frame.

These pictures are a real treasure, as I live in Weston Super Mare I am still searching for some Photos of the old terminus part of the station. Here I see from an old 1940's OS map that they even had a turntable. Would this have been for the many main line trips to the resort? So the larger engines could be turned here? Has any one written a book about this?

P.S I am also looking for some of the old Yatton, Wrington, Cheddar branch Anybody found any of these?
Regards all Antnee

Apart from the excursion trains there were a number of services that started or ended in Weston. The Merchant Venturer was one, leaving for Paddington at 16.30 if I remember correctly. So that loco (Castle or County) would have to be turned at Weston.

There are a few pictures on the Archive section of this site : Worle, Wrington, Axbridge, Wells

The turntable was at the Bristol end of Locking road station.There were two roads on or off which ever which line was free.It was a very good table well balanced so well in fact that if the wind was from the west it would almost go round on its own. there water colums feed from a large tank.When Yatton men were rosterd to work on bank holidays to assist with the turning if it was a midland crew we would tell them the table was hard in the wind so they pushed harder and when it was near the exit line they had a job to stop it.only a leg pull and they did not mind when we offered to pull the coal down and take water for them so they could have a breather before taking up their next working.

Here are two photographs of Weston trains at Bristol Temple Meads. The second one is of interest as it shows Midland workings to Weston on a Summer Saturday for engines to run through to the Midlands from Weston.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/5251623330/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/5251623840/

Bank holiday day excursions with LMS loco's also ran through.

trafalgar45682 wrote:Here are two photographs of Weston trains at Bristol Temple Meads. The second one is of interest as it shows Midland workings to Weston on a Summer Saturday for engines to run through to the Midlands from Weston.

Bank holiday day excursions with LMS loco's also ran through.

I've just looked through your Flickr photpgraphs again. You are uploading some excellent stuff here

How refreshing it is to see some real steam locos bound for Weston S Mare. I didn't think that big locos would be used on a stopping service to Weston.

I am still trying to to find the link I saved with the map site that gave really good details of the Station and will post it up here as and when I find it.

antnee wrote:How refreshing it is to see some real steam locos bound for Weston S Mare. I didn't think that big locos would be used on a stopping service to Weston.

I am still trying to to find the link I saved with the map site that gave really good details of the Station and will post it up here as and when I find it.

Weston isn't somewhere that I've spent that much time (except being taken there on day trips as a kid!), but I just felt the need to post something other than yet more "Christmas Good Wishes"

(Am I allowed a "Bah Humbug!" if I post about something else? )

Try this site: http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html Enter "Weston Super Mare" in the search box, choose any of the options that come up, then move the arrow on the map to approximately where Locking Road station used to be (north of General station).

A menu option will appear on the right hand side. The "pre WWII 1:2500 scale Somerset" option gives you the track and station layout.

Before I did this I never realised that there was also a Goods Depot beyond the station!

Normaly the type of loco was taking in what would be the whole of the working for that diagram ie; what other work was booked to that loco.In the case of the 5-32 pm stopper to Weston the loco was booked for heavier duties later that day.It was a class 53xx most of the time but in the last months of steam any old loco was used. Sad it was to see the way the best loco"s came to the end of their working life.note the bunch are still ruining this countries transport system.

Many thanks for your link, though not sure it was the one I found but it does just as well . The set up as it was would probably make a section of a model railway layout for sure.
Yes the old section that is no longer there is of course now part of the Station car park and Tesco car park though the small stone built box for (points levers is still standing) adjacent to the station car park.

And while im on I will wish all a good Christmas and New Year
Regards Antnee