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The Bristol Coal-Stone Haul
OK Everyone, the trip around Bristol is over. Was it a success? You bet it was.
I arrived at Temple Meads Station at 09:30 just as 50049 Defiance was pulling in with the train. The organisers were on hand to assist in anyway they could and the train was soon ready to depart for Portbury docks with 2 Network Rail Class 31’s in engineering yellow. Once into the Avon Gorge, we had to be very careful as the line is used for fright so the tree branches are a constant danger, even at slow speeds. We passed under the world famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, through Pill where there was a small demo about the state of the old disused station, and then under the M5 River Avon bridge and into Portbury docks. This is a major port for importing cars. We then returned under the power of Defiance to Bristol through platform 15 non stop and out to Bath along the main line via Keynsham and Salford and into Bath Spa Station. We had to wait for a Alphaline train to depart ahead of us before we could return to Bristol. The Alphaline kept us in check for a short time as it was a stopping train. Running back into Bristol, we were switched off the Bath main line just outside the main Bristol complex and on to the main line for the north and Cardiff. This short junction is affectionately known as the ‘The Rhubarb’. We then travelled up to the new station at Abby Wood, along the section known as the Filton Chord, through the Filton airport where there is a unique level crossing to allow aircraft to cross from the BAC factory onto the runway. We pass 216 G-BOAF the last of the Concorde’s to be built and the last to fly. On down to Avonmouth docks and into the yard at the dock up to the St Andrews Road signal box which was built in 1906. Next we reverse back to Bristol Parkway where we are the 2nd train to stop on the new platform No 4. Then it is off at a good lick through the Severn Tunnel and up to the Seven Tunnel Junction where we once again stop and head up through Chepstow, Lydney, and Awre into Gloucester platform 4. Out of Gloucester and on through Standish Junction, Charfield, Yate and into the Westerleigh Oil Terminal. No passenger train had ever been into the Oil Terminal before. As we travelled along this section, I could feel a fine spry of water which I thought was fine rain. In fact Defiance was overheating as it had a small leak from the radiator. This leak was repaired at the oil terminal. From there we returned to Yate then onto the Tytherington line where the last passenger train was in 1944. It was along this route that we had a good laugh as one old dear kept in her back yard was calling out that we are the wrong line as it only went to the quarry and there no station along the route. We had to travel at a slow speed as one of the level crossing barriers did not work. In fact the barrier was lying on the side of the line. We crossed the line and stopped with Defiance outside a rail fans home. He had a hose out so we were able to refill Defiance’s radiator. On the return from the quarry we had a second laugh when the old dear shouted “See I told you so”. Back at Yate, we were now over a hour late. Off we went back to Gloucester and on to The Severn Junction again via Lydney and Chepstow. This run went so well that we were only 10 mins late at the junction. Back through the tunnel and up to the Filton Chord were we again reversed going back to Avonmouth through the St Andrews Road Station and on up to Sea Mills, through the Clifton tunnel to Clifton Down Station, Stapelton Road Station, Lawrence Hill Station and back onto Platform 7 at Temple Meads where we arrived on time. The train then ran down through the Clifton tunnel and Avonmouth to Severn Beach and back, but I did not do the last bit as I had to get home and it was not due into T.M until 20:37. The whole trip was done in aid of the RAILWAY CHILDREN and I will post photos under the name of THE BRISTOL COAL-STONE HAUL.
Syd
PS if any one wants more detail of the trip, let me know.
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4th June 2007, 21:05
