Fletcher On Tour - April 2008

[whole diary]

[Lee]

I try my best to get out and take a closer look at the issues that might be of interest to members/site visitors. In this topic, I will post some of the photos of my travels, with the aim of showing both good and bad.

For photos from previous months, click on the links below.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1592.msg10419#msg10419

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1943.msg14391#msg14391

11/04/2008 :

Upwey.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey1.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey2.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey3.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey4.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey5.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey6.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey7.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey8.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408upwey9.jpg

Your Global Moderator tries a variation on the breakfast theme (Wetherspoons, Bristol Temple Meads.)
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408btmdinner.jpg

[Lee]

11/04/2008 :

Temple Quay car park, next to Bristol Temple Meads station.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408tempquaycp.jpg

Severn Beach (including new signage.)
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408sbeach1.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408sbeach2.jpg

[grahame]

Good to see acknowledgement of the passenger flows to Cardif and Swindon from the Weymouth area. When is the next scheduled train to Swindon? 

[smokey]

Good to see acknowledgement of the passenger flows to Cardif and Swindon from the Weymouth area. When is the next scheduled train to Swindon? 
[/quote]

Grahame, I know you have Issues with the Melksham service (RIGHTLY SO) but as Upwey is a SOUTH WEST TRAINS station, it's not in SWT^▸ (South West Trains) hands to improve the Swindon Service, Now if stagecoach had won the Greater Western franchise!!!!

[grahame]

Grahame, I know you have Issues with the Melksham service (RIGHTLY SO) but as Upwey is a SOUTH WEST TRAINS station, it's not in SWT^▸ (South West Trains) hands to improve the Swindon Service, Now if stagecoach had won the Greater Western franchise!!!!

I didn't intend to call on South West Trains to improve the services from Upwey to Melksham / Chippenham / Swindon - rather I was pointing out a traffic flow that's acknowledged by the sign (and it's one of many such traffic flows) to and from the South coast - from Weymouth to Southampton, and the intermediate hinterland such as Yeovil and Salisbury, up to these major population centres in North Wilts.

And yet ... having said that I didn't intend to call on South West Trains, there would be a huge logic to them providing a service to North Wilts via Trowbridge. After all, they have a full diesel depot for servicing suitable trains at Salisbury.  I won't go too far in this thread on that technical logic - it has been raised in the past and I expect it will pop up again!

[Lee]

11/04/2008 :

Stapleton Road.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad9.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad10.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad13.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad14.jpg

Mural at Stapleton Road.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad11.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad15.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad16.jpg

Disused railway bridge near Stapleton Road.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad7.jpg

More Stapleton Road photos taken on 11/04/2008 can be found in the links below.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2438.msg18306#msg18306

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2382.msg18310#msg18310

[eightf48544]

Lee

Staproad7 which bridge is that?

I originally thought it was the Midland link to the Avonmouth line, but I've found a photo of a 4F moving! (very rare) across this bridge and it's a simple plate girder structure. So am I right  in assumming that this is the Midland mainline bridge nearer Lawrence Hill?

[Lee]

Lee

Staproad7 which bridge is that?

I originally thought it was the Midland link to the Avonmouth line, but I've found a photo of a 4F moving! (very rare) across this bridge and it's a simple plate girder structure. So am I right  in assumming that this is the Midland mainline bridge nearer Lawrence Hill?

The bridge pictured in staproad7 used to carry two lines towards Filton across Stapleton Road and the M32. The photo was taken from the Bristol-bound platform at Stapleton Road. If you want to see it in better days, click on the links below, from the excellent Bristol Railway Archive.
http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad24.jpg

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad26.jpg

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad25.jpg

I believe that the Midland bridge near Lawrence Hill you are referring to may well be this one (links below.)
http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/midlandrailwaybridge1.jpg

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/midlandrailwaybridge5.jpg

The Midland link to the Avonmouth line (or rather the abutments) is pictured in the link below.
http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/narroways1.jpg

[eightf48544]

So it's the Relief line bridge put in during the widening?

The Lawrence Hill bridge looks ideal for trams!

[Lee]

So it's the Relief line bridge put in during the widening?

The bridge pictured in staproad7 was added when the lines were quadrupled. The original bridge is still in use, and is pictured behind the "staproad7" bridge in the link below. This Bristol Railway Archive photo was taken looking along Stapleton Road.
http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad1.jpg

The lines through Stapleton Road were quadrupled in the 1930s with the laying of two lines east of the original formation. The new lines became the Main, while the original lines became the Relief. Despite their names, passenger trains were usually sent via the relief lines, while freight took the main.

The Lawrence Hill bridge looks ideal for trams!

The Lawrence Hill bridge is also part of the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, and it would be interesting to see if a tram scheme fares any better than the recent Bus Rapid Transit proposal.....
http://www.bristolbathrailwaypath.org.uk/map1.shtml

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1608.msg10568#msg10568

[Lee]

13/04/2008 :

The day started off well, with a 2-coach Class 150 unit deployed on the 0908 Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Parkway service. As a result, we were packed from Southampton-Bristol.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408portbris1.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408portbris2.jpg

4 cyclists were chucked off at Westbury, but we still left behind passengers at Bradford-on-Avon.

Freshford, including the station gardens.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford1.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford2.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford3.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford4.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford5.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford6.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford7.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford8.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford9.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford10.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford11.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford12.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford13.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408freshford14.jpg

[Lee]

13/04/2008 :

Yate.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate1.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate4.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate5.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate6.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate7.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate9.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate16.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate17.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate18.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate19.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate20.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate22.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate23.jpg

Possible location of Yate turnback, which would also involve removing a section of the car park.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate2.jpg

The station layout at Yate is staggered, with a platform either side of the road bridge.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate14.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate8.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate11.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate13.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate15.jpg

Former goods shed at Yate.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate10.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate12.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate21.jpg

Tytherington Quarry line junction.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408yate3.jpg

Photos of Nailsea & Backwell station, taken on 13/04/2008, can be found in the link below.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2382.msg18460#msg18460

[Timmer]

13/04/2008 :

The day started off well, with a 2-coach Class 150 unit deployed on the 0908 Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Parkway service. As a result, we were packed from Southampton-Bristol.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408portbris1.jpg

http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/130408portbris2.jpg

4 cyclists were chucked off at Westbury, but we still left behind passengers at Bradford-on-Avon.

Sadly this is nothing new with both the 0908 and 1108 ex Portsmouth having real overcrowding problems especially since SWT^▸ (South West Trains) moved their Waterloo-Bristol service to later on a Sunday afternoon which used to fill the two hour gap between Salisbury and Bristol. Still not long to go now before three car 158s operate on all Portsmouth services. Despite this happening, I was hoping though that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would fill this two hour gap in services in the new summer timetable. People want to travel on a Sundays which has become just like any other day of week now.

[Lee]

Disused railway bridge near Stapleton Road.
http://www.raildocuments.org.uk/apr08photos/110408staproad7.jpg

Lee

Staproad7 which bridge is that?

I originally thought it was the Midland link to the Avonmouth line, but I've found a photo of a 4F moving! (very rare) across this bridge and it's a simple plate girder structure. So am I right  in assumming that this is the Midland mainline bridge nearer Lawrence Hill?

The bridge pictured in staproad7 used to carry two lines towards Filton across Stapleton Road and the M32. The photo was taken from the Bristol-bound platform at Stapleton Road. If you want to see it in better days, click on the links below, from the excellent Bristol Railway Archive.
http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad24.jpg

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad26.jpg

http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad25.jpg

So it's the Relief line bridge put in during the widening?

The bridge pictured in staproad7 was added when the lines were quadrupled. The original bridge is still in use, and is pictured behind the "staproad7" bridge in the link below. This Bristol Railway Archive photo was taken looking along Stapleton Road.
http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/images/stapletonroad1.jpg

The lines through Stapleton Road were quadrupled in the 1930s with the laying of two lines east of the original formation. The new lines became the Main, while the original lines became the Relief. Despite their names, passenger trains were usually sent via the relief lines, while freight took the main.

Additional info from Joe Patrick of Friends Of Suburban Bristol Railways :

There was a national program at the time of the introduction of the current types of trains of track rationalisation. The thought at the time was that the new trains are faster accelerating than the old, so two sets of tracks in some areas were no longer thought necessary.

Secondly, the bridge over the M32 was not suitable for four tracking, which hastened the old lines demise. This would presumably need to be repaired or replaced if additional tracks are to be laid, or possibly even some sort of signalling to stop two trains being on the bridge at once?