Malago Vale Carriage Sidings, Bristol

[The Johnster]

Is that first van a 'shock van'? With the white markings on the side. Where they still in use at this time, or was the shock springs isolated?

 

 

They certainly were, Muddy, at least during my time on the railway 1970-78, as were the open and hybar shocks.  I was always mildly impressed to see the bodies moving back and forth on the springs, especially if I was close to the action.  A lot of 'traditional' goods vehicles were still in use, either on 'circuits' or for the NCL traffic.  Despite the headcode, this is a fully fitted class 6 train, and note that there are the requisite 2 vehicles (alternatively one bogie vehicle) behind the air braked van, which is vacuum piped through.  You could distinguish a brake pipe from a through pipe by the former being painted red and the latter white.

[Andy Kirkham]

And what's more, it is possible to identify it!

 

It is Bristol FLF number 7133, registered 826SHW, identifiable as that was the only Lodekka painted in the "more cream" livery which was intended for One Man Operated (or OMO) vehicles. In model form, EFE's 14017 represents that bus.

Goodness me! This one http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/55416/14017-Exclusive-First-Editions-Bristol-FLF-Lodekka-Bus

 

Was this bus just a demonstrator for the livery, or was it actually one man operated? I can hardly see how that could have been done with a half-cab.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Andy Kirkham

[ForestPines]

It wasn't the nicest of areas; I had a friend at Bristol Poly who lived nearby, and sometimes walked her home if it was after the last bus. I found the area more unsettling than St Pauls, which I had to cross on my way home.

It's still a slightly strange area. I viewed one of the flats now built on the site a few years ago: a horribly poky little place. Unlike St Pauls, hipster gentrification has completely passed the St John's Lane area by so far.

[HillsideDepot]

Goodness me! This one http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/55416/14017-Exclusive-First-Editions-Bristol-FLF-Lodekka-Bus

 

Was this bus just a demonstrator for the livery, or was it actually one man operated? I can hardly see how that could have been done with a half-cab.

 

I had to look this up as I didn't know why, just that it had been. The PSV Circle fleet history says:

 

C7133 received cream and green 'OMO' style livery style livery in 5/71, as a prototype for the expected double-deck fleet. In 6/71, the green areas were repainted using London Country 'Lincoln Green', using paint which was in stock for repainting ex-South Wales Transport A.E.C. Swifts, which Bristol Omnibus was repainting at that time for London Country Bus Services.

 

It didn't run as OMO, none of Bristol Omnibus' Lodekkas did, but I think some elsewhere were converted to OMO - Eastern National, possibly?

[37114]

Me too Peter.

.

If you can't model them in full, and employ the 'bitsa' principal as espoused by Iain Rice, there is no need to have full rakes of coaching stock.

.

There is an excuse for breaking down, or reforming rakes,  in line with 'carriage working notices' and similar publications,

e.g.

taking out a restaurant or buffet car as the train didn't have one on Saturdays.

adding an extra TSO or two for Fridays, due to people going home for the weekend.

.

And, if modelling carriage sidings, there's no need to worry about the lack of passengers in your stock !

.

All this before we get to NPCCS.

Then we have BRUTE circuit vans, parcels vans, newspaper vans you name it. 

.

Incorporate a CWM and the pilot (or train engine ) can propel the stock slowly thro' the washer.

 

Plenty of operational scope, and different to the current crop of stabling points and diesel depots.

 

 

•As for Malago Vale,  Signalling Record Society site has an image showing the 'box diagram'

•

•http://www.s-r-s.org...ml/gwb/S593.htm

        

 

  Brian R

 

When I considered modelling an inspired by version of Malago Vale, I got as far as drawing a track plan which used the footbridge as a scenic break, I worked out I could get it into roughly 12ft including a fiddle yard by using only half the rake being visible. I use a similar approach with Peafore Yard where mainline trains arrive at the station at the upper level with only the end coach being visible.

[SouthernBlue80s]

It's still a slightly strange area. I viewed one of the flats now built on the site a few years ago: a horribly poky little place. Unlike St Pauls, hipster gentrification has completely passed the St John's Lane area by so far.

 

Enjoying the the thread and the pictures. I lived up St John lane in the 80s and remember Malago Vale, Victoria Park, Ashton Vale area well and spotting there, although I was down Temple Meads most of the time.

(Removed my rather negative memory of the place - would rather concentrate on the trains )

Edited March 4, 2017 by SouthernBlue80s

[DCB]

Just curious as to what was stabled at Malago Vale and how long the sidings/ loops were.   I know a lot of Paddington - Bristol services actually originated at Weston super Mare and at Taunton in Steam days and the dining car(s) were added at Temple Meads, so was it largely somewhere suburban stock was stabled or was a significant number of main line rakes stabled there.

[Rivercider]

Just curious as to what was stabled at Malago Vale and how long the sidings/ loops were.   I know a lot of Paddington - Bristol services actually originated at Weston super Mare and at Taunton in Steam days and the dining car(s) were added at Temple Meads, so was it largely somewhere suburban stock was stabled or was a significant number of main line rakes stabled there.

Prior to the Bristol Area MAS re-signalling scheme there were also carriage sidings at Dr Days Junction which would have held a lot of stock.

 

I moved to Weston in 1971 by which time 3 carriage sidings had survived the re-signalling but I think no stock was stabled there overnight, nor I think at Taunton other than possibly a DMU or two.

All loco hauled stock was by then stabled at Malago including the Bristol-Padd sets, the Bristol Portsmouth/Weymouth sets and cross country sets before the introduction of HSTs made inroads into the loco hauled stock.

Parcel vans were not usually stabled at Malago, either spending the day at Pylle Hill or the West Sidings at Temple Meads. Spare sets of stock, surplus parcel vans and stored/condemned

stock tended to be kept down at West Depot Downside once it ceased to be a marshalling yard,

 

cheers 

[The Johnster]

Prior to the Bristol Area MAS re-signalling scheme there were also carriage sidings at Dr Days Junction which would have held a lot of stock.

 

I moved to Weston in 1971 by which time 3 carriage sidings had survived the re-signalling but I think no stock was stabled there overnight, nor I think at Taunton other than possibly a DMU or two.

All loco hauled stock was by then stabled at Malago including the Bristol-Padd sets, the Bristol Portsmouth/Weymouth sets and cross country sets before the introduction of HSTs made inroads into the loco hauled stock.

Parcel vans were not usually stabled at Malago, either spending the day at Pylle Hill or the West Sidings at Temple Meads. Spare sets of stock, surplus parcel vans and stored/condemned

stock tended to be kept down at West Depot Downside once it ceased to be a marshalling yard,

 

cheers 

 

 

 

In my time, the early 70s, the cross country trains from the Midland route were serviced and turned around at Malago, but I could not say if they were stable tdhere.  Suburban stock was dmus, and they were allocated to, stabled, and serviced at St Philip's Marsh prior to it's conversion to a HST depot. 

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I do have a carriage working notice somewhere, which covers the workings at Malago Vale in the early 1970s. If I find it, I'll post the info........

[Andy Kirkham]

I presume the stock of the loco-hauled Weymouth service was stowed at Malago during the early afternoon. It arrived at about midday and departed around four. Here is 7076 bringing in the stock for the afternoon departure.

FEB 73 06. 7076 passing Victoria Park with the stock of the four o'clock to Weymouth, February 1973 by Andy Kirkham, on Flickr

[Peter Kazmierczak]

A film in the "Railway Roundabout" series from 1958 shows the stock of the afternoon up "Bristolian" being prepared at Malago Vale.

 

It's on "You Tube" if you don't have the actual series on video/CD.

[37114]

I am now cracking on with my interpretation of Malago Vale:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/127271-parsons-vale-carriage-sidings-37114s-new-00-br-blue-layout/