RMweb Premium drjcontroller Posted June 25, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 25, 2021 A friend has posted this image on Flickr which he acquired recently and is trying to identify the location. The headboard on the DMU reads "Dean Forest Railway Severnside Tour" but he can find no other details. He has another photo of the same tour at Sharpness. There is nothing on Six Bells and other online searches have drawn a blank. I would suggest it's probably some time in the 1970s. If anyone is able to assist, he would be very grateful. I have his permission to post the image here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 Nobody else has had a stab at this, so I'll take a GUESS at somewhere in Gloucester Docks if it's not Sharpness ??!? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted June 27, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 27, 2021 Dursley? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Simon Lee Posted June 27, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 27, 2021 Wonder if it's this tour https://rcts.zenfolio.com/diesel/br/other/hEF1518AC#hef151bd5 listed on SBJ a22nd March 1969. The unit seems to fit, apart from the window headboard? has moved. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 Doesn't look like the Forest of Dean to me - Gloucester Docks sounds more plausible. Does the Dean Forest Railway in the title imply it was run for the preservation group that was still just a pokey little siding at Parkend back then, as BR still ran loaded coal wagons from Parkend? The link in Simon's suggestion says it was the Branch Line Society - but of course it could have been run jointly. Sixbells lists that tour as Bristol Temple Meads - Patchway - Severn Tunnel Junction - Sudbrook (Post Office Crossing) - Caldicot Jn - Caerwent (Dinham Factory...subject to MoD permission) - Tintern Quarry - Chepstow - Parkend - Lydney - Over Jn - Gloucester Docks (Llanthony) - Over Jn - Horton Road Jn - California Crossing - Docks (High Orchard) - Gloucester Eastgate - Tuffley Jn - Hempsted Docks - Gloucester Eastgate - Cheltenham - Gloucester South Jn - Dursley - Coaley - Sharpness Docks - Berkeley Road - Stoke Gifford - Filton Jn - Bristol Temple Meads If it is the same trip, perhaps they moved the headboard to the other end of the unit every time the set reversed? It's only a sheet of paper, presumably secured with sticky tape or blue tack. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 2 hours ago, Simon Lee said: Wonder if it's this tour https://rcts.zenfolio.com/diesel/br/other/hEF1518AC#hef151bd5 listed on SBJ a22nd March 1969. The unit seems to fit, apart from the window headboard? has moved. Looks to me like the same buildings in the background ! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidlandRed Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 (edited) On 25/06/2021 at 15:05, drjcontroller said: A friend has posted this image on Flickr which he acquired recently and is trying to identify the location. The headboard on the DMU reads "Dean Forest Railway Severnside Tour" but he can find no other details. He has another photo of the same tour at Sharpness. There is nothing on Six Bells and other online searches have drawn a blank. I would suggest it's probably some time in the 1970s. If anyone is able to assist, he would be very grateful. I have his permission to post the image here. A photo taken from the other end of this GRCW class 119 DMU with a similar notice on the centre windscreen in place (notices on both ends?), appears in the excellent Lightmoor Press book - British Railway History in Colour Volume 4A - Gloucester Midland Lines Part 2: South Eastgate to Stroud and Nailsworth. The location is High Orchard sidings - the brick building is the old GRCW building and the new one under construction, a new assembly hall for Fielding and Platt. The photo in the book is not light adjusted unlike, seemingly, the one posted - there’s a wall light on the GRCW building illuminated and very apparent in the picture in the book which shows the failing light. The photo was taken on 10th October 1970, and the caption states it was towards the end of the rail tour, which was to visit Sharpness after this - before returning to Newport via the Severn Tunnel. There is another photo of this rail tour and of a ticket for it in the Gloucester and Wye Valley Lines book in the same series - if anyone has that? A Dean Forest Railway PS tour. It seems unlikely that on the itinerary posted above, if it is this tour it could have been completed in daylight - perhaps there was more than one tour? Edited June 27, 2021 by MidlandRed 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 I did wonder if the tour could have been run more than once as the railcar has stopped in a different place in the original photo and https://rcts.zenfolio.com/diesel/br/other/hEF1518AC#hef151bd5 ! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium drjcontroller Posted June 29, 2021 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 29, 2021 First of all, my apologies for the late response to all the replies, had to go away for a few days with no/minimal access to t'internet. Thanks for all your suggestions, especially MidlandRed for the confirmation of the exact location, my friend will be very pleased. The knowledge of the RMweb members is truly astonishing! Once again, many thanks Douglas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now