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The changing face of Bristol


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Thankfully I'm on rest days so wasn't on duty when the XC sat down at Filton Abbey Wood last night, four tracking would have allowed the two GWR trains stranded on the DN Bristol last night could have run down the new DN line around the failure, however as far as I'm aware the following XC held at Parkway, GWR held at Yate and finally the next XC which was routed via Kemble and Swindon would still be stranded North of the train as there won't be any access from the Parkway lines to the new set of UP and DN at Filton, a crossover will be provided between Filton and Narroways for moves in each direction.

 

The new platform one would have come in handy to allow South Wales moves to be unhindered though, as it was some creative work was required to run them via platform three, but this move involves slower than usual crossing over and back from the DN Badminton a approach control to BL1486 to allow the move.

 

As it stands we can't use permissive working in Parkway for staging trains in this circumstance, control won't permit it either as it isn't classed as an emergency, as joining or detaching isn't planned (yet) permissive working isn't signalled in the platform roads.

 

Once the full Filton and Parkway schemes have been commissioned the area will flow so much better that's for sure.

 

Reverseable working would be great on the UP&DN Bristol between Patcway Junction and Filton No1 would be great, throw in an extension from Chipping Sodbury right through to Parkway you'd be cooking on gas !

Edited by Great Western
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Just come across a nice picture of Canons Marsh (and my school)  in GWR days:

 

33817445303_e23954ee1e_c.jpgCannons Wharf, Bristol by Paul Townsend, on Flickr

 

The St. Annes Board Mills, showing an apparent internal narrow gauge system

 

34430529632_49034c45d8_c.jpgSt Anne's Board Mills, Bristol BS4 by Paul Townsend, on Flickr

 

And the former Avonside Engine works

 

33817436443_5c4370af5a_c.jpgFormer Avonside locomotive building works on Avon Street, Bristol by Paul Townsend, on Flickr

Edited by Andy Kirkham
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Yes indeed, but sadly not until 1967 - two years after the railway had gone.

 

Aah I also went the Cathedral school, by the time I went there the only smoke in those goods sheds were from pupils nipping out for a fag in lunchtime. We probably had a couple of the same teachers Roger Burgess is one name that was there a very long time..

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Aah I also went the Cathedral school, by the time I went there the only smoke in those goods sheds were from pupils nipping out for a fag in lunchtime. We probably had a couple of the same teachers Roger Burgess is one name that was there a very long time..

Yes I remember Mr Burgess fondly. 

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The Canons Marsh picture and the others came from Paul Townsend's site https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/ and its well worth browsing for period scenes (not necessarily of railways). There is a whole series of pictures of pubs, which I imagine must have come from the George's brewery archive. They serve as a corrective to any rose-tinted view of the past; most of them look grubby, drab and cheerless - and crying out to be modelled.

 

 

34627453835_fa087ce377_z.jpgLord Nelson Public House 1 & 3 Lower Ashley Road, Bristol by Paul Townsend, on Flickr

 

34496797751_589157f9c8_z.jpgOld Park Tavern, Medical Avenue, Bristol by Paul Townsend, on Flickr

 

I had no idea where Medical Avenue was, but here it is https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4564893,-2.5994903,3a,90y,175.62h,88.41t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7LpLOzX0v9SSbjgZ9R7cNg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656up behind Park Row, in an area mostly now occupied by university buildings - and just behind where my son was until recently at primary schoool.

 

 

33817458923_e68cf1da3d_z.jpgBritish Queen pub, Wilson Place, St Pauls, Bristol by Paul Townsend, on Flickr

Edited by Andy Kirkham
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They serve as a corrective to any rose-tinted view of the past; most of them look grubby, drab and cheerless - and crying out to be modelled.

I am seriously tempted by the Lord Nelson! I can see it now; early 60's inner city Bristol, run down traffic on the last years of the Clifton Extension Railway, dirty grimy pubs & 2 up-2 downs scheduled for demolition...

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The Lord Nelson i still there, albeit no longer a pub. Instead, I give you Geo Jones, longtime purveyor of plumbing supplies :).

 

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@51.4665309,-2.5792035,3a,75y,30.84h,89.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9xDbrZ-mTfc7gpFUi2wsUQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

So it is. And I've been there several times myself.  :)

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Georges' had become Courage when I went to Bristol in 1973. The pubs were pretty run down, but the offices at the brewery were very smart, wooden-panelled affairs; I had a chance to visit them, as part of Bristol poly's Entertainment committee, when Courage decided to launch 'Directors' in a desperate attempt to regain credibility. Tough work, but someone had to do it.

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Wow. Thanks for that link Andy. 

 

Weren't most pubs like those in the 1960s? Delapidated on the outside; dark and dismal inside. I went in a few as a schoolboy because some of my mates' parents were the owners, but they always seemed rather sinister to me (the pubs - not the owners). 

 

However, despite that I still have an affection for the ones that have resisted the trend to turning them all into bright and airy gastro pubs with stupid 'Slug & Lettuce' type names. 

 

There was one at the bottom of Park Street, which has been for many years now "The Greenhouse". I visited a few times before the builders ripped the heart and soul out of the place; but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. Inside, it was dark and full of wood panelling, and sitting there it did not take too much imagination to see the sudden arrival of the press-gangs and waking up next morning on a ship heading down the Avon Gorge. 

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Georges' had become Courage when I went to Bristol in 1973. The pubs were pretty run down, but the offices at the brewery were very smart, wooden-panelled affairs; I had a chance to visit them, as part of Bristol poly's Entertainment committee, when Courage decided to launch 'Directors' in a desperate attempt to regain credibility. Tough work, but someone had to do it.

 

II seem to recall that Directors was launched sometime in the late 60's

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 They serve as a corrective to any rose-tinted view of the past; most of them look grubby, drab and cheerless - and crying out to be modelled.

On the examples you posted I can't say they look too bad at all. No worse in many respects than a lot of pubs these days at any rate, and at least no garish "Sky Sports Live Football" signs stuck all over them.

Edited by Reorte
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II seem to recall that Directors was launched sometime in the late 60's

It may well have been, but it wasn't marketed in Bristol; there you had Bitter and 'Best' (generally known as 'worst'). In '73, it was a pretty dire place for beer; when the Monopolies Commission decided that Courage had too large a market share, they compelled them to sell off a lot of tied houses. Sadly, the purchaser was Watneys.

By 1976, things had improved considerably, with the likes of Wadsworths taking over 'pubs, and the Poly having range of real ales.

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Just come across a nice picture of Canons Marsh (and my school)  in GWR days:

 

33817445303_e23954ee1e_c.jpgCannons Wharf, Bristol by Paul Townsend, on Flickr

 

 

The photo of Canon's Marsh Goods is surely a prime candidate for inclusion in the When the Real Thing Looks Like a Model thread?

 

Excellent backscene, and someone went to a lot of trouble making the wagon loads, but it all looks just a bit too neat!

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The photo of Canon's Marsh Goods is surely a prime candidate for inclusion in the When the Real Thing Looks Like a Model thread?

 

Excellent backscene, and someone went to a lot of trouble making the wagon loads, but it all looks just a bit too neat!

I agree. When I saw it I was put in mind of those bargain boxes of a dozen identical N gauge wagons or vans that Farish (Grafar back then) used to do :D.

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There was one at the bottom of Park Street, which has been for many years now "The Greenhouse". I visited a few times before the builders ripped the heart and soul out of the place; but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. Inside, it was dark and full of wood panelling, and sitting there it did not take too much imagination to see the sudden arrival of the press-gangs and waking up next morning on a ship heading down the Avon Gorge. 

Do you mean the Mauretania? The wood panelling came from the ship of the same name.

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A question for all you Bristolians. My daughter now lives in Bristol and when walking down near the floating harbour i have been trying to work out where the old Warehouse was that the model railway exhibition was held in back in the mid 1980's. I can remember going a couple of times around 1984 1985 time. All i do remember was that it was on many floors and very draughty!

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Do you mean the Mauretania? The wood panelling came from the ship of the same name.

 

 

No, not the Mauretania. This pub was on the opposite side of Park Street a little further down the hill. As I said before, it is now called The Greenhouse. 

Edited by jonny777
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