Karhedron Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Does anyone know if SR locos and particularly Light Pacifics visited Bristol Temple Meads much in the 50s and 60s? I know that there were a couple of through trains per day to Bournemouth over S&D so it seems feasible. The photos I have found of these through trains usually show a BR standard of some sort as motive power. I am guessing that they took over after reversal at Bath Green Park. I am looking for regular(ish) workings rather than specials or one-offs. If anyone can shed light on this or has photos, I would be interested to see them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted December 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 23, 2016 Does anyone know if SR locos and particularly Light Pacifics visited Bristol Temple Meads much in the 50s and 60s? I know that there were a couple of through trains per day to Bournemouth over S&D so it seems feasible. The photos I have found of these through trains usually show a BR standard of some sort as motive power. I am guessing that they took over after reversal at Bath Green Park. I am looking for regular(ish) workings rather than specials or one-offs. If anyone can shed light on this or has photos, I would be interested to see them. Colin Maggs book 'The GWR Bristol to Bath Line' says that in the 1930s, D15, T12 & T9 4-4-0s worked a Salisbury to Bristol and return journey once a day. He doesn't mention anything about the post-war period, except that Bulleid pacifics worked football specials, through to Ashton Gate, fairly often, and at the end of 1960 a landslip caused the Pines to be diverted via BTM with the SR engines removed and turned at St.Philip's Marsh, ready to work the down Pines. One of my favorite photos, which my Dad took, is of a LNER B1 storming into BTM with the regular Weston-super-Mare to Sheffield, Saturdays only. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted December 23, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 23, 2016 I have had a look through Dad's spotting logs for 1956 & 1957 and can see no SR numbers recorded at BTM. That doesn't mean that there weren't any, just none when he was there! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted December 24, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 24, 2016 You want to be looking at the Portsmouth-Cardiff service as well as the S & D trains. This used to reverse at TM and would produce 33s at Cardiff in the mid 60s, back when we called them D65s, fairly regularly, and Southern Region demus would turn up at Bristol as well, so SR steam engines a decade earlier might well have run through past Salisbury. Another possibility is SR locos working through to East Depot or Stoke Gifford, and possibly Severn Tunnel Junction where all sorts of exotica might turn up, but I have never heard of it or seen photos. Traction knowledge was not an issue with steam locos, crews were expected to climb aboard, work it out for themselves, and get on with it, unfamiliarity and the consequent failure to get the best out of the loco probably accounting for many of the dismissive comments about other railways' hardware, but It increased the likelihood of locos 'working through' when a shed was short of prepared engines for whatever reason and a booked loco change didn't happen. Your dad's cracking shot of the B1 running in from the Exeter end is probably such an occurrence. If the loco had worked down from Sheffield the day before, and was booked a change at New Street but one wasn't available, then there wouldn't even be a booked loco at Gloucester, and so on; by the following day the ER would be chasing it's missing loco, which of course was most conveniently returned to them on the reciprocal working. Familiar with her or not, the crew seem to be on top of things nicely with the safety valves just lifting, but the amount of smoke suggests that the fireman is still having to put coal on even as she slows down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coppercap Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Looking at the lads on the platform end, seems that ex-LNER engines are of no real interest to some of them! You'd have thought that the sight of this running in would have got them ALL standing to attention! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestPines Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Looking at the lads on the platform end, seems that ex-LNER engines are of no real interest to some of them! You'd have thought that the sight of this running in would have got them ALL standing to attention! They must have all spotted it when it went through in the opposite direction! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted December 24, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 24, 2016 I sure that I have seen pictures of Bullied light pacific's working the line between Salisbury and Westbury on workings that would have continued to Bristol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold phil_sutters Posted December 24, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 24, 2016 You want to be looking at the Portsmouth-Cardiff service as well as the S & D trains. This used to reverse at TM and would produce 33s at Cardiff in the mid 60s, back when we called them D65s, fairly regularly, and Southern Region demus would turn up at Bristol as well, so SR steam engines a decade earlier might well have run through past Salisbury. Another possibility is SR locos working through to East Depot or Stoke Gifford, and possibly Severn Tunnel Junction where all sorts of exotica might turn up, but I have never heard of it or seen photos. Traction knowledge was not an issue with steam locos, crews were expected to climb aboard, work it out for themselves, and get on with it, unfamiliarity and the consequent failure to get the best out of the loco probably accounting for many of the dismissive comments about other railways' hardware, but It increased the likelihood of locos 'working through' when a shed was short of prepared engines for whatever reason and a booked loco change didn't happen. Your dad's cracking shot of the B1 running in from the Exeter end is probably such an occurrence. If the loco had worked down from Sheffield the day before, and was booked a change at New Street but one wasn't available, then there wouldn't even be a booked loco at Gloucester, and so on; by the following day the ER would be chasing it's missing loco, which of course was most conveniently returned to them on the reciprocal working. Familiar with her or not, the crew seem to be on top of things nicely with the safety valves just lifting, but the amount of smoke suggests that the fireman is still having to put coal on even as she slows down. I believe that the ER loco worked through to WSM and back on a regular basis. The Taunton MRC Green Park layout featured a similar working when it appeared in RM (I think). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestPines Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I believe that the ER loco worked through to WSM and back on a regular basis. The Taunton MRC Green Park layout featured a similar working when it appeared in RM (I think). Locomotives Of The LNER suggests it was relatively common after B1s started to be allocated to ex-LMS sheds, which fits given that the B1 in the picture has a Canklow shed plate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I sure that I have seen pictures of Bullied light pacific's working the line between Salisbury and Westbury on workings that would have continued to Bristol. They would've been 'specials or one-offs' ( see original post). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I seem to remember reading that there was a regular working from Salisbury to Exeter via BTM in order for SR crews to keep up route knowledge in case of diversions when the Mule was shut. Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted December 26, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2016 I sure that I have seen pictures of Bullied light pacific's working the line between Salisbury and Westbury on workings that would have continued to Bristol. They would've been 'specials or one-offs' ( see original post). One-offs or not, they may have come off at Westbury. Photo evidence north of Westbury strongly suggests through working to TM. I believe that the ER loco worked through to WSM and back on a regular basis. The Taunton MRC Green Park layout featured a similar working when it appeared in RM (I think). I did not know that, glad now I only claimed it was 'probably' a no relief work through... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted December 26, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 26, 2016 Locomotives Of The LNER suggests it was relatively common after B1s started to be allocated to ex-LMS sheds, which fits given that the B1 in the picture has a Canklow shed plate. B1s that were booked to come off at Temple Meads, but for which the relieving loco was unavailable, sometimes worked beyond, eventually being relieved at Taunton and even Exeter St Davids on occasion. One I "copped" in Exeter was, for some years, the only ER loco underlined in my first Combined Volume! Unfortunately both the book and my ability to recollect the number, are long gone. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 Thanks for the input everyone. So the opinion seems to be that it was possible. I will have to keep checking the albums. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pobrien Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 In the 1960's SR Light Pacifics were occasional visitors to Bristol on football specials to Bristol City's ground at Ashton Gate. They also worked through to Clifton Down Station with excursions to Bristol Zoo with locos being serviced at St Philips Marsh. In the mid 1960's they would sometimes be used to tow groups of withdrawn engines from Eastleigh or Salisbury on the first stage of their journey to South Wales scrapyards. Troop specials also were run to Bristol or South Wales with the locos working throughout. In 1963 34038 was stabled on St Philips Marsh for a number of weeks. One surprising appearance was 34051 piloting Hall 4960 on the 10.50 to Salisbury on Saturday August 11, 1962. The link below shows them leaving Platform 6 at Bristol Temple Meads. https://www.flickr.com/photos/60631240@N02/24435896040/in/photolist-qYeo6z-moQKhD-e1upDT-qYFWHn-5HW7V2-p78DcB-Dejmyq-q347EM A better photo of this train can be found in recently published "Steam around Bristol : the Final Years" by David Nicholas and Patrick O'Brien (Amberley Publishing" The photo below shows 34014 stabled at Bristol Barrow Road en route to South Wales. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/5154259356/in/photolist-8RsVJC-cEDoVs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSutt Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 I have vague memories of a Light Pacific at TM whilst spotting Summer of 1953, if thats any help, destined for Salisbury? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Endacott Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 This might help: http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1993 . Geoff Endacott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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