Things that surprise

[Tim Hale]

Buy a book- great advice that I can rarely follow but on this occasion, I did. My thanks to Tim Maddocks.

 

The book was Through Countryside and Coalfield - a history of the GWR's North Somerset line- an absolutely cracking book as it enlightened me to one of the railways that I cross every day I travel to the office. The other is the S&DJR but the GWR's line seemed elusive and a poor relation to its neighbour in North Somerset but both routes lost to the community this past 40-odd years.

 

I had very little understanding of the line from Frome to Bristol, the British film industry had immortalised the Camerton line but I wanted to understand more about those who built the lovely Pensford viaduct and the numerous bridges between Whitchurch and Brislington.

 

The surprise was the intensity of the traffic and to discover just how much has been lost due to the closure of the Somerset coalfield, Tim Venton's layout now has some context, other pleasures were the discovery that ROD's were used on the line (it was one of their last strongholds) however GWR large prairies were preferred due to the crew protection from the biting cold of Mendip winters.

 

In short, a recommendation that has proved a pleasure and a revelation.

 

Tim

[Karhedron]

It is indeed an excellent book about a very appealing line. Despite it's fairly low-key status it had a fascinating variety of motive power; Large and small prairies, panniers, RODs, Standard 3MTs, 2251s and even the occasional Mogul and Manor.

 

Some of the additional detail on the history of the line is fascinating too. My own layout is based on the plans raised in 1913 for a branch line from Pensford running up the Chew valley.

[Andy Kirkham]

It is indeed an excellent book about a very appealing line. Despite it's fairly low-key status it had a fascinating variety of motive power; Large and small prairies, panniers, RODs, Standard 3MTs, 2251s and even the occasional Mogul and Manor.

 

Some of the additional detail on the history of the line is fascinating too. My own layout is based on the plans raised in 1913 for a branch line from Pensford running up the Chew valley.

 

There is another intriguing might-have-been concerning this line: had it not been absorbed by the GWR it might have formed part of an LSWR route from Waterloo to Bristol.

 

Andy

[Allegheny1600]

I too, found this a fascinating book (thanks to my club library!).

I was very pleased to see photos of Hymeks working the area, no doupt in it's final days!

Cheers,

John E.

[Tim V]

The BNSR was a railway overshadowed by the S&D. It also closed early enough not to have been descended on by the hordes of photographers after Beeching. This means that there aren't that many photos of it.

 

Also, some people seem to think there were no other railways in Somerset apart from the S&D. Take Derek Huntriss's book "Steam in Somerset", a colour book that has 57% of the pictures devoted to the S&D. Yes I was so annoyed I counted them, 44 out of 76 pages.

 

The Michael Welch book "Somerset Steam" gives a more balanced percentage to the S&D, only 11%, 9 out of 80 pages. Perhaps he was making up for the Huntriss book!

 

The Mike Vincent book suffers from poor editing, and repeated use of very similar photos. However, apart from the Middleton Press book it's all that's available on the line.

 

The neighbouring Cheddar Valley line has an Oakwood Press and Lightmoor Press books on it. And look at the number of books on the Minehead line! Not that I'm complaining, apart from a certain blue engine (that isn't Thomas).

[Adam]

Amen to that Tim, but my feeling is that the same is true from almost all of the GW routes in Somerset (and I say that as someone whose primary interest is in the Southern), the main lines as much as the branches - when was the last time you saw a picture of a station on the Bristol-Taunton route that wasn't either Yatton or Highbridge for example?

 

Adam

[Tim V]

Spot on, though I did see a couple of pictures of Bridgwater once......

 

And what about between Castle Cary and Cogload?

[Captain Kernow]

when was the last time you saw a picture of a station on the Bristol-Taunton route that wasn't either Yatton or Highbridge for example?

As a regular traveller on that section of route, such a publication would be very welcome. There are some published photos of Durston, but as for places like Brent Knoll or Flax Bourton when open, these are pretty rare.

[Penlan]

I don't think I've seen mentioned 'The History of the Somerset Coalfield' by C.G.Down and A.J.Warrington, published by David and Charles in 1971.

Again covers a small area in some depth, I walked those lines back in the 60's. Very few photo's taken, and those I had seem to have walked.

Re. the Bristol - Taunton line, there was the Ordnance Factory exchange sidings north of Puriton (I worked on the M5 Construction which provided a bridge over the M/W to the factory) and of course Puriton station itself....

The PFA siding for the M5 was covered in a Topic a year or two ago on here.

In amongst the debris at Highbridge Works was a nice mahogany swivel chair from the Foreman's office,

it's still in use, not a million miles away.

[Tim V]

I don't think I've seen mentioned 'The History of the Somerset Coalfield' by C.G.Down and A.J.Warrington, published by David and Charles in 1971.

Again covers a small area in some depth, I walked those lines back in the 60's. Very few photo's taken, and those I had seem to have walked.

 

That book has been reprinted by Radstock Museum, for those unlucky not to have an original, I saw a copy there yesterday.