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The changing face of Bristol


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1 hour ago, flex2wees said:

Not sure if it’s been discussed here but theres a rumour at work that the Coal Hoppers at Avonmouth BBHT have been sold. On site down there today and progress has started on the conveyor belt with approximately half of the lower end gone! 

Alas another part of my history bites the dust.

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47 minutes ago, Tim V said:

Is that this one seen in 1997?

 

Hallen Marsh 1997 OM1 K64 s10- 001.jpg

That’s the one! Will be quite the undertaking to get it down! Another “rumour” is that the container terminal now occupying part of the yard is looking to expand. It’ll definitely be a drastic change to the skyline!

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57 minutes ago, flex2wees said:

That’s the one! Will be quite the undertaking to get it down! Another “rumour” is that the container terminal now occupying part of the yard is looking to expand. It’ll definitely be a drastic change to the skyline!

I didn't know there was a container terminal here. How long has it been there?

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1 hour ago, Andy Kirkham said:

I didn't know there was a container terminal here. How long has it been there?

There *was*  a small scale container terminal there for quite a few years on the East Wharf(?). 

The siding was on the seaward side of Bennetts sidings (where imported coal was loaded by grab into MEAs),   edit  -  which is a different container terminal to the one shown above. 

 

cheers

Edited by Rivercider
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22 minutes ago, Andy Kirkham said:

I didn't know there was a container terminal here. How long has it been there?


Maritime has taken up a section of wasteland / demolished several shunters cabins and lifted some of the track (Number 7 and 8 Sidings?). Its been there for maybe a year with no rail connection currently. Although it does seem like they could very easily add one 

C27E297E-167C-49BD-BF9B-6FD56E92AA85.jpeg

Edited by flex2wees
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1 hour ago, Tim V said:

Since this is the 'changing face of Bristol' I think I'm stood in the same place in 1979 looking the same way!

519815737_StAndrewsRd16September1979OM1180-(2).jpg.d4ccb5c59b0cad96026447c87dc31f65.jpg

 

Fisons Tank Farm on the *correction* right. There were trains of ammonium nitrate (correction) in 'Green' tanks (TTFs and TTAs) to/from Fisons depots at Immingham/Ipswich/Plymouth,  the product had to be transported quite quickly, as it was loaded hot/warm which helped discharge. Also the nastier liquified anhydrous ammonia which went to/from the nearby ICI Severnside Works at Severn Beach.

 

Oops, I am ar*e about face. This view is looking north towards Severn Beach with the PBA sidings on the left, and the Fisons Tank Farm and St Andrews Road on the right, the BBHT was erected to the right of the running lines. St Andrews Road station footbridge is at the far end of the platform.  

 

 

 

 

cheers

Edited by Rivercider
Correction of dangerous goods details
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59 minutes ago, flex2wees said:


Maritime has taken up a section of wasteland / demolished several shunters cabins and lifted some of the track (Number 7 and 8 Sidings?). Its been there for maybe a year with no rail connection currently. Although it does seem like they could very easily add one 

C27E297E-167C-49BD-BF9B-6FD56E92AA85.jpeg

Sorry. I was thinking of a small container terminal within the PBA land adjacent to the East Wharf, which was accessed through the former LPG sidings in the PBA, off to the bottom right of that view I believe.

 

cheers

Edited by Rivercider
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1 hour ago, Tim V said:

Since this is the 'changing face of Bristol' I think I'm stood in the same place in 1979 looking the same way!

519815737_StAndrewsRd16September1979OM1180-(2).jpg.d4ccb5c59b0cad96026447c87dc31f65.jpg

 

 That's looking in the opposite direction, from the now demolished platform and the bunkers would be just in front of you on the right

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44 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

Fisons Tank Farm on the *correction* right. There were trains of anhydrous ammonia in 'Green' tanks (TTFs and TTAs) to/from Fisons depots at Immingham/Ipswich/Plymouth. The product had to be transported quite quickly, as it was loaded hot/warm which helped discharge,

 

Oops, I am ar*e about face. This view is looking north towards Severn Beach with the PBA sidings on the left, and the Fisons Tank Farm and St Andrews Road on the right, the BBHT was erected to the right of the running lines. St Andrews Road station footbridge is at the far end of the platform.  

 

 

 

 

cheers

I worked along Smoke Lane from July 1976 to September 1977, and quite often caught the train from Clifton Down to St Andrew's Lane. The smell from the ammonia tanks was very good for clearing the head...

I have seen a map showing a Freightliner terminal on the Chittening estate, though only one reference.

The terminal near Bennett's siding was for traffic from Nissan, I believe.

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9 minutes ago, Tim V said:

It's been a while since I was there! Both of these from 1978.

275152637_StAndrewsRd7July1978OM1135-3.jpg.269232e59bdf33e2e82036cdeb89b424.jpg

 

1462600171_StAndrewsRd7July1978OM1133-2.jpg.8fc5894cf8b4db5c6c251f92fdf6d175.jpg

 

I think the tanks in view in the tank farm in the first photo are TTF/TTAs of liquified anhydrous ammonia, they were white with an orange band. Nasty stuff that went to and from ICI Severnside depending on the production levels of either plant. ICI also sent trains of it  to (and from) Heysham, Haverton Hill, and (possibly) Leith. These trains always required a brake van at the rear due to the nature of the gas in the event of a leak. There also appear to be some 'green' tanks of ammonium nitrate to the right of them.

 

cheers

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17 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I worked along Smoke Lane from July 1976 to September 1977, and quite often caught the train from Clifton Down to St Andrew's Lane. The smell from the ammonia tanks was very good for clearing the head...

I have seen a map showing a Freightliner terminal on the Chittening estate, though only one reference.

The terminal near Bennett's siding was for traffic from Nissan, I believe.

 

I don't think there has ever been a container terminal on the Chittening estate, the Avonmouth terminal was reached by going through Bennetts onto the docks, as far as I know it's still there but served by road only , its been a while since any container trains have been down there.

 

The terminal is at the bottom left of this view - the stop blocks were pretty much right at the end of the dock!

 

Screenshot_20220208-170732_Maps.jpg.c744fcf745a34c9feb35fd2e75aa309f.jpg

Edited by 101
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For good photos of the Avonmouth area from the 1990s onwards check out the Flickr photos of 'Driver 59' Neil Higson, who was a shunter at Avonmouth, and later became a driver.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/74165767@N05/49259544261/in/photolist-2kRDQcp-2mZaRUr-2kCS4S4-2kB7X1K-2kLTcKh-2kRRrQY-2kAtjHA-2kPo9NS-2kH9GVc-2i3U3kg-2kEyQRf-2mDEkS3-2jgPkQY-2ijr659-2jXHfYk-2kAuSis-2jbKUCC-2gbbFqX-2kuUe5h-2iWZ3Na-2jnKFtk-2kuogYM-2khoKuN-2hYyxrY-2ikTYSo-2j2JjJ7-2kKZoWW-2iSUw5G-2kGvvSn-2hz25QG-2i4KD43-2ggUeMU-2iiCa7V-2kEqdb8-2fbQ8eP-2jnKBqB-2gjT6NY-2b1UeiF-2j3WZSN-NDoML2-2kmP9if  

Here is a container train being shunted at Avonmouth in 2000,

 

cheers  

Edited by Rivercider
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15 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

For good photos of the Avonmouth area from the 1990s onwards check out the Flickr photos of 'Driver 59' Neil Higson, who was a shunter at Avonmouth, and later became a driver.

 

 Yes Neil has a lot of good photos, that one must've been taken from a crane and inside the docks - there won't be many if any more, photos from that angle 

Edited by 101
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2 hours ago, 101 said:

 

I don't think there has ever been a container terminal on the Chittening estate, the Avonmouth terminal was reached by going through Bennetts onto the docks, as far as I know it's still there but served by road only , its been a while since any container trains have been down there.

 

The terminal is at the bottom left of this view - the stop blocks were pretty much right at the end of the dock!

 

Screenshot_20220208-170732_Maps.jpg.c744fcf745a34c9feb35fd2e75aa309f.jpg


I saw a freightliner container train on 29/01 enter the docks. It seemed well loaded so hopefully this flow has returned! Definitely the first container train I’ve seen enter the docks in the past years. Unfortunately I can’t go that far back on RTT to find out the details 

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23 minutes ago, flex2wees said:


I saw a freightliner container train on 29/01 enter the docks. It seemed well loaded so hopefully this flow has returned! Definitely the first container train I’ve seen enter the docks in the past years. Unfortunately I can’t go that far back on RTT to find out the details 


If it was around 1:30pm it was probably 4V35, 07:23 London Gateway to Avonmouth West Wharf. 
 

If the TOPS list was accurate it was hauled by 66416.  

Edited by 4630
To add loco allocation.
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8 minutes ago, 4630 said:


If it was around 1:30pm it was probably 4V35, 07:23 London Gateway to Avonmouth West Wharf. 
 

If the TOPS list was accurate it was hauled by 66416.  

Thanks for the information! I was on a track failure at the time so couldn’t take a photograph unfortunately. 

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3 minutes ago, flex2wees said:

Thanks for the information! I was on a track failure at the time so couldn’t take a photograph unfortunately. 


If you’re interested, it would appear to be a regular Saturday Only working.

 

There’s a balancing Monday only working - 4L35, departing at 05:45!

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2 hours ago, flex2wees said:


I saw a freightliner container train on 29/01 enter the docks. It seemed well loaded so hopefully this flow has returned! Definitely the first container train I’ve seen enter the docks in the past years. Unfortunately I can’t go that far back on RTT to find out the details 

 

I stand corrected then - I'm out of touch since retiring - hope it's a regular flow

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3 hours ago, Rivercider said:

Neil has also put this picture of the BBHT mid demolition on Flickr.

https://flic.kr/p/2mZaRUr

 

 

Jo

 

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