Western Region 1980s freight - West of England Division, my photos

[Rivercider]

Kevin,

I have a feeling that the picture you mention of 08 836 with polybulks at Sharpness is actually at Gloucester docks. I think I know the photograph that you mean.

Ah yes, I think I have misunderstood the caption, when it refers to the 'quay of the Sharpness Canal'.

The Sharpness Canal, which of course ran from Sharpness Docks to Gloucester Docks.

I did think a class 08 at Sharpness was a bit unusual!

 

cheers

[andy stroud]

 

 

I did think a class 08 at Sharpness was a bit unusual!

 

cheers

yes that is what drew my attention.

 

I would just like to say that this is just about my favourite thread on here. Perfect for my areas of interest, both geographically and time era. Many thanks for all that you have posted.

 

andy

[Pugsley]

Ah yes, I think I have misunderstood the caption, when it refers to the 'quay of the Sharpness Canal'.

The Sharpness Canal, which of course ran from Sharpness Docks to Gloucester Docks.

I did think a class 08 at Sharpness was a bit unusual!

That would make sense as there was a large grain silo at Gloucester. Now Sainsbury's.

 

[Rivercider]

To illustrate more of the engineers traffic in the Worcester area here are more photos,

though I am unsure of the exact locations.

 

Here are five photos from a group of 13  taken by my late brother Steve.

They were taken in the winter of 1980/81 or 1981/82 when my brother was working in the civil engineers office Bristol before he gained promotion and moved to Croydon. The visit to the Gloucester/Worcester area was made to either carry out a TOPS check, or wagon survey, he may have accompanied my dad, but another of my BR colleagues from Bristol

appears in some of the photos.

 

I recognise some of the locations, picture 7 was Gloucester Station on the journey up, picture 11 is at Evesham station with a passenger train approaching, pictures 18 and 19 are at Worcester Shrub Hill presumably when returning home. 

  

 

Picture 8 - now (in Jan 2021) confirmed as Sheenhill Sidings just west of Honeybourne station. 

It shows a train of new (?) track sections, Vic Bush from the Bristol Civil Engineers Office stands beside unfitted salmon DB 996493.

 

Picture 9 - also confirmed as Sheenhill Sidings Honeybourne.

Another salmon in the train, DB 996284.

 

Picture 11 I now know is taken at Evesham Station, were the last two photos from Honeybourne? 

 

Picture 12 - where is this?

Unfitted grampus DB 986036 loaded with some kind of cabinet, and sheeting, is this Worcester?

 

Picture 14 - where is this?

Vic Bush again, this time standing beside a piped gane DS 64640.

 

Picture 17 - where is this?

Three engineers ZTO TOPS coded brake vans, including DB 950385, is this Worcester?

 

Picture 18 and 19 are at Worcester Shrub Hill.

 

Any ideas please?

 

cheers 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Rivercider
Additional info

[Rivercider]

Still on the subject of engineers trains in the Worcester area here are two photos from 1979 at Newland to the south west of Worcester.

 

Sidings at Newland were use as a PAD (Pre-Assembly Depot) from 1954 until the depot closed in late 1982.

Sleepers and rails were received to be made up into pre-fabricated track sections for use on relaying jobs around the Western Region.

PWM 654 was the regular yard pilot from 1964 until closure in late 1982.

PWM 654 receives attention in the yard, 27/3/79.

 

One of the local trip locos was allocated to the civil engineers for moving engineers wagons as required,

this might be moving wagons to or from yards ready for weekend working, or, as in this case, a midweek ballast drop,

An instamatic photo of 31258 witjh mini snow ploughs passing Newland PAD with loaded dogfish hoppers and plough van

it is heasding from the Hereford direction towards Worcester, 17/3/79

 

cheers 

Edited November 19, 2014 by Rivercider

[Phil Bullock]

Picture 14 definitely Worcester Shrub Hill goods yard - that's Tunnel Junction Signal Box above the Gane with Railway Walk on the skyline - the entrance to Rainbow Hill Tunnel is in the cutting off to the right.

 

Phil

[ChrisB]

I have that book too and when I first saw that picture, I thought it looked more like Sharpness than Gloucester.

[The Stationmaster]

Pictures 8 & 9 are probably Newlands - a roof in the background isn't right for Honeybourne I suspect.  Picture 17 could be Newlands but might be Honeybourne at the west end by the OWW line and I think pic 14 with the Gane might be Honeybourne because of the embankment in the background.  

Picture 12 of the Grampus looks like Shrub Hill to me.

Edited November 19, 2014 by The Stationmaster

[Phil Bullock]

Mr Stationmaster Sir!

Was Tunnel Junction box in picture 14 not one of the ones you tried to have your wicked way with? :no:

 

Phil

[The Stationmaster]

Mr Stationmaster Sir!

 

Was Tunnel Junction box in picture 14 not one of the ones you tried to have your wicked way with? :no:

 

Phil

Ah, now I see it hiding like a little illuminated model - so yes, I think you are right and I was wrong and those sidings were a lot higher than I though they were.

 

And yes Tunnel Jcn 'box was on my list - the only question mark in my scheming was were the new 'box might go as it was considered back then, hmm 30 years ago, taht it would be unlikely to go on Gloucester so in the station buildings at Shrub Hill was one idea that was mentioned.

[Phil Bullock]

Cheers Mike

 

I wanted to try and make the grampus picture in to Worcester too - looks like the NCL depot in the background - but I cant square up the windows, the roller shutter door and the roof line, see the shot of 08778 above.

 

Phil

[The Stationmaster]

Cheers Mike

 

I wanted to try and make the grampus picture in to Worcester too - looks like the NCL depot in the background - but I cant square up the windows, the roller shutter door and the roof line, see the shot of 08778 above.

 

Phil

I'm wondering if it was another building further up ((or further over) but can't find pics of all of them to compare the windows.  In fact I'm now beginning to wonder if all of those pictures in the snow were taken at the same place on the same day?

[Rivercider]

I'm wondering if it was another building further up ((or further over) but can't find pics of all of them to compare the windows.  In fact I'm now beginning to wonder if all of those pictures in the snow were taken at the same place on the same day?

Thanks for your help in trying to identify these pictures. I had assumed they were taken on the same day, but there is now no way of knowing.

 

The earlier picture no 7 I have not posted is clearly at Gloucester station early in the morning, Steve and Vic may have changed trains for Worcester or visited Gloucester first.

On Flickr I have received the suggestion that the track sections may possibly be at Over Junction.

 

cheers

[Rivercider]

Our last location was Newland so I have carried on westwards to Hereford, the yard pilot here was another Gloucester allocated class 08 in the early 1980s.

Hereford was another location that saw a lot of passing freight traffic in the 1980s, in the early part of the decade there were vacuum braked services from Severn Tunnel Junction to Warrington and Carlisle, which were later replaced by Speedlink services to Warrington Carlisle and Mossend. There were also company block trains and Freightliner services over the route. Also important was steel traffic running between British Steel plants,  Margam and  Llanwern  in South Wales, Dee Marsh in North Wales and Ravenscraig in Scotland. 

 

I only called here on a couple of occasions and only took a handful of photos.

37308 stands on the through line either waiting traincrew relief, or waiting a margin between passenger services to head south, 12/2/82

 

The same engineers train with 37308 is seen in a general view of Hereford 12/2/82

 

 

cheers

Edited November 21, 2014 by Rivercider

[Rivercider]

As well as the goods yard at Hereford there were a number of private sidings still active in the 1980s,

Bulmers forwarded large amounts of cider on Speedlink services, and Painter Bros received steel.

There was also timber traffic handled in the yard, and also for Pontrilas Saw Mills,

I think the timber traffic increased after the great storm of 1987. 

In the Speedlink era one train in each direction northbound and southbound called to detach and attach traffic,

 

 

I don't have any photos of the traffic in Hereford Yard but I did photograph the trip returning from 

Moreton-on-Lugg and then ready to leave for Severn Tunnel Junction.

47285 has a single vanwide from the MOD at Moreton-on-Lugg as it approaches Hereford, 12/2/82

 

After attaching traffic from the yard at Hereford 47285 now waits to return to Severn Tunnel Junction

Behind the vanwide there is now a tank and five empty BDAs which had delivered steel to Painter Brothers, 12/2/82

 

In 1982 there were still vacuum braked services between Severn Tunnel Junction and Warrington 

47129 is working a southbound service into Hereford, among the traffic is a highfit, a hooded steel carrier

and the rear of the train was made up of china clay empties, 12/2/82  

 

Finally for here is a photo of the yard pilot

Gloucester allocated 08646 rests after completing the days shunting, the only other loco stabled there at the time was 40074, 12/2/82

 

cheers

[Rivercider]

Now in order to have a look at the other freight traffic of the West of England Division we will have to retrace our route

back to Bristol and then head via Bath and the Avon valley to Westbury.

 

There was only a single freight terminal between Bristol and Westbury, it was the Avon County Council terminal at Bath Westmorland.

Avon County Council introduced their refuse transfer train in November 1985, it immediately became known as the 'Binliner',

The train initially ran five days a week with 15 flats each conveying 3 x 20' boxes and called at three terminals where the empty return

boxes were exchanged for ones loaded with refuse for Calvert. Bath Westmorland loaded 4 wagons, Barrow Road terminal loaded 7

and  the Westerleigh terminal loaded 4 flats.

 

There was quite a lot of regular freight traffic over the Bristol - Westbury route, in the early 1980s vacuum braked services

ran between Kingsland Road and Westbury, as well as inter-regional services between Severn Tunnel Junction and Eastleigh/Southampton.

Later first one then a pair of Speedlink services operated between Severn Tunnel Junction and Eastleigh.

There was also cement traffic from Westbury to Lawrence Hill, and stone empties to Barton Hill SHops for maintenance.

There was also some petroleum traffic from Fawley and steel traffic to Southampton and Hamworthy.

 

Moving on to Bath Spa here we see a couple of trains that regularly passed this way.

Firstly is 6V83 which was the second Speedlink service introduced between Eastleigh and Severn Tunnel Junction 

47140 heads west through Bath Spa with 6V83, behind the loco is an MOD warflat, the former BR ferryvan is in use as a barrier wagon,

the VEA behind is probably carrying government stores, possibly explosives. Are the tanks discharged bitumen tanks? they may be from Cranmore or Frome and heading for somewhere like Stanlow. 16/6/86

 

Next another service that ran for some years, 6O99/6V99 ran from Llanwern/Severn Tunnel Junction - Southampton and Hamworthy and return,

At times it conveyed both export steel and import steel in varying wagon types, and at one time ran via Swindon  to convey coil for Pressed Steel.

47236 approaches Bath Spa with 6V99 Hamworthy - Severn Tunnel Junction, the traffic today is empty shoc-hoods which will have conveyed

export traffic to Hamworthy, either coil, or possibly tinplate from BSC at Ebbw Vale, 16/6/86.

 

We now head up the Avon valley to Bradford on Avon, and go back a few years to 1983 when the vacuum braked network still existed.

37282 disturbs the peace at Bradford on Avon as it rattles through with 6V26 from Southampton Bevois Park to East Usk,

the majority of the traffic by this date is coal empties for the South Wales pits. This service had been used to convey fuel tanks from Fawley

to Bath Road in the past, but by this date the tanks had been converted to air brake and passed on an air braked service, 23/8/83

 

cheers 

Edited November 23, 2014 by Rivercider

[Pugsley]

Are the tanks discharged bitumen tanks? they may be from Cranmore or Frome and heading for somewhere like Stanlow. 16/6/86

I think they're Esso Bitumen tanks - the ones with ladders down the outside are rebuilt, air braked, 35T tanks, which only Esso did, to my knowledge.  The tanks are probably headed to Fawley, and have possibly come from Plymouth via STJ.

[The Stationmaster]

I think they're Esso Bitumen tanks - the ones with ladders down the outside are rebuilt, air braked, 35T tanks, which only Esso did, to my knowledge.  The tanks are probably headed to Fawley, and have possibly come from Plymouth via STJ.

Martyn, the train is heading towards STJcn and away from Fawley.

 

Meanwhile I'm desperately trying to remember where the empties off the Cranmore and Frome flows went  - simple answer, check the Marshalling Book!  Anyway having done so - and I'm talking 1975 - so somewhat earlier - and back then the Frome and Cranmore tanks went back direct to Ripple Lane on 6E33 12.30 MSX Exeter City Basin - Ripple Lane (attached at Witham).  However oil/bitumen contracts changed over the years and switched between refinieries so 1975 is a poor guide to teh Speedlink era.

[Fat Controller]

I've been trying to think where there were terminals north of Bath that these tanks might be going to. Colas had a terminal at Hereford, though they tended to use Shell for their other terminals, and as Martyn says, the tanks appear to be the Esso 35t ones. Is it possible the tanks are bound for Plymouth, connecting at STJ into one of the Midlands- South West trunk Speedlinks?

Cranmore and Frome were both supplied from Shell Stanlow at some point; presumably after Shellhaven stopped producing bitumen.

[Pugsley]

Martin, the train is heading towards STJcn and away from Fawley.

So it is.

 

In which case, reverse what I said

[Pugsley]

Cranmore and Frome were both supplied from Shell Stanlow at some point; presumably after Shellhaven stopped producing bitumen.

Frome was supplied by Mobil at one point as well, although I'm not sure where that originated from - possibly Coryton?

[Rivercider]

We now move south to Westbury, a location then, as now, busy with freight traffic.

Westbury is a railway crossroads with north-south traffic on the Bristol - Portsmouth route

meeting east-west traffic from Paddington to the West of England, and further complicated by an avoiding line.

Some of the photos have previously appeared on other threads.

 

At Westbury North is a triangular junction, trains from the Bristol direction can branch left to Heywood Road Junction, and gain the main line towards London. 

Here is a photo taken looking north towards Hawkeridge Junction, the chord line to Heywood Road Junction can be seen leading off to the right.

47156 is heading 6V79 Eastleigh - Severn Tunnel Junction Speedlink service away from Westbury earlier on the same day as 6V83 previously seen passing Bath. 16/6/86

 

We now move to Westbury North and the road bridge at the end of the platforms.

One source of much traffic at this end of Westbury was the Blue Circle Cement Works adjacent to the main line at Heywood Road Junction.

Traffic from the cement works went in train loads to locations like Exeter Central, Lawrence Hill and Southampton, as well as in wagon loads to Barnstaple. Inwards traffic was coal in trainloads from the midlands and PFA from Longannet.

Some trains went direct from the works to their destination, other times the wagons were tripped to Westbury Yard for the train to start from there.

Here Westbury pilot 08951 brings a raft of 25 presflos from the cement works into Westbury, 3/1/81

To highlight the importance of aggregate traffic in the area we can see two sets of stabled PGAs (51t hoppers),

on the left a set is stabled on the up Trowbridge Extension, the siding on the right is known as the Patney Siding.

To the right the building site is the beginnings of the construction of the panel signal box.

 

The re-signalling of the Westbury area took place in the early 1980s with Westbury South being completed first.

while for a time Westbury North retained semaphores..

In this next view not only have the semaphore signals gone but the cement is now conveyed in airbraked tanks.

08949 brings a short train into Westbury, at this time the cement works was receiving pulverised fuel ash (pfa) from Longannet

on Speedlink services, 17/7/85

 

We can now see the new Westbury Panel Signal Box at Westbury,  although the semaphores are still in use at Westbury North.

31171 is working a midweek ballast drop out of Bristol East Depot and is returning from Woodboro on the Berks and Hants route,

the permanent way staff are riding on the platform of the third hopper.

The formation of 10 dogfish hoppers and a shark plough van, was the standard formation at that time, 23/8/83

 

Of course Westbury is well known for its involvement in the aggregate traffic from the Mendip Quarries. Although a handful of

services bypassed Westbury on the avoiding line most trains called into Westbury either for traincrew relief, or to reverse if heading 

for stone terminals in the Eastleigh area. We also get a view of the completed Westbury Panel Signal Box. 

47242 passes the panel box as it approaches Westbury from the London direction with empty ARC PTAs which are former iron ore tipplers,

a type of wagon commonly used on stone traffic in the late 1970s and 1980s.  16/6/86.

 

cheers

Edited November 26, 2014 by Rivercider

[Rivercider]

And now crossing to the other side of the road bridge we can look down onto Westbury Station.

To begin we have two photos when Westbury North Signal Box was still controlling semaphore signals.

I think that at this time the  multiple aspect signals at Westbury South were controlled by a mini panel in the North box

which had been renamed Westbury Box, though I stand to be corrected.

 

Firstly a view of a Salisbury - Meldon Quarry empty ballast train which has called at Westbury to run round. 

50045 Achilles has been uncoupled ready to run round its train from Salisbury to Meldon,

class 50s were not that common on freight services in my experience though I saw them a few times on Meldon trains, 14/9/82

 

Now another view of the ballast train we saw returning from Woodboro after a ballast drop.

31171 departs from Westbury on its way back to Bristol East Depot, I think these midweek trains often ran as 6Z10, 23/8/83 

 

Now three views after the MAS scheme here had been completed.

An earlier view of 6V83 the second of the two daily Speedlink services from Eastleigh to Severn Tunnel Junction

47312 departs Westbury for Severn Tunnel Junction, the PCA tanks next to the loco have probably originated at the cement works, 2/6/84

 

There were a few petroleum services passing through Westbury, bitumen for Cranmore and Frome has been mentioned.

There was also traffic from Fawley to Plymouth and to Tiverton Junction.

The Robeston - Theale service for Murco Petroleum ran via the Avon Valley then from Hawkeridge Junction to Heywood Road Junction

then up the B&H route to Theale, returning discharged via Swindon. On odd occasions the train called into Westbury Yard to reverse,

this sometimes happened before the MAS scheme was completed as Hawkeridge JUnction signal box was not always open.

I don't know the reason for this working but the discharged tanks for Robeston are seen on the return working at Westbury.

56032 Sir Morgannwg Ganol/County of Mid Glamorgan makes a smoky departure from Westbury on the return working to Robeston, 21/6/84

 

Finally for this batch another view of 6V79 which we saw earlier passing Hawkeridge Junction.

6V79 Eastleigh - Severn Tunnel Speedlink service has just arrived at Westbury, the driver of 47156 looks back for a signal from the shunter as

the train is about to reverse into the up yard in order for the cement tanks and warflats next to the loco to be detached, 16/6/86

 

cheers

 

[Fat Controller]

We now move south to Westbury, a location then, as now, busy with freight traffic.

Westbury is a railway crossroads with north-south traffic on the Bristol - Portsmouth route

meeting east-west traffic from Paddington to the West of England, and further complicated by an avoiding line.

Some of the photos have previously appeared on other threads.

 

At Westbury North is a triangular junction, trains from the Bristol direction can branch left to Heywood Road Junction, and gain the main line towards London. 

Here is a photo taken looking north towards Hawkeridge Junction, the chord line to Heywood Road Junction can be seen leading off to the right.

scan0079a.jpg

47156 is heading 6V79 Eastleigh - Severn Tunnel Junction Speedlink service away from Westbury earlier on the same day as 6V83 previously seen passing Bath. 16/6/86

 

We now move to Westbury North and the road bridge at the end of the platforms.

One source of much traffic at this end of Westbury was the Blue Circle Cement Works adjacent to the main line at Heywood Road Junction.

Traffic from the cement works went in train loads to locations like Exeter Central, Lawrence Hill and Southampton, as well as in wagon loads to Barnstaple. Inwards traffic was coal in trainloads from the midlands and PFA from Longannet.

Some trains went direct from the works to their destination, other times the wagons were tripped to Westbury Yard for the train to start from there. scan0080a.jpg

Here Westbury pilot 08951 brings a raft of 25 presflos from the cement works into Westbury, 3/1/81

To highlight the importance of aggregate traffic in the area we can see two sets of stabled PGAs (51t hoppers),

on the left a set is stabled on the up Trowbridge Extension, the siding on the right is known as the Patney Siding.

To the right the building site is the beginnings of the construction of the panel signal box.

 

The re-signalling of the Westbury area took place in the early 1980s with Westbury South being completed first.

while for a time Westbury North retained semaphores..

In this next view not only have the semaphore signals gone but the cement is now conveyed in airbraked tanks.

scan0081a.jpg

08949 brings a short train into Westbury, at this time the cement works was receiving pulverised fuel ash (pfa) from Longannet

on Speedlink services, 17/7/85

 

We can now see the new Westbury Panel Signal Box at Westbury,  although the semaphores are still in use at Westbury North.

scan0083a.jpg

31171 is working a midweek ballast drop out of Bristol East Depot and is returning from Woodboro on the Berks and Hants route,

the permanent way staff are riding on the platform of the third hopper.

The formation of 10 dogfish hoppers and a shark plough van, was the standard formation at that time, 23/8/83

 

Of course Westbury is well known for its involvement in the aggregate traffic from the Mendip Quarries. Although a handful of

services bypassed Westbury on the avoiding line most trains called into Westbury either for traincrew relief, or to reverse if heading 

for stone terminals in the Eastleigh area. We also get a view of the completed Westbury Panel Signal Box. 

scan0082a.jpg

47242 passes the panel box as it approaches Westbury from the London direction with empty ARC PTAs which are former iron ore tipplers,

a type of wagon commonly used on stone traffic in the late 1970s and 1980s.  16/6/86.

 

cheers

The tank wagons between the van and the bitumen tanks in the first photo look as though they might be the slurry tanks originally built to carry clay slurry for ECC from Cornwall to Sittingbourne. Possibly a working from Quidhampton with chalk slurry for the same company?

[Rivercider]

The tank wagons between the van and the bitumen tanks in the first photo look as though they might be the slurry tanks originally built to carry clay slurry for ECC from Cornwall to Sittingbourne. Possibly a working from Quidhampton with chalk slurry for the same company?

Yes I think you are right Brian, they went from Quidhampton to Sittingbourne amongst other places, so would have routed via Severn Tunnel Junction

possibly connecting into 6O50 01.50 Severn Tunnel Junction to Dover which called at Hoo Jn,

 

cheers