Rivercider

By 1830 there must have been quite a lot of knowledge of the geography or topography, particularly in the affluent areas of Britain where the first railways were built. There were a thousand Turnpike Trusts controlling 18,000 miles of road, also 4,000 miles of canals. The first OS maps were available around 1801, with the 6 inch to the mile survey had commenced (starting in Ireland in 1824). The promoters of the Great Western for example knew which places they wanted to connect so looking at the basic maps of the day a number of potential routes would suggest themselves. Presumably at the local level Brunel or his fellow engineers would have employed someone with local knowledge to show him around? cheers

Some of the other codes that appeared on TOPS train consists included the three character shunting tag (eg 760 for Severn Tunnel Junction), the two character axle box type (I think 72 or 73 were either oil box or roller bearing, not sure which). An A9 or J6 wagon enquiry would also give things like date due ppm (planned preventive maintenance), or the date of last repair, the type of last 6 repairs done. Also the 4 character wagon pool allocated to (if any), and also the last wagon release code and by which TOPS office the release code was carried out. There was also detail for the actual weight of contents, heaviest lift (if applicable), and number of wagon sheets (though I never remember this used in our area), cheers

I have a small handful of old TOPS printouts from my days in the Bristol Area Freight Centre. I can also remember several of the TOPS printouts, so might be able to interpret some of the information if a scan of a printout is posted. On a similar subject, being able to produce a realistic traffic flow for a particular yard or location is somewhere between a science and an art. cheers

Network Rail will have control about what happens inside the railway fence. and no doubt in places will have influence about what happens outside the railway fence. Along the South Devon sea wall section it has been mentioned before that it is not just storm damage from the sea that is the problem, the red sandstone cliffs inland of the railway have been a continual problem too. There is currently work taking place on the cliff above Kennaway Tunnel at Dawlish, Parsons Tunnel rock shelter has been extended, and in recent years a lot of work has taken place on the sea wall section from Parsons Tunnel to Teignmouth. There is a combination of walling, fencing, and detection equipment in use. Last week we were walking along the coast at Shaldon which has similar geology to the railway sea wall section, particularly the section between Teignmouth and Sprey Point. On the Ness Beach we saw some recent falls close up. In several places small waterfalls were dropping onto the beach, and in places were there had been a recent slip the liquid red clay was still oozing onto the beach. This is Ness Beach looking east, Parsons Tunnel passes through Hole Head which is the headland in the distance. 3/3/2024 A close up of the recent slip on Ness Beach, the muddy water, or liquid clay, was running down in a couple of places. 3/3/2024 Mud running out onto Ness Beach 6/3/2024. Obviously the section of cliffs behind the railway is better managed than this, but it is not cheap, or 100% successful, so I think calls for a real long term solution there will not go away. cheers

In the late 1970s I recall a one-off consignment of low level nuclear waste from Hinkley Point which went by rail from Bridgwater to Sharpness loaded in pipe wagons. I think the waste was loaded in drums. Also from the late 1970s and again involving Sharpness I remember a train (or two) of wood pulp loaded in tubes from Sharpness to Marsh Ponds in Bristol for St Annes Board Mills. There was also a pool of tube wagons to convey new concrete sleepers from the Dow-Mac plant at Quedgeley to the Pre-Assembly Depot (PAD) at Taunton Fairwater, and probably also to the PAD at Radyr, cheers

I went out for a walk today with family, knowing that there was a vessel expected to arrive at Teignmouth. The SEA CHARENTE was en-route from Erith, I don't know the cargo, but possibly animal feed from rape seed cake? The Teignmouth pilot boat the SYD HOOK is temporarily unavailable, so the port tug/dredger TEIGN C was also acting as pilot boat. We were across at Shaldon so I had a good view of proceedings. The TEIGN C heads out of the Teign estuary 6/3/2024 TEIGN C leads SEA CHARENTE towards the Teign estuary, note the narrow entrance channel, which is regularly dredged. 6/3/2024 SEA CHARENTE (1996/2100dwt) 6/3/2024 SEA CHARENTE makes the starboard turn into the harbour. This is one of the smaller vessels that now arrive, some are 3800dwt. 6/3/2024. By the time we had crossed back to Teignmouth on the ferry unloading of SEA CHARENTE had already commenced. 6/3/2024. cheers

Since moving to Teignmouth I have been keeping a look out for shipping arrivals. Reading up about Teignmouth it seems that the port has always had a problem with silting both of the approach channel and the berths. As the size of coastal ships has increased so arrivals tend to be planned around the spring tides. The middle of February saw few arrivals, then the spell of windy weather saw 25-30 vessels sheltering in Lyme Bay including three inbound for Teignmouth, all had to wait for two or three days before they were able to berth. Once the weather improved this meant that the berths were all occupied for the next few days. On 27th February the berths at the Eastern Quay and Western Quay were all occupied, there was another vessel RHODANUS waiting out in the bay. This view is taken from the New Quay looking up the river Teign. The TEIGN C is the port tug which also carries out dredging with a plough of the approach channel. The ATLANTA II tied up at the Fish Quay was an fishing vessel arrival from Bridlington. At the Eastern Quay is MARLEY which had spent at least two nights waiting out in Lyme Bay. On the Western Quay are AMADEUS DIAMOND, with CLARITY astern, both of these vessels had arrived in the bay after MARLEY, but were handled first. Out of sight to the left was the dredger CAPALL MARA. Once AMADEUS DIAMOND had departed MARLEY took the berth for loading with ball clay. 27/2/2024 A view from the town side looking between the warehouses towards Shaldon (not Starcross!). This is the brief view of shipping in the port that is visible from the train. At the Western Quay is AMADEUS DIAMOND. The West of England main line to Newton Abbot is this side of the fence in the foreground cheers

Here is a terrible instamatic snap from 1976. If it is the same signboard then the sign later altered. Edit - I see you have found other images with different signage. Taken before the introduction of the new electric service, four class 313 units are stabled. 9/10/76. cheers

That would be quite an ambitious project. BR Era 7 would be 1971-1986 I think? A lot changed during that time, but searching Flick for example should get you a lot of useful information. I made a few visits there back then. The view from the station platform across the yard with the tracks curving away towards Oxford. 17/11/82 And a later view, taken I think from a footbridge at the west end of the station? (it was a long time ago). A view looking northwards with a DMU arriving from the Oxford direction. The civil engineers tip sidings on the left in the triangle were a fairly recent addition I think. Good luck cheers

Although Teignmouth lost the rail connection in the 1960s the port is still active. It seems that the regular vessels are in the 2500dwt to 3800dwt range. There are four or five mobile cranes in use. Here are two of the wheeled cranes on the West Quay at Teignmouth 22/2/2024, The crane on the right has a raised position for the operator, loading FRISIAN RIVER built 2007 2620dwt. 5/1/2023 cheers

Sorry. My error. This is the Bristol Queen I am familiar with in Weston. She used to do occasional 'trips around the bay' and visits to Steepholm and Flatholm. Sadly she has been going nowhere for some time. From Flickr by Thomas Harper 11/3/2016, cheers

I don't think any previous experience is required to be in charge of the engine room of the Bristol Queen at present. Sadly she is on dry land beside Weston-super-Mare station, more or less where the former gasworks siding were, I have no idea what the future holds. cheers

Good shout. I had forgotten that Gobowen, (and Shrewsbury) continued to receive coal after the Network Coal services finished. There are some photos of coal traffic as late as 2000/02 on Flickr. This photo by John Catterson of 37896 14/2/2002. And a photo of the facilities at Gobowen Gobowoen yard photo by Minfforrdd Ken 26/2/2000 cheers

Yes it was Western Fuel who had the CCD at Wapping Wharf, they also had depots at Filton, Taunton, and Exmouth Junction, and possibly elsewhere. Western Fuel took over from BR for the operation of the Bristol Harbour line from Ashton Junction to Wapping Wharf in 1977. Here is the former PBA No.30 Hudswell Clark shunter hauling HTVs of coal from Ashton Junction to Wapping Wharf, 11/2/80 After the vacuum braked network had been closed domestic coal for both Wapping Wharf and Filton CCD came on Speedlink services from Severn Tunnel Junction to Stoke Gifford Yard, from there local trips were made to Ashton Junction and Filton. Here 6B18 Severn Tunnel to Stoke Gifford Speedlink feeder service arrives at Stoke Gifford behind 47315. The loco will run round then shunt the train in Stoke Gifford Downside, The HEAs were loaded with domestic coal for Wapping Wharf and Filton, 10/7/85. I believe Wapping Wharf closed first with the remaining domestic coal handled at Filton, that also ceased by around 1993. cheers

Poor as England were they still might (should?) have had a losing bonus point. When Feyi-Waboso crossed the try line he went straight to ground. I thought in that moment he could have taken a step or two towards the posts, virtually without risk. Had he done so the conversion would surely have been good. Oh well. cheers

The traditional vacuum braked wagon load freight network was wound down and ceased in May 1984, scrap and domestic coal were among the last traffics. Thereafter remaining domestic coal depots were served by the Speedlink network with coal in HBA and HEA hoppers. Commencing in November 1986 the domestic coal traffic was separated off from Speedlink onto the separate Speedlink Coal network, with the complete transfer by July 1987. By then there were about 37 coal concentration depots remaining. I was in WR HQ freight planning section at the time and was surprised a separate network was being set up for domestic coal traffic as many of the WR and SR depots were planned for a daily service, yet most were receiving only 5 or 6 wagons each a week! Speedlink Coal was renamed Network Coal, and it finally closed in April 1993, (the Speedlink Network having already closed in July 1991). Thereafter the only depots regularly served were trainloads of coal to West Drayton and Preston Deepdale. cheers

Until 1980 nuclear flask traffic Sellafield to/from locations on the WR at Berkeley, Oldbury, and Hinkley Point passed on ordinary vacuum braked wagon load services. The dedicated Sellafield to Bridgwater and return flask services started running in 1981. cheers

My regular spotting trips away from home turf started around 1975, so many of the early diesel classes were gone, and others had retreated from areas where they were once common. Each Region had its own attraction of course. I was used to seeing 31s and 33s in Bristol and Exeter but there was always a thrill of seeing lines of 31s at Stratford, or 33s at Eastleigh mingling with 73s 09s and DEMUs (EMUs did not interest me). Class 20s were strange beasts to me, but I have happy memories of trips on the NE/SW route. On the southbound homeward journey on summer evenings we would stand looking out the droplights at the corridor ends when it seemed almost every yard or goods loop we passed had a pair of 20s on a coal train whistling away. cheers

Great work as always Andy. I recall that the pairs of class 37s were generally used on the PGAs to/from Wolverton, but sometimes also provided to load a MSV set. I don't recall any specific incident regarding derailment of MSVs during unloading. I do remember office colleagues of mine who dealt with the stone traffic being very impressed by the skill of the regular grab operators at some of the terminals, how quickly they could unload wagons, and very cleanly too with very little residue left once they had finished. cheers

I think it was all rather inefficient. As I understand it when the line between Exeter and Newton Abbot was opened as a single line there was no facility to pass passenger trains, there was only a single platform at each station, the loops at Starcross, Dawlish, and Teignmouth were all goods only. Then there was always the possibility of a passenger train being braked too early and stopping short, or over-running the platform and then having to be manhandled back. The atmospheric system might have worked tolerably well as a passenger only service with a regular service between two stations, but there seems to have been no easy way to provide points, or any kind of junction. The telegraph had not been installed at any of the pumping stations which meant that delays could not be advised, so fuel was burnt uselessly to create the vacuum before the next train was ready to depart. cheers

Yes, the same site, but of course enlarged lengthways, I think when the tunnels were present shunt moves at each end of the station were into the tunnels. The South Devon Railway stations at Starcross Dawlish and Teignmouth were all apparently meant to be temporary. They were built out of wood in 1845/46 for the opening of the line. Dawlish station burned down and was replaced in 1875. Teignmouth station was rebuilt in 1893-96 when the tunnels opened out and the line doubled. Starcross main station building lasted until it was demolished in 1981! cheers

That stone train looks great, and brings back a lot of good memories. BR got good value out of those wagons, they were robust, and well suited to the aggregate trade. They were a low tech solution and ideal for a short term terminal with grab discharge. The shortest sets of wagons I remember from my time in Bristol TOPS were the trains that ran from Tytherington to Redditch over night around 1978/79/80. There were two sets in the working each formed of 26 MSVs, (and for a time they were a mixed rake of MSV/MTVs), Each week night an empty set came off the LMR to be swapped with the loaded set at Stoke Gifford yard which then went back to Redditch. Hopefully I will get to see Blueball Summit again one day, cheers

The book you may be remembering is 'Exeter to Newton Abbot - A Railway History' by Peter Kay, which is packed full of history, dates, and photos. Kennaway Tunnel at Dawlish was widened, and opened to double line in October 1905. Parsons Tunnel signal box at the west end of Parsons Tunnel opened in 1884 when the line was doubled from there west to Teignmouth, it was later replaced by another box in 1906. Teignmouth West Tunnel was opened out between 1879-81. Teignmouth East Tunnel was opened out 1880-84. The 'temporary' station at Teignmouth dating from the opening of the line in 1845 and was still in use when the broad gauge was replaced in 1892, the new station being constructed in 1893-95, cheers

It is only in recent years that I have realised that Teignmouth once had two tunnels, though it becomes obvious once you know where they were. When the tunnels were opened out about half a dozen bridges had to be built, three of them at the east end. A number of low quality workers housing was removed at the time, and one of the Teignmouth churches had to be rebuilt on another site to make room for the additional cutting. This is a view from the lengthy down platform, it had been extended at least once to avoid down trains requiring to draw up to allow passengers to alight. This section of down platform is now disused and overgrown. The three 'new' bridges can be seen. 3/7/82 cheers

Yes, the two tunnels, one at each end of Teignmouth station, were opened out when the line was doubled, prior to that Teignmouth station was a very cramped affair, cheers