Avon Valley Railway Updates and Videos

(Courtesy George Aldridge)

 

Dang, wish I'd come down now!

 

Those GWR locos do look good in Midland(ish) red....
Sorry, thought it was incumbent on me!

 

Gala's not until this weekend mate!

 

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEA!

 

Down at Avon Riverside now, seen some pretty great performances so far, L92 banking Met. 1 just now was intense.

 

Interesting days operations today - not quite as busy from a passenger perspective as I would have hoped - some interesting works - there are a few snaps I have taken between signalling trains.

 

A guards eye view of L.150 banking the goods today - noisy!

 

Video highlights from the event are now online, enjoy!


(cross posted from the gala thread)

 

Met 1 and L92 will be running again on Sunday. Met 1 on the passenger train and L92 on the freight train.

Info from https://www.facebook.com/AVRbitton/posts/477418422440147

 

Met 1 and L92 will be in use again this Sunday. Info from https://www.facebook.com/AVRbitton/posts/479497438898912

According to the SDRA loco roster L92 will be leaving on Monday to return to the SDR.

 

My video and a few photos from Sunday with Met 1 and L92.



L92 stands at Avon Riverside prior to departure for Bitton.


L92 ascends the bank towards Bitton in the fading afternoon light.


Met 1 heads up the bank to Bitton with the last passenger service of the day.


Met 1 silhouetted against the evening sky with the last service for Bitton.

 

Thanks for the tip off.

Keep an eye out for Saturday also. There is a steam driving experience course with loco and stock.
Also a Murder Mystery train on the evening. <BJ>

 

Great news! The AVR has a new website, take a look:
http://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/

 

New website is a great improvement. Looks great plus plenty of info.

 

Agreed it looks nice but there's nothing on expansion to Bath as far as I could see. Anyone know how that's going?

 

Last time I saw anything about it, it was going to cost £3m. Unfortunately I can't really see it happening in the near future, although there is supposedly a group working towards it according to the last set of AGM papers.

 

I heard that one of the biggest expenses involved is moving the (excellent) cycleway to one side of the formation - it currently sits in the middle and there's not enough room for the railway alongside.

It would be nice if the AVR at least promoted their Bath plans as an aspiration; there's not likely to be much support if people don't know about it.

 

IIRC there was something on the old website but a lot of stuff hasn't been transferred across.

IMHO and I do not in anyway have any inside knowledge or speak for the AVR, I wonder if they are not better off as they are. An extension of that size would require additional resources of all kinds from locos and coaches to more volunteers and probably a proper signalling system.

At the momement IMHO they are a reasonable size for the resources they have.

Still, if someone wants to give them the money.......

 

I disagree. I think the AVR could jump leagues ahead of similar schemes across the country with the relatively "simple" extension toward Bath. An extension to Newbridge would not only give a long run, but connect to the Bath P&R and the Kennet and Avon Canal.