Bristol Harbour Railway - Updates and Goings on

That's good to hear, but that chassis the boiler is mounted on still needs a bit of work.

 

A passer-by this week asked if it was an 0-4-0. 'It is at the moment', we said.

 

Part of the New Cut branch of the Bristol Harbour Railway has collapsed into the river. Full story on the Bristol Post website: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/river-bank-collapse-means-cumberland-3773254

Bad news for the railway but more so for public transport in Bristol - it's forced the closure of the road alongside which forms part of the City's Metrobus system, bringing buses in from the airport and Long Ashton park and ride.

 

If looking for a silver lining amidst the gloom, this may prove one of those defining moments which forces some much needed viable objective long term decisions onto the agenda.

 

The decision had been made, repair designed and money found. But this will hopefully shorten the timescale. Bristol could live without the railway and footpath for four years but I expect that reopening the Cumberland Road will be deemed much more urgent.

 

Thanks for the link, I cycled past this morning and didn't even notice the road closure! Guess we shall have to wait and see what happens. I do hope the line can be reinstated all the way back to the bonded warehouses.

 

This isn't a new video (shot in 2014) but I've added a little commentary if anyone's interested in how the capstan works...

 

Last Thursday the working exhibits were put to work getting 'Mayflower's boiler back in to the tug. 'Portbury' did the honours of shunting it on to the quayside.
https://bristolharbourrailway.co.uk/2020/08/22/mayflowers-boiler-lift/

 

More overhaul updates as Henbury's boiler is refitted and the rolling chassis is brought out of the workshop.
Thanks to Bob Edwardes for the photos.

 

This is good to see. I didn’t know henbury was coming back this is excellent news.

 

August 2020 - The 1861-built Steam Tug 'Mayflower' takes another step in the progress of its overhaul as the boiler is lifted back into the hull. Assisting in the operation is 1917-built Avonside 'Portbury' and 1951-built Stothert and Pitt 'Crane 32', both working exhibits and still earning their keep at M Shed Museum. Whilst the superstructure was off I took the opportunity to film some shots of the engine room with natural light, a rare occurrence! The lifting operation was undertaken by a minimum number of volunteers due to the COVID-19 situation and working regulations.

 

Its a bit shades of the S&D at Highbridge Wharf because they used to take the boilers out of their ships for maintenance at Highbridge Works.

As far as I understand it Marine boilers usually stayed in the ship for life.

 

Good to see work finally taking place at the retaining wall collapse on the New Cut branch today.

I can't wait to see a platform constructed here to replace the one lost to the busway just around the corner. Plenty of track stacked up, just needs a giant hand from the sky to clip it all together!

 

Indeed it'll be nice to run there again, not sure when it'll be.

In the meantime the Coles Crane has been released from its lair, Bill Drewett was there to snap some pics.
https://bristolharbourrailway.co.uk/2020/12/10/coles-crane-on-the-move/

 

Further to the above, Henbury and Portbury were helped out of the shed by the crane so that Henbury's cab and repaired tank could be lifted on.
https://bristolharbourrailway.co.uk/2020/12/12/henbury-overhaul-update-december-2020/

 

I was recently browsing the Bristol Flood Strategy (https://bristol.citizenspace.com/growth-regeneration/b27a1658/) and came across proposals for the New Cut Branch. One of the options (screengrab below) is to turn it into a tramway, shared with pedestrians. Given recent hysteria over the alleged dangers the Weymouth tramway posed to pedestrians and cyclists, a new version seems a stretch of the imagination, despite the success of tramway operations in the M-Shed area. I wonder what @Corbs and chums think of this plan?

 

There's a pretty big difference between railway rails set into a roadway, as was the case at Weymouth and tramway rail, with a much less fearsome drop. Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is that the old Glasgow system's odd 4'-73/4" gauge was specifically chosen to permit the flange edge of railway wagons to run in the groove of the tramway's 'crescent' rail, allowing operation over the tram network, not possible had standard gauge been adopted, although this was only a very limited feature of certain specific operations rather than ever becoming a comprehensive urban freight distribution system.

 

I'm struggling to understand the reasoning. There's already a footpath for pedestrians and cyclists, separated from the railway line by a fence, so this scheme provides no extra access. I suppose the idea is to attract more visitors by making it a more pleasant environment. But it will never be able to compete with the existing walk along the harbourside from the M Shed to Underfall yard. It's an alternative route between the same two places, but less attractive.

And what's it going to cost? Tramway is eye-wateringly expensive. Does Bristol City Council really have so much spare cash at the moment that it can afford a scheme like this, where the benefits are so questionable? I could suggest one or two higher priorities...

I reckon it's also unattractive from a railway operating perspective. A lot of our system is already tramway, and while that's part of its appeal, it's challenging for drivers and guards. You never know when a pedestrian (typically wearing headphones and oblivious to their environment) is going to change direction or a car reverse out of a parking space in front of the train. That's OK. We move slowly (walking pace near the museum) and stay alert. But the New Cut is the one bit of the system where crews can relax a little, and the loco can stretch it's legs. It would be a real shame to lose this.

 

I expect the ORR will have a few comments about the proposed arrangements as well. ( Were they ever consulted for guidance?) The normal mantra in railway safety is to keep pedestrians and cyclists away from railways with a physical barrier.

Cheers, Neil