Bristol Harbour Railway - Updates and Goings on

A few shots of the Harbour Railway running alongside the Avon and Cumberland Road towards the disused Ashton Swing Bridge.

http://michael527.fotopic.net/c1863455.html

 

I actually drove past Henbury on that day on the way home from work! Its funny, despite seeing the line every day I can't get enough pictures.

In other news, the Ashton junction spur has been further truncated. The line now stops at the end of the former swing bridge as improvements to the cycle path have taken the trackbed. The new developments at the former megabowl complex have encroached on the old run-round loop area too - as far as I can tell the new flats will not be built on the formation, but it is being used as a site office.
I really hope that the idea of linking up with Ashton Junction once more has not been completely abandoned, unfortunately the upkeep on the bridge was a millstone around the railways neck, yet as a listed structure it is unlikely to be replaced by a simpler design.

 

Any idea when it will operate in 2011? Council website still has 2010 details on it. Thanks

 

I would love to vissit here what's the current situaton

 

The Mshed Museum website appears to be updated, but although this webpage
http://mshed.org/museum/exhibits/henbury-steam-locomotive/

has a link to Harbour Railway Trips, the details have still to be posted, so there is some progress.

 

BHR dates for 2011 are here:

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/item/event/?XSL=index&VenueId=326&EndDate=2012-10-31

If that link stops working, go here:

http://www.bristol.gov.uk/item/event/

and select "ss Great Britain" for the venue and "All Dates".

Cheers

Rich

 

Details on the MShed aka Industrial Museum site.

http://mshed.org/progress/back-on-track/

 

I popped in on Saturday, as I was driving through Bristol - it would've been rude not to! "Portbury" was doing the honours, and the crew were very friendly and welcoming.

It's a totally unique experience - well reccomended to anyone who's in the area, or who hasn't been yet.

Cheers,

Phil.

 

Portbury performed again today. Henbury MAY work at Easter apparently and Portbury out of ticket soon. An enjoyable little line, and thanks to those who replied to my earlier post.

 

Another chance to see Trams on the Harbourside.

Is there an election this week in Bristol?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-13292342

 

a couple of views of the Harbourside Railway in operation today- along with the steam crane and two tugs.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16582147@N07/6296456532/in/photostream/

 

Well well well, many a month has passed since I last posted about this. There have been quite a few developments around the railway recently, when I find my phone cable I'll upload the terrible quality pics my phone takes.

In the meantime, the route of the BHR has been under threat by the council's Bus Rapid Transit scheme, which aimed to install a guided busway along the 'New Cut' (The artificial river cut through Bristol), sharing a route with the railway, and along the harbourside.

Bristol's newly elected mayor George Ferguson is against this plan.
Mayor George Ferguson pledges shake-up of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme | This is Bristol

George was at the head of a scheme to preserve the last 4 of the dockside cranes back in the 1970s, so the harbourside is obviously very close to his heart.

"The council sold a series of dock cranes for scrap for the sum of £2500 in 1975. Ferguson with a number of others set up a company, City Docks Ventures, issued 30 shares at a £100 pounds and then offered the scrap merchant £3000 for buying the cranes where they stood."

Source: Citizenship and the new Bristol mayor | Politics & Networks

I sincerely hope this quirky little line doesn't disappear under another guided bus route.

 

Perhaps it should be called a mis-guided bus route...

Steve B

 

I actually considered writing that...

 

Anyway, found the phone cable and uploaded a few pics from the last six months or so.

The olive shed building has been re-roofed, which has resulted in the little goods platform around the back losing its roof (This used to be a sleeping spots for some of Bristol's homeless population, I doubt they'll want to rest here with no cover)

Before


After


A large part of the pay and display car park has been dug up as part of an archaeological survey, and the disused warehouse at the back of the old Western Fuel Depot has had a roof cave-in (It was sagging a lot for as long as I can remember)





This may well lead to the building's demolition sooner than expected, who knows?

As discussed here:
http://railways.national-preservati...28-west-somerset-railway-developments-32.html

The GUV that stood at the SS Great Britain Halt has been sold to the WSR to be dismantled and used as spares and storage.
It was dragged out on to the quay for its last few weeks in Bristol




A few assorted pics from 2012
The line that the coal wagon is standing on has now had bollards welded to the rails to act as a pedestrian walkway (The loop line around the back of M Shed is now useless, as M Shed's foyer has taken the place of the back doors and crossover track into the shed).

 

The Matthew giving tours in the harbour



Crane 30 striking an impressive pose


Henbury on-shed back in June. The area of car park where I am standing in this photo has now been completely excavated.


Hope y'all find this at least mildly interesting!

 

Has anybody got a link to running days...if there are any???

 

Here you go Nick - should be on the M shed website:
Boats, cranes and trains Feb-May 2013 timetable | Bristol M Shed

 

Many thanks Corbs.. I missed out on the Branch Line Society Charter which did all available lines but I intend to visit on one of the days on the web site. Many thanks again..