tumbles
Member
Pedantic is good for me! I was just curious from historical point of view which side was up/down so thank you for explaining that part.
Might take a wonder today and grab some photos of any work going on.
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Portishead Approved - Construction Updates Thread - No speculation
- Thread starter John R
- Start date
Might take a wonder today and grab some photos of any work going on.
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norbitonflyer
Established Member
Possibly quite a few “first attempts” back in the mid 19th century.
tumbles
Member
Something I was thinking about today which I think you may have confirmed - are we saying there will be double track from Portbury dock stop board to the end of pill station/start of viaduct. I just didn’t imagine there was the space to have two lines from the current points around to the north end of the station. Certainly the bridge that goes over footpath just by it is single track width
Annetts key
Established Member
I posted a diagram of the intended track layout here.
Through the station at Pill, there will be two single lines. One going to Portishead. This will be a new line. And the existing freight line to Portbury docks. The single lines diverge at the site of the non-existent junction where there is currently a gate (or fence, forget which) across the currently disused track get for the Portishead line. Although a point was provided here when the new freight line to the docks was constructed, at some time the point was removed. The track being plain lines where it was.
tumbles
Member
Interesting then as they’re going to have to widen the bridge at Avon Road/Lodway Close. I genuinely didn’t think there was space to do this without impeding on some of the gardens to the right
Will take a wonder down there at weekend and see if they’re cutting back either side of the bank.
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zwk500
Veteran Member
The DCO has all the relevant documents. Drawing: https://nsip-documents.planninginsp...R040011-000349-2.22 Avon Road Underbridge.pdf refers. The bridge is being widened to the left, the existing Portbury single is staying where it is on the east side of the formation.
The green outline is the existing bridge, red is the new one.
(DCO website: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR040011)
tumbles
Member
Thank you. I did go through the DCO page on my phone but its difficult sifting through all the documents on a small screen.
I do love some of the letters sent in about the scheme held on the DCO portal. This one in particular https://nsip-documents.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/published-documents/TR040011-001670-Kevin O'Hanlon_Redacted.pdf - apparently we can still run frieght on the line while tarmacing over the line..
tumbles
Member
There was a very strange campaign from a group called the 'Portishead Busway' Scheme. It was borderline bat**** crazy at times. Amongst the suggestions were putting rubber mats either side of the rails to allow for Buses to run in tandem with freight traffic. That there would be no need to cut back Avon Gorge Whitebeam if they ran buses - despite the fact double decker buses are taller than a 165/166. Then one final effort where they suggested just having a guided bus Portishead to M5 J19 junction and then using the existing roads. Most of these ideas came from someone who lived in Brislington on the other side of Bristol.
Anyway I really will make effort to get some pics of the works so far this weekend, quite a lot going on so far.
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zwk500
Veteran Member
Indeed. They've closed the peak-only gateline further up platform 3 that leads out to Temple Quay for renovations at the moment and it's causing chaos when even a 2-car train from Severn Beach or Filton Abbey Wood comes in. If a Clifton Down and London train arrive in short succession the gates are generally thrown open to clear the crowd (not helped by the scaffold towers of course).
tumbles
Member
... and will only get busier with the likes of Hargreaves & Lansdown relocating nearby.
tumbles
Member
Couple of shots this lunchtime of initial clearance work - from just where the line at Portishead used to be double track. Couldn’t stop by Portbury Station but they have cleared the track almost down to the M5 J19 junction
Pedantry alert - for the majority of those arriving in the peak it’s probably true - they don’t want to go but know they won’t get paid if they don’t!!! (Said with feeling as one of those negotiating Temple Meads at that those times of day!)
Elecman
Established Member
Looks very similar to Bicester Bletchley at the same stage of works
zwk500
Veteran Member
Is there an updated programme of works online anywhere?
Ashton Signal box went around 1998, I used to work for a local container haulier who had a yard on the Carla trading estate next door, one of the drivers told me when he arrived back at the office that the signal box had been on fire.
contrex
Established Member
Are you thinking of PINS by any chance?
tumbles
Member
Not sure you mean this or BB but Portishead work on clearing the area for station and car park starts on 9th December with traffic lights around the Quays Avenue roundabout. Best to avoid at peak time as it will be chaos
zwk500
Veteran Member
That's one item, I was more meaning the overall timeline of construction. Given the delays anything previously published for planning etc will be well out of date, although a lot of it may simply just 'slide to the right'.
Annetts key
Established Member
The only "regular" traffic that I was aware of In the late 1980s was the engineering train to and from the Ashton engineering depot. It typically moved on Tuedays and Thursdays if my memory is correct. Apart from when specially requested, that's the only time that it was staffed. Typically a S&T maintenance team would also be present if possible.
When the engineering train no longer ran, visits from railway staff to Ashton significantly reduced.
In the early to mid 1990s (maybe 1993) all the electrical circuits between the nearest Bristol PSB controlled Interlocking and Ashton Junction signal box were disconnected. I believe this was due to the poor state of the electrical signalling equipment in the box.
I don't know for certain, but I don't think any further rail traffic used the line after this.
Sadly, vandals smashed the windows and set fires. A shame because otherwise it was not in too bad a condition considering the lack of love or maintenance..
tumbles
Member
Ah yes apologies. Not seen anything as yet. The Portishead rail group usually seem to get word of plans before most. At present the remedial work is mostly being done by Glendale on behalf of NSC. I forget that they own the track from Portbury Docks to Portishead. Assume at some point it’ll be transferred back to NR ownership.
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Loved that signal box and always wanted to convert it and live in it when was a child.
I don’t recall ever seeing any freight traffic passing down the line. It was technically closed off in 1981 I think? It was a miracle in a way that they ran trains down the line in 1985 given pretty poor state of the line. No way that would happen now.
At some point maybe late 80s I think some track was pinched/lifted down by where nightingale halt was.
Do remember seeing a survey train of sorts running down it in mid/late 90s. Maybe doing some assessment for the eventual reopening in 2000/2001
Annetts key
Established Member
The engineering train (a BR departmental train) I was talking about was only going to the Ashton engineering depot shown in this Google Earth view.
Very occasionally a light loco or on track machine would ventre along the Portishead line towards Pill or maybe slightly beyond. But that only happened as far as I know while BR existed. I myself did walk from Ashton Junction signal box to the first tunnel in around 1988 or 1989. That part was fine at the time.
In later years, yes, thieves nicked rails and chairs from various places.
Ashton Junction signal box still had and used gas lighting on the operating floor. I saw it working once when I was in the box with the signaller. It never got mains electricity. The only electrical supply was for the signalling equipment (mostly to supply the barriers and the relays that interfaced to Bristol PSB area of control). Most of the booms were still the wood type.
tumbles
Member
Ah yeah, I think the original BR sign for the entrance to the engineering dept was still there (albeit covered) until very recently. I am sure I recall some sort of surveying train going down in mid 90s when at School and could hear it from the playfields by Ham Green Halt.
Real shame about the signal box, I guess it would have been gone by now anyway or at least saved for a preservation line perhaps. Wonder how many there were in total on the branch - defo one at Pill and imagine there was one at Portishead originally.
Marked a phase in my life as I worked at Strachan & Henshaw (RIP, now Babcock) from 1989 - 1993. But am glad the line is being brought back into use now.
Bridge swings used to play havoc with the rush hour traffic. Are they still even possible? I saw the last sand dredger come into Poole's Wharf before it was redeveloped for housing.
And much earlier on (1974 - 1977) I was on the Cambridge Science Park and on a slow day could watch the St Ives gravel trains from my office window. The LC on Milton Rd was always closed for a long time bc IIRC someone had to walk the length of the train. The alternative was the grotty narrow underpass. All cleared away for the Misguided Busway.
Happy days.
contrex
Established Member
When I worked for a Bristol company that was subcontracted to them, we were told to say 'Strawn' and not 'Strackan' (like Michaela). Can you confirm this?
Everyone I knew in Bristol (including those with connections to the company) called them 'Strawn'
themiller
Established Member
At Sellafield we had cranes made by S&H at Bristol and the pronunciation was Strawn.
Yes, as others have already said that is the official pronunciation. (There was a sister company that made printing machinery, ditto.)
They were a client of my previous company otherwise I would have found it confusing at first, as one of my oldest university friends was a Strachan pronounced in the other fashion.
There was also a company called Strachans (pronounced "Strawns") that manufactured bus and coach bodies until the mid-seventies. I have to say that, to my eye, they were some of the least aesthetically pleasing designs.