Bristol area April 1970

[62484GlenLyon]

I am checking my notes from April 1970 and I find that I travelled on two trains that do not appear in the public timetable. The date was Friday 3rd April 1970 and the trains were an 18.30 from Bristol T.M. to Stapleton Road and 18.55 from Stapleton Road to Cardiff. Does anybody know, please, if there was any engineering works at that time that would have caused a temporary timetable to be introduced?

 

[midland1]

I am checking my notes from April 1970 and I find that I travelled on two trains that do not appear in the public timetable. The date was Friday 3rd April 1970 and the trains were an 18.30 from Bristol T.M. to Stapleton Road and 18.55 from Stapleton Road to Cardiff. Does anybody know, please, if there was any engineering works at that time that would have caused a temporary timetable to be introduced?

Was it due to the Bristol area resignalling, some of the platforms at Temple Meads were out of use.

 

[Magdalia]

Was it due to the Bristol area resignalling, some of the platforms at Temple Meads were out of use.

Yes, Railway Observer confirms that Bristol area resignalling was in spring 1970.

 

[Gloster]

A look at signal box dates shows that the panel opened on 9 March 1970 and boxes at the east end closed on that date. Boxes at the west end closed around the first or second weekend of April, so even if they were still open, there might have been platforms (temporarily) taken out of use.

 

[pdeaves]

Slightly off topic but related; I heartily recommend reading "Starting Something Big at Bristol: The Story of the 1970 Bristol Resignalling" by Peter Rendall.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Slightly off topic but related; I heartily recommend reading "Starting Something Big at Bristol: The Story of the 1970 Bristol Resignalling" by Peter Rendall.

Yes, an excellent tome.

 

[midland1]

Slightly off topic but related; I heartily recommend reading "Starting Something Big at Bristol: The Story of the 1970 Bristol Resignalling" by Peter Rendall.

Yes I have it too, the "Starting Something Big at Bristol" came from words on posters put up at stations telling people about what was going on.

 

[62484GlenLyon]

Thank you all for the replies. Service alterations because of the resignalling makes sense of what, 56 years later, appear to be two very odd looking moves in my notes. It could have been the case that I had to go to Stapleton Road in order to get on the Cardiff train.

 

[Snow1964]

Thank you all for the replies. Service alterations because of the resignalling makes sense of what, 56 years later, appear to be two very odd looking moves in my notes. It could have been the case that I had to go to Stapleton Road in order to get on the Cardiff train.

Highly likely if platforms were closed following resignalling and recovery of equipment was taking place. It was before Filton Abbey Wood and Portsmouth-Cardiff trains might have been diverted via avoiding spur (rhubarb curve), to avoid going into Temple Meads and loco running around, calling at Stapleton Road instead.

In those days having a train doing a shuttle was common (not replacement buses) even if it was operating on wrong line under one train in use rules, to connect with diverted trains

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I remember having to go to Stapleton Road to get a train back to Newport, as the lines into Temple Meads were closed because of the engineering works. I can't remember exactly when this was, but it would have been at around that time, I think.

What I'm not sure of is where I was travelling from. I don't think that it was from Bristol, because I can't remember how I got to Stapleton Road, so it could well have been from Bath or further south and the train was diverted around Dr Day's Junction to there.

 

[contrex]

I seem to remember something similar later in the 1970s, with a photo in a magazine of an HST calling at Stapleton Road, with a piece describing how 'Europe's fastest trains' were calling at a usually little regarded station. Must have been after Oct 1976.

 

[Bevan Price]

Friday 7 April 1970 was the Friday after Easter Monday, so there might also have been timetable changes that week.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I remember having to go to Stapleton Road to get a train back to Newport, as the lines into Temple Meads were closed because of the engineering works. I can't remember exactly when this was, but it would have been at around that time, I think.

What I'm not sure of is where I was travelling from. I don't think that it was from Bristol, because I can't remember how I got to Stapleton Road, so it could well have been from Bath or further south and the train was diverted around Dr Day's Junction to there.

The Badminton route was totally closed for an extended period, prior to the introduction of HSTs, for upgrading and relaying - including the troublesome Sodbury tunnel. South Wales services were diverted via Box and called at Stapleton Road. The station buildings were tarted up for the occasion - only to be demolished not long after!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The Badminton route was totally closed for an extended period, prior to the introduction of HSTs, for upgrading and relaying - including the troublesome Sodbury tunnel. South Wales services were diverted via Box and called at Stapleton Road. The station buildings were tarted up for the occasion - only to be demolished not long after!

That's when it was ... thanks.