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Gloucester to... 1907-ish
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krus_aragon
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Trains between Gloucester and Paddington are fairly straight-forward. Working from my 1902 timetable there are several through trains, but the premier train would be Cheltenham's Corridor Express trains: leaving Gloucester at 11:32 arriving Paddington 14:20, and leaving Paddington at 15:35 arriving Gloucester 17:54.
Trains between Gloucester and Bristol are a bit more complicated. Here's a map from my GWR timetable:
The route via Yate isn't shown in this timetable, because it was operated by the Midland Railway. Going by GWR would require a change of trains at Severn Tunnel Junction or Swindon, and take a long time. The sensible option would have been to travel with the Midland railway, but I don't have any of their timetables to hand.
Trains between Gloucester and Bristol are a bit more complicated. Here's a map from my GWR timetable:
The route via Yate isn't shown in this timetable, because it was operated by the Midland Railway. Going by GWR would require a change of trains at Severn Tunnel Junction or Swindon, and take a long time. The sensible option would have been to travel with the Midland railway, but I don't have any of their timetables to hand.
From the 1910 Bradshaw reprint:
Paddington to Gloucester: 1050 arr 1.43, 3.15/5.54, 6.10/8.50 (dining car)
Up: 7.40/10.35 (breakfast car), 11.16/2.25 (luncheon car), 2.15/4.55.
Gloucester to Bristol, 9.5, 10.45, 11.55, 12.32, 1.3, 3.3, 4.35, 5.5, 7.5, 8.45 (50-60 minutes journey except the 10.45 due 11.52)
Up: 8.5, 8.55, 9.45, 10.5, 10.45, 12.55, 2.17, 3.25, 4.52, 7.0 (arr 8.6).
The stations didn't have their later Central/Eastgate suffixes, BTW.
Paddington to Gloucester: 1050 arr 1.43, 3.15/5.54, 6.10/8.50 (dining car)
Up: 7.40/10.35 (breakfast car), 11.16/2.25 (luncheon car), 2.15/4.55.
Gloucester to Bristol, 9.5, 10.45, 11.55, 12.32, 1.3, 3.3, 4.35, 5.5, 7.5, 8.45 (50-60 minutes journey except the 10.45 due 11.52)
Up: 8.5, 8.55, 9.45, 10.5, 10.45, 12.55, 2.17, 3.25, 4.52, 7.0 (arr 8.6).
The stations didn't have their later Central/Eastgate suffixes, BTW.
Topic-drifting, and of no help re historical fiction (at least, not of the kind sought by the OP !); but @krus_aragon , your Great-Western-as-at-1902 map is most interesting, in part in a "snapshot of that time" way, in some things which it includes or omits. The GW's cut-off route to the Severn Tunnel and South Wales -- new construction from Wooton Bassett to the junctions near Patchway -- opened in the following year of 1903, is shown as a thick red dashed line. Likewise, though a thin dashed line, the southern end of the route from Cheltenham towards Honeybourne and Stratford-on-Avon: opened (from memory) 1906. The "Titfield Thunderbolt" line is featured only at its far western end, from junction with the Bristol -- Frome line, to Camerton (opened 1882 and, incidentally, abandoned early -- 1925, I think); the Camerton -- Limpley Stoke part, following the route of the Somerset Coal Canal, did not come into being until 1908 -- 10.
A new and slightly bizarre thing to me, shows up near the bottom of the map, towards its right-hand end. Namely: a line south from Pewsey, terminating at Upavon; and one on apparently the same line-of-route, coming up northward from off-map and terminating at Durrington. I think -- hard to tell for absolutely sure from on-screen map copy -- that these are shown as thin dashed, rather than solid, lines. Googling informed me that this must be to do with a scheme which the GWR had, to add to its system a light-railway branch serving military installations on Salisbury Plain: running north -- south, Salisbury -- Amesbury -- Durrington -- Netheravon -- Upavon -- Pewsey. This was administratively "in the works" as at 1898, but never happened; being forestalled by the opening around that date, of the LSWR's branch to Amesbury and Bulford. For who knows what reason, the map chooses to show two separate bits of this putative line's northern section.
Non-GWR trackage: as at 1902, the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway was in operation from Weston-Super-Mare to Clevedon; extension on to Portishead not opened till 1907. Nonetheless, the map does not show even the Weston -- Clevedon portion. And it shows the GW's Wantage Road station; but not the Wantage Tramway, though that opened in 1875. One assumes, I suppose, that the GW regarded these light lines, property of independent companies, as too piffling to merit inclusion on its map !
A new and slightly bizarre thing to me, shows up near the bottom of the map, towards its right-hand end. Namely: a line south from Pewsey, terminating at Upavon; and one on apparently the same line-of-route, coming up northward from off-map and terminating at Durrington. I think -- hard to tell for absolutely sure from on-screen map copy -- that these are shown as thin dashed, rather than solid, lines. Googling informed me that this must be to do with a scheme which the GWR had, to add to its system a light-railway branch serving military installations on Salisbury Plain: running north -- south, Salisbury -- Amesbury -- Durrington -- Netheravon -- Upavon -- Pewsey. This was administratively "in the works" as at 1898, but never happened; being forestalled by the opening around that date, of the LSWR's branch to Amesbury and Bulford. For who knows what reason, the map chooses to show two separate bits of this putative line's northern section.
Non-GWR trackage: as at 1902, the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway was in operation from Weston-Super-Mare to Clevedon; extension on to Portishead not opened till 1907. Nonetheless, the map does not show even the Weston -- Clevedon portion. And it shows the GW's Wantage Road station; but not the Wantage Tramway, though that opened in 1875. One assumes, I suppose, that the GW regarded these light lines, property of independent companies, as too piffling to merit inclusion on its map !
krus_aragon
Established Member
I'll drift the map discussion into a new topic, then. 
I'll drift the map discussion into a new topic, then.
As they say in that part of the world: "good idea, moi lover" (the "lover" thing is applied, disconcertingly, regardless of gender or age).
Much obliged.
It's so difficult to get a feeling for a different way of life with completely different transport patterns. Streets were dangerous free-for-alls, have a look at Edwardian footage on YT. Posh people had lots of luggage so there were porters to be tipped and coaches to be ordered. Smoke and horses no doubt discouraged too much fresh-air until out in the country. Most trains had passengers but some had 'clientele'. From today's perspective it's difficult to understand the class system.
It's so difficult to get a feeling for a different way of life with completely different transport patterns. Streets were dangerous free-for-alls, have a look at Edwardian footage on YT. Posh people had lots of luggage so there were porters to be tipped and coaches to be ordered. Smoke and horses no doubt discouraged too much fresh-air until out in the country. Most trains had passengers but some had 'clientele'. From today's perspective it's difficult to understand the class system.
Dr Hoo
Established Member
The July, August and September 1903 Midland Railway Time Tables were re-printed by Ian Allan. Although strictly outside the specified time period they may be of interest. At the risk of stating the obvious, Gloucester-Bristol was rather at the end of the route from Bradford and Leeds via Derby and Birmingham and 'high class' dining facilities weren't really built round that part of the axis.
There were actually 18 trains per weekday from Gloucester to Bristol Temple Mead (sic), none of which were overtaken en route, so the six local stopping services still provided meaningful end-to-end journey opportunities.
The 'best' trains were the three with Luncheon or Dining cars. (All timings 'post meridian'.) The 12.52 from Gloucester, due at Bristol at 1.40 was ideal. The 3.04 from Gloucester, due Bristol at 3.55, still had the Luncheon Car that had worked down from Leeds and could no doubt provide an afternoon tea. The 8.36 from Gloucester would definitely have been on its last knockings from a Dining Car perspective en route to Bristol for 9.35 but would no doubt still be able to provide an alcoholic refreshment.
There were, of course, comprehensive arrangements for the provision of Breakfast or Luncheon Baskets and Trays of Tea to be provided to (any) trains from the Station Refreshment and Dining Rooms at Gloucester. It would be customary to send a telegram to the station in advance so that they could be made up with one's preferred choice of beer, wine, vegetarian, etc. If you sent the telegram from another Midland Railway station, the message would be free.
Similarly, if your protagonist wanted to take his/her horse with them, this could be arranged by telegram the day before so that a horse box could be marshalled into the train.
Travel might not have been so 'spontaneously' easy in those days but could be great if you just got organised and were willing to pay.
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The lack of emphasis on the map to the line from Gloucester to Bristol is surprising. The GWR had established running powers over the Midland line from Stonehouse to Bristol right from the line's building, along with the construction of the dual side-by-side lines from Stonehouse through Gloucester to Cheltenham, and allowing the Gloucester line to share the GWR's Bristol TM station. They didn't give much value in 1902, and were mainly used for alternative freight services from Cheltenham to the West Country. I wonder what the detail of the associated timetable shows.
Within a couple of years of the map, though, things considerably changed. The GWR's substantial line building in the first decade of the 20th Century included the North Warwickshire line, from Cheltenham through Stratford to Birmingham, and the new Badminton line which crossed the Midland line at Yate with connections there. This now allowed GWR expresses from Birmingham to the West Country, running over the Midland from Standish to Yate, and usage of the running powers by the GWR increased considerably.
The running powers had been negotiated as part of the merger of the independent Bristol & Gloucester Railway with the Midland in 1845, almost as soon as the B&G opened. The GWR very nearly got it, and the line northwards to Birmingham as well, but were just pipped at the post by the Midland. The B&G was actually engineered by Brunel and built broad gauge, which the Midland progressively had to alter. There was a significant break-of-gauge point at Gloucester which became known for difficulties and delays to all, hence the onetime rhyming expression "Lost at Gloucester".
There's actually a well-informed detailed article about all this on Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org
Within a couple of years of the map, though, things considerably changed. The GWR's substantial line building in the first decade of the 20th Century included the North Warwickshire line, from Cheltenham through Stratford to Birmingham, and the new Badminton line which crossed the Midland line at Yate with connections there. This now allowed GWR expresses from Birmingham to the West Country, running over the Midland from Standish to Yate, and usage of the running powers by the GWR increased considerably.
The running powers had been negotiated as part of the merger of the independent Bristol & Gloucester Railway with the Midland in 1845, almost as soon as the B&G opened. The GWR very nearly got it, and the line northwards to Birmingham as well, but were just pipped at the post by the Midland. The B&G was actually engineered by Brunel and built broad gauge, which the Midland progressively had to alter. There was a significant break-of-gauge point at Gloucester which became known for difficulties and delays to all, hence the onetime rhyming expression "Lost at Gloucester".
There's actually a well-informed detailed article about all this on Wikipedia.
Bristol and Gloucester Railway - Wikipedia
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krus_aragon
Established Member
I searched for times for that line by looking up intermediate stations in the index (e.g. Yate), but they're not listed. Between that and the lack of emphasis on the map, I'd gone to double-check the opening date of the line!
Taking a further look this morning, Table 144, "Midland and North Eastern Railways via Gloucester and via Bristol" is the one I wanted, in among the connectional timetables of other companies, at the back.
It lists the stations of Penzance, Falmouth, Plymouth, Torquay, Exeter, and Bristol (plus connections from Weymouth and South Wales) before leaping to Gloucester, Worcester, Birmingham, Burton, etc.
Ten southbound and thirteen northbound weekday services are listed between Bristol and Gloucester. No mention of intermediate stations, nor of on-board provision such as corridor stock or dining cars.
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