I will second that.
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Great Western Electrification Progress
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I will second that.
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GRALISTAIR
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Until 1960, my route from Lydney to Mangotsfield for a ride on the Somerset & Dorset was over the Severn Bridge and change at Berkeley Road onto a Gloucester-Bristol stopper usually Fowler 0-6-0 4F hauled. After the barge accident on a foggy November night demolished two spans, all journeys to Bristol, Bath Green Park and beyond had to be made via Severn Tunnel Junction.
Invariably, my connection from/to Lydney at STJ was into/out of Cardiff-South Coast trains that in early 1960s didn't call at Temple Meads but stopped at Stapleton Road for onward connection to TM and then the curve at Dr Days Junction and Bath Spa where a foot connection took me to Green Park. These trains were Class 42/43 hauled with green Bulleid or Mark 1 coaches. The currently missing platforms at Stapleton Road were used for these trains. I remember the bowstring bridge at this station that I presume was demolished when the route was rationalised.
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No, you did not second it. You concurred.
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Henbury Loop
Member
The bridge is still there all be it in a sorry state, this will have to be renewed/replaced whether more platforms reappear or not. This will be a major undertaking along with the disused M32 overbridge.
I think it is going to be a missed opportunity not to do so and have Stapleton Road as some kind of relief/interchange for Bristol Temple Meads.
Bristol Parkway is too far away.
Good photos. I think you have to abandon ideas of 'relief' station, as no such expenditure can be BCR-justified, nowadays. However, if major employment possibilities were developed at both locations, one could then imagine metro type services, that took the old Bath to Filton route, becoming possible and avoiding TM. We have to remember why the expansion to four lines took place. The line was first quadrupled north to Narrow Ways Junction in Victorian times. The later quadrupling from there to Filton was chiefly a 1930s project to provide employment. At least, then, there were the constant coal trains rumbling through on those lines from South Wales to Salisbury /South Coast. If one was stood on the bridge at Lawrence Hill in the 1950s, there would almost certainly be a coal train standing on that line, awaiting a path through North Somerset Junction, onto the Bath line. In fact of course, prior to the Badminton line being built in Edwardian days, much more South Wales traffic from the east would be taking this route, even though they only had two lines from Narrow Ways Junction to Filton. Due to the Bath to Filton bottleneck, London-bound coal from South Wales was often sent north via Gloucester and Kemble. That's chiefly why they had needed those banking engines at Brinscombe, and then the Badminton line was built, of course.
We now have totally different traffic patterns from then, and all pax services, not goods any longer. Temple Meads offers far more interchange possibilities than were offered in the Stapleton Road days, as does Parkway. That's my view anyway.
We now have totally different traffic patterns from then, and all pax services, not goods any longer. Temple Meads offers far more interchange possibilities than were offered in the Stapleton Road days, as does Parkway. That's my view anyway.
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GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Well I never, 55 years and still there. Thank you for the photo.
Not quite all passengers. Stand on the bridge at Narroways now and you still see coal trains, but they're travelling north.
Henbury Loop
Member
And the various automotive freight from portbury pass through.
Coal and automotive? Not affecting the points I made. You don't need extra platforms at Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road because of those movements, which are not in any case to be compared with the traffic I mentioned earlier.
The GWR CME adapted an entire class of steam engines so that they could handle it (72xx for the enthusiasts).
The GWR CME adapted an entire class of steam engines so that they could handle it (72xx for the enthusiasts).
WelshBluebird
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I would argue that it isn't really too far away (15 mins by road if replacement transport is provided). The issue is more that as with all of Bristol, the route can get heavily congested at rush hour and that 15 mins quickly can turn into 45 minutes or more. If you get a clean run for replacement transport then it is pretty easy to be able to switch services between Parkway and Temple Meads if one isn't available. The issue is if that replacement transport can't get a clean run through.
When it comes to Bristol stations, one thing I have noticed is when Parkway isn't available for use GWR seem to use Patchway a fair bit. Even when the service has to go almost via Temple Meads anyway (travelling from Cardff to London last weekend we went Patchway - Swindon via the curve avoiding Temple Meads and via Bath Spa).
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Andyjs247
Member
On the other hand, if they are rebuilding platforms at Stapleton Road anyway would it not make sense to make one of them an island so there is a third platform face available on the reinstated tracks? Presumably the new signalling would also be bi-di and would give additional operational flexibility.
I did a return trip from London to Cardiff yesterday and I was surprised at the progress made since I last did this trip about four months ago, all the below is looking at the north side of the tracks.
From Airport Junction to just east of Maidenhead a lot of steelwork has gone up recently, I would 50% of the masts are up with many support arms fitted
too, dare I say that we may see some wiring in this area before Easter next year?
From Maidenhead to just east of Reading, little progress, piling about 50% done at best, no steelwork and nothing done at all in the Sonning cutting, maybe a scrap or two at best.
From Reading to the new feeder station just west of Didcot I would say that 90-95% of the masts are up, the most westerly one is just west of the feeder station and of coarse there is the wiring installed in the Pangbourne area, it is basically one run out which is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile and it looks the completed article, I think it is only installed on the relief lines as the up fast did not like it had anything but it was hard to see at 125 MPH!
From Didcot to about half way towards Swindon where the four track section ends piling is up to about 80-85% complete, after that only a few installed here and there.
There are about a dozen piles installed just east of Wootton Bassett Junction, lots of new signals around this area awaiting to be commissioned, will the 70 MPH turn off to the South Wales main line be upgraded?
Just past Wootton Bassett junction there is the M4 bridge about five miles past here there are the first piles installed on this section, about four I seem to recall.
The new train depot at Stoke Gifford, just west of Bristol Parkway, is now all wired up.
In the Pilning area between the two single bore tunnels and the Seven Tunnel, piling is about 80-85% done and in the Llanwern area I counted about 40 piles now installed with quiet a few scraps. When they start piling towards Newport there are houses that back onto the railway. so a few sleepless nights awaiting the locals.
This time next year all hell will be just about to start in the Cardiff Station area with the next part of the Cardiff resignalling scheme, this is a big job and will involve a complete shut down between Christmas and New Year I guess.
On the way back I saw a Class 800/801 in the North Pole train shed, well this will not be going very far at the moment on electric power on the GWR!
So good progress I feel, lets hope for a lot more of it in 2016.
From Airport Junction to just east of Maidenhead a lot of steelwork has gone up recently, I would 50% of the masts are up with many support arms fitted
too, dare I say that we may see some wiring in this area before Easter next year?
From Maidenhead to just east of Reading, little progress, piling about 50% done at best, no steelwork and nothing done at all in the Sonning cutting, maybe a scrap or two at best.
From Reading to the new feeder station just west of Didcot I would say that 90-95% of the masts are up, the most westerly one is just west of the feeder station and of coarse there is the wiring installed in the Pangbourne area, it is basically one run out which is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile and it looks the completed article, I think it is only installed on the relief lines as the up fast did not like it had anything but it was hard to see at 125 MPH!
From Didcot to about half way towards Swindon where the four track section ends piling is up to about 80-85% complete, after that only a few installed here and there.
There are about a dozen piles installed just east of Wootton Bassett Junction, lots of new signals around this area awaiting to be commissioned, will the 70 MPH turn off to the South Wales main line be upgraded?
Just past Wootton Bassett junction there is the M4 bridge about five miles past here there are the first piles installed on this section, about four I seem to recall.
The new train depot at Stoke Gifford, just west of Bristol Parkway, is now all wired up.
In the Pilning area between the two single bore tunnels and the Seven Tunnel, piling is about 80-85% done and in the Llanwern area I counted about 40 piles now installed with quiet a few scraps. When they start piling towards Newport there are houses that back onto the railway. so a few sleepless nights awaiting the locals.
This time next year all hell will be just about to start in the Cardiff Station area with the next part of the Cardiff resignalling scheme, this is a big job and will involve a complete shut down between Christmas and New Year I guess.
On the way back I saw a Class 800/801 in the North Pole train shed, well this will not be going very far at the moment on electric power on the GWR!
So good progress I feel, lets hope for a lot more of it in 2016.
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That's very sensible and could be done at Lawrence Hill too. In any event, i see no good reason for realignment spoiling the chances of extra platforms. If it were a road circuit, Lewis Hamilton would have his foot kept to the floor.
Thanks to @76020.
By the way, this discussion has had me all nostalgic. I remember standing on the bridge at LH between 1615 and 1645, first watching the Cornishman storming the Fishponds Bank (LMR), all brown and cream coaches behind a gleaming 4073 class, and then ditto colour stock with the Bristolian, same class of engine, rushing under the bridge to attack the Filton bank. Wow.
Philip Phlopp
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M32 overbridge is structurally sound, but will be strengthened, repainted and tidied up. The Stapleton Road overbridge will be replaced in its entirety.
Fly through with details from Arup at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jUYViwle1c
To maintain route knowledge, the Cornishman (GWR) was routed via Mangotsfield on the Midland and the Devonian (MR) via Winterbourne on the Great Western as far as Yate on the way to Gloucester and Brum Snow Hill and New Street respectively.
Thanks Philip, I forgot I had seen that and I had downloaded it.
. At S103 Easton Road overbridge, the expression 'track fixity' is used. I have never heard that word, any idea what it means?
At S001 Ducie Road, I am reminded that Bristolians (anglo-saxons mainly) can't handle the names of our Norman masters. Ducie is pronounced 'Juicy'. I suppose the alternative would have been 'Ducky'.
Edit
This video gives an excellent view of the present state of what needs to be done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk4ZUOlnDVk
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swt_passenger
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In context it might be limiting the normal movement of the track within the ballast, to prevent gauge clearance being gradually reduced by the passage of trains. A half way house between normal ballasted track and slab track is to 'glue' the ballast. Once that is done the track is to all intents fixed, and they put up warning signs advising no tamping or slewing.
I'd have thought 'fixing' or 'fixation' would be the usual word?
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LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
How about meaning the yellow "crocodile" anchors they put in some places to keep the track from drifting?
swt_passenger
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That's another possibility, of course, but I wonder if it would need to be specially mentioned as it seems in fairly widespread use.
Thanks Philip, I forgot I had seen that and I had downloaded it.
At S103 Easton Road overbridge, the expression 'track fixity' is used. I have never heard that word, any idea what it means?
At S001 Ducie Road, I am reminded that Bristolians (anglo-saxons mainly) can't handle the names of our Norman masters. Ducie is pronounced 'Juicy'. I suppose the alternative would have been 'Ducky'.
Edit
This video gives an excellent view of the present state of what needs to be done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk4ZUOlnDVk
There was a Castle Class loco called Earl of Ducie numbered 5054 that would have been a regular here.
Hey, we have our own language. It's fixity!
Besides a fixation with track is something reserved for a rather small group of individuals with specialised interests on the infrastructure sub forum.
swt_passenger
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Thanks, but did I guess the meaning of it?
Yes indeed. Ballast glueing is done to maintain structure gauge, but also on some metal underbridges to prevent the natural resonance of the bridge under passing trains to cause the ballast to take fluid properties and migrate off the bridge. This happened on the first LGV in France IIRC, and many bridges on the WCML were done for the Pendolinos. I don't know if this is being done for the IEPs.
As it is seen as such an issue, perhaps the campaigners would like to pay for extra platforms on the fast lines?
On Saturday I attempted to count the number of masts and bases on a trip from Maidenhead to Paddington (well, I stopped at Airport Junction). I counted the southern side of the tracks, so the other side to 76020's post on the 18th.
From Maidenhead to Slough I reckoned that about 65% of locations had masts up (many including steelwork, but I didn't count that). I reckoned that 25% of locations had visible bases and about 10% seemed to be missing entirely or not visible.
From Slough to Airport Junction I reckoned that about 60% of locations had masts up, about 30% had visible bases and again about 10% were missing.
My estimates for missing locations are probably a bit on the low side because I'm too optimistic but I also might have missed some cantilevers that were present but on the other side of the train to where I was sitting.
In general, this looks quite good, but I notice a distinct lack of progress in what I would regard as difficult parts, such as Maidenhead station (the masts start a few hundred metres east of the station), Maidenhead railway bridge and Slough station.
From Maidenhead to Slough I reckoned that about 65% of locations had masts up (many including steelwork, but I didn't count that). I reckoned that 25% of locations had visible bases and about 10% seemed to be missing entirely or not visible.
From Slough to Airport Junction I reckoned that about 60% of locations had masts up, about 30% had visible bases and again about 10% were missing.
My estimates for missing locations are probably a bit on the low side because I'm too optimistic but I also might have missed some cantilevers that were present but on the other side of the train to where I was sitting.
In general, this looks quite good, but I notice a distinct lack of progress in what I would regard as difficult parts, such as Maidenhead station (the masts start a few hundred metres east of the station), Maidenhead railway bridge and Slough station.
According to some of their paperwork changes include slewing some of the tracks at Maidenhead. (Not sure for what reason)
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