Ghost Train: Bristol to Bath (Lost Railways)

A look at the lost railway journey from Bristol St Philips Station to Bath Green Park. Featuring Fishponds, Mangotsfield, Warmley, Bitton & Bath Green Park!
#Bristol #Bath #somerset #railways
The Mangotsfield and Bath branch line was a railway line opened by the Midland Railway Company in 1869 to connect Bath to its network at Mangotsfield, on its line between Bristol and Birmingham. It was usually referred to as "the Bath branch" of the Midland Railway.
The line never achieved great importance, but for many years it carried heavy summer holiday traffic from Midlands cities to Bournemouth over the Somerset and Dorset line, which connected to it at Bath. In the 1960s these trains, and the daily "Pines Express", became famous among railway enthusiasts, as did the station at Bath, by then named "Green Park".
The line closed in 1966 except for a minimal coal delivery to Bath which continued until 1971.
Much of the route now forms the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, and the Avon Valley Railway operates a heritage steam railway activity at Bitton.
Researched, produced and music by James Fox.
Credits to the Image Owners Featured.
Feel free to subscribe explore other lost lines!

[@TheShowgirl25]

I walked the line when it was derelict and slept in the tunnel in a refuge. Thank you so much for this!!🚂

[@cherczeg4855]

Amazing piece of work!Well done!Chapeau!

[@robertsavage7804]

Just brilliant! So well presented. This route is now the Bristol/Bath cycle route, which I cycle, and walk regularly. Warmley Station is now a cafe', and Bitton Station a Heritage Railway Centre, with regular train excursions along a restored section of line. It also has a cafe' with seating in old carriages.

[@RichardFrost-du7sc]

Hi James. This one means more to me as I live only a few miles away! This is a whole new perspective on this route ! Thanks, Frosty.

[@christophernewman5027]

Fantastic, as always. 😊

[@CyberPin2001]

Wow that is so impressive! I love the transitions especially near the end where the Sainsburys crumbles, and then as it pulls back to the black and white photo at Green park station when there were trains still there. Many thanks for your huge effort. 👍

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

Thanks! I have another featuring bath to templecombe if that's of interest too. Feel free to subscribe! 🚂

[@nigelduckworth4419]

All your videos are absolutely brilliant. The synchronisation with the old maps is spot on. But have you done all the music as well for the videos as it says in the credits. If so ,as a musician myself (as well as a lost railway devotee) this part is probably the outstanding feat of this work.

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

Thanks Nigel. I compose the music I use in these films. I actually run two channels this one and another. I try to make a new Ghost Train film every couple of weeks or so as I find them so interesting to research!

[@tbullivant]

Really enjoyed the video

[@rbaynton]

Simply stunning

[@rochellehewston9367]

Great news

[@markwolf8152]

Another excellent piece of work. Thank you

[@markwelton9428]

Brings back fond memories! Arnold Ridley was apparently inspired to write "The Ghost Train" by waiting for a late train at Mangotsfield Station.

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

I listened to a recording of that play recently. Ridley led an interesting life

[@mark-nm4tc]

As you approach the station, there's a little bit on a sign commemorating him on that.

[@westhavengwr4613]

Love the video. I know the line very well. As a toddler I can just remember steam trains between the junction to Avonmouth and Fishponds.

[@darrenraymond5334]

nice work love this very much

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

Thanks feel free to subscribe I will be uploading more lines soon

[@rochellehewston9367]

Another fabulous creation. Have you done the Severn Valley from Shrewsbury to bridgenorth?

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

I did start researching that line! Might make that one of my next projects!

[@johnbishop5316]

This is great work, thanks.

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

Thanks John! I will be uploading lots more lost UK lines soon. Feel free to subscribe and share with anyone interested!

[@nedkabinder]

Nice work and a pleasure to watch .

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

Glad you enjoyed it. feel free to subscribe!

[@davidhewson1234]

Diamond geysers. Dave.

[@Glynthepin]

What with this latest idea to restrict people driving their cars between zones in certain cities, the loss of not just rural railways but all, is even a greater tragedy.

[@danielhooper502]

We need to reduce cars

[@PillSharks]

Well you did call this the ghost train! I had a ghostly encounter on this disused line in the late 90s near Bath where lower Bristol Road and Newbridge road split off and the line or path carries on in between them! Me and my mate were out driving around late at night when we noticed the railway line, we were in are early 20s and liked to explore things so we parked the car in the boathouse and walked over. Anyway, we couldn’t find a way down onto the tracks/path so we walked parallel to them in a field until we found a way down through some bushes on a bank… this is when it happened!! We both stopped a couple of meters from the bottom and a figure of a lady walked past us going towards Bath, she was absolutely silent and appeared to be dressed in Victorian like clothing with a long gown or coat and something over her head… I noticed her face was white and stood out! The night was dark with the light from moon and yet I remember seeing her quite well considering where we were at the time… we didn’t say a word and within a few seconds my mate clambered onto the track and hurried after her… she had completely disappeared despite us both walking fast. There was a fenced off compound on right and a steep bank with bushes on left and this lady vanished within 10m of us! Strangely, we both never said a word to each other and just carried on and it was only when we were in the car driving back home a good hour or so later I mentioned it, my mate spoke instantly about it.. he doesn’t believe in things like this but to this day he still can’t explain it but I know what I saw!! A very strange experience and it’s something we still talk about occasionally all these years on.

[@frankparsons1629]

Well, I'd never thought ghosts could actually be real - until - at the age of ten, when I used to cycle to my elderly relation, Eva, for tea on a Thursday having left school at 4pm (and then after a while I'd cycle home the half mile or so). It must have been autumn as it was a little chilly and the days were starting to shorten. Having had tea I walked around her garden which was full of plants and flowers and a long walk-in greenhouse, her pretty garden was fascinating to me as a youngster. It was quite long and as I walked back up the path I noticed an elderly gent sitting in the wickerwork chair by the French windows, its still as clear as day in my mind after 66 years. He was wearing a fustian type jacket, open, with his watch on a chain tucked into the breast pocket of his waistcoat and wearing his flat cap, his hands resting on his knees. I carried on walking hesitatingly and as I grew nearer he smiled and his head moved watching me the while, then a little quiet chuckle through his teeth like as I walked into the sitting room. My aunt was stoking the open fire and she looked up and said somewhat worried, "Are you alright?" Well, I must have been as white as a sheet, Great Uncle died about the early War years some 14 or 15years prior; he was a great drinking chum of my grandfather who died in the early 30s. I only recognised the old chap from a photo on the mantlepiece. I never told a soul until some 15 years ago when I told one of his grand daughters! His little chuckle was exactly the same as his son's who I knew well (he died in middle age in the 1960s).

[@goldenshorts1744]

Hey there is one in Leeds you should do about

[@ghosttrainlostrailways]

Are there many disused lines in Leeds?

[@goldenshorts1744]

@@ghosttrainlostrailways no not really