RAILWAYS OF BRISTOL - TEMPLE MEADS TO PORTISHEAD

[@PillSharks]

I’ve walked through that tunnel a few times back in the day! It would scare the crap out of us as children… I remember in the late 80s when a service maintenance train came through as we were halfway and we had to hide in the recesses in the wall and I can remember looking up and seeing the driver as the cab lights were on!

[@historymandave4739]

Thanks for sharing that memory. Regards Dave.

[@robinadderley6755]

I was amazed to see the seat at Victoria Park 1:34 as I have a photo on the wall of me as a 2 year old on that very seat in 1964 train spotting, I developed a life long love for railways that is still with me today. We moved to Tasmania in 1967 and I have been a volunteer railcar driver at the Tasmanian Transport Museum for the last 37 years and I model British Railways Western region in 4mm scale. All this started with me watching trains on this very seat. Thanks for the memories.

[@historymandave4739]

Hello Robin. I looked up your museum on the web. Looks a great place to be volunteering. Regards Dave.

[@boblovell5789]

Crazy, there was that opportunity to run back to Waitrose at Portishead. There was also the rail link to the marina development which could have been looked at as an alternative.All that new development and fewer facilities to what was previously available. Too late now, but the local authority at the time was asleep.

[@historymandave4739]

Hello Bob. The line should never have been closed in the first place. Regards Dave.

[@radicalcartoons2766]

2023, still not re-opened. I was a passenger on this line as a toddler, 60 years ago!

[@rustynuts4426]

I used to Drive coal trains out of Portbury Dock along that single line. It's a token line with some beautiful token machines. 3 of them. Story goes that NR auctioned them off and quickly wanted to buy them back but the owner has rented them back to NR for all these years. The line to Portishead veers off at portbury Jn. Currently fenced off.

[@historymandave4739]

Coal trains have finished now. Not sure what uses the line now. Regards Dave.

[@rustynuts4426]

@@historymandave4739 No, me neither. Haven't seen much come out of there for a long time.

[@PillSharks]

Every now and then we get cars being transported but as you say, the coal stopped being imported a while back now! I think the last coal ship we had was around 2019.

[@PillSharks]

Every now and then we get cars being transported but as you say, the coal stopped being imported a while back now! I think the last coal ship we had was around 2019.

[@driftslide8848]

Excellent video really enjoyed the watch

[@historymandave4739]

Glad you enjoyed it. Regards Dave.

[@lazytigerfoot]

Love looking at old photo's of bristol , never knew there was a station called clifton bridge , it is a pity that it's all gone . great video

[@historymandave4739]

If the line reopens for passenger traffic it may come back. As far as I know the platforms are still in place. Regards, Dave.

[@hoagy_ytfc]

It was quite a trek from the bridge it was named after. Looking at Google Earth, I can't really see why there was ever a station at that location. (It's near where Brunel Way crosses the Avon).

[@hoagy_ytfc]

@@historymandave4739 That station is in the middle of nowhere. I can't see how they'd put a station there even if the re-opening of the line happens.

[@grahamhunt6132]

Another quality video... Thank you.

[@historymandave4739]

Hello Graham. Glad you are enjoying them. Regards, Dave

[@patchso]

Hi Dave, great videos. Have you considered adding music tracks? You can get loads of royalty free music on line, so no copyright issues.

[@colliecandle]

Been 'bingeing' on your videos ! At leat this line is still used, and there should be a connection back into Portishead soon with a new station already passed the planning stage. Years ago i used to walk this line while it was still mothballed, and i actually took some Hi8 video of inside Ashton Gate signal box shortly before it was burned down. i still have the video, but sadly, no Hi8 player or camera to play it on.

[@historymandave4739]

Glad you enjoy the videos. Regards, Dave.

[@Will1am_idk]

You should do one of filton, lots of history here

[@historymandave4739]

Hello William. Filton is included on my Temple Meads to Severn Tunnel video. Regards Dave.

[@emmacauson-wood3446]

I cant quite pinpoint where ashton gate station was. Was it under the a370?

[@historymandave4739]

Yes it was. Regards Dave.

[@jackmartinleith]

Have a look at these side-by-side maps. Old OS map on the left; current OpenStreetMap on the right: maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=19.0&lat=51.44128&lon=-2.62560&layers=258&right=osm. If you follow the line that branches off to the right, you'll reach Ashton Avenue Bridge (aka Ashton Swing Bridge) when it had two decks: rails below, road above. It forked north of the Avon with one branch going to Canons Marsh goods depot and the other going to Temple Meads via Redcliffe Tunnel.

[@jackmartinleith]

@@historymandave4739 Just north of it. Link to side-by-side map in separate comment. Great work BTW.

[@nigelwilliams7403]

Fantastic photos. before BR vandalism. Thanks dave

[@historymandave4739]

Hello Nigel. Many thanks! Regards, Dave.