Taken 02/11/14; The preserved Avon Valley Railway is a short section of the otherwise-dismantled former Midland Railway Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line, which was closed during the late 1960s as a result of the Beeching cuts and due mainly to a former Great Western Railway route being just a few miles to the south, which also connected Bristol and Bath.
The railway is perhaps best known for connecting the former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR), whose northern terminus was at Bath Green Park station, with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The Midland Railway lines along the Avon Valley thus opened up the S&D lines to travellers from the British industrial Midlands. This was particularly so during summer Saturdays when families flocked south to the beaches of Dorset and the English south coast. Many extra trains thus had to be added to the schedule to accommodate this increased demand. Although owned and run by the Midland Railway, many S&D locomotives were often seen working trains along this line.
In 2000 the northern section of the trackbed from Mangotsfield to Warmley was used to build a dual carriage development of the A4174 road, although both station sites presently still exist. The remainder of the line was passed from the British Railways Board to Sustrans, who in co-operation with the local councils developed the Bristol & Bath Railway Path. Further development of the preservation railway, which currently runs from Oldland Common through Bitton to Avon Riverside, is wholly dependent on a usage agreement with Sustrans.
Tags: Avon Valley Railway Bitton Bitton Station
Taken 02/12/14; Given the Sentinel's working life was spent at Fry's/Cadbury's factory at nearby Somerdale (you know, the one Kraft pledged they wouldn't close ...), Bitton is an appropriate home for the loco. A brief timeline;
1928; Built at Shrewsbury as works number 7492. Delivered to Somerdale Chocolate Factory, where Bill Payne was its driver until 1946.
1940; Repaired after a runaway track smashes into the rear of the loco, wrecking the cab.
1946; Gladstone Graham Hendy takes over as No. 7492's driver.
1956; Taken out of service and stored.
1964; Sold to a scrapyard in Fishponds, who display the loco rather than cutting it up.
1970; Sold to a private owner in Somerset, resold and moved to Suffolk and then moved again to an owner in Essex.
2009; Located by Somerdale author Eric Miles and the then current owner agreed to sell the loco.
2010; The loco is purchased and moved to Bitton on a low loader via an emotive stop off at the Somerdale Factory.
Tags: Avon Valley Railway Fry's Senitnel Sentinel 7492
Taken 02/11/14: what might be considered the third generation of Southampton Dock Shunters after the L&SWR B4 0-4-0Ts and then the USA TC 0-6-0Ts. The class we now know as the 07s was built by Ruston Hornsby in 1961/2 and based on their LSEE 0-6-0T design for industrial use, albeit upgraded. The design provided sufficient power and visibility combined with a short wheel base, thereby making it suitable for use in the docks.
Troubled by hot axle boxes when running at high speed, the class rarely strayed from Southampton (or Eastleigh where they were maintained and indeed where 07-007 is still in service) and any journey of significant length had to made by low loader. However, three examples did work as shunters at Bournemouth depot towards their last days as part of the BR fleet. By 1977 all 14 locos had been sold to industrial users, preserved or scrapped. No. 07-010 was bought by preservationists direct from BR and found its way to the Avon Valley Railway following spells on the Mid-Hants Railway and the West Somerset Railway.
Tags: Class 07 Avon Valley Railway
Taken 02/11/14; Now resident at the Avon Valley railway, the now preserved 31-130 is named after part of the Sellafield Nuclear complex.
Tags: Avon Valley Railway Class 31 Calder Hiall Power Station
Taken 02/11/14: So ex-works in fact that the number (and name?) has not been applied as yet.
Tags: BR Mark One Avon Valley Railway Bittom M25040