The planned Metrobus route, formerly the line to Ashton Meadows sidings, has been tidied up.
This includes the line over Ashton Avenue Bridge (Rails are still extant on this section)
The clearance has exposed the old permanent way huts, some sleepers, and electrical boxes.
Paul Jarman has posted this image on Beamish Transport Online, it is the work of Dave Hewitt and shows Portbury with a rather lovely wooden-bodied coach and Tram 196 in operation on Valentine’s Day.
Joseph Stuart captured this footage:
Please note that the Chocolate Path (alongside the A Bond branch line and New Cut) will be closed from 9th Feb 2015 for 4 weeks.
Paul Jarman of Beamish Transport Online has posted updates on Portbury’s arrival at Beamish. Shunted off the lorry siding by departing hire loco ‘John Howe’ (An Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST), Portbury was in steam the next day and immediately put to work shunting the yard at Rowley station.
These photos appear here with Paul’s permission
Avonside ‘Portbury’ arrived at Beamish Museum today, shown by this photo and video shared on the Museum’s facebook page
‘Portbury’ has departed Bristol and is now on her way North to Beamish!
Cold January mornings give everything a glistening sheen of frost.
A couple of pics showing level crossing construction progress.
Stone setts kept with new parking bays to the right
Concrete complete – Almost unrecognisable from the scene a year ago!
The two steam locos were outside the shed this morning, Portbury was having her fire lit.
The Xmas steam up event was a success, with all tickets selling out. Rich Skuse and Zoe Robinson were among the lucky people to try their hand at driving ‘Portbury’ and the Steam Crane.
Rich has kindly allowed these photos to be reproduced here!
It’s the first day of the Xmas Steam Up weekends tomorrow, so Portbury and the Fairbairn Steam Crane should be in action on the dockside.
This week, the lovely people from the Helston Railway in Cornwall have been back for more rail and sleepers. Here they are loading up (Photo from the Helston Railway Facebook page, click the link for more).
In May 2014, a shunting move to get rolling stock out of the Smeaton Road shed and into the rebuilt ‘Barn’ saw Fox, Walker and Sons No.242 (NCB No.3) out in the open air. This loco had new bearings fitted before the rebuild of M Shed in 2006, so is a rolling chassis and can be moved around.
The photos also give an indication as to the condition of the loco, and the scale of any restoration that might take place.
These pictures were taken by Michelle Scoplin of the Create Centre and appear here with her kind permission.
Bristol Harbour Railway Blog 