Trains are running every day this bank holiday weekend, but on Friday an unusual shunting move took place to retrieve one of the flat wagons from the headshunt at SS Great Britain Halt.
Alex was on hand to capture these shots.
A few photos from this year’s Harbour Festival (20th/21st July). We survived another year with lots of volunteers working together to deliver the boat and train service. Pyronaut, still fresh from overhaul, did its part in the displays showing off its pumping ability, with stalwart John King providing passenger trips. The steam launches were a personal highlight. Mixed weather didn’t appear to put too many people off as can be seen from the crowded quayside!
Thankfully on these occasions extra volunteers are deployed for crowd safety.
Thanks to Bob Edwardes and Ned Minns for the additional photos.
It’s have-a-go week and there are slots available for you to come and try your hand at driving ‘Henbury’ and one of the electric cranes on the quayside.
The price is £80 per person for 20 minutes on each machine getting one-on-one tutoring.
Book your tickets here:
https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed/whats-on/train-and-crane-driving-experiences/
With the GWR O18 wagon freshly painted and out on the quayside again, it was time for Portbury to go in to the workshop to continue its 10 year overhaul. The volunteers and staff have done a lot of prep work getting the tank off and freeing up the boiler.
Henbury was being warmed up on Saturday for the move whilst the track inside the workshop had been extended.
On Monday morning, Henbury dragged its shedmate onto the quayside and Crane 32 was used to lift the boiler off and onto the boiler trolley.
Thanks to Art Spicer for this photo.
Dave Blackburn took these photos of the boiler lift and shunt.
The rolling chassis required a larger crane so one was hired to pick up the two halves of the loco, turn them through 90 degrees and onto the track going in to the workshop.
Thanks again to Dave Blackburn for these photos of the lift:
Now it’s all inside, work can continue!
Thanks to Bob Edwardes for these photos.
Good news from the harbourside as the restoration of ex-GWR O18 open wagon No.61110 is finished. It’s been brought out of the workshop and placed back on the running line.
This item of stock was bought by the Port of Bristol Authority in 1961 for use at Avonmouth.
The protective cover is metal and can be lifted by one of the cranes if needed.
Thanks to Bob Edwardes for the photograph.
It’s the last operating day of the season tomorrow, so here’s a little round-up of things that have been happening.
Docks Heritage Weekend took place over 30th September/1st October.
Good turnout of volunteers in period dress, along with the Show of Strength Theatre Company interacting with the public. Henbury was in steam both days and collected the BD wagon (which had been in use with the capstan) on the Sunday after the toys had been put away.
Steam tug ‘Mayflower’ has made a return to service following repairs to its engine. It’s been great to see it working on the harbour again over the past two weekends.
‘Have a go’ week took place over the October half term, where customers can pay to have 20 minutes learning to drive the steam loco on the quayside line, followed by 20 minutes on the crane. I was firing on Thursday, Bob Edwardes took some pics too.
Henbury has been running services single-handedly this season. In the shed, Portbury’s strip-down is ongoing.
Portbury is waiting for a free slot in the workshop, currently occupied by the GWR O18 wagon. Bob lettered it up into PBA condition as 61110 earlier this month. Hopefully not long until it’s back on display.
I’ve been a bit lax in updating the blog this year, so there may be a few late uploads.
On the weekend of 28th August some of the volunteers and staff were undertaking sleeper replacement in the yard. This has been on the cards for some time as the old ones were life-expired.
The railway and diesel tug ‘John King’ were operating over the Chazza Cozza weekend, with the train suitable carrying flags and bunting for the occasion.
Of course the skipper of ‘John King’ had been revising their morse code for a 12:00 sound-off!
‘Henbury’ was out and on the quayside line this weekend. Despite a late start on Saturday due to the awful weather in the morning, things brightened up considerably!
Thanks for Beth for sharing these photos of the weekend’s running.
Peckett 0-6-0ST ‘Henbury’ was out on test last week, the annual boiler exam is just around the corner, so there was a need to test the operation of the vacuum ejector beforehand. Last season ‘Portbury’ supplied the vacuum but with that loco now out of service for overhaul, Henbury needs to be able to operate solo.
Thanks to Beth for the photo.
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