TBT – Peckett Party in 2015

Posted on October 19, 2017 by corwinb

Henbury, Kilmerson and Teddy share the dockside in this great photo.

This photo appears here with the kind permission of flickr user Captain Tower. Please do not reproduce.

Farewell Judy…..

Posted on June 22, 2016 by corwinb

After approximately a year of service on the BHR (and with the expiry of the boiler ticket imminent), Bagnall ‘Judy’ is off back to her home in Cornwall, and Portbury is back from her extended holiday in Beamish!

Operating days for 2016, Larry gets a new look

Posted on March 17, 2016 by corwinb

The planned railway operating days are now up on the M Shed website, click here to take a look!

Judy was out on the line today getting warmed up for the first operating weekend of the year – 19/20th March.

Also out in the sun was resident front loader ‘Larry’, looking resplendent in a fresh coat of paint!

TBT – GWR 813 in Bristol

Posted on March 3, 2016 by corwinb

Another Throwback Thursday to 29th July 2001, when GWR 813 was visiting Bristol. This locomotive has just celebrated its centenary, having been built in June 1901.

You can learn more about GWR 813 and if you like, contribute to the upkeep of this lovely locomotive at http://www.gwr813.org/

Credit for these photos goes to K R Bayley, with huge thanks to Nick Baxter for sending them to me.

End of the Season

Posted on November 2, 2015 by corwinb

Well, that’s the end of the 2015 operating season on the BHR. Plenty of exciting updates to come, with the ongoing metrobus and Whapping Wharf/Sugar Quay developments, and M Shed’s own projects.

Here’s a photo of a scene that won’t be repeated again, the old Butterfly Junction halt with ‘Judy’ on the passenger train.

Photo courtesy Tim Symons

TBT – Black 5 on the Bristol Harbour Railway

Posted on October 15, 2015 by corwinb

It’s been a while since the last Throwback Thursday post, so here’s an extra special event from the BHR’s history.

In 1983, for the Bristol Wine Fair, some special trains were run from Bristol Temple Meads on to the harbour line. The motive power was Stanier “Black 5′ No. 5000, part of the National Collection. It is pictured both on the BHR and at Temple Meads in company with ex-GWR ‘King George V’.

I believe that, as with the coal trains, the special ran at high tide to reduce the stress on the riverbank.

These pictures appear here courtesy of Paul and John Stanford, with thanks.

June 1983 The SVR (NRM) black 5 worked a special Wapping Wharf to BTM I think it was the wine festival

Crane Dance/Heritage Weekend Photos and Videos

Posted on October 4, 2015 by corwinb

What a nice weekend! The weather was good and the crowds turned out to both the Docks Heritage Weekend, and on Saturday evening, the Crane Dance. The dance, featuring live music and choreographed lighting and movement, was devised by Laura Kriefman and was a collaboration between:

M Shed, Underfall Yard, RSVP Bhangra, The Balmoral, Bristol Pilot Gig Club, Bristol Channel Social Rowers, Watershed, Studio 360.

Here’s a few clips:

Jamie Corbin put together this timelapse of the crane dance:

In the daytime, there were dockside loading and unloading demonstrations, actors from the Show of Strength Theatre Company, mosaics, the steam crane in operation, rides on the tug John King, and the chance to drive Judy for £10, and more…