Category Archives: Operations

September and Late Summer Update on the BHR

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PYRONAUT IN ACTION – AGAIN
Due to the relentless heatwaves in August, ‘Pyronaut’ was callout out again on Sunday 9th to assist with cooling the bridge at Cumberland Basin. This time, Paul was skipper.
‘Pyronaut’ was giving boat rides that day so the last few trips had to be cancelled.
Thanks to Ned for these images.

HENBURY AT WORK
The heat also meant that loco crews had to be supplied with ice lollies regularly. It’s a medical thing, honest.

On 23rd August, Bristol Vintage Bus Group were out in force in Museum Square once again with their fabulous collection of vehicles on display and giving rides.

TRACKWORK
Efforts are ongoing to give some much-needed TLC to the track in the yard. Next to the pit has been particularly affected with rotten life-expired sleepers causing part of the track to become wide-to-gauge.
During a non-railway running weekend, the track gang were sorting through stacks of new (to us) sleepers and sorting them all by size. The rotten sleepers were dug out (often by just smashing them up). The weekday gang followed up by lifting one of the rails, removing the rest of the ballast and cutting new sleepers to fit.

Of course on the Saturday morning, the crane had ‘a moment’ and vomited diesel everywhere in the engine bay. This was traced to a tiny split hose. Thanks to a nearby GSF Car Parts stockist we were back in action before long. The weekend also offered a RARE haulage moment as the crane towed the entire passenger train and the coal wagon back onto the pit. That one’s going in the spotters’ book!

On the rained-off Saturday, there was still an opportunity to do some work despite the downpour. Dolly the Dog helped keep our spirits up whilst at the shed.
Once Henbury had been coaled, we set off in search of stashed sleepers, eventually locating them hiding amongst concrete ones in store.
After retrieving the Weltrol from the yard, the crane assisted in loading up the wagon, and the train headed back to L Shed.
As you can see, the sleepers have been used to construct something, but what is it? Well, if you come along to Docks Heritage Weekend on 19th and 20th September, you’ll find out!

DOCKS HERITAGE WEEKEND
This is my favourite event of the year, when we get all the toys out on the quayside (trucks, trains, boats, cranes, barrels and crates, the capstan and more) and try to bring a flavour of life on the docks in the 1950s back to Bristol.
There will also be plenty to see inside L Shed with model and historical displays, as well as the Show of Strength Theatre Company, so don’t miss it!

Have-A-Go Week, 29’s Overhaul, A New Pontoon and a Spot of Gardening

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HAVE-A-GO!
Last week (13-17th October) was ‘Have-a-Go’, where people can book a session of 20 minutes 1-on-1 tuition on driving the steam locomotive on the quayside as well as 20 minutes of driving the electric crane. We don’t know of anywhere else in the UK that does this combination so it’s a fun experience. Happy to report that this week was a sell-out success!
Thanks to Bob Edwardes and Paul Stanford (who got the experience as a wedding anniversary gift, lucky!) for these photos. Paul is a lifelong railway worker who has written extensively about the railways of Bristol and the South-West. His latest book, From Chocolate to Cider charts over 180 years of family railway history.

A NEW PONTOON AND A SPOT OF GARDENING
Two large concrete pontoons have been a regular feature of the harbourside for decades. One of them formerly had a boathouse atop it. More recently, The Matthew has been using a pontoon for safe loading and mooring of their ship, whilst the other was repurposed as a community garden. The latter has fallen out of use (especially since Covid) and is now to begin a new life at M Shed. The ability to load boat trips at deck-height, coupled with no longer needing to raise and lower the gangplank steps for every sailing, will be a great help.
Bob Edwardes and James Stanley captured the Harbour Master’s boats bringing the pontoon to its new home on 8th October. Note that the derricks were cut off to enable it to pass under Bristol Bridge and Redcliffe Bridge.

There is A LOT of soil on this pontoon, which is no longer needed. Some of this will be re-used in a project at SS Great Britain platform. Since the points leading to the defunct double-track section were taken out some years ago, a lot of people have been using the trackbed as a shortcut or dog-walking area. This isn’t ideal when there are trains departing the station (trip hazards etc.) so a raised bed is being constructed from surplus sleepers and timbers.
The first steps were made here during an operating weekend, with the crane and Larry bringing supplies over for the volunteers to work on.

29’S OVERHAUL

Crane 29 has been a long-term restoration project, having been something of a parts donor to get the others running again in the early 2000s. Bruce and the crane gang have been working hard to get it back into use.
Recently this involved some close-up work on the bearings and jib, for which the man-cage was a great help, Crane 30 doing the honours. As you can imagine this job requires a calm day with very little wind, quite unlike what we experienced over Docks Heritage Weekend!

Steam Loco/Electric Crane Driving Experiences in October

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Back by popular demand are the HAVE-A-GO experiences at M Shed.

YOU can have a go at driving steam locomotive ‘Henbury’ as well as one of the electric cranes.
For just £80 you receive 20 minutes one-on-one tuition on each machine as well as a certificate of achievement (you might even get a free cup of tea!).

Have-a-go is running from Monday 13th to Friday 17th October 2025

Click here for more information.
or
Click here to book your driving experience.

Harbour Festival 2025

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Harbour Fest was held on 19th and 20th July this year, as always it was a packed event with lots of visitors. The crowds mean taking additional safety measures such as volunteers on crowd control duty. Always a busy time but no mishaps, thanks to the volunteers and staff of the Working Exhibits.
Saturday night saw a BBQ for the workers, held aboard John King.
Pyronaut unfortunately sustained some damage due to another vessel. She required some emergency repairs to the handrails to be able to take part in the celebrations.
A particular highlight was the attendance by replica tall ship Galéon Andalucia. Very impressive!

Thanks to Katie, Dave and Bob for the photos!

Henbury Pulling Passengers in the Port

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Youtube channel brunelheritage was on hand to record Henbury’s first day back in service. The sun shone for most of the weekend and passenger numbers were strong on both the train and ‘Pyronaut’, the museum’s fire-fighting boat giving tours around the harbour

Last Operating Weekend of 2024 (Sunday)

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That’s it! Another season of passenger operations finished. Now the winter maintenance can begin.

This includes getting the tank of the Sulphiric Acid Tanker rubbed down and repainted. The chassis is still in good condition but the tank has suffered a bit from flaking paint and rust bubbles.
The Coles Crane was used to bring the tanker out of the yard and set it down on to Henbury at the end of the working day. The steam loco then propelled it onto the quayside to be pressure-washed. Earlier in the day we did a test lift to ensure the crane would be able to slew it into the warehouse.

Henbury was then ashed out (the plates in the ashpan were removed at the same time) and taken back to the shed as the light faded.

Thanks to Katie Richards for the photos.

Last Operating Weekend of 2024

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Tomorrow is the last day of passenger services on the BHR this year. This morning there was quite a bit of shunting to do to put the Toad back on the train after fulfilling its ‘waiting room’ duties for Have-A-Go week. Similarly the BD and red flat wagon were put back into the yard having been used to limit the area of quayside Henbury could shunt up and down on.

It was also David’s final day as a driver on passenger trains. David’s been a key part of the preserved railway on the docks since the very beginning in 1978.

A few more pics from the day – thanks to Jay Parker and Katie Richards for some of these.

A big shunt also took place at the end of the day to release the sulphuric acid tanker, which is getting some TLC over winter. Henbury had to pull most of the stock out of the back road and towards the shed before propelling it into the middle road. Thanks to Katie for these photos.

Docks Heritage Weekend 2024

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One of my favourite events of the year, DOCKS HERITAGE WEEKEND took place over 28th and 29th September.
This event featured our friends at the Show of Strength Theatre Company once again, this time with a new storyline (featuring George and Sheila of course) with more jeopardy and a longer run time (and some singing!).
Sheila’s ordered a new television on hire-purchase, but she’s not told George about it! Will he find out?
John King was on duty giving rides around the harbour, 2 cranes were working (one for visitors and one loading the lorry), the capstan was in operation again and Henbury was in steam for cab visits. Saturday also featured live performances from the choir in L Shed.

Thanks to Katie Richards and Bob Edwardes for these photos.