The BHR will be in operation tomorrow and Sunday! An early start for an exciting year, and the public debut of the newly overhauled TOAD.
Portbury was out on Thursday shunting the passenger train together.
Just one photo from last weekend. Portbury standing at SS GB Halt.

Last night the BHR was host to another of the popular photo charters organised by 30742 Charters and M Shed Museum.
This time it was a night shoot on the quayside, where Portbury shared the limelight with the museum’s Bristol lorry.
Here’s a video posted by Martin Creese on the 30742 facebook page:
and a couple of snaps from the evening from the same page:
Last weekend, Portbury was one of the visiting guest engines at the Avon Valley Railway’s ‘Industrial Roots’ gala. Also in attendance were Manning Wardle ‘Charwelton’ (from the Kent and East Sussex Railway), as well as ‘Austerity’ tank ‘Sapper’ and Polish-built TKh ‘Karel’.
Here are a few pics and vids from various places on the internet. Highlights included goods trains, and a quadruple header at the end of the day!
Adam Ashford captured these photos and video.
YouTube user SDJR7F88 got this smashing video:
Kenny Felstead got this nice snap of Portbury on the climb up to Bitton.

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!
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.
The last operating weekend of the season is this coming Saturday and Sunday on the BHR, before the winter shut down begins. M Shed museum will be open as normal.
The steam tug Mayflower will also be giving rides.
One of the electric cranes is open to visitors from 11am-4pm today, if you want to go up in the cab and see the controls!
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…
Here’s an example of one of the mosaics made by Mosaic Madness
The steam crane had quite an unusual load…
Henbury was on display in the yard. She is in need of 149 new boiler tubes for her overhaul and any and all donations towards this are very welcome!
This delightful Bristol bus was busy ferrying people between M Shed and Underfall Yard.
This coming weekend is the excellent Docks Heritage Weekend. Here’s a couple of pics and videos from last years event in case you missed it.
Here’s what the Official M Shed Website has to say about the event:
A weekend of activities across two sites exploring the history and working life of the old City Docks.
Stroll around the fantastic Underfall Yard as its restoration programme gets into full swing and take part in activities at M Shed including boat trips, crane visits, have a go experiences and performances.
A special event will also be taking place on Saturday evening. This is the Crane Dance performance, devised by Laura Kriefman. Starting at 8pm, this will combine lights, boats, choirs, live bhangra band music, and choreographed synchronised cranes!
This event is completely free and best viewed from the Arnolfini or Lloyds Amphitheatre.
Exciting stuff!