Gromit Unleashed Returns!

Posted on July 3, 2025 by corwinb

Last week Henbury once again took centre stage in kicking off Gromit Unleashed and delivered several brand-new sculptures from SS Great Britain Halt (opposite Aardman’s offices) to M Shed where they were unloaded by the dockside cranes. Aardman founder Nick Park once again took to the footplate!
The first Gromit Unleashed was wayy back in 2013.
Thanks to the M Shed volunteers who participated for sending in these photos.

Gromit Unleashed 3 is running across Bristol from 30th June – 31st August as part of the Grand Appeal.

Pannier and Brake Van Photos

Posted on May 29, 2025 by corwinb

A few operating weekends have passed with Henbury, but today we are looking back to when GWR No. 1369 visited. Paul Stanford sent in these photos of 1369 working on the brake van specials down the branch. Thanks Paul!
It’s not often that we get enthusiast photos from the New Cut branch so it’s great to be able to share them here.

YouTube user ‘Bovine of the Rails’ took these clips from that day:

‘Heritage in the 21st Century’ shared these clips from the photo charters run by 30742 Charters:

Henbury Pulling Passengers in the Port

Posted on April 13, 2025 by corwinb

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

More trackwork and first running weekend of the year

Posted on April 11, 2025 by corwinb

Last weekend more preparation for the relaying of the New Cut branch to A Bond warehouse took place along with track maintenance ahead of the first running weekend of the year this coming Saturday and Sunday.

The sleepers were unloaded on to one of the flat wagons earlier in the week. The Coles Crane was to be used but needed to be on the East side of the wagon, so Larry was used to push the truck up the quayside and enable the Coles to couple up. The Coles then propelled the wagon up the branch to the siding alongside Cumberland Road bridge.

We put our cargo handling and crane direction training as seen at Docks Heritage Weekend to good use. Using the brothers (dual chain hooks) enables 2 sleepers to be loaded at a time and stacked neatly on the siding.

With that done and the wagon returned to the yard, in the afternoon the team were jacking and packing sleepers on the running line by the steam crane, as well as slewing the rails to ease the curve either side of the rail join. This required multiple jacks and a lot of sweat!

HENBURY will be in steam tomorrow morning so come on down and enjoy a train ride in the sunshine.

Henbury, back at work already

Posted on March 30, 2025 by corwinb

Henbury was steamed up this week and put to work straight away, shunting the well wagon and flat loaded with sleepers up the branch. The Coles Crane unloaded all these ‘new to us’ concrete sleepers on to Cumberland Siding.
Just visible in one of the photos is the new lid for the coal wagon. These are to prevent unwanted access, protect the contents of the wagon and are designed to resemble wagon sheets whilst also being sturdy enough to resist the elements in the long term.
Thanks to Chris for these photos.

Volunteers and staff are working hard to get this done on top of regular maintenance. At the same time, the other well wagon was unloaded of redundant and life-expired wooden sleepers. Jobs like this go to show how much the wagon fleet is still needed by the railway to continue operating, so they are not just museum pieces, they are also working items of rolling stock.
This has freed up the two well wagons to receive another two lorry loads of concrete sleepers and chairs in the next few weeks.

March comings and goings

Posted on March 25, 2025 by corwinb

There have been arrivals and departures at the BHR recently.
We said goodbye to pannier 1369 after three very successful events (two photo charters organised by 30742 Charters and one brake van running day). 1369 was a popular engine with visitors and it was nice to crew something different for a change. It’s back to its home at the South Devon Railway, from where ‘Henbury’ also returned. It had been hoped for the Peckett to star at the SDR’s winter gala but sadly this was not to be due to mechanical issues.
The rigours of continuous running over a long period are quite different to shunting up and down the quayside.
Thanks to Bob Edwardes for the photos of the two green locomotives swapping places, Larry and the Coles Crane doing the honours of shunting on the quayside.

In the same week, two wagons were readied to receive a load of concrete sleepers, recently purchased for the upcoming task of track renewal, especially on the New Cut Branch (currently blocked half way due to repair work at Vauxhall Bridge).
Thanks to Bruce for the photos of the loading process taken from the drivers cabin of the crane!

Hoping to share some of the wonderful photos and videos that people took over the course of No. 1369’s stay soon!

Brake Van Rides with Pannier 1369 – 1 day only!

Posted on March 7, 2025 by corwinb

If you’d like the chance to ride behind GWR Pannier Tank No. 1369 on the Bristol Harbour Railway, there will be a one-time chance to do so.
To celebrate RAIL200, on Friday 14th March 2025, 1369 will be running short trips with the newly-outshopped Toad Brake Van up to Vauxhall Bridge and back on the branch. There may be the opportunity to dismount at Vauxhall Bridge and take photos.
Places are limited to 10 people per trip and the price is £10 per person for 1 round trip (cash or card, payable on the day).
Spaces are on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day and the first trip will be at 11am. There will be approximately 4 trips on the day (depending on demand and staffing).
1369 will be returning to the South Devon Railway soon so this may be the only chance to travel behind it and a rare opportunity to ride on the New Cut Branch.
Please note that as the Toad is the only passenger vehicle on this service, it will be difficult to provide wheelchair access due to the width of the doors.

Last chance to have your say on Western Harbour development

Posted on March 5, 2025 by corwinb

The public consultation for the proposed Western Harbour redevelopment of Cumberland Basin and its surrounding area closes on 9th March, so there are only a few days remaining to have your say on the current proposals.

Western Harbour Website

Link to consultation

How does this affect the Bristol Harbour Railway?
The current proposals do make a point of reinstating the railway along the New Cut (closed since the development of Metrobus on the site of Butterfly Junction). However, the proposed end of the line stops short of the BHR’s intended new terminus (for which ballast has been laid but trains are yet to run to) alongside the bonded warehouse.
The BHR’s storage shed ‘the barn’ and the buildings around it are to be demolished under the new proposals in favour of apartment blocks.
A link to the proposal video is below:

Photo Charter with 1369

Posted on February 26, 2025 by corwinb

On Monday, 1369 once again took to the harbourside to star in a photo charter in central Bristol, organised by 30742 charters.
Here are some photos from the day, thanks to Bob Edwardes and David Stagg.

Training Day

Posted on February 12, 2025 by corwinb

Recently the BHR did a training weekend for the operating staff and volunteers. This started with a session in the classroom going over rules, conduct, risks and procedures.

Then it was out to the engine shed for a briefing on train movements and safe working practice. Then each person took it in turns to stop traffic and wave the locomotive (1369) across the crossings. This was followed by a demonstration and practice on points in the yard, then understanding how to call a locomotive onto a train, operation of hand brakes, shunting pole and the correct protocol for coupling/uncoupling including vacuum hoses.

At the end of the day there was some shunting required to get the Toad back to the shed in order for the work on its underframe to be completed and the springs refitted.