For a couple of days in ‘Have a Go Week’, Henbury was out on the quayside as the kinks are ironed out.
Thanks to Bob Edwardes for these two pics! Very nice framing through the cranes.
Aaand here are a few I took including a trip up in the crane.
It’s been a week since the first public outing for the working exhibits in over a year, Docks Heritage Weekend. What a blast! So great to have the volunteers working with the public again. Both Portbury and Henbury were on display and the capstan was back in operation both days, and crane 30 was kept busy loading and unloading the lorry.
Quayside operations were bolstered with audience interaction from the Show of Strength Theatre company.
Thanks for Bob, Bruce and the M Shed social media channels for these photos of the weekend.
Bob’s been busy with his paintbrush again, this time it was the turn of the Coles self-propelled crane, which is no longer pink/red but yellow with wasp stripes and signwritten ‘Coles’ logo.
Thanks to Bob for these photos.
Thanks to Archie Beale for these photos of Portbury ex-works in either 1988-89 or the 1990s doing passenger trips on the harbourside.
On Wednesday 21st April, Henbury moved under its own steam for the first time since 2014. Bob drove it off shed and on a short test run, all seems well so far.
Thanks to Bruce Davies for these photos.
From the 24-27th May 1996, Bristol Harbour was host to the International Festival of the Sea. This was a huge event featuring many guest ships and attractions, and of course the BHR played a part. A shining and fully-lined out ‘Henbury’ and ‘Portbury’ were joined by LB&SCR E1 class 0-6-0T No.B110, then based at the East Somerset Railway (Now being restored to service on the Isle of Wight as No.W2 ‘Yarmouth’). The two locos operated a shuttle service between the station at Ashton Meadows and the Bristol Industrial Museum with 3 loaned coaches.
Thanks to Eric Gates for these photos.
Phil Cass was also there to capture these photos, thanks to Phil for sharing them.
Henbury’s overhauled rolling chassis has now been reunited with the boiler, allowing re-assembly to continue.
In order to do this, the temporary track was extended out of the workshop, and a commercial crane was employed to turn the frames through 90 degrees and onto the quayside track. Portbury was able to bring the boiler on its trolley down to the quayside, where it was lifted into the frames. It was nearly dark by the time the operation was completed.
Lastly, Portbury took her old stablemate back to the running shed.
Photos courtesy Bob Edwardes, with thanks.
Nicholas Tozer published this rather lovely video of a blue ‘Portbury’ operating trains in the early 1990s. It’s amazing to see the differences in the background, like the old sidings, the sleeper wall where the flats near SS GB halt now are. Also note the W.Vincent wagon being used for passengers, these days it is back to being a coal wagon.
The newest video on the Railway Mania Channel features a snippet of info about the museum’s capstan, seen in action at Docks Heritage Weekend.
Full video here:
Some rather excellent news to round off the year, Henbury’s boiler passed its steam test this week. Next comes the task of reassembly.
Thanks to Bill Drewett for the photos.
Bristol Harbour Railway Blog 