Steam trains running this Easter Weekend!

Posted on April 2, 2015 by corwinb

It’s the first BHR operating weekend of the year, with 3 days of steam-hauled train rides planned.

Saturday 4th April

Sunday 5th April

Monday 6th April.

Visiting Bristol-built Peckett 0-4-0st ‘Kilmersdon’ will be providing motive power.

Kilmersdon working a charter train at the BHR in the 1990s (Author unknown)

(Geof Sheppard, C/O Wikipedia)

‘Kilmersdon’ was built by Peckett in 1929 and numbered 1788. It worked at the NCB’s Kilmersdon Colliery in Somerset and now belongs to the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust.

She has previously visited the BHR and worked photo charters, and was a former stablemate of ‘Portbury’ and ‘Henbury’ at Radstock.

Portbury on Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 17, 2015 by corwinb

Paul Jarman has posted this image on Beamish Transport Online, it is the work of Dave Hewitt and shows Portbury with a rather lovely wooden-bodied coach and Tram 196 in operation on Valentine’s Day.

Joseph Stuart captured this footage:

Portbury at Beamish – In Steam

Posted on February 5, 2015 by corwinb

Paul Jarman of Beamish Transport Online has posted updates on Portbury’s arrival at Beamish. Shunted off the lorry siding by departing hire loco ‘John Howe’ (An Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST), Portbury was in steam the next day and immediately put to work shunting the yard at Rowley station.

(Paul Jarman)

These photos appear here with Paul’s permission

She’s Off!

Posted on February 2, 2015 by corwinb

‘Portbury’ has departed Bristol and is now on her way North to Beamish!

Photos from Xmas Steam-Up!

Posted on January 17, 2015 by corwinb

The Xmas steam up event was a success, with all tickets selling out. Rich Skuse and Zoe Robinson were among the lucky people to try their hand at driving ‘Portbury’ and the Steam Crane.

Rich has kindly allowed these photos to be reproduced here!

The Fox, Walker sees daylight

Posted on December 4, 2014 by corwinb

In May 2014, a shunting move to get rolling stock out of the Smeaton Road shed and into the rebuilt ‘Barn’ saw Fox, Walker and Sons No.242 (NCB No.3) out in the open air. This loco had new bearings fitted before the rebuild of M Shed in 2006, so is a rolling chassis and can be moved around.

The photos also give an indication as to the condition of the loco, and the scale of any restoration that might take place.

These pictures were taken by Michelle Scoplin of the Create Centre and appear here with her kind permission.

The Coles crane is moved out first as part of the shunt

With the crane out of the way, the Ruston couples up

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‘For Sale’ – very funny!

Pinholes in the tank give an idea as to the thickness of the metal

The view from the Ruston’s footplate as it drags the Victorian locomotive out

Gently eased out on to the running line

Out on the New Cut – the furthest the loco has been in a long time

TBT – Portbury’s Slumber

Posted on October 23, 2014 by corwinb

After the preservation project at Radstock closed, and before she was brought to L Shed for restoration, Portbury was stored in a warehouse at Avonmouth Docks. Some restoration work had been undertaken at Radstock, and the loco was re-assembled before delivery back to Avonmouth. It was to be another 10 years until she returned to steam.

In the shed at Avonmouth docks 14/5/82 (RCTS)

The photographs on this page (Unless otherwise stated) were taken by Kevin Hughes and purchased from the Rail Correspondance and Travel Society’s website. They appear here for research purposes only and may not be used for profit or gain without permission.

TBT – Portbury takes on Foxfield Bank, 2008

Posted on October 16, 2014 by corwinb

At the Foxfield Railway’s 2008 gala, Portbury paid a visit and was given the chance to attack the famous 1-in-19 to 1-in-26 Foxfield Bank, the climb away from Foxfield Colliery itself.

Youtube user ‘Pennysteam’ was there to capture the event (If you like railway videos, be sure to subscribe to pennysteam as their footage is spectacular)

Part 1:

Part 2, Portbury ascends the gradient again at around 5.20:

Autumn Sun (and rain!)

Posted on October 11, 2014 by corwinb

With just 3 operating weekends left in the season, here are a few photos from today’s workings. The weather was good for the most part, with only one trainload of passengers getting the full ‘goods’ experience during a heavy shower!

Coming off the pit with steam to spare

There was a march organised for Saturday evening to raise awareness for cancer on the dockside

Ominous clouds

Newly-repainted Thekla in the distance

Raising steam at M Shed

The day’s work done

Note the new sleepers installed when this section of track was relaid

Coaling up

Larry empties the last of the coal into 34’s bunker

Creeping back to the shed

Ready for another day

Here’s a bonus .gif of Portbury heading to the shed after a hard day’s work.

TBT – Beware of Trains

Posted on October 7, 2014 by corwinb

It’s the 11th July 1993. ‘Portbury’, resplendent in blue, is being prepared for the day’s work. Note the industrial buildings behind, now the site of apartments.

Photo courtesy Gillet’s Crossing/Wikipedia Commons

Bristol Harbour Railway Blog

An unofficial blog site about the BHR and industrial railways in Bristol

Tag Archives: locomotive