Bristol Harbour Railway

[caliwag]

Greetings,
Recently stumbled across the above. What a superb location, almost as if the authorities hadn't realised it was still there, and working...admittedly for day visitors. Though on the day of my visit the diesel shunter was pushing a saddle tank about and some track-work was being tackled.
Can anyone point me in the direction of a decent map of it in former glory and the current workable line. The google job is worse than useless.

Other than a shelved notion of a Bristol tram system in the area, are there plans for expansion at either end?

Grateful for any help, cheers, Jim

 

[Bill EWS]

It's an interesting railway, if a bit a short run but it takes you along the harbour sites and the to the SS Great Western. There is plenty of old equipment etc to look at around their sidings. A trip direct from Templemeads to the docks would make it a lot more interesting and available to the public with out a longish walk fro the station. Other than that it is well worth a visit.

Heres some photos I took when I last visted the railway...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31261872@N07/sets/72157636461231895/

 

[caliwag]

Good snaps...cheers Bill

 

[thelongestroad]

They ran a Parry People Mover over it for a while.. many moons ago though.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1572559

 

[D1009]

It's an interesting railway, if a bit a short run but it takes you along the harbour sites and the to the SS Great Western. There is plenty of old equipment etc to look at around their sidings. A trip direct from Templemeads to the docks would make it a lot more interesting and available to the public with out a longish walk fro the station. Other than that it is well worth a visit.

Heres some photos I took when I last visted the railway...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31261872@N07/sets/72157636461231895/

It starts from the M shed (formerly Bristol Industrial Museum) with one branch heading along the harbour to the SS Great Britain, the other longer branch heads away from the harbour to run alongside the New Cut which is the tidal stream of the Avon, to terminate at the Create centre. This branch used to continue across the New Cut and join what is now the Portbury branch (and the rest of the main line network) at Ashton Gate Junction. Sadly the bridge over the New Cut has fallen into disrepair so the railway is now islolated. I managed to travel over this bridge by rail in 1985 during the GW150 celebrations when steam hauled specials from Temple Meads ran to the railway, and also to Portishead.

 

[thelongestroad]

It starts from the M shed (formerly Bristol Industrial Museum) with one branch heading along the harbour to the SS Great Britain, the other longer branch heads away from the harbour to run alongside the New Cut which is the tidal stream of the Avon, to terminate at the Create centre. This branch used to continue across the New Cut and join what is now the Portbury branch (and the rest of the main line network) at Ashton Gate Junction. Sadly the bridge over the New Cut has fallen into disrepair so the railway is now islolated. I managed to travel over this bridge by rail in 1985 during the GW150 celebrations when steam hauled specials from Temple Meads ran to the railway, and also to Portishead.

IIRC there is no trackbed across the bridge anyway, I think it's been made "cyclist friendly".

 

[Bill EWS]

Thanks for the update D1009. It's been a little while since I was there. However, I knew of the other line. you can see it just beyone their sidings but I don't think it was being used the day I was there. I know of the tunnel to the eatern side of the harbour and where it used to cross the road.