Clevedon surprise

(All 7.6.2015 copyright Rail Thing/Steve Sainsbury)

FACEBOOK - RAIL THING - MINIATURE RAILWAYS

The sun drew us out to Clevedon today. Now Clevedon once had four stations, one on the short GWR branch from Yatton, and three on the fantastic Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway. Today there are no standard gauge stations (unbelievably for such a busy town) - but we did find one station, still busy and with trains running ....

My last trip to Clevedon was in 2007 and I found what looked like a 10 1/4" gauge line by the seafront. Today the line is still there but has been regauged to 15" - and what a nice set up it is! There is a very smart loco, which to my untrained eye is a scaled down model of an actual class from the standard gauge (I don't really do the loco thing!) and the route still runs around the perimeter of the common, which today was really lively with picnics, donkey rides and a bouncy castle, so plenty to see!

Clevedon of course really needs its branch back - it closed in 1966, stupidly in my opinion as it was only a short route and was busy to the end. Doubtless many commuters parked at Yatton and took the train from there, but doubtless many more just stayed in their cars and endured the drive into Bristol. All seaside towns need trains, and they really need to be coming into the heart of town again. I also happen to think that a revived WCPR would be a fantastic asset to Weston, Clevedon and Portishead and hope one day to be able to travel from Bristol to Weston via the reopened Portishead line (opening in 2018) and on to Weston via the WCPR!

A trip along the  line (video)

Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway

WICK ST LAWRENCE

FACEBOOK - WESTON. CLEVEDON AND PORTISHEAD RAILWAY

I was always fascinated by the Colonel Stephens railways. I was lucky enough to have grown up quite close to one (the Selsey Tramway) and at the other end of Sussex another Colonel Stephens' line was being restored - the Kent and East Sussex.

But one of the most fascinating of all Colonel Stephens lines was the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway, which linked the three seaside towns in its title. It struggled on until 1940 but from a 21st century perspective it seems odd that it did ever struggle! The three main towns are busy seaside resorts and should have easily provided enough business. One issue was that all three towns had branches to the main GW line from Bristol to Exeter, and this may well have sucked a lot of potential traffic away. The station at Weston was inconveniently sited, it would have been far better if the original tram-style route into Weston had been operated. It was built but there were, even back then, objections, and the track was lifted without being used.

So the line struggled on under the weight of the issues above, and closed during World War Two, in 1940.

Today there is an active group that doesn't rule out rebuilding part of all of the route. If that goes ahead the chances are the new line would be more heritage than modern, which is a shame, but any railway is better than none at all. Imagine being able to catch a modern tram (or even a steam train) from Weston and taking a leisurely trip across the marshes through Clevedon and on to Portishead, where the old GW branch is now under restoration. What an extra attraction that would be for the resorts, which really do need a USP! As with most of the Colonel Stephens line, the WC&P was a hundred years ahead of its time ...

Video documentary of the line.

BUY SOMERSET'S LOST RAILWAY (profits to New S&D!)

Further information (from Wikipedia)

The WC&PR was originally proposed as a standard gauge tramway in 1884 by the Weston-Super-Mare, Clevedon & Portishead Tramways Company to link the three small coastal towns. The line was planned to run on the street along the Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare and from there off-road apart from numerous road crossings all of which were to be on the level. An Act of Parliament to authorise the construction of the railway was passed on 6 August 1885.

Building of the Weston-super-Mare to Clevedon section of the railway began in 1887 but due to various legal and financial problems, progress was very slow, and the time limit of the Act expired requiring further Acts to be passed on 25 July 1890 and December 1891. Due to these delays some of the track had to be re-laid before the line opened because sleepers had rotted. The track along the Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare was taken up before the line opened due to complaints from the council. The section finally opened on 1 December 1897. Two years after the opening, the tramway was designated a light railway and the name was changed to the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway Company.

Portishead extension

The location of Clapton Road Halt near Portishead.

The extension to Portishead had been planned from the beginning, but financial constraints delayed its construction. It required another Act of Parliament, which was passed in August 1899, There were many objections to the proposed extension, one of which was that the line was to run through the streets in Clevedon. These objections were overcome, but a man with a flag had to lead trains across the street at 4 mph. The extension to Portishead was built as a light railway and opened on 7 August 1907.

Other features

Links to the Great Western Railway were provided at Clevedon and Portishead, and in 1915 a short branch to a wharf at Wick St. Lawrence on the River Yeo was built. Sidings served three stone quarries in the Gordano Valley.

Yatton 4.6.2014

(Yatton 4.6.2014 all copyright Rail Thing/Steve Sainsbury)

FACEBOOK - RAIL PICS 2014

Spent a couple of hours at Yatton this afternoon, just snapping. I've been through the station many times by train, but this was the first time I'd actually stopped off there. In contrast to Bedminster, Saturday's outing, there  is still plenty of infrastructure left, including the iconic Clevedon bay canopy. Nothing particularly interesting went through, though a DMU showing 'Manchester Picc' on the front destination blind and 'Crewe' on the back was amusing.

I was chatting to a bloke on his way to Bangkok who remembered travelling on the Clevedon branch, which neatly takes me on to the history of this station. I often see it flying out of Bristol airport and it's clear from a few thousand feet up that the station was a junction with lines neatly curving off both to the left and right. The short branch to Clevedon closed in 1966, a truly stupid closure. It would be packed today and Clevedon would be a lot busier for it. The other line connected a string of towns to both Yatton and Witham on the Frome to Taunton main line. It served the toens of Axbridge, Cheddar and Shepton Mallet, and the city of Wells. It closed three years earlier than the Clevedon branch, and again would be a very busy route today. Both lines need to, and undoubtedly will, be rebuilt and link back to the Network. But for now Clevedon remains in deep sleep and the longer Cheddar Valley line has a temporary use as the 'Strawberry Line' cycleway and footpath.  I'm getting a bike in September when my brother-in-law emigrates to Taiwan, and look forward to taking it along this cycleway.

In fact Yatton has a lot of ex-railway promise in the area. As well as the two lines mentioned above, there was the superb Weston, Clevedon and Portishead line, closed in 1940, which I'd also like to explore. There is also the even more obscure ORIGINAL Weston-Super-Mare branch, which will be a real challenge! Plus a closed miniature railway in Weston, a revived one in Clevedon and - soon - the reopened Portishead branch. Expect more reports and pics in the fiuture!

Further information  (from Wikipedia)

Yatton railway station, on the Bristol to Exeter Line, is in the village of Yatton in North Somerset, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) west of Bristol Temple Meads railway station, and 130 miles (209 km) from London Paddington. Its three-letter station code is YAT. It was opened in 1841 by the Bristol and Exeter Railway, and served as a junction station for trains to Clevedon and Cheddar, but these lines closed in the 1960s. The station, which has two platforms, is managed by First Great Western, the seventh company to be responsible for the station, and the third franchise since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, mainly hourly services between Bristol Parkway and Weston-super-Mare, and between Cardiff Central and Taunton.

The station is located in the north end of the village of Yatton, North Somerset, just west of the B3133 road between Clevedon and Congresbury. The station is on the Bristol to Exeter Line, 130 miles 28 chains (209.78 km) from London Paddington and 11 miles 77 chains (19.25 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. It is the fourth station along the line from Bristol. The station is oriented along an axis at 57 degrees to the meridian.

There are two platforms, on either side of the two tracks through the station. The southern platform, platform 1, is 162 metres (177 yd) long and serves westbound trains (towards Weston-super-Mare); the northern platform, platform 2, is 121 metres (132 yd) long and serves eastbound trains (towards Bristol). The line through the station has a speed limit of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Access to the two platforms is step-free from car parks on each side of the station, accessible via short roads from the B3133. There is an uncovered footbridge between the two platforms, but disabled passengers must go the long way round via the B3133. A ticket office is provided on platform 2, staffed every morning except Sundays. Ticket machines are available, allowing the buying of tickets for on-the-day travel, and collection of pre-bought tickets. There are waiting rooms on both platforms, with toilets on platform 2, but none suitable for wheelchairs."Next train" dot matrix displays and an automated public-address system announce approaching services.

There is a car park on each side of the station, managed by APCOA, with a total of 80 spaces. Parking costs £2.10 for the day at peak times and bank holidays, £1.40 at other times, with stays of up to 21 days available at a price of £2.10 per day.There are bus stops nearby on the B3133. Cycle storage is available on the access roads.

The station is the start point for the Strawberry Line, a foot and cyclepath built mostly on old railway land to Axbridge. The start of the path is marked by a 6 metres (20 ft)-high arch. The Strawberry Line Café, run by a local community group, is located on platform 1, and is open most days from 7:30 am to serve commuters.

Just beyond the station, to the west, are a pair of relief lines to allow slower trains to be overtaken. There are also some cross-over points, allowing trains to terminate on the westbound relief line and then return eastwards.