Avon Street
From Bristol Railway Archive
To Temple Meads (GWR): River Avon
Mainline out of Bristol (GWR): Oxford Street
To Lawrence Hill Junction (MR): Barton Road
Contents |
History
This was the terminus of the Bristol & Gloucestershire Railway, a line built to bring coal from the coalfields north of Bristol to the heart of the city. It's a shame that nothing stands here to inform the casual observer of the historical importance of the area. In modern times the line became a branch from Lawrence Hill to a cement terminal and was worked by Class 03 locomotives from Bath Road Depot.
Track Plan
A track plan of the Avonside area from 1902. |
1950s & 1960s
Avon Street in the late 50s early 60s. 16ton mineral wagons stand at the wharf's edge. © Clive Moore |
Under the arches. © Clive Moore |
A booking office in the shadows. © Clive Moore |
Railway workers under the arches at Avon Street. A brilliant photo that looks like a scene from a horror movie :) © Clive Moore |
The United Yeast factory that stood on Avon Street before the cement plant was built. © Clive Moore |
1970s
Flag men stand on the road and protect the railway from traffic. © Dunstable Dasher |
03382 waits to bring wagons across the road. © Dunstable Dasher |
Closer to the camera. © Dunstable Dasher |
03382 brings wagons across the street. © Dunstable Dasher |
The driver and flagmen exchange words. I can imagine it went something along the lines of 'hurry up mate, it's bloody freezing stood here' © Dunstable Dasher |
Entering the cement depot. © Dunstable Dasher |
A great look at some of the structures at the Blue Circle cement depot. © Dunstable Dasher |
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The 03 proceeds into Blue Circle Cement and shunts the depot. In the distance an 08 shunts the sidings at Temple Meads. © Dunstable Dasher |
Looking in the opposite direction along Avon Street. © Dunstable Dasher |
03382 crosses the road again. The sign behind shows that other sidings along Avon Street where operated by Habgood & Co Ltd. Scrap Iron & Metal Merchants, Weighbridge & Railway Sidings. © Dunstable Dasher |
A view of the cement plant at Avon Street from the Bristol Powerbox. © Mike Radford |
1980s
08949 works the London end of Temple Meads station. Viewed from outside Habgood's yard on Avon Street. The line to the cement works crossed the road behind where I was stood when I took this shot. 20.5.88. |
Looking towards Barton Road. The branch was originally worked by 0-4-0 saddle tanks shedded at Barrow Road MPD, nos 51217 & 51218. In modern times only Class 03s could negotiate the tight curves. In the distance, you can just see a crossing gate. The gate survived in Nov 2003. |
1990s
The pipes in the ground are so water levels can be monitored in the now filled in wharf. The buffer stop in the 1950s photo (above) is still in place. © Clive Moore |
These are the tracks that went to the cement works. © Clive Moore |
This line ran under the arches to the Midland goods shed beyond. © Clive Moore |
Looking across Avon street. The pair of lines to the left went through the arches to the midland goods shed, while the lines on the right went to the buffer stop again where the wagons are stood in Clives 1950s photo. © Clive Moore |
2003
Looking towards Barton Road. Nothing is left except rails embedded in the tarmac. Just visible in the background is the white building seen in a previous photo. This area has become housing. |
2004
8.8.04
Looking in the direction of Barton Road once again and the only remnant of the past left is this weighbridge. |
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A view of the arches looking in the direction of Temple Meads. The railway passed under here to reach a Midland Railway goods shed. |
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