GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRANSPORT HISTORY

Celebrating everything connected with

transport and Gloucestershire

"Doesn't sound very exiting does it? Yet within these pages can be found all manner of things such as the first British seaplane, the Bristol Freighter, Gloster jet fighter, Daleks, K-9, the Whippet tank, all sorts of locomotives, a Gloster Meteor with propellers and a Zeppelin or two"

Kind words from Poliss, thecentralstation.myfreeforum.org

NOW WITH ADDED HEREFORDSHIRE!

SCROLL DOWN FOR FORTHCOMING EVENTS

CLICK ON THE LOGO ABOVE TO GET ON BOARD THE SUMMER 2012 CATALOGUE OF BUS AND TRAM KITS AND MORE!

Gloucestershire Transport History is now also

 the official website of the

2012 Gloucester Model Railway Exhibition

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEN GUEST

If you like high quality card mounted photographs of interesting aircraft - and more - then why not call Gloucester photographer Ken Guest on +44 (0)1452 413511 or email ken.guest@tiscali.co.uk? Prices start from just £5.00 for a 7" x 5" print and for a further selection of images click on the picture of Swiss marked Hawker Hunter F6 J-4015 at Kemble above.

ALTERNATIVELY, WHY NOT BROWSE KEN GUEST'S PRINTS IN PERSON AT THE AVIATOR  RESTAURANT AT GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT?

LOOKING FOR A TRANSPORT RELATED CELEBRATION CAKE?

THEN WHY NOT VISIT www.silverliningcakes.co.uk FOR MORE TASTY DETAILS?

On 15 August 2011 The Earlswood Press published GTH reader and London taxi driver Bill Munro's latest book - London Taxis : A Full History - at an RRP of £15.99.  Bearing ISBN 978-0-9562308-2-9, the 240 page 200mm x 175mm paperback includes over 150 black and white photographs, some of which have never been published before, and traces the story of the London taxi from 1897.  Some of the first of these Horseless Cabs, ordered and operated by Walter Bersey, were electric and built by The Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited. 

Click on the picture for more details.

Michael Clemens informs me that a large number of British Railways Western Region working timetables from the 1950s and 60s are now available in PDF format at www.michaelclemensrailways.co.uk

For a consumer review of your latest book, DVD or other Gloucestershire and Transport related product or service why not email Alan ?

RED NOTICE CASE

THE MIND ROBBERS, GLOUCESTER'S OWN DR WHO SOCIETY, WILL BEGIN CELEBRATIONS OF ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AT 2000 ON SATURDAY 26 MAY 2012 AT THE LINDEN TREE, BRISTOL ROAD, GL1 5SN. ALL WELCOME.

THE ANNUAL SHOW OF THE GLOUCESTER BRANCH OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC MODELLING SOCIETY WILL BE HELD AT CHURCHDOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE GL3 2JH FROM 1000 TO 1630 ON SUNDAY 27 MAY 2012.  ADMISSION £2.50 CONCESSIONS £1.00 FAMILY TICKET £5.00.

WESTWARD TRAVEL ARE HOLDING A CHARITY BUS RUNNING DAY ON SATURDAY 26 MAY 2012 FEATURING BOTH THEIR OWN VEHICLES ( NORMALLY RESTRICTED TO SCHOOL DUTIES ) AS WELL AS PRESERVED VEHICLES WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE BRISTOL RE ( SIMILAR TO RELL WHW 845 F SEEN ABOVE IN GLOUCESTER ), BRISTOL VR, LEYLAND TIGER, LEYLAND ATLANTEAN AND LEYLAND OLYMPIANS POWERED BY GARDNER, LEYLAND & CUMMINS ENGINES.  A FEEDER SERVICE WILL OPERATE FROM BRISTOL TEMPLE MEADS AT 0900 AND BRISTOL PARKWAY AT 0930 TO WESTWARD TRAVEL'S DEPOT AT CROMHALL, JUST 10 MINUTES FROM THE THORNBURY JUNCTION OF THE M5. CAR PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE OPPOSITE THE DEPOT ON THE B4058 WOTTEN ROAD.

THE LAST EVER CHELTENHAM COACH RALLY WILL BE HELD AT THE FORMER ST MARGARET'S COACH STATION SITE, ST MARGARET'S ROAD ON SUNDAY 27 MAY 2012. CONSISTING OF STATIC DISPLAYS, FREE RIDES AROUND THE TOWN AND A SHUTTLE SERVICE TO THE CAR PARK AT THE CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE STATION OF THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE WARWICKSHIRE RAILWAY THE EVENT WILL END WITH THE LAST EVER MASS DEPARTURE AT 1600.  BLACK AND WHITE LEYLAND DUPLE C49F 142 DBO IS PICTURED ABOVE AT ST MARGARET'S COACH STATION IN 1973.

A MODEL BOAT EVENING WILL BE HELD FOR THE WORLD SHIP SOCIETY AT OVER CANAL BASIN, WEST OF GLOUCESTER, AT 1830 ON MONDAY 11 JUNE 2012

THE ONLY WAY IS FROM ESSEX! STEAM DREAM'S (REEM?) CATHEDRALS EXPRESS, SCHEDULED TO BE HAULED BY 60163 "TORNADO", WILL VISIT GLOUCESTER FROM SOUTHEND ON SATURDAY 16 JUNE 2012.  DEPARTURE 0930, GLOUCESTER ARRIVAL 1415 AND DEPARTURE 1715, SOUTHEND RETURN 2200.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE AIRPORT'S OPEN DAY WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY 24 JUNE 2012

THE ANNUAL RALLY OF THE MODEL STEAM ROAD VEHICLE SOCIETY WILL BE HELD AT TEWKESBURY RUGBY CLUB, GANDER LANE ON SATURDAY 30 JUNE AND SUNDAY 1 JULY 2012.  VISIT www.msrvs.co.uk FOR DETAILS

THE SECOND ANNUAL GLOUCESTER MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD AT HUCCLECOTE METHODIST CHURCH HALL GL3 3SB ON SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2012.  EXHIBITS WILL INCLUDE TERMINAL 1, NOT SEEN SINCE 2010.

THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE STEAM & VINTAGE EXTRAVAGANZA WILL BE HELD AT SOUTH CERNEY AIRFIELD, CIRENCESTER ON 3, 4 AND 5 AUGUST 2012.  LOOK OUT FOR THE GRUMMAN STORY IN THE MODEL TENT.  www.steamextravaganza.com

STEAM DREAM'S CATHEDRALS EXPRESS, SCHEDULED TO BE HAULED BY 6201 "PRINCESS ELIZABETH", WILL VISIT GLOUCESTER EN ROUTE FROM LONDON VICTORIA TO CARDIFF ON BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 20 AUGUST 2012.  LONDON DEPARTURE 0845, GLOUCESTER ARRIVAL 1230 AND RETURN 1930, LONDON RETURN 2245.

THE FIRST CITY OF GLOUCESTER VINTAGE STEAM RALLY WILL BE HELD AT HEMPSTED MEADOWS ON 22 AND 23 SEPTEMBER 2012. FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT www.shakespearesrally.com

THE COTSWOLD MODEL RAILWAY SHOW WILL BE HELD AT THOMAS KEBLE SCHOOL, EASTCOMBE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, GL6 7DY ON SATURDAY 20 AND SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER 2012.  VISIT www.cotswoldmrs.co.uk FOR DETAILS

THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CHELTENHAM GWR MODELLERS GROUP EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD AT ST MARGARET'S HALL, CONISTION ROAD GL51 3NU ON SATURDAY 27 AND SUNDAY 28 OCTOBER 2012.  EXHIBITS WILL INCLUDE "STEAM SUPERPOWER" - A DISPLAY OF ROSEBUD KITMASTER MODELS FROM TWO CONTINENTS.  ONCE AGAIN, THE CHELTENHAM GWR MODELLERS GROUP EXHIBITION WILL BE SPONSORED BY CHELTENHAM MODEL CENTRE

Set at the lowest natural crossing point on the River Severn, Gloucester has always been a focus for travellers and as a result both the City and County have a rich transport heritage.

First came the Romans with their roads, which evolved from the pathways of the Ancient Britons and grew into the complex of trunk roads and Motorways that we enjoy today. These roads not only allowed Welsh livestock to be driven to London but also accessed the coal, iron and timber of the nearby Forest of Dean

As the centuries passed too, the Severn was also exploited for the movement of goods, leading Queen Elizabeth I to grant the Letters Patent that made Gloucester a Port in 1580. Indeed, the trade on the Severn was so busy by the reign of Charles I that his imposition of Ship Tax helped the citizens of Gloucester decide to stand against him in the English Civil War.

After decades of manual labour, the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal also opened in 1827, allowing the dangerous sandbanks of the river to be bypassed by ocean going vessels. The longest, widest and deepest ship canal in the World – as it was when new – also brought an abundance of timber to the Cathedral City.

This in turn laid the foundation for such firms as Morelands – the "England’s Glory" match manufacturers – the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company Limited and H.H. Martyn's of Cheltenham.

From Gloucester's tradition of blacksmithery and pin making too, sprang Cotton Motorcycles and – ultimately – the Gloster Aircraft Company. Among this company's illustrious products were the Gloster E28/39. In 1941 this became the first Allied jet aircraft to fly and led directly to the development of the Meteor and Javelin fighters.

Indeed, prior to the creation of the new counties of Avon and South Gloucestershire in 1973, Gloucestershire also embraced Parnall's of Yate and the Bristol Aeroplane Company with its omnibus building ancestry.

From the latter's base at Filton, the British prototype Anglo - French Concorde first flew on 9 April 1969. With Brian Trubshaw at the controls, G-BSST landed at RAF Fairford - still a part of the transport infrastructure of Gloucestershire today and host to the annual Royal International Air Tattoo.

Gloucestershire also boasts a rich heritage of railway operations, having been the Nineteenth Century battleground of the gauges between the factions of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and George and Robert Stephenson. As a result, the county still has direct links with Cardiff, Bristol, Swindon and Birmingham.

Indeed, Gloucestershire can also lay claim to preserved railways,horse drawn tramways, narrow gauge and miniature railways as well as a thriving model transport enthusiast community. This includes the Gloucester branch of the International Plastic Modelling Society which meets at Churchdown Community Centre on the first Tuesday of every month. For further information please contact Mr Barnfield on 01242 862826.

CONNECTING TRAINS

One of the great joys of compiling and illustrating Gloucestershire Transport History is the connectivity between different topics, as literally illustrated above by the cover of Fantom Film's audio production of Arnold Ridley's classic play and film "The Ghost Train". 

This was brought to my attention by my friend, Fantom Films employee and fellow Mind Robber Ian Kubiak who also very kindly arranged for my own CD to be signed by Katy Manning, who played the role of Miss Bourne, while the cast also included Ian Fairbairn as Saul Hodgkin.

Both actors - and video, audio and book publisher Fantom Films itself - have strong links with Doctor Who.  Katy Manning is perhaps best remembered as Jo Grant, a companion of the Third Doctor ( Jon Pertwee ) from 1971 to 1973, who appeared in 1972's "The Day of the Daleks" which also pitted United Nations Intelligence Task Force soldiers against Ogrons. 

Also working ( for a while at least ) against UNIT was Ian Fairbairn playing the part of bespectacled scientist Gregory in 1968's "The Invasion", which similarly pitched the Second Doctor ( Patrick Troughton ) against Cybermen.  This epic eight-parter also introduced Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart and many scenes were filmed at RAF Fairford and other Gloucestershire locations.

In fact Ian Fairbairn had previously appeared in "The Macra Terror" and later classic Dr Who credits included "Inferno" and "The Seeds of Doom".

Similarly, although known to generations of viewers as Private Godfrey in BBC TV's "Dad's Army", Arnold Ridley had a successful writing career and actually came up with the plot for "The Ghost Train" after being stuck on the triangular station at Mangotsfield - now in South Gloucestershire - on the former Midland route from Gloucester to Bristol - hence the typical LMS tank engine on the cover by Fantom Films, which also produces Arnold Ridley's biography  "Godfrey's Ghost: From Father to Son" as a talking book.

TRAINS GO POP

I was recently directed to the video for Queen's 1989 hit "Breakthru", which started me thinking about how many other musical acts have embraced trains so wholeheartedly on their promotional motion pictures.  If you can think of any more, please email me and I will try to include them here.

Meanwhile, in the years before Health & Safety were invented, Didcot based former GWR 2-8-0 3822 was hired to play the part of The Miracle Express in the £ 300 000 video which was shot on the Nene Valley Railway, west of Peterborough, the polystyrene "brick" wall more specifically being filmed near Yarwell Tunnel at the west of Wansford station.

CHELTENHAM RAIL FREIGHT

Although not a junction like Gloucester, Cheltenham Lansdown station does funnel the Birmingham to Bristol line through a 40 mph curve, allowing the potential for good views of passing trains.  Although passenger workings are obviously well publicised, the table below gives an indication of the freight traffic passing through the spa town on weekdays in April 2012: some of which looks set to continue for some months at least. 

Q indicates running as required, X indicates excepted, O indicates only.  Southbound trains shaded in grey.

 

PASS TIME	REPORTING NUMBER	START TIME	FROM	TO	DAYS	OPERATOR
0855	4V83	0510	Ratcliffe	Portbury	MX Q	DB Schenker
0925	6M96	0550	Margam	Corby	Q	DB Schenker
0930	4B36	0732	Didcot	Ashchurch(MOD)	ThX Q	DB Schenker
0945	6V40	0312	Scunthorpe	Margam	WO Q	DB Schenker
1040	4V38	0822	Daventry	Wentloog		DRS Cl 66
1055	6V05	0910	Round Oak	Margam	MX	DB Schenker
1205	4V06	0853	Rugeley	Stoke Gifford	M/FX Q	Freightliner Cl 66 or 70
1215	4E66	0855	Margam	Redcar	MX Q	DB Schenker
1230	6E41	1141	Westerleigh	Lindsey	M/T/Th O	DB Schenker
1235	6V67	0353	Redcar	Margam	Q	DB Schenker
1255	6A36	1243	Ashchurch	Didcot	ThX Q	DB Schenker
1405	4V94	1012	Doncaster	Portbury		2 x GBRF  Cl 66/7
1420	6Z34	1155	Tidal Sdgs	Chaddesden Sidings	WO Q	DB Schenker
1430	6M36	1220	Westbury	Earles Sdgs	M/FO	F/Liner 66
1440	4V47	1115	Rugeley	Stoke Gifford	MX Q	Freightliner Cl 66 or 70
1455	6V92	1023	Corby	Margam	Q	DB Schenker
1530	6E86	1300	Portbury	Ferrybridge	Q	DB Schenker
1700	6O42	1131	Halewood	Southampton	FO	DB Schenker
1810	6V06	1620	Handsworth	Tidal Sdgs	T/ThO	DB Schenker
1840	6V07	1703	Round Oak	Margam		DB Schenker
1855	6Z50	1413	Chirk	Gloucester	ThO Q	Colas Cl 66
1900	4V57	1525	Rugeley	Stoke Gifford	Q	Freightliner Cl 66 or 70
1915	6E94	1559	Aberthaw	Lindsey	T/ThO	DB Schenker
1930	6V69	1658	Bescot	Newport Alex Docks Jn	TO	DB Schenker
1930	6Z97	1442	Beeston	Tidal Sdgs	MWFO	GBRF Class 66/7
2005	6V55	1535	Bedworth	Robeston	WFO Q	DB Schenker
2015	6E01	1717	Cardiff Docks	Peterborough	TO Q	GBRF Class 66/7
2015	6E11	1712	Cardiff Docks	Immingham	WO Q	DB Schenker
2030	6E30	1623	Margam	Hartlepool		DB Schenker