24. Bristol TM-04.12.78

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1978 > 24. Bristol TM-04.12.78

Quite why I was off school on a Monday and went to Bristol Temple Meads I am not sure? It could have been a teacher strike day; there were a few around this time. I took a class 119 DMU from Bradford-on-Avon to Bath, followed by a trip in HST set 253009 from there to Bristol. Contemporary data from Kevin Daniel would suggest that I caught the 09.45 Paddington to Weston-supe-Mare from Bath. The return journey was behind 33012 on a Portsmouth Harbour working. This was a historical trip as it was the last time that I used the Exa camera. When this final roll of film was exposed, the camera was retired to be replaced by the Zenith EM a week later. RIP Exa!

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31258, 09.15 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads & 31254, going on-shed, Bristol Temple Meads station
Standing on the platform end at Bristol Temple Meads, opposite Bath Road depot, reveals two class 31s. To the left is 31258, an Old Oak Common locomotive, that has just arrived with the 09.15 from Weymouth. Notice that it has the cowling that covers the radiators removed, an accident or a deliberate act by the OOC team to improve cooling? Over by Temple Meads Yard signal box is 31254, this was one of Bath Road's finest and one that only had exactly a year left in service from when this picture was taken.
Keywords: 31258 09.15 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads 31254 on-shed Bristol Temple Meads station

33012, 10.42 Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Temple Meads & 31121 & 253009, Bristol Temple Meads station
Taken the wrong side of the sun but an interesting picture nonetheless. 33012 arrives at Bristol Temple Meads leading the 10.42 from Portsmouth Harbour that will terminate here. Once again I am grateful to Kevin Daniel, with his wealth of contemporary HST data, who reliably informs me that 31121 is towing HST set 253005. He says that this set was brought in from St. Philips Marsh depot and was scheduled to leave Temple Meads for a visit to Derby Works (as a Q working) due off at 13.26. This is about the same time as the Portsmouth train was due in at 13.17 so all this would appear to tie in, I have now updated my notes; thanks Kevin! Incidentally, 33012 lives on today as a member of the UK's heritage fleet now repainted green carrying the name 'Lt Jenny Lewis RN' numbered and D6515, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30054715722/d6515-73109-4tc-69002-return-jurassic
Keywords: 33012 10.42 Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Temple Meads 31121 253009 Bristol Temple Meds station

50046, 11.10 Plymouth-Manchester Piccadilly (1M22), Bristol Temple Meads station
50046 'Ajax' waits at Bristol Temple Meads leading the 1M22 11.10 Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly. 50046 was named approximately eight weeks prior to this image being taken, indeed it was the penultimate member of the class to be named. However, notice that the BR double arrow emblem has yet to be moved to the cab end as was the practice when the plates were applied. It is likely that the 50 will have hauled the train as far as Gloucester where another diesel may have taken over or to Birmingham New Street where an AC electric will have taken it on. The loco. is standing under the Royal Mail's covered conveyor that carried mail bags over to the large sorting office adjacent to the station. Unfortunately, after closure, this building derelict and vandalised blighted Temple Meads and this part of Bristol for over twenty years. Thankfully, it has now been demolished to make way for a new university campus building. Finally, notice the gummed destination label stuck to the droplight of the leading Mk.1. Did many of you, like me, collect these as mementoes? Amazingly, some forty years later, they are still used but in a slightly different form on ECML trains!
Keywords: 50046 11.10 Plymouth-Manchester Piccadilly 1M22 Bristol Temple Meads station

Images 1-3 of 3 displayed.