7. Bath-12.02.13

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2013 > 7. Bath-12.02.13

A few photographs were taken around Bath whilst my wife undertook some retail therapy! The purpose of our visit to the West Country was to deal with some of my late father's affairs.

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Images 1-19 of 19 displayed.

153373, 09.05 Bristol Temple Meads-Westbury, Oldfield Park, Brougham Heyes bridge
Having just left Oldfield Park station, seen in the background, 153373 picks up speed working the 09.05 Bristol to Westbury all stations service. First Great Western retains a significant number of these single-car units converted from two-car Class 155 sets by BR in the early 1990s. They have proved to be useful particularly deep in the West Country on their Devon and Cornish branch lines.
Keywords: 153373 09.05 Bristol Temple Meads-Westbury Oldfield Park Brougham Heyes bridge FGW

158852, GW 08.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour, Oldfield Park, Brougham Heyes bridge
FGW's 158852 passes through the Oldfield Park area west of Bath working the 08.30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour service. In my youth when cutting my trainspotting teeth in this area trains such as this were composed of a rake of Mk. 1 stock with a BG marshalled somewhere in the consist topped off with a Class 31 or a 33 hauling. Is a three-car DMU a suitable modern-day replacement; I will leave you to decide!
Keywords: 158852 08.30 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour Oldfield Park Brougham Heyes bridge FGW First Great Western

43086, GW 08.00 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads, Oldfield Park, Brougham Heyes Bridge
HST power car 43086 leads the 08.00 Paddington to Bristol express away from its stop at Bath Spa station that is located in the far distance just out of sight around left curve. Notice the two ganger crews involved in some trackside clearance and not before time given the dreadful overgrown state of some of the lineside vegetation.
Keywords: 43086 08.00 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads Oldfield Park Brougham Heyes Bridge FGW First Great Western HST

43161, GW 09.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington, Oldfield Park, Brougham Heyes Bridge
First Great Western's 09.30 Bristol to Paddington HST service passes the suburbs of Bath passing through Oldfield Park station led by power car 43161. The siding to the left led to a watse transfer terminal where the binliner trains to Calvert were loaded, a flow that no longer runs.
Keywords: 43161 09.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington Oldfield Park Brougham Heyes Bridge FGW First Great Western

158798, GW 07.05 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central, Oldfield Park, Brougham Heyes Bridge
158798 working the 07.05 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central service accelerates away from its stop at Bath Spa passing Oldfield Park and several gangers involved in electrical conduit replacement. Just out of sight to the right were more orange-clad workers engaged in embankment clearance.
Keywords: 158798, GW 07.05 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central, Oldfield Park, Brougham Heyes Bridge First Great Western

66610, Westbury LE, Oldfield Park, Brougham Heyes Bridge
My last photograph at Oldfield Park sees Freightliner's 66610 passing light engine heading to Westbury. Freightliner locomotives ar not as common in this part of the country as I am used to in my home area adjacent to the WCML.
Keywords: 66610 Westbury Light engine Oldfield Park Brougham Heyes Bridge

66956, 12.20 Westbury-Hope (Earl's Sidings) (6M36), Bath Spa station
As customers wait at Bath Spa station 66956 passes through working the 12.20 Westbury to Hope (Earl's Sidings) empty stone train. The train is composed of a rake of HIA Heavy Haul wagons that are commonly found throughout the country transporting a variety of aggregates.
Keywords: 66956 12.20 Westbury-Hope Earl's Sidings 6M36 Bath Spa station

158958, GW 11.44 Gloucester-Brighton, Bath Spa station
Express Sprinter 158958 arrives at Bath Spa station working the 11.44 Gloucester to Brighton service. This train (and its balancing return working) always seems a very odd service but would prove to be very useful to travellers. It is the only one that will bring a First Great Western train deep into Southern territory at Brighton.
Keywords: 158958 11.44 Gloucester-Brighton Bath Spa station FGW First Great Western Express Sprinter

43175, GW 11.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa station
The 11.30 Paddington to Bristol HST service arrives at Bath Spa with power car 43175 'GWR 175th Anniversary' leading. This scene is one to cherish as the arrival of the electrification masts and wiring will ruin this view when the programme is completed. This scene bears some similarities to a photograph that I took nearly forty years ago but then the motive power was a little different, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/24037709804/b578-bath-spa-station

NB Of course, my comments above about the forthcoming electrification have not come to pass with the decision to stop the wires at Thingley Junction some ten miles to the east of Bath (SCR, 2023).
Keywords: 43175 11.30 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads Bath Spa station FGW First Great Western HST GWR 175th Anniversary

159105, SW 12.51 Bristol Temple Meads-London Waterloo, Bath Spa station
Using a relatively wide angle setting on the lens has enabled this photograph at the west end of Bath Spa station to include the rather brown-looking River Avon that also flows under this part of the station. Brightening up a rather drab February scene SWT's 159105 arrives with the 12.51 Bristol to Weymouth service.
Keywords: 159105 12.51 Bristol Temple Meads-London Waterloo Bath Spa station South West Trains

43149, GW 13.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington, Bath Spa station
Compared with the last image at this spot on Bath Spa station I have used a more conventional focal length to photograph the arrival of the 13.00 Bristol to Paddington HST service. The train is led by power car 43149 'University of Plymouth' which was delivered as part of set 253040 in the summer of 1981 to augment the Western Region's sets allowing increased operations into Devon and Cornwall.
Keywords: 43149 13.00 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington Bath Spa station University of Plymouth

43183, GW 12.00 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa station
It appears that HST power car 43183 has been in collision with a pretty substantial bird of some kind as it has actually broken the mesh that covers the horns. The train is seen arriving at Bath Spa working the 12.00 Paddington to Bristol FGW service. After a number of stops/starts/pauses to the electrification programme announced four years ago by the Blair Government work is now underway so the future of these iconic trains on this line is now finite, but for how long?
Keywords: 43183 12.00 London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads Bath Spa station FGW First Great Western HST

158955, GW 12.37 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour, Bath Spa station
What is it about young children waving at trains? Another admirer and his mum greet the arrival of the 12.37 Cardiff to Portsmouth First Great Western service at Bath Spa worked by 158955. Back in 1976 on a trainspotting trip to Bath, I photographed in the other direction crouching down on the platform ramp, something today that would incur the wrath of station staff, see..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/24037709204/b578-weymouth-bristol-temple-meads
Keywords: 158955 12.37 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour Bath Spa station FGW

158955, GW 12.37 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour, Bath Spa station
One of FGW's Class 158 hybrid units pauses at Bath Spa working the 12.37 Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour service. FGW have tacked on a driving coach from another set that has been split on a semi-permanent basis in order to add capacity. The whole new set created takes on one number, in this case 158955 that has also been refurbished in the last few years suggesting that they will be in service for some time to come.
Keywords: 158955 12.37 Cardiff Central-Portsmouth Harbour Bath Spa station FGW First Great Western

43182, GW 13.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington, Bath Spa station
Bath enjoys a regular almost half-hour service to and from London Paddington with all trains in the hands of the venerable HSTs now in operation on the route for thirty-seven years being introduced in the autumn of 1976. 43182 arrives at Bath working the 13.30 Bristol to Paddington service on this particularly grey and dull February afternoon.
Keywords: 43182 13.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington Bath Spa station FGW First Great Western HST

158763, GW 11.10 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads & GW 13.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington, Bath Spa station
As the 13.30 Bristol to Paddington HST service waits at Bath Spa's platform two 158763 gets away from the station working the 11.10 Weymouth to Bristol train.
Keywords: 158763 11.10 Weymouth-Bristol Temple Meads 13.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington Bath Spa station FGW HST First Great Western

Nameplate, 43185, GW 13.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington, Bath Spa station
The nameplate and crest attached to HST power car 43185 are seen as it stands at Bath Spa working the 13.30 Bristol to Paddington service. This power car has carried this name since 20.05.92 thus meaning they have remained affixed throughout the privatisation era and a fixture through many a different livery.
Keywords: Nameplate 43185 13.30 Bristol Temple Meads-London Paddington Bath Spa station FGW HST First Great Western

158960, GW 10.23 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central, Bath Spa station
The 10.23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central FGW service comes to a halt at Bath Spa station worked by 158960. Bath Spa station seems to be perpetually busy at all times of day with a train arriving and departing every few minutes (or so it seems).
Keywords: 158960 10.23 Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central Bath Spa station FGW First Great Western

Frontage, Bath Spa station
The elegant frontage of Bath Spa is seen from Manvers Street. Opened in 1840 it is now Grade II listed and famed for its asymmetrical Tudor style with curving gables. This was a very important station for me as it was where I first went trainspotting as a youth back in 1975; the rest, as they say, is history!
Keywords: Frontage Bath Spa station

Images 1-19 of 19 displayed.