25th September 1976

Oxford Railway Society
Bristol Area Branch Line Tour

DMU Used sets L586 (51077+59420+51105) + L587

Route :

DMU Route
as listed Reading - Didcot East Jn - Oxford
as listed Oxford - Foxhall Jn - Swindon - Bradford Jn North - Bradford Jn West - Bathampton Jn - Bristol Temple Meads - Parson Street Jn - Portishead (1)
as listed Portishead - Bristol West Jn - via St. Philip's Marsh - North Somerset Jn - Dr Days Jn - Stapleton Road - Avonmouth - Hallen Marsh Jn - Filton West Jn - Westereleigh West Jn - Yate Middle - Tytherington Quarry (2)(3)
as listed Tytherington Quarry -Yate Middle
as listed Yate Middle - Berkeley Road Jn
as listed Berkeley Road Jn - Sharpness (4)
as listed Sharpness - Berkeley Raod Jn - Gloucester Central - Over Jn
as listed Over Jn - Gloucester Docks, milepost 1
as listed Gloucester Docks - Over Jn
as listed Over Jn - Gloucester - (5) - Cheltenham Spa - Ashchurch - Barnt Green - Kings Norton - Selly Oak - Birmingham New Street - Small Heath - Tyseley - Solihull - Hatton - Warwick - Leamington Spa - Banbury - Oxford - Didcot North Jn - Didcot East Jn - Reading

Notes :
(1) To points at head of coal yard.
(2) First train after re-opening.
(3) To just short of points for loop converging into headshunt, at far end.
(4) Milepost distance 3m 31ch, under footbridge just off old passenger line.
(5) This train was due to run via Toddington but didn't due closure of the line following a derailment between Cheltenham Spa & Honeybourne a few days before the tour. Alan Osborn adds: The derailment which caused the diversion was the 06.35 Toton to Severn Tunnel Junction freight. Was this the derailment that sealed the fate of the route between Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon?
(6) Mileage figures beyond Gloucester and timings at Birmingham New Street and Hatton not specified, following last minute re-routing after the derailment on the Honeybourne line.

Sources : '45144', Kevin Driscoll, John Broderick, Greg Beecroft & Ian Umpleby

Photo Review


51077 of L586 trails the rake at Tytherington (photo: Malcolm Best)


From The John Debens Ticket Collection.


Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Kevin Driscoll, John Broderick & Alan Osborn)

M.C

 Location Booked Actual
0.00
Reading 08.30d 08.30
16.70
Didcot East Jn 08/50 08/52
27.32
Oxford 09.03 ~ 09.15 09.04½ ~ 09.25
37.62
Foxhall Jn 09/40 09/38½
61.30
Swindon 10.05a ~ 10.07d 10.03 ~ 10.08½
66.76
Wootton Bassett 10/14 10/16
78.02
Chippenham 10.24a ~ 10.25d 10/26
88.17
Bradford Jn North 10*39 ~ 10*40 10/40½
88.43
Bradford Jn West 10/41 10.41 ~ 10.42½
97.24
Bathampton Jn 10/54 10/55
111.08
Bristol Temple Meads 11.12a ~ 11.25d 11.13½ ~ 11.28½
113.06
Parson Street Jn 11/32 11/33½
122.35
Portishead 12.00 ~ 12.10 12.04 ~ 12.16
133.39
Bristol West Jn 12/45 12/49½
134.30
Marsh Jn 12/51 12/53
134.47
North Somerset Jn 12/55 12/54
134.73
Dr Days Jn 12/56 12.55 ~ 12.59
138.12
Clifton Down 13*05 ~ 13*10 13.08 ~ 13.11
143.21
Avonmouth 13/20 13/21½
145.15
Hallen Marsh Jn 13/25 13/26½
150.58
Filton West Jn 13/40 13/44½
156.44
Westerleigh West Jn 13/50 14/28½
158.13
Yate Middle GF 13*58 ~ 14*03 14.33½ ~ 14.40
164.00
Tytherington Quarry 14.40 ~ 14.55 15.00½ ~ 15.09½
169.67
Yate Middle GF 15.30 ~ 15.35 15.35 ~ 15.40½
181.66
Berkeley Road Jn 16.00 ~ 16.03 15.55½ ~ 16.01
185.17
Sharpness 16.10 ~ 16.25 16.28 ~ 16.34
188.48
Berkeley Road Jn 16.35 ~ 16.40 16.51 ~ 16.53
203.40
Gloucester Central 17.04 ~ 17.05 17.11½ ~ 17.12½
205.24
Over Jn 17.07 ~ 17.10 17.23 ~ 17.29½
206.24
Gloucester Docks 17.20 ~ 17.30 17.40 ~ 17.51
207.24
Over Jn 17.40 ~ 17.45 18.01 ~ 18.03½
209.08
Gloucester 17.50a ~ 17.55d 18.07½ ~ 18.10
(7)
Barnt Green 18/42 18/56
(7)
Birmingham New Street 19.00a ~ 19.02d (7) 19.16½a ~ 19.20d
(7)
Hatton ??.??a ~ ??.??d (7) 19.43½a ~ 19.45d
(7)
Oxford 20.32a ~ 20.34d 20.45 ~ 20.46½
(7)
Reading 21.05a 21.17


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