RAILWAYS OF BRISTOL - BRISTOL EAST DEPOT

Описание: ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PLACES FOR TRAINSPOTTING WAS BRISTOL EAST DEPOT. MY AUNTY’S HOUSE WAS SITUATED HIGH UP IN LANGTON COURT ROAD AND FROM THE REAR HAD A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE MARSHALLING YARD. MY FIRST MEMORIES ARE IN 1966 WITH CLASS 08’S, CLASS 14’S AND OTHER WESTERN REGION DIESEL HYDRAULICS SHUNTING AND COMING AND GOING WITH FREIGHT TRAINS 24 HOURS A DAY. THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE YARD RAN THE LONDON LINE. IT WAS HERE THAT I FIRST SAW THE BLUE PULLMAN, D0280 FALCON, DOUBLE HEADED CLASS 37’S, CLASS 33’S ON THE NIGHTLY EASTLEIGH TO BRISTOL FREIGHT AND SCRAP LOCOS ON THEIR WAY FROM THE SOUTHERN REGION TO THE SOUTH WALES SCRAPYARDS. ONE DAY MY UNCLE TOOK ME DOWN TO THE SIGNAL BOX THAT WAS SITUATED ON THE SIDE OF THE DEEP CUTTING. WHAT A FANTASTIC VIEW OF THE COMINGS AND GOINGS.
THE MARSHALLING YARD WAS OPENED BY THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY IN 1890. IT WAS NEEDED AFTER THE OPENING OF THE SEVERN TUNNEL WHICH BROUGHT ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC TO AND FROM SOUTH WALES. DUE TO FREIGHT RETRACTION IN THE BRISTOL AREA IT WAS CLOSED ON 7TH AUGUST 1967. THE UP YARD WAS THEN USED FOR THE STORAGE OF CONDEMNED WAGONS AND THE DOWN YARD USED FOR STORAGE OF ENGINEERING WAGONS. THE UP YARD WAS THEN REDEVELOPED AS AN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. THE TRACK IN THE DOWN YARD WAS LIFTED IN 2004. THEN IN 2005 SOME NEW SIDINGS WERE LAID AND IT BECAME THE BRISTOL STEEL TERMINAL.