Ashley Hill : Ashley Down (3)

An Explore Before ...

Frankly, there was little to see of Ashley Hill station once the site had been cleared post the 1964 closure. Above is a general shot before the Filton Bank route reverted to four tracks.

Fortunately, Google Streetview and/or Google Earth sites have not been well updated to record the building of the new Ashley Down station which opened last Saturday 28th Sepember. So we can explore on-line, if not on the ground.

At the bottom of the hill, Station Road veers sharp right to a dead end (with the fence, remember?). Here the ever probing eye of the Google satellite shows a pathway leading direct to the logo for the new station.

It doesn't!

The path leads to a tunnel under the tracks, but before plunging into the dark and dismal depths, you have a choice of a right hand or left hand turn. 

This is the junction with the nobly named Concorde Way, not yet labelled when the Google noddy car nodded past.

It is a series of linked footpaths and side roads which leads, eventually, to the development on Filton Airfield, the one-time home of Concorde. The start of the route is at the top of Hopetoun Road, itself accessed by the graffiti tunnel on Mina Road "visited" by fbb yesterday.

Part of Concorde Way runs alongside the new Ashley Down station ...

... just as the pathway ran alongside the old Ashley Hill Station.

It has been upgraded with dire warnings about mowing down passengers entering and leaving the new station.

The station entrance/exit is next to the pathway under the tunnel but now much more spectacular.

Quite a motorway style junction!

The hi-vis suits are actually at the gate to the station.

The good news for troglodyte rail explorers is that the tunnel still remains, seen below from the non-station side.

Access from the east is via Station Lane ...

... which is not the most inviting approach to the new station.

The route was signposted even before the station arrived ...

... with a wider aerial view showing all sorts of pathways and tracks in the area.

Whether at least one of these led up to an eastern entrance to the old station before the Filton route went four track, is not certain - wll not to fbb, anyay.

And The New Station

Like most of these new-built "halts" (because that is how the real GWR would have named them) ...

... there is nothing much there except a very expensive accessible footbridge costing millions.

Would it not have been better to use the existing foot tunnel, well refurbished, and provide good quality ramps? It would have saved a lot of cash and might have made it possible to have a proper shelter or two on the platforms (see below).

There are several videos on-line of the first train, but fbb will refrain from showing any of them. They are mostly made by over excitable rail enthusiasts (aren't they all?).

But the crowds at Ashley Down station were massive ...

... some of whom actually travelled all the way (just one stop) to Filton Abbey Wood ...

... which really exposed the farce of this reopening. One day, somewhere over the rainbow, this station will be part of a half hourly service between Bristol and Henbury. 

But until then these trains are a very nominal hourly shuttle between Filton and Temple Meads.

It's called Strategic Planning!

As far as "facilities" are concerned, the station has display screens, one of which was showing this for much of the opening day:-

It reads "No services from this platform."

It has a timetable poster ...

... but no staff, no toilets, no maps and no information for, say, connecting trains at Filton.

`

Maybe you might be honest and strive to buy a ticket?

Fair enough, but the machine does not take cash, so really great for those without bank cards, on line bank acounts or apps for crypto currency!

It is called Customer Service!

However, the residents of Ashley Down have gained one bonus from the opening of their station. The Concorde Way path has re-opened (at last) after four years of closure and a very inconvenient set of diversions.

Closed bits are in RED, the lengthy diversion via some busy roads ...

... shown in BLUE.

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 1 Day to Go 

 Next Future Vision blog : Thurs 3rd Oct 

Ashley Hill : Ashley Down (2)

 Let The Train Take The Strain

The map above shows the current state of play for trains in the Bristol area. The BLUE lines currently carry passngers, the RED lines still have track in place and in use.

The line through Yate (upper right) was part of the Midland Railway and originally ran via Mangotsfield, Staple Hill and Fishponds into The St Phillips terminus. 

St Phillips in terminal decline -1 962

There was a link across to Montpelier (shown as "2" on the map above) which carries freight to/from Avonmouth docks. St Phillips was closed with services transferred to Temple Meads; then the route from Yate southbound was closed with all trains from Birmingham diverted via Bristol Parkway and the Filton Bank.

Filton Bank, the hill up from Temple Meads to Filton, has a tale to tell.

Originally, in the very early days of Ashley Hill station, the "bank" was double track, subsequently widened to a four track route.

The track off to the right is the now singled route to Montpellier, Avonmouth and Severn Beach.

In 1984 the main line was reduced to a two track route ...

... then in 2018 it was back to a four track layout.

It is called "strategic planning": or maybe short termism?

The junction was called Narroways.

Either way, Ashley Hill station was on the westerly two tracks, usually defined as the "slow" lines. The above OS extract shows the link line from Montpelier (upper left) crossing over the Filton Bank tracks and joining the Midland lines at Mangotsfield where the station had already closed as (not) shown above.

Below is the junction near Montpelier.

... with a train approaching from Mangotsfield. Both diverging routes were double track back then with the right hand lines, as we look eastwards, curving round to Narroways Junction and on to Temple Meads.

The Junction waa provided with a brand new signal box ...

... which opened a couple of years before the line to Mangotsfield was closed completely.

It is called "strategic planning": Again!

Just to confuse us all, this junction was called Ashley Hill Junction although it had no connection whatsoever with Ashley Hill Station on the Filton Bank line.

Confused.com?

Here is an annotated map.

It shows the main locations referred to in the blog (so fat?). Just spotted a typo - should be "ManGotsfield'!

The line between Ashley Hill Junction and Mangotsfield is long gone, but Google Earth reveals some of the route ...

... and the site of the bridge over the Filton Bank line.

Mona Road, which probably predated the railway, passes under Ashley Hill Junction ...

... and continues the theme of "community adornment" as seen at Montpelier station. Here we proceed north ...

...through the tunnel ...

... and look back southbound.

Some people have the audacity to call it "art"!

We return to Ashley Hill Station for a couple of (undated) old pictures. Here a typical GWR train at the up platform (to Temple Meads) ...

... and much the same again - but with a different set of coaches.

In this case, please note the footpath running alongside the western edge of the line. This will feature in tomorrow's blog. There seems to be a surprising number of trainspotters - might this have been the very first train from the station. The public footpath looks new or refurbished even though it is outside of the station boundary.

Interestingly, there are no pictures on-line of Ashley Hill station in BR (steam or possible early diesel) days. The closure in 1964 went almost announced.

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13 more alphabetical fruits, but only 12 to answer as fbb took pity on his "congregation" and gave the a freebie for "X". It is a type of water melon with yellow flesh. So there!

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 2 Days to Go 

 Next Ashley Down blog : Weds 2nd Oct 

Sarurday Variety On Monday!

Mini Museum

The Conway Valley Railway Museum occupies the former goods yard at Betws-y-Coed Station. There is not a lot of it, but if offers many delights. The main building contains a whole heap of railway stuff ...

... i.e. various bits of railwayana.

There is a working model railway ...

... and a diorama of a typical slate mine.

There is a caff in a carriage ...

... and a few other railway vehicles to see. The best bit is the miniature railway (video below) and occasionally the tiny electric  tram is on offer for a ride.

It draws power from a miniature overhead wire and tolley pole using its own little bit of track.

When fbb was watching from the national rail station platform, the little train was hauled by its diesel. 

But at busier times the steam loco appears.

Well worth popping in!

Colne Valley Construction

One of the most spectacular bits of the now fairly useless HS2 remnant, after Rachel and Keir have refused to reverse Rishi's violent destruction by the great political chopper, is the 3.4 kilometre viaduct over the Colne Valley a tad north of Denham.

Here is the route (DARK BLUE) of HS2 in the area ...

... here is he viaduct in RED ...

... and here in reality and partially complete c/o Google Earth.

The section across the southernmost lakes is the really spectacular bit ...

... as seen above in artist's impression. It is supposed to look like a snake writhing across the water. And so it doesn't!

First you build a road across the lake and use that to build the viaduct's piers ...

... seen here from a lower level.

Then, having built the piers ...

... you use a gurt big sliding metal bridge ...

... to assemble the gurt big blocks of the decking.

Apparently there are exactly 1000 decking blocks to stick together with a huge tube of UHU glue - or something similar.

These units are cast on site. 

Now that the viaduct is constructionally complete, the access roadway on (or in) the lakes will be removed.

Spectacular, Eh?

Not Spectacular But Splendid

Remember the Bond Bug? It was a two-slim-person orange plastic car with a putt putt engine. It probably wouldn't stand a chance in an altercations with a bicycle!

A huge chunk of the body lifts up to gain access to the cramped driving position.

It is now available as am OO model from Oxford Diecast.

As usual with Oxford's models, it is exquisite. But an eagle eyed fbb spots a disappointment. The non-working headlights are moulded in clear plastic, whilst the real things ...

... are set in an orange "container".

Disappointing.

Following the purchase of Bond Cars Ltd. in 1969, Reliant commissioned Tom Karen of Ogle Design to alter the Reliant Rogue design; the car would now become a Bond vehicle. The Bond Bug was based on chief engineer John Crosthwaite's newly designed chassis, and used a mixture of Reliant Regal parts, and running gear which had been designed for the Reliant Robin 750, which was due to be launched in 1974. The original concept was explored by chopping down a production Regal vehicle, the car's rear being shortened to end over the rear axle.

You wouldn't get four inside though!

Livery Delivery Quiz Question

Every so often a disease breaks out amongst bus company management which results in buses appearing in heritage liveries to confuse the passenger and delight the enthusiast.

This one has just appeared.

So the question is, "Who operates it and which company is it retrospectively celebrating".

And a clue? It may well go close to the pier!

Ecclesiastical Note

There were about 50 attendees at the new 0915 service at fbb's church, slightly less than half the average congregation. Statistics are unfairly compared because the Sunday School Classes only operate at the 1100 edition, so families would perforce attend then.

Another Identity Parade

Four characters appear in the above picture - please identify all four.

There is a fifth character likely to be present as the locomotive prepares to depart, but that character would perforce be hidden from view. ("perforce" seems to be fbb's  word of the month, which, perforce, sounds a bit "intellectual".)

So, identify the FIFTH character. And for a clue to this one, enjoy a glass of ginger beer.

Shouldn't it be Old Welsh ginger beer?

Answers tomorrow if fbb remembers or later in the week if he doesn't!

 10 Days to Go 

 Next Variety blog : Tuesday 24th September