60011 6B13 Yate 17/04/21. - a photo on Flickriver

            *Shot taken using a pole*

It got there in the end! Running a mere 230 minutes behind schedule at this point, a tatty looking 60011 is seen nearing its destination atop the 6B13 04:08 Robeston Sidings to Westerleigh train of loaded fuel tanks. With silver 60066 originally on this train, the fun and games began. The inward working 6B33 from Margam to Robeston was delayed for a couple of hours at Clarbeston Road awaiting a Pilotman courtesy of a track circuit failure on the single line. Even so, 6B13 managed to get away from Robeston an impressive 140 minutes early. This upturn in fortune did not last though as the locomotive soon suffered a total loss of power on the approach to Whitland and was subsequently declared a failure. By the time this train was rescued, the errant tug removed at Margam and then being regulated for passenger services at various places for the remainder of the journey, a delay of almost four hours had been accrued.

The train is seen here trundling along the freight only Westerleigh branch line as it passes Nibley Lane on the outskirts of Yate. It is nice to capture something on what is now a railway backwater. This was not always the way however as this was once the Midland Railway main line between Bristol and Gloucester, also linking up at Mangotsfield with their line to Bath. Opened by the Bristol & Gloucester Railway in 1844 and utilising the routes of several existing tramways, it was decided late on in its formation to be opened as a broad-gauge route (Brunel was the company engineer at the time) with an eye to a working relationship with the GWR as it connected with their broad-gauge system at Bristol and Standish. This wasn’t to be though as the initial dealings between the parties proved to be less than harmonious. The Midland Railway were keen to keep the GWR distanced geographically so, backed financially by the London & North Western Railway with a similar motive, they outflanked and outbid the GWR and purchased this route as well as the connecting standard gauge Birmingham & Gloucester Railway. Both became part of the Midland Railway system from February 1845. Standard gauge rails were laid a few years later which removed the awkward arrangements at Gloucester caused by the break of gauge, although the broad gauge was legally required to be maintained in addition to the standard gauge until the GWR finally converted their system.

Following the nationalisation of the railway system, rationalisation and removal of duplicate and unremunerative routes became the order of the day. The section between Bristol and Yate saw its last passenger trains in December 1969, a few weeks ahead of the proposed closure date owing to a landslip at Fishponds. The remaining through trains were diverted to run along the former GWR lines via Filton and Stoke Gifford, crossing over the former Midland route before utilising the 1903-built connection from Westerleigh Junction to Yate South Junction. From there the former Midland Railway lines are still utilised. The line from Mangotsfield to Bath had seen its last passenger trains in March 1966 but coal traffic to Bath gas works continued until July 1971, the line by this stage effectively being reduced to and worked as a long siding. Track lifting then took place between what are now the ‘Gloucester Roads’ in Barton Hill depot and Westerleigh sidings as well as the remains of the line between Mangotsfield and Bath. Buffer stops underneath the M4 now denote the extent of the remaining operational railway. The short section between Westerleigh and Yate South was retained, albeit singled, as the sidings were still in use, later being utilised as a training school by the civil engineering department. Subsequently, a Refuse Transfer Station for containerised household waste for rail movement to landfill was established and was served by the ‘Avon Binliner’ workings, although this is now disused. The oil depot was constructed in 1990 and continues to be served daily.

17/04/21.

Taken in: UK / England / Westerleigh (show map)

Taken on: April 17, 2021

Tags:

60011

class60

dbcargo

pumaenergy

murco

petroleum

tanks

yate

westerleigh

nibley

nibleylane

southgloucestershire

gloucestershire

midlandrailway

westerleighbranch

bristolandgloucesterrailway

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Sets appears in: • 2021

Groups appears in: • Red track review

Camera: Canon EOS R5, f/7.1, 1/1600 sec, 50mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS R5
Lens:	RF50mm F1.2 L USM
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1600)
Focal Length:	50mm
ISO:	400
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Manual
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 22.3 (Windows)
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