Avon Valley Railway
Encyclopedia
The Avon Valley Railway (AVR) is a three-mile-long heritage railway
based at Bitton
station in South Gloucestershire
, England, not far from Bristol
and is run by a local group: The Avon Valley Railway Company Ltd. The railway follows the Avon Valley south-east from Oldland Common
, through Bitton and alongside the River Avon
towards Kelston
and Bath. The railway shares its route with the Sustrans
cycleway and footpath
, the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.
Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line
, which was closed during the late 1960s as a result of the Beeching Axe
and due mainly to the Great Western Railway
being just a few miles to the south, which also connected Bristol
and Bath.
The railway is perhaps best known for connecting the former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
(S&DJR), whose northern terminus was at Bath Green Park station
, with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(LMS). The Midland Railway
lines along the Avon Valley thus opened up the S&D lines to travellers from the British industrial Midlands. This was particularly so during summer Saturdays when families flocked south to the beaches of Dorset
and the English south coast. Many extra trains thus had to be added to the schedule to accommodate this increased demand. Although owned and run by the Midland Railway, many S&D locomotives were often seen working trains along this line.
After the lines were removed, from 2000 the northern section from Mangotsfeild to Warmley was used to build a dual carriage development of the A4174 road
, although both station sites presently still exist. The remainder of the line was passed from the British Railways Board
to Sustrans
, who in co-operation with the local councils developed the Bristol & Bath Railway Path. Further development of the preservation railway is wholly dependent on a useage agreement with Sustrans.
by the Bristol Suburban Railway Society, a group of local volunteers intent on restoring commuter and weekend steam use to the Bristol-Mangotsfield-Bath and Mangotsfield-Yate railway routes.
Work progressed slowly over the years restoring the heavily vandalised buildings and laying track north towards Oldland Common and Warmley. Weekend steam-hauled 'brake van' train rides progressed to proper passenger servics along the ever-lengthening line in restored 1950s British Railways Mark 1
carriages.
In 1979, the Bristol Suburban Railway Society was incorporated into the Bitton Railway Co. Ltd. and the laid track reached Oldland Common in 1988. By 1992 however, the city of Bristol had expanded greatly with houses encroaching upon the former railway line and expansion north to Warmley and Mangotsfield was no longer practical. The line thus began to expand south out into the valley of the River Avon. By 2004, it had crossed the Avon and a new station was built to service the Avon Valley Country Park
– a large picnic and recreation site – along with a river wharf to provide visitors with connections to river barges and river boat trips.
Building of a new buffet and toilets facility at Bitton station began in 2007 to replace the current buffet and toilets and to increase space for the railway's gift shop.
Work continues to extend the railway south-east towards Kelston, Weston
and a proposed "Bath Riverside" railway station in Bath.
The AVR provides round trip steam train travel from Bitton Station north to Oldland Common then south to Avon Riverside station. The line is open to travellers on most weekends.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
based at Bitton
Bitton
Bitton is a village and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England, in the Greater Bristol area on the River Boyd.It is in the far south of the South Gloucestershire district, near the border with Bath and North East Somerset...
station in South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
, England, not far from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and is run by a local group: The Avon Valley Railway Company Ltd. The railway follows the Avon Valley south-east from Oldland Common
Oldland Common
Oldland Common is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, on the outskirts of Bristol. It is in the civil parish of Bitton, approximately 8 miles between the centres of cities Bristol and Bath...
, through Bitton and alongside the River Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
towards Kelston
Kelston
Kelston is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, north west of Bath, and east of Bristol, on the A431 road. It is situated just north of the River Avon, close to the Kelston and Saltford locks...
and Bath. The railway shares its route with the Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
cycleway and footpath
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
, the Bristol & Bath Railway Path.
History
The railway is part of the otherwise-dismantled Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line
Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line
The Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line opened in 1869 to connect Bath to the Midland Railway network at Mangotsfield, on the former Bristol and Gloucester Railway....
, which was closed during the late 1960s as a result of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
and due mainly to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
being just a few miles to the south, which also connected Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Bath.
The railway is perhaps best known for connecting the former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
(S&DJR), whose northern terminus was at Bath Green Park station
Bath Green Park railway station
Green Park railway station is a former railway station in Bath, Somerset, England. For some of its life, it was known as Bath Queen Square.-Architecture and opening:...
, with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS). The Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
lines along the Avon Valley thus opened up the S&D lines to travellers from the British industrial Midlands. This was particularly so during summer Saturdays when families flocked south to the beaches of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and the English south coast. Many extra trains thus had to be added to the schedule to accommodate this increased demand. Although owned and run by the Midland Railway, many S&D locomotives were often seen working trains along this line.
After the lines were removed, from 2000 the northern section from Mangotsfeild to Warmley was used to build a dual carriage development of the A4174 road
A4174 road
The A4174 is a major road in England which runs around the northern and eastern edge of Bristol, mainly in South Gloucestershire, and through the southern suburbs of Bristol...
, although both station sites presently still exist. The remainder of the line was passed from the British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
to Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
, who in co-operation with the local councils developed the Bristol & Bath Railway Path. Further development of the preservation railway is wholly dependent on a useage agreement with Sustrans.
Preservation
Bitton station and its yard, including some trackbed, was leased from British Railways BoardBritish Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
by the Bristol Suburban Railway Society, a group of local volunteers intent on restoring commuter and weekend steam use to the Bristol-Mangotsfield-Bath and Mangotsfield-Yate railway routes.
Work progressed slowly over the years restoring the heavily vandalised buildings and laying track north towards Oldland Common and Warmley. Weekend steam-hauled 'brake van' train rides progressed to proper passenger servics along the ever-lengthening line in restored 1950s British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
carriages.
In 1979, the Bristol Suburban Railway Society was incorporated into the Bitton Railway Co. Ltd. and the laid track reached Oldland Common in 1988. By 1992 however, the city of Bristol had expanded greatly with houses encroaching upon the former railway line and expansion north to Warmley and Mangotsfield was no longer practical. The line thus began to expand south out into the valley of the River Avon. By 2004, it had crossed the Avon and a new station was built to service the Avon Valley Country Park
Avon Valley Country Park
Avon Valley Country Park is a Country park in Keynsham, Somerset, England.The park which is next to the River Avon provides country walks, a boating lake, play areas for children, a small petting zoo and a miniature railway....
– a large picnic and recreation site – along with a river wharf to provide visitors with connections to river barges and river boat trips.
Building of a new buffet and toilets facility at Bitton station began in 2007 to replace the current buffet and toilets and to increase space for the railway's gift shop.
Work continues to extend the railway south-east towards Kelston, Weston
Weston (Bath) railway station
Weston was a small railway station in Bath, England, about a mile west of Bath Green Park railway station on the Midland Railway line.It was opened in 1869 when the Midland Railway's Bath branch was opened...
and a proposed "Bath Riverside" railway station in Bath.
Heritage railway
As a tourist attraction, the Avon Valley Railway now handles 80,000 visitors per year.The AVR provides round trip steam train travel from Bitton Station north to Oldland Common then south to Avon Riverside station. The line is open to travellers on most weekends.
Motive power
Steam locomotives
| Number & Name | Description | Current Status | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4015 "Karel" | Chrzanow Chrzanów Chrzanów is a town in south Poland with 39,704 inhabitants . It is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and is the capital of Chrzanów County.- To 1809:... 0-6-0T |
Operational | Polish State Railways Polish State Railways is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union... Green |
| No. 4123 | LMS Fowler 4F 0-6-0 | Currently undergoing extensive restoration to working order from Barry Scrapyard condition. | N/A |
| No. 7151 | RSH Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.-History:The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in... 0-6-0T |
Operational; boiler ticket expires in 2017. | Black |
| N/A | LSWR T1 class 0-4-4T | Only the boiler of the engine remains, so work is being planned to build a new T1 from scratch. | N/A |
| No. 2018 "Littleton No.5" | Manning Wardle Manning Wardle Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,... 0-6-0ST |
Stored in yard. | Dark Blue |
| No. 1 "Meteor" | RSH Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.-History:The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in... 0-6-0T |
Undergoing restoration | N/A |
| No. 1798 "Edwin Hulse" | Avonside Avonside Engine Company The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:... 0-6-0ST |
Currently undergoing restoration, being worked on in the goods shed. | N/A |
Diesel locomotives/DMUs
| Number & Name | Description | Current Status | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 446 "Kingswood" | Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. 0-4-0 shunter | Operational | Green |
| No. 610 "General Lord Robertson" | Army shunter 0-8-0 | Undergoing restoration | Blue |
| "Grumpy" | Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 Shunter | Undergoing restoration | Black |
| "Salty" | Ruston Hornsby 0-6-0DH shunter | Undergoing repairs | Red |
| No. D2994 | British Rail Class 07 British Rail Class 07 The British Rail Class 07 diesel locomotive is an off-centre cab dock shunter used in Southampton Docks, to replace SR USA Class steam locomotives. It is a 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunter built by Ruston & Hornsby in 1962... |
Operational | BR Green |
| No. 73101 'Royal Alex' | British Rail Class 73 British Rail Class 73 The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes... |
Operational | Pullman |
| Unit 52006 + 52025 | British Rail Class 107 British Rail Class 107 The British Rail Class 107 diesel multiple units were built by the Derby Works of British Railways and were introduced in 1960. The class looked similar to the later Class 108 units, but were heavier - having been built out of steel.-Usage:... |
Operational | BR Green |