Four track for Filton Bank - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[bradshaw]

Latest NR^» (Network Rail - home page) update
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1057181788534202368?s=21

[metalrail]

Nipped out at lunch to get some of the works around LWH / Dr Days

First 4 are of the new (finally reinstated after 34 years!) Dr Days junction, taken from Church Rd & Ducie Rd...

[metalrail]

Then LWH itself

First 2 pics are a comparison - first pic from exactly 3 weeks ago, second from today showing the progress made.  Finally a 4 track station again, albeit with just 2 platforms 

Last 2 pics show the new signal I noticed installed on the new down main just before Church Rd bridge, with a feather for the avoiding lines from Dr Days to N Somerset junction

[dfm1a]

Nice to see four tracks back at Lawrence Hill, although I notice that the points layout is the same as previously i.e. you can only cross from Reliefs to Mains in the Down direction and from Mains to Reliefs in the Up direction.  Why has the layout not been constructed so you can cross from Mains to Reliefs and Reliefs to Mains in both Up and Down directions (per the layout prior to 1984?) Thanks in advance

[ellendune]

For ease of reference S&T^▸ (Signalling and Telegraph)'s excellent diagrams can be found at posts #322 and #455 (these are links)

[SandTEngineer]

Nice to see four tracks back at Lawrence Hill, although I notice that the points layout is the same as previously i.e. you can only cross from Reliefs to Mains in the Down direction and from Mains to Reliefs in the Up direction.  Why has the layout not been constructed so you can cross from Mains to Reliefs and Reliefs to Mains in both Up and Down directions (per the layout prior to 1984?) Thanks in advance

No need, as that facilty is available just around the curve at Bristol East Junction.

And, Welcome to the forum.

[Bristolian]

Afternoon everyone,

First time post here. It's really warms my heart to see the UFM and DFM lines reinstated from Lockleaze, and of course the former Up and Down Reliefs from Lockleaze north.

I travelled over what was then the DFM on its' last day of use, back in February 1984.
Here's my shot of the old B152 signal on that final evening. Note that it had three Feathers, compared to the new version.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/4938596167/in/photolist-8wpAzM

Very Best Wishes,
Bob.

[martyjon]

Welcome to the Forum from another Bristolian amongst the many on here Bristol born.

[Bristolian]

Welcome to the Forum from another Bristolian amongst the many on here Bristol born.

Thank you - although I now live in deepest Huntingdon!.

[Red Squirrel]

Not much to add to all the lovely pictures of trackwork people have been posting - so here's one from a different angle. Lawrence Hill is, quite unambiguously, closed.

(...but Lidl isn't. Got a decent pumpkin for 59p!)

[dfm1a]

Thanks to both of you (Ellen and Sand T) for the info you have provided.  I guess the facility that existed prior to 1984 to move from Main to Relief and vice-versa in either direction between Dr Days and Lawrence Hill) was merely a duplication of the facility elsewhere and therefore the only potential benefit of reducing the four-tracks to two meant that the unnecessary pointwork could be eliminated.

[stuving]

Thanks to both of you (Ellen and Sand T) for the info you have provided.  I guess the facility that existed prior to 1984 to move from Main to Relief and vice-versa in either direction between Dr Days and Lawrence Hill) was merely a duplication of the facility elsewhere and therefore the only potential benefit of reducing the four-tracks to two meant that the unnecessary pointwork could be eliminated.

Are you sure there were then four tracks from Temple Meads into Dr. Day's Junction? There were only two up to the 1950s, and with four tracks north of the junction those crossovers were a necessity. There was also a signal box where the two Main Line tracks are now - I don't know when that was removed and the Filton Mains extended southwards, as I haven't found have a suitable map.

[rogerw]

The four tracks from Bristol East Junction to Dr Days were provided as part of the Bristol re-signalling in 1970 which also realigned the curve, increasing its radius and thus easing the speed limit

[Bristolian]

Here's a shot of mine from 1984, one of the last loco movements along the former UFM...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/8675060770/

Very Best Wishes,
Bob.

[metalrail]

Here's a shot of mine from 1984, one of the last loco movements along the former UFM...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristol-re/8675060770/

Very Best Wishes,
Bob.

Thanks for those pics Bob, and looking thru the others on your photostream you've linked to there's also some other great ones around BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) and LWH from the 70s and early 80s as it was then.  Great to see!