The Best Attractions In Norton Fitzwarren

Here is Topsham

Topsham the English town on the Exe estuary, Devon, southern England.

Steam Heat. 34046 Braunton heads the English Riviera Express. 30Jun&7Jul 2019

Summer steam excursions, far from being a distant memory from my youth are still one of the best ways to sample a trip to the seaside. Saphos Trains along with other operators have tapped into the convenience of a trip to Kingswear on the Dartmouth Steam Railway where there is a choice of beach or river destinations and convenient servicing and turning of the loco. I have put together some clips captured from two weekends where luckily the weather conditions were similar and shown them in route order. Picking up the train at Starcross I had to do a lot of sound editing as the local bikers were out in force and the footbridge is still bouncing with the heavy footsteps of departing cyclists from the previous down service. Braunton rounds the bend from Powderham Church and the sight and sound of a re-built Westcountry at speed, rushing below us towards Cockwood Harbour is ample compensation. The rare circumstance of high tide at this pretty location on the down leg makes the challenge of shooting into the light a risk worth taking. Next a grab shot on my way home at Hookhills Viaduct where I just have time to stop the car and use the roof as a pan head! The return is first captured in the idyllic surroundings of Greenway on a warm summer evening, a Song-thrush provides the back-track as 34046 lazily pulls the heavy train up to Churston. Finally from Song-thrush to Oyster-catcher on the River Teign where the cloud build-up gives a sense of a peaceful early evening as Braunton hurries her train homewards to Bristol.

Taunton Priorswood to Town Centre Commute

Why sit in traffic when you can cycle to town without going on main roads at all in just 11 minutes?

I'll be posting videos of everyday cycling in Taunton, Somerset. Why?


Firstly, to encourage people with underused bikes to get them out of the shed and use them. A lot of people simply don't know about many of the cycling facilities in town, so I'll use this site to show you.


Secondly, to highlight where improvements are needed, whether it is poor surfaces, dodgy junctions, or bad signage. I'll ask Somerset County Council to action these.


First up is a video of the cycleroute from Priorswood to the Town Centre, all off main roads and taking just 11 minutes at a steady pace (about 14mph).


Why not give it a try? It's a lot quicker and cheaper than driving and parking or catching the bus.



Note at 4:44 there is now a new cycleroute direct to the railway station.


Note at 4:56 there is a left turn down onto the canal towpath leading to Maidenbrook and Nerrols and the Crown Industrial Estate, and further on to Bathpool.


Note at 5:07 there is a left turn onto a shared use path alongside the River Tone leading to Hankridge.





A few points worth noting for SCC:


The surface under and between the two underpasses (Obridge and especially Toneway) was poor, but has recently been resurfaced. But, the surface of the Victoria Parkway (7:08) underpass and eastern approach to it remains dreadful!


At the junction of the path after the Toneway underpass with the road (6:13), it is not obvious which way the cycleroute goes. A town centre right sign would help.


The cyclists dismount sign on the contraflow section (9:15) is pointless. The road coming from the left is clearly marked give way. Cyclists should have right of way here. The surface and detailing of the contraflow section, particularly the pavement section, is poor.

34052 Lord Dowding On The Cathedrals Express Takes Water At Frome On Saturday 17th December 2016

SR Bulleid pacific 34046 Braunton running as 34052 Lord Dowding is captured at a very quiet Frome Station on Saturday 17th December. The Cathedrals Express ran from London Victoria to Norton Fitzwarren where 6960 was to take over and continue to Minehead. At Frome the locomotive had a quick top up of water before heading out towards Taunton.

UK: West Somerset Railway, Class 35 'Hymek' D7017 passes Stogumber

West Somerset Railway, Class 35 'Hymek' D7017 passes the delightful Stogumber station. Clip recorded ‎on the 12th ‎June ‎2010 during the railways diesel gala.
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The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is a 22.75-mile (36.6 km) heritage railway line in Somerset, England. The freehold of the track and stations is owned by Somerset County Council; the railway is leased to and operated by West Somerset Railway plc (WSR plc); which is supported and minority owned by charitable trust the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA). The WSR plc operates services using both heritage steam and diesel trains.

It originally opened in 1862 between Taunton and Watchet. In 1874 it was extended from Watchet to Minehead by the Minehead Railway. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the significant number of tourists that wished to travel to the Somerset coast. The line was closed by British Rail in 1971 and reopened in 1976 as a heritage line.

It is the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway in the United Kingdom. Services normally operate over just the 20.5 miles (33.0 km) between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. During special events some trains continue a further two miles to Norton Fitzwarren where a connection to Network Rail allows occasional through trains to operate onto the national network.
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The British Rail (BR) Class 35 is a class of mixed-traffic B-B diesel locomotive with hydraulic transmission. Because of their Mekydro-design hydraulic transmission units, the locomotives became known as the Hymeks.

The class was developed for the Western Region of British Railways, which had opted for lightweight locomotives with hydraulic transmission, when allocated funds under the British Railways Modernisation Plan of 1955. One hundred and one of the class were built between 1961 and 1964, when it became apparent that there was a requirement for a medium power diesel-hydraulic design for both secondary passenger work and freight duties.

They were allocated to Bristol Bath Road, Cardiff Canton, and Old Oak Common. None of the class was named. Withdrawal from service began in 1971, and was completed by 1975. Their early withdrawal was caused, primarily, by BR classifying the hydraulic transmission as non-standard. Four examples survived into preservation.

A Class 35 Hymek was featured in The Railway Series books by Rev. W. Awdry (the original 'Thomas the Tank Engine' stories). D7101 (a fictional number), later named Bear on account of the growling noise made by his engine, was introduced in book No.23 Enterprising Engines as one of the good diesels. He however has not featured in the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV Series.
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Stogumber is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, on the eastern flank of the Brendon Hills. Besides Stogumber village itself, the parish includes the hamlets of Ashbeer, Capton, Escott, Higher Vexford, Kingswood, Lower Vellow, Lower Vexford, Preston, and Vellow. The village is on the route of the Samaritans Way South West.

Stogumber railway station is an intermediate station on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway operating between Bishops Lydeard, near Taunton, and Minehead.
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GWR Class 800/3 IET London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads 19/11/18 Part 2

Part 2 of my journey on board the Great Western Railway Class 800/3 IET from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads. This was a new start for me travelling to Bristol Temple Meads by train from London Paddington. I have waited all year to do this since the Class 800 IET was introduced on this route back in October last year. The journey was absolutely brilliant and the best thing about it is that I get to hear the traction motor and the diesel engine as well in the carraige I was on. The journey begins at Swindon where we currently run on diesel all the way to Bristol Temple Meads. After crossing under the M4 Motorway at Hay Lane, we come towards Wootton Bassett Junction where the electrification heads off to the right towards Bristol Parkway where it will be electrified in December and then towards Newport and Cardiff Central via the Severn Tunnel later next year. But the Line won't be electrified from Cardiff Central to Swansea because of rising costs. Between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads, we get a view of the Bristol and Bath Railway Cycle Path which I remember cycling along countless times when I lived in Bristol for 11 years. When we were approaching Bristol Temple Meads, there was a bit of a cock-up in the automatic announcement on the PA because the driver made a mistake about what Stations we were calling at. Soon afterwards, the driver remade the announcement on the automatic PA and got it right this time. At Bristol Temple Meads, there were plenty of Class 158s and Class 165 and Class 166 Networker turbos which used to run on the Line on suburban services between London Paddington to Reading and to Oxford via Didcot Parkway. We arrived at Bristol Temple Meads bang on the dot on time which was excellent for a new train like the Class 800/0 IET and the Class 800/3 IET and I recommend travelling on them when you have the chance to do it.

The Stations in the video include:
Swindon
Chippenham
Bath Spa
Bristol Temple Meads

Enjoy!

P.S When I was coming into Bath Spa, the reason I was pissed off is that I saw a notification on my phone of a news headline about Paul Gascoigne in the headlines for the wrong reasons again this time for sexual offences.

Operator: Great Western Railway

Train: Class 800/3 IET

Departure from Swindon: 12:00

Arrival at Bristol Temple Meads: 12:43

Date: 19/11/18

GOING TO THE WSR STEAM FAYRE 4 AUGUST 2018

We travel to BL from Williton and then on to NFW on the first day of the event.

6024 King Edward 1 around Bristol August 28 30 2010.wmv

King Edward 1st filmed at various locations around Bristol and Bath over the Bank Holiday weekend August 2010. First location was Bathampton, just before the junction, where the train is first seen leaving Sydney Gardens. My partners parents were on this train, although we didnt know that until a few minutes before! 2 days later I positioned myself at Ashely Hill old station on Filton Bank. The metal fencing proved too high for a tripod, but a walled embankment behind allowed me to place the video camera and hope for the best. The result wasnt too bad, though one of the stills I took, as shown in this film, is one of my all time favourites, so a good location in the end! Later that day I went to Pilning and filmed the train on its return trip, with a wonderful sunset reflected in the side of the train. You may here me shout at another photogrpaher (and my comment to myself afterwards!) when he was seen to be leaning right out of the edge of the down platform with an HST bearing down between him. Dont people ever learn???

70000 Britannia Depart's Glyndyfrdwy In full Affect 27.4.12

After making the trip to Craven Arms to see 70013 Oliver Cromwell we decided to carry on up to Llangollen Railway where the Steel Steam & Stars gala was entering the final weekend and was able to catch a bit of the late afternoon action and was treated to Britannia departing Glyndyfrdwy Station In full affect with lot's of steam and plenty of chimes hope in enjoy .