There were two stations at Stonehouse. Burdett Road on the G.W Line, and Bristol Road on the M.R. Line, where the junction for the Nailsworth Branch was situated. Concening racing - in the days when Gloucester Eastgate was open, a train bound for Bristol would sometimes encounter one on the G.W. line at Tuffley Junction going to Swindon. It was then that real racing occured, on the quadruple track layout, there being no ladder junctions or other obstacles in the way. I remember instances of this well. "UP" on the Midland lines was always towards Derby.
That brought back memories Ron. The green bridge you went on used to be black, and was callled 'The Black Bridge' - a favourite haunt of trainspotters. The skewed accommodation bridge led on to a level crossing for Stagholt Farm - now just a footpath crossing. I do wonder why there are no 'traffic light' warning signals for crossings such as these for pedestrians, as the former MR between Birmingham & Bristol is now a very fast line - it was upgraded and resignalled for 110mph workings a few years ago. Thanks for the video. Great work! 👍
I've been enjoying your vlogs immensely. This was especially interesting as I lived in the end house behind Stonehouse station, Queens Road and I worked for a while at Standish Hospital along with my brother and mother. Used to walk up DoveRow hill with .y dad and his dogs. Dad and and I spent many happy hours walking the dogs by the canal and river, stopping every now and then for a pint in one of the wayside pubs.
Another brilliant video Ron - thanks so much for all your hard work in producing it. I really wish Uncle Freeman was still alive - what stories he could tell about the "racing". We can only imagine now. I hope you are fit and well and I look forward to seeing you next week. Back to online lessons at 11.30 - English Conversation lessons with Polish students. Love to you and Pauline
Hi Michael, to listen to your Uncle Freeman would have been very special, I am sorry not to have listened to my older relatives when the were here, sadly too late now. Sounds like you are working hard, I hope you are enjoying it. Take care of yourself. Ron.
Fantastic video Ron, very enjoyable. Nice to see my old working haunts at Stonehouse and Standish. How it changes over time. Thank you for sharing and take care.
Ron, Another brilliant video thank you for doing such an excellent production. Did you know that the signalmen on the line from Standish Junction to Tuffley Junction in four track days had a very unusual if not unique layout to contend with. Travelling from Standish Junction to Tuffley Junction the Midland line was UP but the Great Western line was DOWN, conversely when travelling between Tuffley Junction to Standish Junction the Midland line was DOWN but the Great Western line was UP. Spare a thought for the Signalman at Standish Junction where there were facing and trailing crossovers between the Midland and the Great Western line in both directions when he was crossing a train from one companies line to the other he would accept a train as either UP or Down but signal it forward as a Down or Up train. It is interesting to see today that the old Midland lines are signaled as the Main and the Great Western lines as the Branch. (For anyone who does not know what defines an Up or Down Train, an Up train travels towards the principal London Station and if it is a through station it then becomes a Down train)
Andrew, thank you so much for adding your well informed comments on these videos, it makes things so much more interesting to get insightful information such as this. Thanks again. Ron.
Hi Ron, Another interesting place to go and have a look around. What a great place it would have been for trainspotting during steam days! Hope you are well, Best Wishes and many thanks...Tim
Just a couple of minor points. The line from Standish Junction to Swindon is called the “Kemble Line”, and the other is the “Charfield Line” from Gloucester to Westerleigh Junction (on the Badminton Line).
Ron, Another gem, thanks very much. I don't know if it is me but whenever I leave Gloucester Station the train always seems to be travelling in the oposite direction to which I want to go. Your video at least partially explains this. Peter PS another contributor has explained where the "Black Bridge" has gone [It is now green]. Thanks
That makes the London traffic slow down quite a bit now, I assume they did not require the 4 tracks so pulled them up to save on maintenance and to use the materials for other use or scrap. I will ask my daughter if she notices it on the way back from Guilford.
You correct, lower traffic use and the need to reduce maintenance costs would mean it uneconomical to maintain the infrastructure as it was. Colour light signalling was installed in 1968, the track rationalized and signal boxes closed. The track layout in Ron's video is much later when to save costs further, an expensive to maintain diamond crossing was removed and an extra crossover added. That is why the Down train snaked across via three sets of points to get to Gloucester, the line from Swindon being the Branch Line, the tracks that remain are those of the Midland line from Bristol when it was four tracks to Tuffley Junction.
The angle from which Ron shot the 'railway cottages' belies their size. The station is on an embankment and what look like the ground floor in some of them is actually the first floor. They are big houses and there are a couple of large detached house at the far end including number 31 where I lived with my family for a few years from 1979. They may have been originally built by GWR but by the time my folks lived there the houses were all in private ownership
There were two stations at Stonehouse. Burdett Road on the G.W Line, and Bristol Road on the M.R. Line, where the junction for the Nailsworth Branch was situated. Concening racing - in the days when Gloucester Eastgate was open, a train bound for Bristol would sometimes encounter one on the G.W. line at Tuffley Junction going to Swindon. It was then that real racing occured, on the quadruple track layout, there being no ladder junctions or other obstacles in the way. I remember instances of this well. "UP" on the Midland lines was always towards Derby.
Thanks for the info John. More evidence that there were actual races then. Amazing. Ron
That brought back memories Ron. The green bridge you went on used to be black, and was callled 'The Black Bridge' - a favourite haunt of trainspotters. The skewed accommodation bridge led on to a level crossing for Stagholt Farm - now just a footpath crossing. I do wonder why there are no 'traffic light' warning signals for crossings such as these for pedestrians, as the former MR between Birmingham & Bristol is now a very fast line - it was upgraded and resignalled for 110mph workings a few years ago. Thanks for the video. Great work! 👍
Thanks Paul, I guess the issue with pedestrian lights in out of the way places is vandalism. That's the world we live in I'm afraid. Ron.
Most enjoyable Look forward to the next.
Thanks Martin. Ron.
I've been enjoying your vlogs immensely. This was especially interesting as I lived in the end house behind Stonehouse station, Queens Road and I worked for a while at Standish Hospital along with my brother and mother. Used to walk up DoveRow hill with .y dad and his dogs. Dad and and I spent many happy hours walking the dogs by the canal and river, stopping every now and then for a pint in one of the wayside pubs.
Thanks for posting, I love it when a film stirs up old memories. Ron
Another brilliant video Ron - thanks so much for all your hard work in producing it. I really wish Uncle Freeman was still alive - what stories he could tell about the "racing". We can only imagine now. I hope you are fit and well and I look forward to seeing you next week. Back to online lessons at 11.30 - English Conversation lessons with Polish students. Love to you and Pauline
Hi Michael, to listen to your Uncle Freeman would have been very special, I am sorry not to have listened to my older relatives when the were here, sadly too late now. Sounds like you are working hard, I hope you are enjoying it. Take care of yourself. Ron.
Thanks for another excellent video Ron
You are very welcome Steve. Ron
Fantastic video Ron, very enjoyable. Nice to see my old working haunts at Stonehouse and Standish. How it changes over time. Thank you for sharing and take care.
Really glad you enjoyed it John, it's nice when a film stirs up old memories. Look after yourself. Ron.
Excellent vlog, RON. Very enjoyable. They should name that junction ‘snake pass’. Stay safe, Mate.
I like that Ron, good idea. Ron
Great episode right on my doorstep. Black bridge was one location with road bridge and change of 4 to 2. Still using your finger come back bic.
I have been told to get my finger out before and wondered what they mean't, now I know. Ron
Very interesting, Ron!
Thanks Jim, hope you are keeping well. Ron
Nice video, thanks Ron.
Thanks for watching Derek. Ron
Nicely done Parkinson! Really enjoyed this video!
Glad you enjoyed it! P.W.
Ron, Another brilliant video thank you for doing such an excellent production. Did you know that the signalmen on the line from Standish Junction to Tuffley Junction in four track days had a very unusual if not unique layout to contend with. Travelling from Standish Junction to Tuffley Junction the Midland line was UP but the Great Western line was DOWN, conversely when travelling between Tuffley Junction to Standish Junction the Midland line was DOWN but the Great Western line was UP. Spare a thought for the Signalman at Standish Junction where there were facing and trailing crossovers between the Midland and the Great Western line in both directions when he was crossing a train from one companies line to the other he would accept a train as either UP or Down but signal it forward as a Down or Up train. It is interesting to see today that the old Midland lines are signaled as the Main and the Great Western lines as the Branch. (For anyone who does not know what defines an Up or Down Train, an Up train travels towards the principal London Station and if it is a through station it then becomes a Down train)
Andrew, thank you so much for adding your well informed comments on these videos, it makes things so much more interesting to get insightful information such as this. Thanks again. Ron.
Hi Ron another nice video, but that junction layout is crazy !
I think it's better now Nigel, but in the days of manual signal boxes it must have been a bit of a challenge. Ron
Hi Ron, Another interesting place to go and have a look around. What a great place it would have been for trainspotting during steam days! Hope you are well, Best Wishes and many thanks...Tim
Tim, it's Friday! Ron
@@ParkinsonsWalks I know Ron, I'm well under control today! Tim
@@levelcrossing150 Nice to hear from you as always Tim. Ron
@@ParkinsonsWalks You too Ron, I hope you and Pauline have a nice weekend.....Tim
Great Video.
Thanks Chris, you are very kind. Ron
Just a couple of minor points. The line from Standish Junction to Swindon is called the “Kemble Line”, and the other is the “Charfield Line” from Gloucester to Westerleigh Junction (on the Badminton Line).
Thanks for the clarification John. Ron
Ron, Another gem, thanks very much. I don't know if it is me but whenever I leave Gloucester Station the train always seems to be travelling in the oposite direction to which I want to go. Your video at least partially explains this.
Peter
PS another contributor has explained where the "Black Bridge" has gone [It is now green]. Thanks
Hi Peter I told my wife I could be useful, she still doesn't believe me. Ron
The times I have been to Swindon and paid no attention to that. Must have had my nose deep in a book.
We have all done it Simon. Ron.
That makes the London traffic slow down quite a bit now, I assume they did not require the 4 tracks so pulled them up to save on maintenance and to use the materials for other use or scrap.
I will ask my daughter if she notices it on the way back from Guilford.
You correct, lower traffic use and the need to reduce maintenance costs would mean it uneconomical to maintain the infrastructure as it was. Colour light signalling was installed in 1968, the track rationalized and signal boxes closed. The track layout in Ron's video is much later when to save costs further, an expensive to maintain diamond crossing was removed and an extra crossover added. That is why the Down train snaked across via three sets of points to get to Gloucester, the line from Swindon being the Branch Line, the tracks that remain are those of the Midland line from Bristol when it was four tracks to Tuffley Junction.
You can bet 'cost saving' came into it somewhere Richard, it usually does. Ron
Thanks Ron for another interesting walk. The "railway cottages"...would they have been for railway workers? Would the railway have owned them?
Hi James, I'm not certain but I think the answers are 'yes and yes' Regards Ron
The angle from which Ron shot the 'railway cottages' belies their size. The station is on an embankment and what look like the ground floor in some of them is actually the first floor. They are big houses and there are a couple of large detached house at the far end including number 31 where I lived with my family for a few years from 1979. They may have been originally built by GWR but by the time my folks lived there the houses were all in private ownership