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Lots of iron & steel making here, with the attendant railway network and a locomotive works (circled red). Where is it?
Please send your answers to raildate.co.uk@gmail.com
A footbridge across wasteland (1971 photo). Where is it?
Answer: Gloucester. The footbridge connecting Gloucester Eastgate (left) with Central on 27th March 1971. Note the Reliant Robin parked by the NCL trailers. Congratulations are due to the following for their correct answers: John Czyrko, Colin Penfold, Bryn Pitcher, Richard Maund, Dave Mant, Steve Beck, Bernard Gudgin, Chris Gibbard, Dave Goodyear, Tony Fox, Andy Foster, Dave Winter.
Image credit: John Cull RCTS Collection
The Midland originally had a terminus next to the GWR station (circled in red below), and Bristol trains would reverse. The Tuffley loop was built in 1896, together with Eastgate station, but that made connections less easy. I recall running hard across the rickety, rattly - and lengthy - wooden footbridge to make a connection at the other station. The Tuffley Loop via Eastgate gave the Midland Railway control of Gloucester Docks traffic and allowed them to avoid sharing tracks with the GWR south of Gloucester. Before its 1975 closure, there were severe speed restrictions because of the numerous level crossings. After closure, it took time to reverse loco-hauled Bristol-Birmingham trains, but it became a non-issue with the much-loved (ha!) Voyagers.
Gloucester Catherdral is in the background. Raildate has done posers in 2024 for Worcester and Hereford, and Gloucester - where it all started in 1715 - completes the trio of cities that host the annual Three Choirs Festival.
The Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was based in the docks area off the Tuffley loop, employing 2,400 at its peak. A small number of first-generation DMUs were built there - classes 100, 119, 122,and 128.
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© Matthew Shaw 2024