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Recent Society Events-
Evening Visit to the Clifton
Rocks Railway, Bristol,
Tuesday 3rd July 2007.
On 3rd July 2007 twenty-eight Society members and friends met outside the Clifton Rocks Hotel for a ninety-minute evening tour of the Clifton Rocks Railway site, including the opportunity to descend all the way from Clifton down the steps inside the 450 foot tunnel to the Hotwells Road. Enlightened by the usual fascinating commentary and insights from Peter Davey and his colleagues we were able to see the remains of the railway tracks, the former air raid-shelters and site of the BBC emergency war-time studios situated inside the tunnel from Clifton to the to see the whole site inside the cliff face. This was a great opportunity as only the top part of the site can be seen on Public open days.
A very successful and enjoyable evening visit, along with friends from the Nailsea Model Railway Society who also accompanied us.
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Background
about the railway
The Clifton Rocks Railway opened in March 1893 and was a sub-surface version
of the funicular cliff railways found at seaside resorts, but was unique
in having four running lines. It is enclosed in a 450ft tunnel connecting
Hotwells (now on the A4 Hotwells road) to Clifton at the top of the hill
to allow passengers from the steamers in the River to reach the Spa Waters
pump room next to the upper station. It was powered by water with two
pairs of passenger cars running in a tunnel on steeply inclined tracks,
linked by a steel cable. Water was pumped into a tank in the top car,
making it heavier than the lower one. It then descended (under the control
of a driver!!) and pulled the other car up.
The Railway was bought out by the Bristol Tramway Company who ran it until the 1930's, before it finally closed in October 1934.
The tunnel was used during the Second World War as an air raid shelter, parts were used by BOAC but most was used by the BBC Home Service as an emergency broadcasting headquarters. Offices and studios were built in the main tunnel bore, whilst generators and living quarters were installed in the bottom station. The old railway cars were removed and cut up for scrap. The tunnel eventually closed again in 1960, and remained disused, filled with rubble.
Interest in the railway and tunnel has grown in recent years and the Clifton Rocks Railway Refurbishment Group was formed and began clearing rubble and vegetation from the tunnel. They opened up part of the Upper station and in May 2005 an open day was held at the Rocks Railway- the first time the public had been admitted to the tunnel since 1946.
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The top station and part of the tunnel are now opened to the public on a small number of open days each year, although on these occasions due to safety constraints public can only enter into the very top of the tunnel.
For more
information about the Clifton Rocks Railway (click here)
http://www.cliftonrocksrailway.org.uk
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