Clifton Rocks Railway - May 09

[Tumbles]

Visited with Sinnerman.

The Clifton Rocks Railway sits alongside The Clifton Suspension Bridge. While one of these is coverted and a landmark of Bristol throughout the world the little known funicular railway is slowly decaying away while its rich history remains. It's history is vast and not just limited to its use as a funicular railway at the turn of the 20th century. If you've ever driven under the supsension bridge you may have noticed the bottom station of the railway - embeded into the rockface.

http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/images/crr.jpg

The Clifton Rocks Railway was an underground funicular railway in Bristol, linking Clifton at the top to Hotwells and Bristol Harbour at the bottom of the Avon Gorge in a tunnel cut through the limestone cliffs. The upper station is close to Brunel’s famous Clifton Suspension Bridge.

http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/images/crr2.jpg

Construction of the railway was funded by the publisher George Newnes, also proprietor of the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway, and as at Lynton and Lynmouth the engineer was George Croydon Marks. It opened on 11 March 1893, but was never a great success; in 1912 it was sold to Bristol Tramways, but it continued to struggle and closed on 1 October 1934.

http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/crr09/IMG_9050.jpg

http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/crr09/IMG_9048.jpg

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http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/crr09/IMG_9052.jpg

The railway had a length of 450 feet (137 m), overcoming a vertical distance of 200 feet (61 m) at a gradient of about 1 in 2.2 (45%). There were four cars in two connected pairs, essentially forming two parallel funicular railways, each running on 38 inch (965 mm) narrow gauge tracks. The system was operated by gravity, with water ballast being let into the cars at the top station and out at the bottom, and an oil- or gas-burning pump returning the water to the top of the system.

http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/crr09/IMG_9015.jpg

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During the Second World War blast walls were installed in the tunnel, which was used as offices by BOAC, as a relay station by the BBC (who also constructed an emergency studio there, though it was never put into use), and as an air-raid shelter. The BBC continued to use parts of the tunnel until 1960.

http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/crr09/IMG_9040.jpg

http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/crr09/IMG_9045.jpg

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A voluntary group has now been formed to preserve and restore the railway. They hope to raise funds for a feasibility study into the complete restoration of the railway. The cost of complete restoration is estimated at around £15 million.

There are some better pictures from last years visit here:
http://www.whateversleft.co.uk/?p=49

The official site of the railway with lots more pics and history here:
http://www.cliftonrocksrailway.org.uk/

Group tours can be aranged, but the waiting list can exceed 1 year...

[BB]

Interesting stuff :thumb

[sqwasher]

Really good pics of a great looking place! We should book an Urbex Forums group trip for next year then!? :thumb

[boxfrenzy]

That's great mate. Great report and nice pictures too. There is a similar railway in Bridgenorth in Worcestershire which is very much like this. These places are great.

[converse1]

i really like this! Nice work fella. :thumb

[sinnerman]

was hoping you'd write a bit of history i couldnt be arsed, but here's my pics all point and click on my dads little compact I stupididly left all my camera stuff in work after being distracted by the beer garden next to the office.

http://www.forlornbritain.co.uk/images/28/rocks/crr01.jpg

http://www.forlornbritain.co.uk/images/28/rocks/crr02.jpg

http://www.forlornbritain.co.uk/images/28/rocks/crr03.jpg
Original Turnstile still left where it was dumped in 1941.

http://www.forlornbritain.co.uk/images/28/rocks/crr04.jpg
Barrage Ballon Store.

http://www.forlornbritain.co.uk/images/28/rocks/crr05.jpg

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Air raid shelter benches with the original railway tracks still in situ below.

http://www.forlornbritain.co.uk/images/28/rocks/crr07.jpg

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BBC Transmitter room.

http://www.forlornbritain.co.uk/images/28/rocks/crr10.jpg
Aircon cirulated the heated exaust air from the generator to heat the BBC section of the tunnel.

[Neosea]

Damn fine explore, good stuff!:thumb

[VforVendetta]

wow that could of been restored. excellent report

[simonix]

What an interesting place. :thumb
Well done.

[monsteroo7]

I totally love it!!!!!!

[Tumbles]

Thanks all.. it won't get restored into a 100% working funicular railway... the history inside of the tunnel - the balloons, the shelters and the BBC history are all important too. This along with the actual amount of work carried out inside to make it suitable for wartime use would mean it would cost millions just to put the tunnel straight.

What is hoped is a compromise is found where maybe some of the tunnel is restored for use and the rest of the areas restored and kept as a museum too. What they are waiting for is the owners, the clifton gorge hotel, to decide what they want to do with the ball room and top station.

[Rochester]

Don't know how I missed this one, great work boys.

[Tumbles]

Don't know how I missed this one, great work boys.

My fault as I only asked for two places about 18 months ago :fail Thats how long it took!

I'll try and ask them if we can do a group and allow us some proper photo time.. the guided tour is great but no time for decent tripod/long exposure shots.