PAGE 1 Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age

On the 50th anniversary of the accident that claimed it, Graeme Bickerdike recalls the rise and demise of an infamous railway landmark.

For business or for pleasure, through need or curiosity, daily life generally entails some form of travel. Anyone employed by the railway can be thankful of that fact. Rarely though do journeys live long in the memory - your eventual destination being the real draw. But what if you never get there? What if fate intervenes? Fifty years ago this month, George Thompson and James Dew set out on separate journeys that would have appalling consequences for five of their colleagues and one bystander - a piece of spectacular railway engineering. fog

Frenzied development Today, those robbed of daylight as their train plunges beneath the river between Severn Tunnel Junction and probably don’t think twice about the engineering of that four-mile black hole. Neither will they care that it was not the first attempt to link the Severn’s west and east sides with a tunnel. Work to extend the Bullo Pill Railway through to Arlingham had reached the river’s midpoint when, on Friday 13th November 1812, an inrush of water flooded the excavation, leading to its abandonment. All lives were thankfully spared. But the network’s development through much of the 19th century, coupled with the financial rewards to be reaped from South Wales’ colossal coal reserves, were to spawn an abundance of similar visions. None was more audacious than Brunel’s 1844 proposal for north and

in the in south-facing bridges - each around 800 yards in length - forming part of plans for a line linking London with South Wales, crossing the water eight miles south-west of . The city’s businessmen, alive to the commercial impact of being bypassed, mounted a vigorous and ultimately victorious campaign against it, securing the route still in use today. The drawing board remained busy with six proposals emerging in 1871 alone. Included within this collection were the Severn Tunnel Railway and the Railway No.2. The former navigated its parliamentary passage in August 1872, welcoming a trial goods train on 9th January 1886. At its peak, 3,628 men laboured on it. The latter would also come to fruition but those who paid for it probably wished it hadn’t. Lost

Taken in 1876/77, these four shots are from a fabulous album of construction photographs held at and reproduced courtesy of the Archives. (Ref B417/23554) PAGE 2 Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age

Conflicting interests The pier columns were formed of Engineered by George William Keeling 4-foot cylindrical sections, 10 feet in and George Wells Owen, the four-mile diameter. The first dozen piers had Severn Bridge Railway formed a junction to be sunk through 28 feet of sand with the Severn & Wye and South Wales before bedrock was found. Extensive railways at , then disappeared into staging was assembled from which a tunnel of 506 yards before climbing onto the cylinders were lowered on chains the bridge to cross the water. At the east bolted to the inside flanges. Felt-lined side, it joined a branch of the Midland to deal with expansion, they were Railway at Docks. then filled with concrete. A primitive Powers were taken to raise its £278,000 piling machine helped to drive the estimated price tag. The Severn Tunnel, sections through a clay ridge close to which had also been granted Royal Assent, the east bank. was likely to cost three times as much. A 10-knot rising 30 feet in a Although the distances between London little over two hours precluded on- and South Wales via the two routes were shore construction of individual comparable, the bridge benefited from spans prior to them being floated gentler gradients; this lulled the company’s into position. Instead the staging directors into believing that they would was extended upwards to allow secure the lion’s share of that lucrative coal assembly of the ironwork in situ. traffic. This operation attained such Running powers over the route had efficiency that many of the spans been granted to both the Midland and were erected in a week, with bolts Great Western railways - they could used as a temporary fix before the exercise these through investments of riveters came along to provide a £50,000 in the project. But their conflicting permanent one. interests brought much delay, eventually The greatest challenge - that demanding mediation. When decision- posed by the navigation channel makers found against it, the initially- - faced engineers in the autumn of supportive GWR walked away to focus its 1878. Initial efforts were thwarted attention on the tunnel. by the tide which washed away the Bickering and financial navel-gazing gave staging and several pier cylinders; way to physical progress on 3rd July 1875 massive timber piles were snapped at as company chairman W C Lucy laid the their base. But the following February two-tonne foundation stone. Hamilton’s brought the first span’s completion. Windsor Iron Works Co was awarded the Work on the second benefited from £190,000 contract to erect the bridge floodlighting, making the introduction whilst Vickers & Cooke - later to be replaced of a night shift possible, and reached its by Griffith Griffiths - was tasked with conclusion in August. Eight locomotives delivering the remaining structures and took part in rolling load tests, deflecting stations, work valued at £90,000. these spans by just 1½ inches. Their construction did though claim the life of Assembly in situ workman Thomas Roberts who plunged The bridge never This was a venture of enormous scale and into the river from deck level, a distance W C Lucy onto the bridge reaped the financial complexity, made all the more formidable of 70 feet, striking the staging on his way where he ceremonially tightened the last rewards hoped for by the Severn’s great tidal flows. 4,162 feet down. bolt. What would the HSE have said? It by its promoters. in length, the bridge consisted of two spans Crowds gathered at every vantage point was an act of great symbolism, not least PHOTOS: BRIAN HILLIER of 327 feet over the main channel, with 19 to witness the first public train rumble over because 24 hours earlier The Great Spring lesser spans and a swing bridge at its eastern the structure on 17th October 1879. On had penetrated the Severn Tunnel’s top end across the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal. its return run, a detonator was exploded heading, flooding the workings to river The western approach was carried on a 13- on each of the 21 spans. After crossing level. No progress was made there for over arch masonry viaduct - no mean feat in itself. again, passengers got off to accompany a year. PAGE 3 Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age PHOTO: PRESS ASSOCIATION PRESS PHOTO:

PHOTO: JOHN THORN In 1955, a detailed Although visibility was good, the area examination prepared around Berkeley Power Station - three miles the way for heavier downstream of the bridge - was notorious locomotives to use the for thick fog, a function of cool air blowing structure, providing an over the sun-warmed foreshore. And so it alternative route from was that evening - by 2200, 16 craft were South Wales to . enveloped. The following year, As he passed the power station, with strain gauges Thompson swung his barge around to installed to record the stem the tide, punching into it at such deflections, a series of a rate as to overcome its power. As he tests was carried out reached the piers at Sharpness marking the involving two Castle- entrance to its docks, a tug towing several class locomotives, eight barges crossed his bows, forcing him to kill loaded Grampus wagons the power and drift upstream. As he lined and a brake van. The up for a second attempt, the Wastdale H outcome was a £125,000 emerged from the murk on his port side. contract let to Fairfields for On board, Dew was fighting the tide and the strengthening of almost his ignorance - this was only his third day 500 diagonal braces. on the river. Work got underway in As they came together and unknown 1960, with the firm afforded to either skipper, a crewman on the bow a nightly possession of the secured a line between the vessels. They bridge after the last train had were now inseparable. Thompson and passed over at 2145. By late- Dew battled to prise their craft apart October, three spans were but succeeded only in losing control of complete and scaffolding them. Caught by the fast-flowing current, encased a fourth. But suspect they were pushed upstream towards the ironwork was soon to be the bridge. Travelling sideways, the Wastdale least of the bridge’s problems. H slammed into Pier 17, turning the vessel

PHOTO: D J NORTON over. The Arkendale H ended up on top Power of the tide of her. As Thompson emerged from his Calm greeted James Dew, wheelhouse, the pier and the two spans it The collision skipper of the Wastdale H, as supported fell onto the stricken craft. resulted in the loss Brace yourself he eased his vessel out of of Pier 17 and the But any sense of smugness was shortlived. Docks at around 1915 on the evening of Mounting the rescue two deck sections Expected traffic levels failed to materialise Tuesday 25th October 1960, embarking on Supervisor T C Francis left the signal box supported by it. and the company’s financial resources were the return leg of a journey that had begun at Severn Bridge Station, on the western drained further by the Severn & Wye Railway in Worcester early that same morning. bank, at 2230. As he walked down onto - a servant of the Forest of Dean’s ailing coal Travelling with him was a crew of three the bridge, a sheet of flame burst skyward; industry - with which it had amalgamated and 351 tonnes of petroleum spirit. Slightly an explosion followed. He ran back to the in 1878. Losses were cut in 1894 when, ahead, he could see the lights of tanker box to call the emergency services. On with most trains heading for the now-open barges which had sailed up from Swansea his return, he was confronted by a hole tunnel, the company was transferred to on the afternoon tide. Amongst them was where once there were girders. Still burning the Midland and Great Western, under the the Arkendale H, loaded with 296 tonnes of fiercely and burdened by the collapsed control of a joint committee. The bridge was Britoleum fuel oil and captained by George spans, the barges were carried upstream effectively bankrupt. Thompson. before grounding on a sandbank. PAGE 4 Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age

Demolition of the bridge involved a took the train to and from their school at huge floating crane (inset left) but it Lydney on the opposite side. only stayed for three weeks, leaving In December 1961, an underwater survey the work incomplete. The debris (inset discovered extensive damage to Pier 16 bottom) was not removed until 1970. which was leaning towards the east bank. A contract was awarded to erect a temporary trestle, eliminating any danger of collapse. Thompson had been struck by flying Days before work started, an upturned debris and lost consciousness for a time. tanker drifted into Pier 20 on the ebbing tide, Once revived, he found his mate Percy causing a further £13,000 worth of damage. Simmonds and engineer Jack Cooper on This same pier was again the victim when the the stern. Knowing that neither could contractor’s twin-hulled crane broke from swim, he gave each of them a life belt and its moorings; the deck’s underside was also instructed them to jump. He did, they struck by its jib. The bill on that occasion was

PHOTO: PRESS ASSOCIATION didn’t. With the river ablaze all around £6,000. him, Thompson had no choice but to By 1965, wanted only to cut PHOTO: PRESS ASSOCIATION swim for survival. its losses, having received just £5,000 in Dew too was in the water. He compensation for the original disaster. clambered on board the Arkendale Twenty-four companies were invited to H where he found the two men tender for the demolition work; 20 withdrew wondering what to do next. They their bids following a site visit. Nordman had already inflated a life raft but Construction - not one of the remaining four it drifted away. Dew led them - got the job. onto the deck from where they On Tuesday 22nd August 1967, a huge walked into the water. Cooper was floating crane, Magnus II, was piloted up swept to the stern of the vessel the Severn. With a propeller at each corner and caught by its still-revolving for maximum manoeuvrability, it boasted propeller. He was eventually a lifting capacity of 400 tonnes to a height rescued. Remarkably, Dew was of 150 feet. When she left three weeks found uninjured three hours later, later, the swing bridge, three spans and 21 upstream of the bridge. The tide piers were still standing. It was not until carried Thompson for three miles 10th March 1968 - three months after the before depositing him on the bank. deadline - that another company, Swinnerton The remaining crewmen - & Miller, finished the job with explosives. It Simmonds (34), Jack Dudfield (46), was another two years before the debris was Alex Bullock (40), Robert Niblett cleared. (25) and Malcolm Hart (17) - all succumbed. Mighty bridges Whether to go under, over or around was Accident prone the conundrum posed by Britain’s great rivers The fate of the bridge was engulfed when the railway reached their banks in the by protracted debate. Rebuilding costs 19th century. In meeting nature’s challenge, were estimated at £312,000 against engineers crafted mighty bridges. Whilst £250,000 to dismantle it. Local opinion the Forth, Tay, Royal Border and Royal Albert favoured the former as the structure continue to shine, the Severn’s lost crossing provided an important community link, stands alongside them, if obscured by the particularly as the children of Sharpness mists of time.

PHOTO: PETER COLEMAN/TAMMYLYNN PHOTOGRAPHY © Four by Three 2010

Viewed from above the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal, the Magnus II worked its way along the bridge, removing the deck sections. PHOTO: GRAHAM EDGEWORTH