| Severn crossings before the bridge Posted by bradshaw at 10:37, 2nd April 2019 |     |
As an complete aside, there was a Pilning to Severn Tunnel car carrier service which operated from 1924 to supplement the Aust ferry.
| Re: Severn crossings before the bridge Posted by johnneyw at 11:13, 2nd April 2019 | |
As an complete aside, there was a Pilning to Severn Tunnel car carrier service which operated from 1924 to supplement the Aust ferry.
Blimey, I never knew that. Did it finish with the opening of the first Severn Bridge just like the ferry did?
There must have been some loading/unloading infrastructure for that and I wonder if any of it still is in evidence?
| Re: Severn crossings before the bridge Posted by grahame at 11:14, 2nd April 2019 | |
As an complete aside, there was a Pilning to Severn Tunnel car carrier service which operated from 1924 to supplement the Aust ferry.
I have quite a collection of old pictures, timetables, etc ... the whole "Severn before the first road bridge" story is fascinating. But as you say "complete aside" and time for another thread on a quieter day.
| Re: Severn crossings before the bridge Posted by grahame at 11:30, 2nd April 2019 | |
I have quite a collection of old pictures, timetables, etc ... the whole "Severn before the first road bridge" story is fascinating. But as you say "complete aside" and time for another thread on a quieter day.
Couldn't resist ...
| Re: Severn crossings before the bridge Posted by Red Squirrel at 12:58, 2nd April 2019 | |
Seeing the tarpaulin over one of the cars in grahame's photo reminds me of a tale told me by an old friend whose family used the service on more than one occasion:
It goes without saying that cars on open trucks steam-hauled through the Severn Tunnel came out a different colour than when they went in; worse, they were covered in clinker. For a nominal fee (maybe 6d) you could have your car 'protected' by an old tarpaulin, which most likely was covered inside and out (not that they took care to work out which was which) with grit. The upshot of this is that paying the extra was a really bad idea, and seasoned travellers relied on the wind blowing the clinker off when they got back on the open road...
| Re: Severn crossings before the bridge Posted by bradshaw at 16:06, 2nd April 2019 | |
Ceased in 1966 with the opening of the bridge. Photo taken in August 1963 on a South Wales shed tour. It shows the bay platform. we travelled over the Severn on the Aust Ferry
| Aust ferry, on the River Severn Posted by bradshaw at 08:46, 2nd May 2023 | |
While travelling to visit a series of locosheds in South Wales in the 1960s we experienced the Aust Ferry and its turntable.
| Aust ferry, on the River Severn Posted by Bmblbzzz at 15:41, 2nd May 2023 | |
I never knew there was such a thing. Interesting!
| Re: Severn crossings before the bridge Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 09:46, 10th February 2026 | |
I have quite a collection of old pictures, timetables, etc ... the whole "Severn before the first road bridge" story is fascinating. But as you say "complete aside" and time for another thread on a quieter day.
I have now split off these few posts from that current ongoing Pilning discussion topic and merged them here, as they relate specifically to historic Severn crossings.
CfN.
