Portishead and Filton

[yv47r]

Hi all, I recently spent a few days in North Somerset and had the opportunity to visit Portishead and Filton to have a look at the local pylons there.

First up is Portishead and an unexpected visit to the substation after realising that a coastal pathway ran from the top end of the marina right alongside the substation. So with my brother in tow off we went!

There are two lines coming in from the north to Portishead the original PL1 double circuit line and a later JL Eve PL16 double line. There used to be two power stations at Portishead A and B and they lasted until 1976 and 1982. The original substation has long since gone and the replacement substation has been modified and moved in the last ten years or so to permit the large residential developments that now occupy the land. Two further lines ran to the south and east from the power stations and these were the continuation of the original PL1 line and a later Blaw Knox PL16 line.

First we see the two lines coming in from the north the Milliken Bros PL1 and the JL Eve PL16 lines.


Replacement L4M DT terminal tower


Replacement L4M DT90? tower used to turn the PL1 line right angle to bypass the substation


Incoming lines from south and east using replacement L4M towers joining upto original PL16 and PL1 lines further towards hills


PL1 and JLE PL16 D towers marching across the reclaimed land


L7M D30 tower used to turn the JLE PL16 line in towards the substation


L7M DT tower in the substation. Both circuits drop down onto busbars and feeds are taken off each busbar for the local feed then the L4M DT seen above takes the circuits back up from the busbars


L4M DT, PL1 D10? and L4M DT90. Note the different earth peaks on the L4M DT and DT90


Filton photos to follow.

Cheers Paul

[yv47r]

And now the Filton towers. This is a L8 line that starts north of Bristol and although using L8 towers is actually operating at 132kV and owned by the local area board. The tower plates were noted with SWEB and Western Power Distribution! The line is coded in the L2/L3/L8 code series and is VV.

The view from the railway over bridge just to the south of Filton Abbey Wood station. L8 DT VV 7 and D30 VV 6 are shown


L8 DT VV 7. Originally the line turned to head in an easterly direction around this point but when the Abbey Wood office complexes were built in the mid 1990s the line was severed and towers 7 and 10 replaced by terminal towers and cable sealing compounds and towers 8 and 9 removed altogether.


L8 D30 VV 6


Into the sun view of VV 7


Over the other side of the office complexes mostly MoD and Hewlett-Packard is VV10 another L8 DT set in the middle of one of the many car parks. So the only good view was through the trees from one of the cycle and walkway tracks


L8 D30 VV 11


Running parallel with the VV line is this Blaw Knox PL16 line coded S that originally terminated near to VV 7 and 8 but the terminal was moved further east.


Looking down the walk and cycle way another PL16 D2 and the revised terminal tower an L4M DT


The L8 and PL16 lines


The PL16 line marching off


View up the tower S 37 PL16


Both these lines continue north towards Iron Action substation. The L8 line has two L9 low-height towers to take the circuits under the former Filton airport flightpath and then further along reverts to L2 towers to the substation.

I hope you enjoy these
Cheers Paul

[lesc]

Nice set this - the PL1 is a D2 to 51102, the bracing matches - suspension tower in deviation to gain a few feet? So that's a PL1 S2S

Nice to see the SWE PL16.

Les

[yv47r]

Ah so that PL1 I had down as a possible D10 is actually a D2 being used as a deviation but actually a suspension and they have tacked on the insulator strings to increase the conductor height and link to the L4M DT90 beyond. Crafty! Cheers Lesc

Thanks Paul

[caldridge]

Nice pictures Paul, I might see if I can photograph the pylons at Filton, I took some pictures of the lines at Iron Acton a few years ago.

Christopher

[yv47r]

Hi Christopher, yes IIRC from your photos of Iron Acton the L8 line reverts to L2 for the last handful of towers on the approach to the substation.

Cheers Paul