Talk:Bristol and Exeter Railway

Merger proposal
I'm suggesting merging Bristol to Taunton Line into this article because of the duplication of information and line diagrams. David Bailey (talk) 15:00, 7 January 2008 (UTC) After 1 month of voting, the result was not to merge Bristol to Taunton Line into this page. Thanks to everyone who contributed an opinion. David Bailey (talk) 21:47, 7 February 2008 (UTC)
 * I would support this merger with the proviso that the Taunton to Plymouth section of the Reading to Plymouth Line also be merged into this article and the creation of the more historically accurate article for the Berks and Hants between Reading and Taunton. I should note that changes of this size that effect 3 articles should probably be discussed on the project pages.Grizzlyqi (talk) 16:32, 7 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Oppose The Bristol and Exeter Railway article is about an historic company that included lines to Chard, Yeovil, Wells, Clevedon, etc. – all of which have now closed. The Bristol to Taunton Line is about a modern route and only a small part of the historic company.  Both these articles are capable of much expansion and one merged article would then have no clear focus.  However, please consider the Bristol to Taunton Line in the light of the discussion at Talk:Reading to Plymouth Line where there has been a long-standing and unresolved merger proposal to bring that in line with the Network Rail Business Plan routes. Geof Sheppard (talk) 13:48, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Oppose for the reasons Geof Sheppard writes above. AlanFord (talk) 23:59, 13 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Oppose - as per Geof Sheppard - this is another instance where a merge is unhelpful. The space is available for both, so both articles should be allowed to grow independently. -- EdJogg (talk) 13:53, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

Page numbers needed and MacDermot 1927
As this article appears on the Somerset cleanup list I have been trying to get some of the books to provide page numbers (and put a note on WikiProject Resource Exchange/Resource Request/Archive_45 for the books my local library is unable to get). I have managed to get a copy of MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol I. London: Great Western Railway, which is used to support the claim "The B&ER was financially successful but amalgamated with the GWR in 1876, the combined company being called the Great Western Railway", however the book doesn't seem to support this claim & does go up as far as 1876. Can I remove that citation?&mdash; Rod talk 15:38, 13 January 2018 (UTC)
 * No, give me time and I'll check my copy. MacDermot exists in two different forms, both having three books. The original edition consisted of volume 1 (published 1927 as parts I and II) which covered the period until the first "Great Amalgamation" (in 1863) when the GWR amalgamated with the West Midland Railway and the South Wales Railway, this two-part volume was soon joined by volume 2 (published 1931) which covered the period from 1863 until just before the Grouping. The revised edition of the 1960s combined parts I and II into a single Volume 1, and added a new Volume 3 which covered Grouping to Nationalisation. The pagination is very different between the editions, even for Volume 2. Most of the B&E history is in vol. 2, but there is inevitably some mention in vol. 1. -- Red rose64 &#x1f339; (talk) 20:16, 13 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Thanks - no rush. I have (from the library) the 1927 Vol 1 - as I thought that was what was being referred to in the article (the library can not provide Vol II (1931)). I did the Semmens one & User:Geof Sheppard has done some of the others, but page numbers are still needed for Owen 1985, Sekon 2012, Nicholas & Reeve 2008 & Maggs 1982 (which I have ordered from the library) in addition to the MacDermot ones. Any help appreciated.&mdash; Rod talk 20:24, 13 January 2018 (UTC)

Devil's Bridge
Has anyone got a reliable source for the construction of the Devil's Bridge; specifically, who designed it? NHLE says that 'I K Brunel was engineer to the company'; this article says 'William Gravatt was resident engineer' for that section. Which one would have designed it? I assume no third party would have been allowed to.--Verbarson (talk) 20:30, 19 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the company's engineer during construction and would have overseen all the design work so is regarded as the designer. Gravatt would have ensured that the contractors built the bridge to the drawings issued by Brunel's office. Brunel needed to employ resident engineers to oversee the actual work on the ground - he was also building the Great Western Railway and other lines at the same time and couldn't be everywhere at once. Geof Sheppard (talk) 16:11, 20 September 2021 (UTC)


 * Thanks. I'll leave it in the Brunel template then. I've also added it to List of railway bridges and viaducts in the United Kingdom--Verbarson (talk) 17:23, 20 September 2021 (UTC)