The line, which had a network of approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) of track, connected the Floating Harbour to the GWR mainline at Bristol Temple Meads.

The route required a tunnel under St Mary Redcliffe church and a steam-powered bascule bridge across the entrance locks at Bathurst Basin.

[1] In 1906 another authorised extension created new branches from the south via the Ashton Swing Bridge to Canons Marsh on the north side of the Floating Harbour and to Wapping via a line alongside the New Cut.

The branch from the Portishead line and Wapping marshalling yard to the Western Fuel Company continued remained open for commercial coal traffic for another 20 years.

], the track and platform at Butterfly Junction (by the CREATE Centre) was removed due to work on the Bristol MetroBus system.

The route to the CREATE Centre was further curtailed in December by severe subsidence that closed that section of the line and the adjacent Chocolate Path.

[4] Since the collapse, trains from the M Shed now travel a significantly shorter route that follows Museum Street, ending at a platform near to the SS Great Britain.

Seabank Gas Works (Avonmouth) shunter The steam locomotives were formerly part of the aborted preservation scheme at Radstock North.