[Source: Darren Kitson]
Moreton-in-Marsh Station: Gallery 3
October 1951 - c1950s old23.jpg) Looking north along the Down platform in October 1951. At this time the Shipston-on-Stour branch was still in operation but had long since been goods only. On the left, what appears to be mail bags wait on a platform trolley, this being once a very common sight at staffed railway stations.
 Looking north from the Down platform in October 1951. The grounded body of a Full Brake is partially visible at extreme left. In the 1930s a corrugated iron hut had stood on this spot but by British Railways days the grounded body had appeared. The Up side wooden waiting room stands on the right; in typical island platform style it was double sided as until 1929 it also served waiting passengers, if any, for the Shipston-on-Stour branch.
Photo from Jim Lake collection 
In October 1951 Castle Class 4-6-0 No. 5063 ‘Earl Baldwin’ arrives with an Up passenger train. This locomotive began life in June 1937 as Thornbury Castle but was renamed the following month. She was one of a batch, nos. 5043 - 5063, to be renamed from Castles to Earls and the Thornbury Castle name was to reappear on BR-built No. 7027 in 1949. No. 7027 was destined to survive the famous Barry Scrapyard but at the time of writing was unrestored and it appears she will become a parts donor for other projects. No. 5063 on the other hand was withdrawn in February 1965 and did not escape the scrap man who in this case was John Cashmore Ltd. at their Great Bridge yard at Tipton, near Dudley. The frame visible on the smokebox of No. 5063 held a three-digit train identification system introduced in 1934 predominantly to aid identification of the summer express passenger trains to/from the West Country. The system survived well into the British Railways period and could also be seen on certain early examples of the Western Region's diesel-hydraulic locomotives. Back at Moreton-in-Marsh, beneath the footbridge can be seen the mysterious object resembling a Wickham trolley. At far right an elderly four-wheel carriage is in use as what appears to be a mess van.
Photo
by PJ Garland
old29.jpg)
Facing south along the Down platform on the 31 August 1952 on the occasion of the Stephenson Locomotive Society "Shipston Branch Tour". The railtour has just arrived from Oxford and it was not possible to access the Shipston-on-Stour branch directly from the Down Main line. The train will therefore reverse via the crossover at the south end of the station to reach the Up Main line before executing another reversal to reach the Shipston-on-Stour platform at far left.
Photo by HC Casserley old30.jpg) Facing north along the Up line on the 31 August 1952. On the occasion of the Stephenson Locomotive Society "Shipston Branch Tour", which explains the suspiciously enthusiast looking group of people on the right. As can be seen and as mentioned elsewhere, 1952 was the year of transition from gas lighting, left, and electric lighting, right. On completion of this work, British Railways Western Region 'totem' nameplates were installed but at the time of writing no photographs clearly showing totems had come to light.
Photo by HC Casserley old12.jpg) The Stephenson Locomotive Society's Shipston Branch Tour of the 31st of August 1952 waits at Moreton-in-Marsh while the locomotive takes on water; tour participants, in typical attire of the time, adjust their cameras and generally peruse the proceedings. The locomotive, 2-4-0 No. 1335, was one of a class of three built by Dübs & Co. in 1894 for the Midland & South Western Junction Railway, becoming that companies Nos. 10, 11 and 12. On takeover by the GWR they became Nos. 1334 - 6 and all survived into British Railways ownership. No. 1335 had been placed into store at Swindon but was steamed again for the SLS railtour. She was withdrawn the following month along with No. 1334, while the survivor, No. 1336, lasted until March 1954. The railtour train comprised four ex-GWR Collett coaches. Sharp-eyed readers may notice the mineral wagon adjacent to the locomotive is numbered MoT 36713. In 1939 the Ministry of Transport requisitioned good wagons imperative for the war effort and numbered them with MoT prefixes. Many remaining so-prefixed for many years following the war as in this instance. The Ministry of Transport became The Ministry of War Transport in 1941, reverting to Ministry of Transport in 1946. A number of other changes to title followed over the years and today it is the Department for Transport but the MoT initials linger on with the MoT Test for road motor vehicles. When cattle wagons still existed they were sometimes used, cleaned of course, for the transport of fruit and vegetables. When used thus they were covered with a tarpaulin to keep inclement weather at bay. Why the ventilated van trying to hide behind the locomotive is covered by a tarpaulin is, however, a mystery.
Photo by Geoffrey Head old13.jpg)
The SLS railtour has returned, locomotive tender first, to Moreton following its trip along the Shipston-on-Stour branch. Quite why it was necessary to top up the water tank, it having been done on the outward journey, is not clear but one might assume there was problem with leaks. Some four and half years after Nationalisation, the locomotive's tender still bears the GWR initials. Even in 1952 it was not uncommon on all regions of BR to see extant lettering of the relevant Pre-Nationalisation company, albeit mainly on the less important classes of locomotive. In the left background an electric lamp on a precast concrete post is visible while on the left a gas lamp, apparently complete, is still in situ. Note the fencing down the centre of the platform, the branch side having long since gone out of regular passenger use. A brazier is also present, its purpose being to prevent freezing of the water crane but it is unlikely to have been needed during August.
Photo by Geoffrey Head old14.jpg)
Again on the 31st of August 1952 the "Shipston Branch Railtour" has arrived back at Moreton-in-Marsh. Showing off her express passenger lamps, No. 1335 takes on water, such a facility at Shipston-on-Stour having long since been abolished. The location is the east face of the island platform, the Shipston branch platform, which was actually part of the Up side goods yard hence the wagons on the right. Unlike on the outward part of the tour which necessitated reversals, the train will depart for Oxford directly. This railtour and its locomotive is further seen and described in the Shipston-on-Stour pages.
Photo by Geoffrey Head old7.jpg)
Moreton-in-Marsh station, facing Oxford, on 31 August 1952 The train on the left is the Stephenson Locomotive Society's Shipston Branch Tour. It can be seen that the nearest end of the carriage is away from the platform edge, this being the point along the platform where the Shipston line branched off. This oddity probably came about through a lengthening of the island platform at some point in time, the track alongside the platform continuing as a siding serving the creamery. The running-in board announces to passengers only, of course, that they are at Moreton-in-Marsh. The goods shed can be seen on the right and with some wagons present and by this time the shed had only a few more years to survive. The platform is now illuminated by electricity via precast concrete posts but a post from one of the former ornate gas lamps remains in situ alongside. The frame on the left is for climbing plants and was a feature of the station for many years. Surprisingly, given that the photograph was taken during August, there is no flora present to delight waiting passengers.
Photo from John Mann collection old6.jpg) Another view from the 31st of August 1952, the occasion of the "Shipston Branch Railtour". It is probably the locomotive, 2-4-0 No. 1335, of the railtour just visible at far right. The train had come from Oxford and paused at Moreton-in-Marsh for about twelve minutes before continuing with the slow, very slow in fact, trundle to Shipston-on-Stour which took well over one hour. Much of the twelve minutes would have been taken up by the necessary reversals to gain the branch from the Oxford direction so the manoeuvre must have been undertaken quite smartly if the passengers had time to wander around on the platform.Copyright photo from John Alsop collection
 Looking from the branch platform towards Todenham Road level crossing, keeper's cottage in the centre background, on an unknown date after 1952. The signal which had stood to the right just north of the footbridge over the ditch (behind the lefthand of the two bufferstops) has now gone but it was still there in 1952 according to a signal box diagram of that year. Also present beside the aforementioned footbndge is one of the enamel trespass warning notices which were common on, but not unique to, the Shipston-on-stour branch. The planked foot crossing of the track can also be seen; the public footpath continued over the station footbridge, left, and is the reason why the bridge had flights of steps on both its north and south sides. Provision for the footpath has been incorporated into today's modern step-free station footbridge.
Photo from Eric Gates collection old22.jpg) The station forecourt and building sometime in the British Railways period and facing north-east. It would appear the entrance previously had a canopy which was subsequently enclosed. Today the enclosure has gone but a rather crude canopy, which is not that seen here, provides some shelter. The building is now minus chimney stacks but is otherwise little altered. Today a cycle rack stands at far right, a ticket machine stands to the right of the entrance and of course the modern footbridge has replaced that seen here.
Photo from John Mann collection  On an apparently miserable winter day ex GWR 4300 Class Mogul No. 6349 pauses at Moreton-in-Marsh with an Up local service. She appears to be carrying an 84F shed plate (Stourbridge Junction) which would date this photograph to the period between November 1957 and December 1960. Certainly it is no earlier than June 1957 as she is fitted with outside steam pipes, this modification occurring at that time. Withdrawal came in August 1964 and she did not escape the scrap man.
Photo from Henry Bryant old17.jpg) Looking north along the Up platform sometime in the British Railways period. At extreme right the Shipston-on-Stour branch, or the surviving remnant of it, can be seen curving away and at near right is the Up side water crane and its attendant brazier of the type known as 'Fire Devil'. The Fire Devil usually burned coke and its purpose was to prevent the water crane from freezing during winter. Adjacent is a cast iron urinal and one cannot help wondering if it was positioned here primarily for the benefit of locomotives crews, although these urinals normally were positioned away from platform buildings. The lamp post appears to be fitted with a BR 'totem' sign. In more recent times a not especially authentic replica was affixed to some fencing at the station. On the Down platform and adjacent to the partially painted grounded body a couple of staff members are passing the time of day. In the left background can be seen some buildings of the original horse tramway wharf while, nearer the camera, a Rover P4 can be seen in the line of parked motor cars.Photo from John Mann collection
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