Station Name: SROCKCROSS & BAGNOR
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Date opened: | 4.4.1898 |
Location: | North side of Snake Lane |
Company on opening: | Lambourn Valley Railway |
Date closed to passengers: | 4.1.1960 |
Date closed completely: | 4.1.1960 - the halt was used for transportation of horses after this date. |
Company on closing: | British Railways (Western Region) |
Present state: | The platform is still extant with some rotting of the timbers. The access path from Snake Lane can still be seen. |
County: | Berkshire |
OS Grid Ref: | SU457682 |
Date of visit: | February 1969 and 21.2.2006 |
Notes: The original station here at Speen, consisted of a 9" high platform this was ultimately raised to standard height with the addition of two, twenty five foot ramps. The traditional Great Western iron shelter was added around 1910. Like all of the intermediate stations on the Lambourn branch the platform was topped with cinders and fine gravel while it's leading edge was built of sleepers. Rails sunk vertically into the ground supported the entire structure throughout its length. Access to the station was marked by a single parking space, a gate and a small sign. From here a cinder and gravel path led up to the platform a climb of 210 ft before reaching rail level. The station was unmanned after 1905 with staff being dispatched from either Boxford or Speen stations as required. In later years the Speen porter was responsible. The station was officially redesignated as a halt in 1934 Goods traffic was very light, primarily, small quantities of milk and farm produce. Small parcels were delivered free by the porter to the area served by the station. Larger items would be left at Newbury to await delivery by carrier. The station was used by race horse traffic from nearby Marsh
Benham stud. A horse-box would be ordered by Lambourn for
attachment to the appropriate train. On arrival at the station,
The horses were held on the cinder pathway until the train
had stopped, before being led up to the horse box and loaded
accordingly. After closure in 1960 the station was retained
for the transportation of horses. This might indicate why
the platform was retained after others south of Welford Park
were demolished in the 1960's Lack of finance delayed the construction of the line and by July 1889 only the first 4 ½ miles was ready for track laying. By June 1890 9 miles of permanent way and been laid buLambourn Valley Railwayt the contractor was unable to complete the line and further work was halted. At the end of 1893 a further Bill was obtained giving the LVR a further 4 years to complete the line but work didn't restart until January 1897 and the line was not ready until the spring of 1898 with a private opening on 2nd April. The line was operated and maintained by the GWR under an Act of 1895 with 5 daily trains and an additional late evening train on Sunday. The line was initially single track throughout with no signaling and only one engine in steam. Station platforms were all nine inches high and with the exception of Welford Park, sited on the west side of the line. In January 1904 the GWR expressed an interest in buying the line and a year later the LVR board approved and amalgamation which took place on 2nd July that year. Plans were immediately drawn up to improve the line; these included a new halt at Newbury West Fields which opened in 1907 and the rebuilding of Lambourn Station with new buildings and a standard height platform. Eventually all the platforms on the branch were replaced; most stations were provided with a siding and passing loops were added at Boxford, Welford Park, Great Shefford and East Garston. The branch was worked by steam railmotors and locomotive hauled trains. By the mid 1930's, passenger numbers were dropping due to competition from local bus services and in an attempt to win back passengers and save costs and experimental diesel railcar was tried out on the line in late 1936. This proved successful and a rail car was specifically built for use on the branch and once again the line began to make a small profit. By nationalisation in 1946 the railway was in good order with a well used and reliable service. New traffic was brought to the line in the early 1950's, when a three mile branch was built from Welford Park to the American air base at RAF Welford. It was hoped that this would ensure the survival of both passenger and freight traffic but in 1959 British Railways announce closure of the line to passenger traffic and this took place on 4.1.1960. Freight traffic continued as far as Welford Park but the remaining track to Lambourn was lifted in about 1962. Freight traffic was withdrawn from Boxford and Welford Park in 1965 but the line was retrained to serve the American air base being leased by the Ministry of Defence from 1.7.1967. The MOD provided its own locomotive from 1.1.1972 but this was short lived with the last recorded military use of the line on 7.8.1972. The last public train ran on 3.11.1973 when a 3-car DMU ran four return trips from Newbury - Welford Park carrying 1997 passengers. Despite proposals to reopen the line as a steam railway then track was finally lifted in late 1976 Further reading: The Lambourn Valley Railway by MRC Price
1964/1976 Oakwood Press Other web sites: The Lambourn Valley Railway 1898 - 1973. Excellent web site with a large number of archive photographs of all the stations on the branch and pictures of the branch to RAF Welford.. To see the other stations on the Lambourn Valley Railway click on the station name: Newbury, Newbury West Fields Halt, Speen, Boxford, Welford Park, Great Shefford, East Garston, Eastbury Halt & Lambourn |
Last updated: Friday, 26-May-2017 11:04:29 CEST |
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