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Lambourn Valley Railway

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The Lambourn Valley Railway (LVR) was a minor branch railway line running from the town of Newbury, Berkshire north-west to the village of Lambourn. It was opened in 1898. In 1904, the locomotives were sold and two steam railmotors were hired from the Great Western Railway (GWR). The GWR took over the line in 1905.

The line closed to passenger traffic in 1960, but a section between Newbury and Welford remained open for freight traffic to RAF Welford until 1973. A special passenger service operated on 3 November 1973 between Newbury and Welford Park to give the public a final trip over the line; a nine-coach train made four runs in each direction, and unusually, a special souvenir booklet was produced.[1]

Route

At the opening, there were seven intermediate stations; after Newbury, where the GWR station was used, these stations were Speen, Stockcross, Boxford, Welford Park, West Shefford, East Garston and Eastbury, before the terminus at Lambourn.[2] The line ran from a bay platform at Newbury with a connection into the main London-bound platform, and ran parallel to the double track main line west of the station for half a mile (800 m) before veering to the north. It was single-track throughout with passing loops at several of the intermediate stations. Two of the stations were soon renamed (Stockcross becoming Stockcross & Bagbor, and West Shefford becoming Great Shefford),[3] After the GWR took over, a further station was opened at Newbury West Fields Halt,[4] between Newbury and Speen, whilst two existing stations (Stockcross & Bagnor, and Eastbury) were downgraded to halts on 9 July 1934.[5]

The connection to RAF Welford was added in the 1950s. The line north of this point was lifted in 1962.

Currently there are no plans of reopening the disused branch line for running trains since closed in 1973. Today, the old railway remains open as a track route, known as the Lambourn Valley Way.

Rolling stock

Locomotives

From the opening of the line on 4 April 1898 until the delivery of the LVR's first locomotives in late 1898, the line was worked by a locomotive loaned from the GWR. This was their no. 1384, a small 2-4-0T which they had acquired from the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway in 1883; it was built in 1876.[6]

Altogether the LVR owned three locomotives:

Although produced by two different manufacturers, the three were generally similar: they were outside cylinder 0-6-0T locomotives with 3-foot-7-inch (1,090 mm) wheels, but Eadweade was slightly larger than the others: its wheelbase was 10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m) and it weighed 24 long tons (24 t) as opposed to 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) and 23.5 long tons (23.9 t) for the other two.[8] Eahlswith and Aelfred were painted dark blue, lined out in black and white.[9] Eadweade was painted similarly, but had a copper-capped chimney and a brass safety valve cover.[10] Nameplates were brass, with red backgrounds.[11]

On 15 May 1904, the LVR hired two steam railmotors from the GWR, and the locomotives were put up for sale.[9] They were sold to the Cambrian Railways in June 1904, where Eadweade became no. 24, Ealhswith became no. 26, and Aelfred became no. 35.[8] Under the Grouping, the Cambrian became a constituent of the enlarged GWR, and so these locomotives entered GWR stock on 1 January 1922.[12] There, they became GWR nos. 819–821 in the order of their Cambrian numbers.[13] Their ultimate fate varied: 820 (ex-Ealhswith) was withdrawn by the GWR in March 1930, and sold to a Somerset colliery in March 1931, from where it was sold for scrap in early 1945.[9] 821 (ex-Aelfred) was withdrawn by the GWR in October 1932, sold to a Glamorgan colliery in May 1933;[9] after working for another colliery, it was scrapped in 1942.[2] No. 819 (ex-Eadweade) remained on the GWR, being withdrawn in March or April 1946,[9][13] being scrapped in 1947.[2]

The two hired steam railmotors were GWR nos. 1 & 2,[14] which had been built in October 1903[15] for £3477-4-0d (£Error when using {{Inflation}}: |end_year=2,024 (parameter 4) is greater than the latest available year (2,023) in index "UK". as of 2024[16]) for the pair;[17] the LVR hired them for £420 (£Error when using {{Inflation}}: |end_year=2,024 (parameter 4) is greater than the latest available year (2,023) in index "UK". as of 2024[16]) per year, again for the pair.[14] They had an axle loading of 12 long tons (12.19 t), and since the line had been designed for a maximum axle load of 8 long tons (8.13 t), the bridges needed to be inspected with both railmotors upon them before they could be approved for use.[14] When they were temporarily returned to the GWR for maintenance between October/November 1904 and January/February 1905, their replacements were nos. 19 & 21,[14] which had been built in July/June 1904.[18] In July 1905, one of the railmotors covered a duty which on Mondays to Saturdays began at 07:45 and ended at 19:52, covering 125 miles (201 km); it was supplemented on Thursdays and Saturdays by the other which began at 12:40 and finished work at 17:11, covering 52 miles (84 km). On Sundays just one railmotor was required, between 10:00 and 14:00.[19] The highest speed attained by the railmotors was 23.1 miles per hour (37.2 km/h), with an average speed of 22.2 miles per hour (35.7 km/h). One railmotor could handle a tail load having not more than 28 wheels.[20] After the GWR took over the line on 1 July 1905, the two railmotors remained a few weeks more, but were replaced by normal GWR locomotives and coaches from August/September 1905.[14]

The GWR used, at various times, steam railmotors, diesel railcars and an ex-M&SWJR 2-4-0.

Coaches

For the opening of the line, four coaches were bought from Brown, Marshall & Co of Birmingham; they were paid for by Col. Archer Houblon, who sold them on to the LVR on a hire purchase basis. Two were composites, each carrying 8 first-class and 24 second-class passengers, as well as some luggage space; the other two seated 32 second-class. They had four wheels, and were 21 feet 7 inches (6.58 m) long, measured over the body. The body livery was plain wood, with gold lettering shaded red and black.[21]

Wagons

Originally there were eighteen goods wagons; a brake van was acquired by April 1899. All of these were second-hand purchases. The livery for twelve of the wagons was dark brown, whilst six were slate grey.[22]

On 24 November 1904, the remainder of the railway's rolling stock was sold by auction at the GWR's yard in Swindon. At this time, there were four composite coaches, a passenger van, fifteen goods wagons and a goods brake van. One of the coaches was bought by the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway, and the other three went to the West Sussex Railway.[2]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Robertson & Simmonds 1984, p. 132.
  2. ^ a b c d Robertson & Simmonds 1984, p. 146.
  3. ^ Butt 1995, pp. 109, 220, 246.
  4. ^ Butt 1995, p. 168.
  5. ^ Butt 1995, pp. 87, 220.
  6. ^ Reed 1956, pp. C78–C79, C91.
  7. ^ a b c Davies et al. 1966, pp. K74, K75.
  8. ^ a b Davies et al. 1966, p. K74.
  9. ^ a b c d e Reed 1956, p. C91.
  10. ^ Robertson & Simmonds 1984, pp. 144.
  11. ^ Robertson & Simmonds 1984, p. 143.
  12. ^ Davies et al. 1966, p. K53.
  13. ^ a b Davies et al. 1966, p. K75.
  14. ^ a b c d e Lewis 2004, p. 105.
  15. ^ Lewis 2004, p. 106.
  16. ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  17. ^ Lewis 2004, p. 97.
  18. ^ Lewis 2004, p. 125.
  19. ^ Lewis 2004, p. 87.
  20. ^ Lewis 2004, p. 88.
  21. ^ Robertson & Simmonds 1984, pp. 144–5.
  22. ^ Robertson & Simmonds 1984, p. 145.

References

  • Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Davies, F.K.; Firth, J.M.; Lucking, J.H.; Thomas, R.E.; Allcock, N.J.; Sterndale, A.C.; Barrie, D.S.M.; Reed, P.J.T.; Mountford, E.R. (1966). White, D.E. (ed.). Part 10: Absorbed Engines, 1922-1947. The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway. RCTS. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Lewis, John (2004). Great Western Steam Railmotors and their services. Didcot: Wild Swan. ISBN 1-874103-96-8. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Reed, P.J.T. (1956). White, D.E. (ed.). Part 3: Absorbed Engines, 1854-1921. The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway. Kenilworth: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-33-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Robertson, Kevin; Simmonds, Roger (1984). An Illustrated History of the Lambourn Branch. Bucklebury: Wild Swan. ISBN 0-906867-24-X. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Further reading

  • Price, M. R. C. (1964) The Lambourn Valley Railway. The Oakwood Press. Locomotion papers number 32. 22pp.
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