fbpx
Wikipedia

Wantage Tramway

The Wantage Tramway Company was a two-mile tramway that carried passengers and freight between the Oxfordshire town of Wantage and Wantage Road Station on the Great Western Main Line in England. Formed in 1873 to link Wantage Road station with its terminus at Mill Street, Wantage the line was cheaply built[1] parallel to what was then the Besselsleigh Turnpike, and now the A338. The tramway closed to passengers in 1925 and to goods traffic in 1945.

Wantage Tramway
Centenary celebrations
Operation
LocaleWantage
Open1875
Close1925 (passengers)
1945 (goods)
StatusClosed
Infrastructure
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Propulsion system(s)Steam
Depot(s)Mill Street
Statistics
Route lengthApproximately 2+12 miles (4 km)
Wantage Tramway
 Swindon – Didcot 
Wantage Road
Passenger siding
Goods yard
Oxford Lane Halt
Gypsy Lane loop
Grove Hill Halt
loop
Wantage lower yard
Wantage

Opening edit

The line was opened for goods on 1 October 1875, and to passengers on 11 October.[2] The tramway junction was to the east of Wantage Road station; interchange passengers walked under the bridge to reach the tramway yard, where the westernmost siding (parallel to the road) was reserved for passenger tramcars.[2][3]

Rolling stock edit

Built as a standard gauge line,[4] and first run using horse drawn rolling stock,[5] the line became the first to adopt mechanical traction when a steam-powered tramcar, designed by John Grantham, was tried out in the summer of 1875,[6] entering regular service from 1 August 1876.[7] In November that year the first steam locomotive arrived for trials,[8] and the line was converted to steam traction in the late 1870s.

Locomotives
Number Description Notes
1 John Grantham steam tramcar -
2 Merryweather & Sons tram engine -
3 Details unknown -
4 Henry Hughes tram engine -
5 George England and Co. 0-4-0WT ex-London and North Western Railway; previously with the Sandy and Potton Railway
6 James Matthews patent tram engine -
7 Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST ex-Manchester Ship Canal contract
Wantage Tramway Co.
 
Head office building in Mill Street
 
Blue plaque on the building

Two Mekarski system compressed air trams were tried out in 1880 but were not a success as the fuel consumption was much higher than for steam locomotives. Several other steam locomotives were used for short periods, including GWR no. 1329 Raven (Avonside Engine Company 0-4-0ST 1052/1874), GWR no. 1359 Wye (Fletcher, Jennings & Co. 0-4-0T 153/1876) and ex-Royal Arsenal Railway Driver (Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST 515/1875).[9]

Operation edit

For most of its operation the line was well used and profitable but the advent of popular road transport saw a steady decline in passengers and freight.[1] The tramway closed to passengers on 1 August 1925, and to goods on 22 December 1945.[2][10]

The line remained independent throughout its existence, and its range of unusual and often outdated equipment attracted attention from railway historians. It ultimately closed after the track was damaged by heavy lorries during the Second World War, by which time repair would have been unaffordable.

Preservation edit

 
Locomotive No 5 'Shannon'

WTC Locomotive No 5 known on the tramway as 'Jane' but more recently named 'Shannon' and formerly of the Sandy and Potton Railway in Bedfordshire, survives and can be found at the Great Western Society's Railway Centre at Didcot in Oxfordshire.

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Atterbury, P. (2006). Branch Line Britain. Marlborough: David and Charles. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-7153-2416-5.
  2. ^ a b c Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2003). Branch Line to Wantage - The Wantage Tramway. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-904474-25-X.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (July 2002). "X. Wantage Road". Didcot to Swindon. Western Main Lines. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-84-2.
  4. ^ Wilkinson, Reg (1995) [1976]. The Wantage Tramway (2nd ed.). Headington: Oakwood Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-85361-436-9. Locomotion Papers LP92.
  5. ^ Wilkinson 1995, p. 9
  6. ^ Wilkinson 1995, p. 17
  7. ^ Wilkinson 1995, p. 20
  8. ^ Wilkinson 1995, p. 21
  9. ^ Wilkinson 1995, pp21-47
  10. ^ Wantage Museum

51°36′45″N 1°24′45″W / 51.612538°N 1.412487°W / 51.612538; -1.412487

wantage, tramway, company, mile, tramway, that, carried, passengers, freight, between, oxfordshire, town, wantage, wantage, road, station, great, western, main, line, england, formed, 1873, link, wantage, road, station, with, terminus, mill, street, wantage, l. The Wantage Tramway Company was a two mile tramway that carried passengers and freight between the Oxfordshire town of Wantage and Wantage Road Station on the Great Western Main Line in England Formed in 1873 to link Wantage Road station with its terminus at Mill Street Wantage the line was cheaply built 1 parallel to what was then the Besselsleigh Turnpike and now the A338 The tramway closed to passengers in 1925 and to goods traffic in 1945 Wantage TramwayCentenary celebrationsOperationLocaleWantageOpen1875Close1925 passengers 1945 goods StatusClosedInfrastructureTrack gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in Propulsion system s SteamDepot s Mill StreetStatisticsRoute lengthApproximately 2 1 2 miles 4 km vteWantage Tramway Legend Great Western Main Line Swindon Didcot Wantage Road Passenger siding Goods yard Oxford Lane Halt Gypsy Lane loop Grove Hill Halt Wilts amp Berks Canal loop Wantage lower yard Wantage Contents 1 Opening 2 Rolling stock 3 Operation 4 Preservation 5 NotesOpening editThe line was opened for goods on 1 October 1875 and to passengers on 11 October 2 The tramway junction was to the east of Wantage Road station interchange passengers walked under the bridge to reach the tramway yard where the westernmost siding parallel to the road was reserved for passenger tramcars 2 3 Rolling stock editBuilt as a standard gauge line 4 and first run using horse drawn rolling stock 5 the line became the first to adopt mechanical traction when a steam powered tramcar designed by John Grantham was tried out in the summer of 1875 6 entering regular service from 1 August 1876 7 In November that year the first steam locomotive arrived for trials 8 and the line was converted to steam traction in the late 1870s Locomotives Number Description Notes 1 John Grantham steam tramcar 2 Merryweather amp Sons tram engine 3 Details unknown 4 Henry Hughes tram engine 5 George England and Co 0 4 0WT ex London and North Western Railway previously with the Sandy and Potton Railway 6 James Matthews patent tram engine 7 Manning Wardle 0 4 0ST ex Manchester Ship Canal contract Wantage Tramway Co nbsp Head office building in Mill Street nbsp Blue plaque on the building Two Mekarski system compressed air trams were tried out in 1880 but were not a success as the fuel consumption was much higher than for steam locomotives Several other steam locomotives were used for short periods including GWR no 1329 Raven Avonside Engine Company 0 4 0ST 1052 1874 GWR no 1359 Wye Fletcher Jennings amp Co 0 4 0T 153 1876 and ex Royal Arsenal Railway Driver Manning Wardle 0 4 0ST 515 1875 9 Operation editFor most of its operation the line was well used and profitable but the advent of popular road transport saw a steady decline in passengers and freight 1 The tramway closed to passengers on 1 August 1925 and to goods on 22 December 1945 2 10 The line remained independent throughout its existence and its range of unusual and often outdated equipment attracted attention from railway historians It ultimately closed after the track was damaged by heavy lorries during the Second World War by which time repair would have been unaffordable Preservation edit nbsp Locomotive No 5 Shannon WTC Locomotive No 5 known on the tramway as Jane but more recently named Shannon and formerly of the Sandy and Potton Railway in Bedfordshire survives and can be found at the Great Western Society s Railway Centre at Didcot in Oxfordshire Notes edit a b Atterbury P 2006 Branch Line Britain Marlborough David and Charles p 126 ISBN 978 0 7153 2416 5 a b c Mitchell Vic Smith Keith 2003 Branch Line to Wantage The Wantage Tramway Midhurst Middleton Press ISBN 1 904474 25 X Mitchell Vic Smith Keith July 2002 X Wantage Road Didcot to Swindon Western Main Lines Midhurst Middleton Press ISBN 1 901706 84 2 Wilkinson Reg 1995 1976 The Wantage Tramway 2nd ed Headington Oakwood Press p 11 ISBN 0 85361 436 9 Locomotion Papers LP92 Wilkinson 1995 p 9 Wilkinson 1995 p 17 Wilkinson 1995 p 20 Wilkinson 1995 p 21 Wilkinson 1995 pp21 47 Wantage Museum 51 36 45 N 1 24 45 W 51 612538 N 1 412487 W 51 612538 1 412487 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wantage Tramway amp oldid 1097251564, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.