Lost stations and halts
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Based on maps published by Ordnance Survey Office in 1953/1967
Whilst preparing the display banners for use during the 175th anniversary celebrations in 2019, our researches into the history of the Didcot to Oxford railway revealed that at one time Oxford and its suburbs was home to a number of railway halts and stations that had long disappeared. This background, whilst interesting, did not fall within the overall scope of either the early history of the line or that of Culham Station itself and so was put to one side for a while. We decided that it was time to revisit and expand on what we found, and this page is the result.
The lost stations of Abingdon Junction and Abingdon are not featured here as they are covered in greater detail on the page describing the history of the Abingdon Branch which can be found by following the appropriate item under the 'Some bits of history' option under the 'ABOUT/Culham Station' menu tab.
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Click or tap on the overview map to see an enlarged version.
~~ O.S. maps reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland ~~
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Why so many Halts?
In an attempt to boost local traffic and combat the emerging threat brought about by bus companies, both the Great Western Railway and the London & North Western Railway introduced steam railmotors to provide a service between local stations and a series of specially built halts. These unmanned halts were rather sparse, having little or no shelter for passengers and sometimes the wooden platforms would not be raised above ground level. Neither were they always particularly well located to attract the hoped for passengers.
A GWR railmotor, unknown location
Courtesy of the Great Western Trust
In its edition from March 1908, the Great Western Railway Magazine reported the start of GWR railmotor services in the Oxford area. 'Oxford District Motor Services. - Commencing February 1st, a service of rail motor cars was established in the Oxford district augmenting the train service, and new halts were opened at Wolvercot, between Oxford and Kidlington, and also at Hinksey, Abingdon Road, Iffley, Grsington Bridge and Horspath, between Oxford and Wheatley. Two cars are employed on the services, and are run to and from Kidlington, Blenhein, Bletchington and Heyford in the Northern direction, one trip to Shipton, on the West Midland section, and several trips on the Wycombe branch as far as Wheatley, Thame, and Princes Risborough. A late car is also run on Saturdays from Oxford to Blenheim and back.'
Postcard of a G.W.R. Steam Rail Motor Carriage No.1
Published by W.Bird, author's collection
Postcard showing an L&NWR railmotor at Bicester Town
Published by the L&NWR, author's collection
Postcard of a G.W.R. Steam Rail Motor Carriage No.1
Published by W.Bird, author's collection
Postcard showing an L&NWR railmotor at Bicester Town
Published by the L&NWR, author's collection
The railmotors for the two companies were very similar in appearance, both being powered by what was essentially a small four-coupled vertical boilered steam locomotive built into one end of a specially designed carriage. There was a driving postion at each end so the unit never had to be turned at the end of a journey. The most obvious difference between the two designs was that the GWR railmotor had outside valve motion, whereas that of the L&NWR version was not visible
L&NWR Steam Rail Motor Coach
Running on the Oxford & Cambridge Branches, North Wales etc.
Published by the L&NWR
Author's collection. As well as the driver, there would be a fireman who had to work in the confined space near the hot boiler. A guard also travelled in the passenger compartment and they were responsible for the sale of tickets to those passengers boarding at the halts. In our collection we have an example of one of these special tickets used on the railmotor service on the Watlinghton branch
Shown approximately full size.
Use of these railmotors was confined to a few years starting in about 1905 and finishing around 1915. Rather lacking in power, the railmotors generally operated by themselves, or sometimes with just a single coach or goods van attached.
In 1912, the May edition of the Great Western Railway Magazine carried this undated photograph of a steam railmotor from both companies together at Oxford as a filler on one of its pages. The caption reads 'G.W.and L. & N.W. Rail Motor Cars at Oxford. By a coincidence Engineman Davies (G.W.R.) is a son of the L. & N.W.R. engineman.'.
Later innovations included the successful GWR diesel railcars
Early streamlined GWR diesel railcar
Senior Service cigarette card
no 41 of 48 in the British Railways series
Author's collection and a cutting edge experimental LMS diesel train
LMS diesel train
Senior Service cigarette card
no 12 of 48 in the British Railways series
Author's collection with articulated coaches and pneumatic doors, which operated on the Oxford Rewley Road to Cambridge route in the 1930s. Also during the very early 1930s several experimental railcars were demonstrated on various lines around the country. One such was the Micheline petrol engined railcar
Micheline petrol engined railcar at Oxford
Believed taken by H.C.Casserley on 19.3.32
Author's collection , sometimes spelt, as seen on the board above the windows, without the 'e'. This rather diminutive articulated railcar ran on special pneumatic tyres and could only carry 24 passengers with two crew. It was tested for a short time between Oxford and Bletchley.
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