History
Adlestrop station was opened on 4 June 1853 by the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OW&W) as part of the 40 mi (64 km) section of the Cotswold Line from Wolvercot Junction to Evesham. The line was originally mixed gauge single track throughout with a narrow gauge passing loop at Charlbury. The line through Adlestrop was dualled on 2 August 1858, after the sections between Wolvercot - Handborough and Handborough to Charlbury were respectively doubled on 18 November 1853 and 1 August 1854. The station had a broad gauge passing loop, but the only broad gauge train to use it was the inspection special, two days before opening. Adlestrop served the rural villages of Oddington and Adlestrop, for which Adlestrop House was the major feature.
Facilities for goods traffic were on the 'up' side: a 100 ft (30 m) loading bank which could hold four wagons, a 65 ft (20 m) goods shed with a 30 long cwt (1,500 kg) crane where a further three wagons could be held, with capacity for a further thirteen on the Worcester side of the shed. A signal box was added in 1907, which controlled access to the goods shed as well as to the refuge siding on the 'down' side which held 46 wagons. A 5-ton weighbridge was located on the 'up' side near the goods shed and main station building; this was replaced in 1938 by a 10-ton model which cost £160 (£10 thousand as of 2013). The down platform was 396 ft (121 m) long, while the up platform was shorter at 270 ft (82 m). The main station building was timber-built and originally designed by Brunel, with the construction being completed by John Fowler.
On 1 January 1860 the OW&W became part of the West Midland Railway which, on 1 August 1863, was absorbed by the Great Western Railway. It then passed on to the Western Region of British Railways after nationalisation in 1948. British Railways closed Adlestrop to goods traffic on 26 August 1963 and to passenger traffic on 3 January 1966. The signal box closed on 27 April 1964 and the sidings were made redundant.
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingham |
Great Western Railway |
Moreton-in-Marsh |
||
Read more about this topic: Adlestrop Railway Station
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