816:
804:
262:
248:
552:
385:
358:
291:
889:
284:
572:
545:
526:
519:
473:
392:
322:
365:
298:
277:
497:
453:
431:
411:
338:
330:
35:
879:
The line remained independent throughout its existence, and its range of unusual and often outdated equipment attracted attention from railway historians.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.
648:
The line was opened for goods on 1 October 1875, and to passengers on 11 October. 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
875:
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. The tramway closed to passengers on 1 August 1925, and to goods on 22 December 1945.
665:, was tried out in the summer of 1875, entering regular service from 1 August 1876. In November that year the first steam locomotive arrived for trials, and the line was converted to steam traction in the late 1870s.
835:
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
26:
1163:
1096:
661:
line, and first run using horse drawn rolling stock, the line became the first to adopt mechanical traction when a steam-powered tramcar, designed by
1168:
188:
1153:
1178:
1173:
944:
1109:
1158:
1024:
999:
974:
143:
752:
181:
621:
306:
206:
853:
1148:
900:
756:
174:
845:
629:
625:
580:
252:
228:
815:
745:
704:
482:
256:
908:
857:
837:
784:
896:
8:
1020:
995:
970:
940:
899:
known on the tramway as 'Jane' but more recently named 'Shannon' and formerly of the
832:
864:
777:
731:
658:
25:
1142:
1124:
1111:
690:
662:
628:
in
England. Formed in 1873 to link Wantage Road station with its terminus at
904:
803:
821:
707:
640:. The tramway closed to passengers in 1925 and to goods traffic in 1945.
613:
91:
612:
was a two-mile tramway that carried passengers and freight between the
888:
617:
53:
912:
990:
Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (July 2002). "X. Wantage Road".
637:
34:
632:
the line was cheaply built parallel to what was then the
1019:(2nd ed.). Headington: Oakwood Press. p. 11.
994:. Western Main Lines. Midhurst: Middleton Press.
1140:
167:
939:. Marlborough: David and Charles. p. 126.
960:
958:
956:
989:
964:
182:
967:Branch Line to Wantage - The Wantage Tramway
983:
953:
930:
928:
1164:Closed railway lines in South East England
189:
175:
33:
24:
1075:
1063:
1051:
1039:
1014:
934:
925:
887:
1141:
909:Great Western Society's Railway Centre
329:
321:
1169:Railway companies established in 1873
965:Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2003).
907:, survives and can be found at the
809:Head office building in Mill Street
13:
766:James Matthews patent tram engine
14:
1190:
848:0-4-0ST 1052/1874), GWR no. 1359
814:
802:
753:London and North Western Railway
652:
570:
551:
550:
543:
524:
517:
495:
471:
451:
429:
409:
390:
384:
383:
363:
357:
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328:
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296:
289:
283:
282:
275:
260:
246:
1090:
883:
571:
544:
525:
518:
472:
391:
290:
1081:
1069:
1057:
1045:
1033:
1008:
364:
297:
276:
1:
1154:Rail transport in Oxfordshire
969:. Midhurst: Middleton Press.
496:
452:
430:
410:
337:
1179:Railway lines closed in 1945
1174:Railway lines opened in 1875
870:
854:Fletcher, Jennings & Co.
7:
10:
1195:
643:
1159:Tram transport in England
1029:. Locomotion Papers LP92.
892:Locomotive No 5 'Shannon'
579:
564:
559:
537:
533:
511:
504:
489:
480:
465:
460:
445:
438:
423:
418:
403:
399:
377:
372:
350:
345:
312:
305:
269:
244:
236:
225:
217:
142:
137:
129:
121:
90:
85:
77:
67:
59:
49:
44:
32:
23:
18:
1015:Wilkinson, Reg (1995) .
918:
901:Sandy and Potton Railway
856:0-4-0T 153/1876) and ex-
757:Sandy and Potton Railway
1087:Wilkinson 1995, pp21-47
846:Avonside Engine Company
705:Merryweather & Sons
626:Great Western Main Line
610:Wantage Tramway Company
483:Wilts & Berks Canal
229:Great Western Main Line
1125:51.612538°N 1.412487°W
935:Atterbury, P. (2006).
893:
755:; previously with the
746:George England and Co.
39:Centenary celebrations
891:
858:Royal Arsenal Railway
785:Manchester Ship Canal
634:Besselsleigh Turnpike
1130:51.612538; -1.412487
630:Mill Street, Wantage
622:Wantage Road Station
122:Propulsion system(s)
1121: /
1017:The Wantage Tramway
937:Branch Line Britain
897:WTC Locomotive No 5
867:0-4-0ST 515/1875).
796:Wantage Tramway Co.
560:Wantage lower yard
894:
992:Didcot to Swindon
946:978-0-7153-2416-5
791:
790:
606:
605:
602:
601:
419:Oxford Lane Halt
346:Passenger siding
166:
165:
162:miles (4 km)
71:1925 (passengers)
1186:
1136:
1135:
1133:
1132:
1131:
1126:
1122:
1119:
1118:
1117:
1114:
1099:
1094:
1088:
1085:
1079:
1073:
1067:
1061:
1055:
1049:
1043:
1037:
1031:
1030:
1012:
1006:
1005:
987:
981:
980:
962:
951:
950:
932:
915:in Oxfordshire.
818:
806:
720:Details unknown
673:
672:
574:
573:
554:
553:
547:
546:
528:
527:
521:
520:
499:
498:
475:
474:
461:Grove Hill Halt
455:
454:
433:
432:
413:
412:
394:
393:
387:
386:
367:
366:
360:
359:
340:
339:
332:
331:
324:
323:
300:
299:
293:
292:
286:
285:
279:
278:
264:
263:
250:
249:
215:
214:
191:
184:
177:
168:
161:
160:
156:
153:
116:
114:
113:
109:
106:
98:
37:
28:
16:
15:
1194:
1193:
1189:
1188:
1187:
1185:
1184:
1183:
1149:Wantage Tramway
1139:
1138:
1129:
1127:
1123:
1120:
1115:
1112:
1110:
1108:
1107:
1103:
1102:
1095:
1091:
1086:
1082:
1074:
1070:
1062:
1058:
1050:
1046:
1038:
1034:
1027:
1013:
1009:
1002:
988:
984:
977:
963:
954:
947:
933:
926:
921:
886:
873:
833:Mekarski system
829:
828:
827:
826:
825:
824:on the building
819:
811:
810:
807:
798:
797:
655:
646:
575:
555:
548:
529:
522:
507:
500:
485:
476:
456:
441:
440:Gypsy Lane loop
434:
414:
395:
388:
368:
361:
341:
334:
333:
326:
325:
301:
294:
287:
280:
265:
261:
247:
232:
209:
200:
199:
198:Wantage Tramway
195:
158:
154:
151:
149:
111:
107:
104:
102:
101:4 ft
100:
96:
72:
40:
19:Wantage Tramway
12:
11:
5:
1192:
1182:
1181:
1176:
1171:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1151:
1101:
1100:
1097:Wantage Museum
1089:
1080:
1076:Wilkinson 1995
1068:
1064:Wilkinson 1995
1056:
1052:Wilkinson 1995
1044:
1040:Wilkinson 1995
1032:
1025:
1007:
1000:
982:
975:
952:
945:
923:
922:
920:
917:
885:
882:
872:
869:
865:Manning Wardle
820:
813:
812:
808:
801:
800:
799:
795:
794:
793:
792:
789:
788:
781:
778:Manning Wardle
775:
771:
770:
767:
764:
760:
759:
749:
743:
739:
738:
735:
729:
725:
724:
721:
718:
714:
713:
710:
702:
698:
697:
694:
693:steam tramcar
688:
684:
683:
680:
677:
671:
670:
659:standard gauge
654:
651:
645:
642:
636:, and now the
604:
603:
600:
599:
597:
595:
593:
591:
589:
587:
584:
583:
578:
576:
569:
567:
565:
562:
561:
558:
556:
549:
542:
540:
538:
535:
534:
532:
530:
523:
516:
514:
512:
509:
508:
505:
503:
501:
494:
492:
490:
487:
486:
481:
479:
477:
470:
468:
466:
463:
462:
459:
457:
450:
448:
446:
443:
442:
439:
437:
435:
428:
426:
424:
421:
420:
417:
415:
408:
406:
404:
401:
400:
398:
396:
389:
382:
380:
378:
375:
374:
371:
369:
362:
355:
353:
351:
348:
347:
344:
342:
335:
327:
319:
318:
317:
315:
313:
310:
309:
304:
302:
295:
288:
281:
274:
272:
270:
267:
266:
245:
243:
241:
239:
237:
234:
233:
226:
224:
222:
220:
218:
211:
210:
205:
202:
201:
197:
196:
194:
193:
186:
179:
171:
164:
163:
148:Approximately
146:
140:
139:
135:
134:
131:
127:
126:
123:
119:
118:
94:
88:
87:
86:Infrastructure
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
51:
47:
46:
42:
41:
38:
30:
29:
21:
20:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1191:
1180:
1177:
1175:
1172:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1152:
1150:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1137:
1134:
1105:
1098:
1093:
1084:
1077:
1072:
1065:
1060:
1053:
1048:
1041:
1036:
1028:
1026:0-85361-436-9
1022:
1018:
1011:
1003:
1001:1-901706-84-2
997:
993:
986:
978:
976:1-904474-25-X
972:
968:
961:
959:
957:
948:
942:
938:
931:
929:
924:
916:
914:
910:
906:
902:
898:
890:
881:
877:
868:
866:
862:
859:
855:
851:
847:
843:
839:
834:
823:
817:
805:
786:
782:
779:
776:
773:
772:
768:
765:
762:
761:
758:
754:
750:
747:
744:
741:
740:
736:
733:
730:
727:
726:
722:
719:
716:
715:
711:
709:
706:
703:
700:
699:
695:
692:
691:John Grantham
689:
686:
685:
681:
678:
675:
674:
668:
667:
666:
664:
663:John Grantham
660:
653:Rolling stock
650:
641:
639:
635:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
611:
598:
596:
594:
592:
590:
588:
586:
585:
582:
577:
568:
566:
563:
557:
541:
539:
536:
531:
515:
513:
510:
502:
493:
491:
488:
484:
478:
469:
467:
464:
458:
449:
447:
444:
436:
427:
425:
422:
416:
407:
405:
402:
397:
381:
379:
376:
370:
354:
352:
349:
343:
316:
314:
311:
308:
303:
273:
271:
268:
258:
255: –
254:
242:
240:
238:
235:
231:
230:
223:
221:
219:
216:
213:
212:
208:
204:
203:
192:
187:
185:
180:
178:
173:
172:
170:
169:
147:
145:
141:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
97:1,435 mm
95:
93:
89:
84:
80:
76:
70:
66:
62:
58:
55:
52:
48:
43:
36:
31:
27:
22:
17:
1106:
1104:
1092:
1083:
1078:, p. 21
1071:
1066:, p. 20
1059:
1054:, p. 17
1047:
1035:
1016:
1010:
991:
985:
966:
936:
905:Bedfordshire
895:
884:Preservation
878:
874:
860:
849:
841:
830:
734:tram engine
732:Henry Hughes
679:Description
656:
647:
633:
609:
607:
307:Wantage Road
227:
144:Route length
73:1945 (goods)
1128: /
1042:, p. 9
822:Blue plaque
708:tram engine
669:Locomotives
657:Built as a
614:Oxfordshire
373:Goods yard
133:Mill Street
92:Track gauge
1143:Categories
1113:51°36′45″N
649:tramcars.
138:Statistics
1116:1°24′45″W
871:Operation
840:no. 1329
787:contract
45:Operation
780:0-4-0ST
748:0-4-0WT
616:town of
130:Depot(s)
115: in
676:Number
644:Opening
624:on the
618:Wantage
581:Wantage
253:Swindon
157:⁄
110:⁄
54:Wantage
1023:
998:
973:
943:
913:Didcot
861:Driver
682:Notes
259:
257:Didcot
251:
207:Legend
81:Closed
78:Status
50:Locale
919:Notes
842:Raven
125:Steam
68:Close
1021:ISBN
996:ISBN
971:ISBN
941:ISBN
831:Two
638:A338
620:and
608:The
506:loop
63:1875
60:Open
911:at
903:in
850:Wye
838:GWR
783:ex-
751:ex-
1145::
955:^
927:^
774:7
769:-
763:6
742:5
737:-
728:4
723:-
717:3
712:-
701:2
696:-
687:1
1004:.
979:.
949:.
863:(
852:(
844:(
190:e
183:t
176:v
159:2
155:1
152:+
150:2
117:)
112:2
108:1
105:+
103:8
99:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
