Challow railway station: Difference between revisions

Challow
Challow
	Challow station in 2007, with little remaining of the original station
General information
Location	West Challow, District of Vale of White Horse; England
Grid reference	SU355905
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	GWR ; Western Region of British Railways
Key dates
20 July 1840	Opened as Faringdon Road
1 June 1864	Renamed Challow
1932	Rebuilt
7 December 1964	Closed to passengers
29 March 1965	Closed to freight

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 09:41, 3 November 2024

Challow railway station is a former railway station^[2] about 2 miles (3 km) south of Stanford in the Vale on the A417 road between Wantage and Faringdon. It is named after the villages of West Challow and East Challow, which are 1.5 miles (2.4 km) and 2.5 miles (4 km) southeast of the former station.

History

When the Great Western Railway's main line was extended from Reading through the Vale of White Horse in 1840, Faringdon Road station was opened. After the Faringdon Railway between Uffington and Faringdon opened in 1864, the GWR renamed Faringdon Road "Challow" to avoid confusion.^[3]

The main station buildings and goods yard were on the up side of the line. A loading dock was provided.^[4] The line was originally double track. In 1932, the line was quadrupled between Challow and Wantage Road.^[5] The 1840-built timber station building on the up side was demolished, replaced by a new brick building. The 1873-built signal box on the down side of the line was also demolished and replaced by a new building. The down side platform was demolished and rebuilt to allow four tracks to run through the station, two fast straddled by two slow, designated Main and Relief. The station's platforms were on the slow lines, with the down platform having a "Pagoda" building, apparently for use as a waiting room.^[6]^[7] A loading dock was provided at the Uffington end of the down platform.^[4] In the goods yard, a grounded coach body served as a Methodist Church from the 1930s.^[8]^[9]

On 7 December 1964 British Railways withdrew passenger services from Challow and all other intermediate stations between Didcot and Swindon. The last passenger train ran on 5 December.^[10] The station closed to freight traffic on 29 March 1965.^[11] The signal box closed on 30 May 1965. The goods shed was demolished the next month.^[12]

Accidents and incidents

On 25 October 1840, a train overran the end of the line, due to the driver being asleep at controls.^[13]
On 4 September 1876, a postal train struck a log which was being loaded onto a wagon and was foul of the running line. The locomotive of the postal train was severely damaged, its smokebox door ending up in the goods yard.^[14]
On 1 November 1962, a freight train was derailed whilst being shunted, blocking all four lines through the station.^[15]
In late November 1962, A Hall Class locomotive and a wagon were derailed in a shunting accident.^[16]
On 21 October 2021, a passenger train operated by Class 800 diesel-electric multiple unit 800301 struck a platelayer's trolley that had been left on the line near the site of Challow Station.^[17]

The station today

Few parts of the station survive. The northern platform has almost disappeared completely and the southern platform is used by Network Rail, although no buildings remain and the buildings used by Network Rail are only small portable cabins, including a relay room. New buildings have been built around the site. The most noticeable is the builders' merchants on the site of the northern platform. One nearby public house, the Prince of Wales, was burnt down in 1999 and the site has been levelled.

Freight trains now use the relief lines from between Challow and Wantage Road to wait for High Speed Trains to overtake them.

References

^ Opening of the Faringdon Branch. Paddington: Great Western Railway (Accountants's Office). Circular A 204. 31 May 1864.
^ Vaughan, Adrian (2012). Signalman's Nightmare. Amberley Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 9781445611136.
^ Vaughan 1981, p. 57.
^ ^a ^b Vaughan 1983, Appendix 1.
^ Vaughan 1983, p. 55.
^ Robertson 2004, p. 4.
^ Vaughan 1981, Illustrations 2 & 3, between pp. 84-85.
^ Vaughan 1983, p. 56.
^ Vaughan 1983, Illustration 20, between pp. 84-85.
^ Vaughan 1983, p. 171.
^ Brooksbank, Ben (23 August 2012). "Remains of Challow station". Geograph. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
^ Vaughan 1983, p. 176.
^ MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. I (1st ed.). Paddington: Great Western Railway. p. 116.
^ "Railway Accidents". The Times. No. 28727. London. 6 September 1876. col F, p. 5.
^ Vaughan 1983, pp. 88–89.
^ Vaughan 1983, pp. 91–92.
^ "Collision between a passenger train and a hand trolley at Challow, Oxfordshire 21 October 2021" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Retrieved 19 October 2022.

Sources

Robertson, Kevin (2004) [1999]. Odd Corners of the GWR: From the Days of Steam. Stroud, Glos: Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7509-3458-1.
Vaughan, Adrian (1981). Signalman's Morning. London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-3827-0.
Vaughan, Adrian (1983). Signalman's Twilight. London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-3973-0.

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Wantage Road Line open, station closed		British Rail Western Region Great Western Main Line		Uffington Line open, station closed

51°36′44″N 1°29′19″W / 51.61222°N 1.48872°W / 51.61222; -1.48872

[1] Opening of the Faringdon Branch. Paddington: Great Western Railway (Accountants's Office). Circular A 204. 31 May 1864.

[2] Vaughan, Adrian (2012). Signalman's Nightmare. Amberley Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 9781445611136.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan198157-3] Vaughan 1981, p. 57.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan1983Appendix_1-4] Vaughan 1983, Appendix 1.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan198355-5] Vaughan 1983, p. 55.

[FOOTNOTERobertson20044-6] Robertson 2004, p. 4.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan1981Illustrations_2_&_3,_between_pp._84-85-7] Vaughan 1981, Illustrations 2 & 3, between pp. 84-85.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan198356-8] Vaughan 1983, p. 56.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan1983Illustration_20,_between_pp._84-85-9] Vaughan 1983, Illustration 20, between pp. 84-85.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan1983171-10] Vaughan 1983, p. 171.

[Brooksbank-11] Brooksbank, Ben (23 August 2012). "Remains of Challow station". Geograph. Retrieved 26 October 2017.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan1983176-12] Vaughan 1983, p. 176.

[13] MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. I (1st ed.). Paddington: Great Western Railway. p. 116.

[Times060976-14] "Railway Accidents". The Times. No. 28727. London. 6 September 1876. col F, p. 5.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan198388–89-15] Vaughan 1983, pp. 88–89.

[FOOTNOTEVaughan198391–92-16] Vaughan 1983, pp. 91–92.

[RAIBChallow-17] "Collision between a passenger train and a hand trolley at Challow, Oxfordshire 21 October 2021" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Retrieved 19 October 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Disused railway station in England}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
 {{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
-{{Infobox UK disused station
+{{Infobox station
-|name = Challow
+| name               = Challow
+| status             = Disused
-|gridref =  SU355905
-|image = [[File:Class 43 Challow stn.jpg|250px]]
+| image              = [[File:Class 43 Challow stn.jpg|250px]]
-|caption = Challow station in 2007, with little remaining of the original station
+| caption            = Challow station in 2007, with little remaining of the original station
+| borough            = [[West Challow]], [[Vale of White Horse|District of Vale of White Horse]]
-|original = [[Great Western Railway]]
+| country            = [[England]]
-|pregroup = [[Great Western Railway]]
+| grid_name          = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
-|postgroup = GWR <br> [[Western Region of British Railways]]
+| grid_position      = {{gbmapscaled|SU355905|25|SU355905}}
-|locale = [[West Challow]]
+| platforms          = 2
-|borough = [[Vale of White Horse|District of Vale of White Horse]]
+| original           = [[Great Western Railway]]
-|platforms = 2
+| pregroup           = [[Great Western Railway]]
-|years = 20 July 1840
+| postgroup          = GWR <br /> [[Western Region of British Railways]]
-|events = Opened as Faringdon Road
+| years              = 20 July 1840
-|years2 = 1864
+| events             = Opened as Faringdon Road
-|events2 = Renamed Challow
+| years2             = 1 June 1864
-|years3 = 1932
+| events2            = Renamed Challow<ref>''Opening of the Faringdon Branch.'' Paddington: Great Western Railway (Accountants's Office). Circular A 204. 31 May 1864.</ref>
-|events3 = Rebuilt
+| years3             = 1932
-|years4 = 7 December 1964
+| events3            = Rebuilt
-|events4 = Closed
+| years4             = 7 December 1964
+| events4            = Closed to passengers
+| years5             = 29 March 1965
+| events5            = Closed to freight
 }}
-'''Challow railway station''' is a former railway station about {{convert|2|mi|0}} south of [[Stanford in the Vale]] on the [[A417 road]] between [[Wantage]] and [[Faringdon]]. It is named after the villages of [[West Challow]] and [[East Challow]], which are {{convert|1.5|mi}} and {{convert|2.5|mi|0}} southeast respectively of the former station.
+'''Challow railway station''' is a former railway station<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vaughan |first=Adrian |title=Signalman's Nightmare |publisher=Amberley Publishing |year=2012 |isbn=9781445611136 |publication-date=2012 |pages=12}}</ref> about {{convert|2|mi|0}} south of [[Stanford in the Vale]] on the [[A417 road]] between [[Wantage]] and [[Faringdon]]. It is named after the villages of [[West Challow]] and [[East Challow]], which are {{convert|1.5|mi}} and {{convert|2.5|mi|0}} southeast of the former station.
 ==History==
-When the [[Great Western Railway]] extended its main line from {{rws|Reading}} through the [[Vale of White Horse]] in 1840 it opened the station as '''Faringdon Road station'''. After the [[Faringdon Railway]] between {{rws|Uffington}} and {{rws|Faringdon}} opened in 1864, the GWR renamed Faringdon Road "Challow" to avoid confusion.{{sfn|Vaughan|1981|p=57}}
+When the [[Great Western Railway]]'s main line was extended from {{rws|Reading}} through the [[Vale of White Horse]] in 1840, '''Faringdon Road station''' was opened. After the [[Faringdon Railway]] between {{rws|Uffington}} and {{rws|Faringdon}} opened in 1864, the GWR renamed Faringdon Road "Challow" to avoid confusion.{{sfn|Vaughan|1981|p=57}}
-The main station buildings and goods yard were on the up side of the line. A loading dock was provided.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|loc=Appendix 1}} The line was originally double track. In 1932, the line was quadrupled between Challow and {{rws|Wantage Road}}.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=55}} The 1840-built timber station building on the up side was demolished, replaced by a new brick building. The 1873-built [[signal box]] on the down side of the line was also demolished and replaced by a new building. The down side platform was demolished and rebuilt to allow four tracks to run through the station, two fast straddled by two slow, designated Main and Relief. The station's platforms were on the slow lines, with the down platform having a [[Pagoda Platform Shelter|"Pagoda" building]], apparently for use as a waiting room.{{sfn|Robertson|2004|p=4}}{{sfn|Vaughan|1981|loc=Illustrations 2 & 3, between pp 84-85}} A loading dock was provided at the {{rws|Uffington}} end of the down platform.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|loc=Appendix 1}} In the goods yard, a grounded coach body served as a chapel from the 1930s.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=56}}
+The main station buildings and goods yard were on the up side of the line. A loading dock was provided.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|loc=Appendix 1}} The line was originally double track. In 1932, the line was quadrupled between Challow and {{rws|Wantage Road}}.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=55}} The 1840-built timber station building on the up side was demolished, replaced by a new brick building. The 1873-built [[signal box]] on the down side of the line was also demolished and replaced by a new building. The down side platform was demolished and rebuilt to allow four tracks to run through the station, two fast straddled by two slow, designated Main and Relief. The station's platforms were on the slow lines, with the down platform having a [[Pagoda Platform Shelter|"Pagoda" building]], apparently for use as a waiting room.{{sfn|Robertson|2004|p=4}}{{sfn|Vaughan|1981|loc=Illustrations 2 & 3, between pp. 84-85}} A loading dock was provided at the {{rws|Uffington}} end of the down platform.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|loc=Appendix 1}} In the goods yard, a grounded coach body served as a [[Methodist Church of Great Britain|Methodist Church]] from the 1930s.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=56}}{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|loc=Illustration 20, between pp. 84-85}}
-On 7 December 1964 [[British Rail]]ways withdrew passenger services from Challow and all other intermediate stations between [[Didcot Parkway railway station|Didcot]] and {{rws|Swindon}}. The last passenger train ran on 5 December.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=171}} The signal box closed on 30 May 1965. The goods shed was demolished the next month.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=176}}
+On 7 December 1964 [[British Rail]]ways withdrew passenger services from Challow and all other intermediate stations between [[Didcot Parkway railway station|Didcot]] and {{rws|Swindon}}. The last passenger train ran on 5 December.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=171}} The station closed to freight traffic on 29 March 1965.<ref name=Brooksbank>{{cite web |url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3095422 |title=Remains of Challow station |first=Ben |last=Brooksbank |publisher=Geograph |date=23 August 2012 |access-date=26 October 2017}}</ref> The signal box closed on 30 May 1965. The goods shed was demolished the next month.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|p=176}}
 ==Accidents and incidents==
+*On 25 October 1840, a train overran the end of the line, due to the driver being asleep at controls.<ref>{{cite book |last=MacDermot |first=E.T. |title=History of the Great Western Railway |volume=I |publisher=[[Great Western Railway]] |place=Paddington |edition= 1st |year=1927 |page=116}}</ref>
+*On 4 September 1876, a postal train struck a log which was being loaded onto a wagon and was foul of the running line. The locomotive of the postal train was severely damaged, its smokebox door ending up in the goods yard.<ref name=Times060976>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Railway Accidents |date=6 September 1876 |page=5 |issue=28727 |column=F }}</ref>
 *On 1 November 1962, a freight train was derailed whilst being shunted, blocking all four lines through the station.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|pp=88-89}}
 *In late November 1962, A [[GWR 4900 Class|Hall Class]] locomotive and a wagon were derailed in a shunting accident.{{sfn|Vaughan|1983|pp=91-92}}
+*On 21 October 2021, a passenger train operated by [[British Rail Class 800|Class 800]] [[diesel-electric multiple unit]] 800301 struck a platelayer's trolley that had been left on the line near the site of Challow Station.<ref name=RAIBChallow>{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1111620/R112022_221013_Challow.pdf |title=Collision between a passenger train and a hand trolley at Challow, Oxfordshire 21 October 2021 |publisher=Rail Accident Investigation Branch |accessdate=19 October 2022 }}</ref>
 ==The station today==
-{{unreferenced-section|date=October 2017}}
+{{unreferenced section|date=October 2017}}
-Few parts of the station survive. The northern platform has almost disappeared completely and the southern platform is used by [[Network Rail]], although no buildings remain and the buildings used by Network Rail are only small portable cabins, including a relay room. New buildings have been built around the site. The most noticeable is the bail depot on the site of the northern platform. One nearby [[public house]], the Prince of Wales, was burnt down in 1999 and the site has been levelled.
+Few parts of the station survive. The northern platform has almost disappeared completely and the southern platform is used by [[Network Rail]], although no buildings remain and the buildings used by Network Rail are only small portable cabins, including a relay room. New buildings have been built around the site. The most noticeable is the builders' merchants on the site of the northern platform. One nearby [[public house]], the Prince of Wales, was burnt down in 1999 and the site has been levelled.
 [[Freight trains]] now use the relief lines from between Challow and Wantage Road to wait for [[British Rail Class 43 (HST)|High Speed Trains]] to overtake them.
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{reflist|20em}}
 ===Sources===
-*{{Cite book |last=Robertson |first=Kevin |year=2004 |origyear=1999 |title=Odd Corners of the GWR: From the Days of Steam |location=Stroud, Glos |publisher=Sutton Publishing Ltd |isbn=0 7509 3458 1 |ref=harv }}
+*{{Cite book |last=Robertson |first=Kevin |year=2004 |orig-year=1999 |title=Odd Corners of the GWR: From the Days of Steam |location=Stroud, Glos |publisher=Sutton Publishing Ltd |isbn=0-7509-3458-1 }}
-*{{Cite book |last=Vaughan |first=Adrian |year=1981 |title=Signalman's Morning |location=London |publisher=John Murray |isbn=0-7195-3827-0 |ref=harv }}
+*{{Cite book |last=Vaughan |first=Adrian |year=1981 |title=Signalman's Morning |location=London |publisher=John Murray |isbn=0-7195-3827-0 }}
-*{{Cite book |last=Vaughan |first=Adrian |year=1983 |title=Signalman's Twilight |location=London |publisher=John Murray |isbn=0-7195-3973-0 |ref=harv }}
+*{{Cite book |last=Vaughan |first=Adrian |year=1983 |title=Signalman's Twilight |location=London |publisher=John Murray |isbn=0-7195-3973-0 }}
 {{Historical Rail Start}}
 {{Rail line
-|previous={{rws|Wantage Road}}<br><small>Line open, station closed</small>
+|previous={{rws|Wantage Road}}<br /><small>Line open, station closed</small>
-|next={{rws|Uffington}}<br><small>Line open, station closed</small>
+|next={{rws|Uffington}}<br /><small>Line open, station closed</small>
-|route=[[Western Region of British Railways|British Rail<br>Western Region]]<br><small>[[Great Western Main Line]]</small>
+|route=[[Western Region of British Railways|British Rail<br />Western Region]]<br /><small>[[Great Western Main Line]]</small>
 |col=41A317}}
 {{s-end}}
@@ Line 63: / Line 71: @@
 [[Category:Former Great Western Railway stations]]
 [[Category:Great Western Main Line]]
-[[Category:Railway stations opened in 1840]]
+[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1840]]
-[[Category:Railway stations closed in 1964]]
+[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1964]]
 [[Category:Beeching closures in England]]

v t e Closed railway stations in Oxfordshire
Great Western Main Line	Challow Moulsford Shrivenham Steventon Uffington Wantage Road
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway	Churn Upton and Blewbury
Cherwell Valley line	Abingdon Junction Abingdon Road Halt Bletchington Fritwell & Somerton Hinksey Halt Kidlington Wolvercot Platform
Witney Railway; East Gloucestershire Railway	Alvescot Brize Norton and Bampton Carterton Cassington Halt Eynsham Kelmscott and Langford South Leigh Witney Witney (goods) Yarnton
Wycombe Railway	Horspath Halt Iffley Halt Littlemore Morris Cowley Thame Tiddington Towersey Halt Wheatley
Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway	Aston Rowant Chinnor Kingston Crossing Halt Lewknor Bridge Halt Wainhill Crossing Halt Watlington
Chiltern Main Line	Ardley Blackthorn Cropredy
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway	Adderbury Bloxham Chipping Norton Hook Norton Milton Halt Rollright Halt Sarsden Halt
Great Central Main Line	Chalcombe Road Halt Finmere
Varsity Line	Charlton Halt Launton Oddington Halt Oxford Rewley Road Oxford Road Halt Port Meadow Halt Wendlebury Halt Wolvercote Halt
Banbury to Verney Junction branch line	Banbury Merton Street
Blenheim and Woodstock branch line	Blenheim and Woodstock Shipton-on-Cherwell Halt
Short branches	Abingdon Faringdon Wallingford Wantage