Brimscombe railway station

Brimscombe
The station in July 1961
General information
LocationBrimscombe, Stroud
England
Coordinates51°43′01″N 2°10′41″W / 51.7169°N 2.178°W / 51.7169; -2.178
Grid referenceSO877021
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyCheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1 June 1845Opened as Brimscomb
circa June 1865Renamed Brimscomb near Chalford
circa 1887Renamed Brimscombe near Chalford
2 August 1897Renamed Brimscombe
2 November 1964Closed[1]

Brimscombe was opened on 1 June 1845 on what is now the Golden Valley Line between Kemble and Stroud in Gloucestershire. This line was opened in 1845 as the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway from Swindon to Gloucester, and this station opened 3 weeks after the general opening of the line, originally as "Brimscomb". The station was renamed as "Brimscomb near Chalford" in June 1865 and finally to Brimscombe on 2 August 1897.

The main building was on the up side (towards Kemble) and consisted of a Brunel style chalet building with a large canopy and a bay window. On the down platform, a large waiting shelter with canopy was provided and a covered footbridge was provided in 1898 following the death of a young woman crossing the line. A large stone good shed with timber ends was provided along with several sidings at the west end of the station on up side. Originally, a small signal box stood at the west end of the down platform, but this was replaced with a new west box in July 1896 and an east box on the up platform in 1898, following the increase in freight traffic.

At the eastern end of up platform, a small engine shed with an integral water tower over the entrance was built. This was used by banking engines based at Brimscombe that assisted freight trains up the 1 in 75 Sapperton Bank beyond Chalford. The 1934 GWR locomotive allocation lists 2-6-2T 31xx class no.3171 as based at Brimscombe and in the 1960s this would have been a 2-6-2T of the 51xx or 61xx classes.

Closure of the station came on 2 November 1964 following the withdrawal of local stopping passenger services on the line. Goods traffic had ceased the previous year on 12 August 1963. Almost all traces of the station have gone and it appears that the adjacent A419 road has been realigned through the eastern side of the station.

Stationmasters

  • Charles Henry Tuckett 1856 - 1871 (formerly station master at Melksham)
  • Richard Dance Woodyatt 1871 - 1900[2]
  • J.H. Wilding 1900[3] - 1906 (formerly station master at Newent)
  • F.W. Michael 1906 - 1908[4]
  • Edward James Faulkner from 1908[5] (formerly station master at Tetbury)
  • William Henry Penson 1917 - 1929[6]
  • W.H. Bunting 1930 - 1938[7]
  • Walter John Butt Watts until 1942 (afterwards station master at Kemble)

Services

This halt was served by the Gloucester to Chalford local passenger services, known as the Chalford Auto.

Brimscombe station site today bereft of platforms in January 2008.

References

  1. ^ Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  2. ^ "Presentation to a late Stationmaster". Tenbury Wells Advertiser. England. 13 March 1900. Retrieved 27 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Presentation to the Stationmaster". Worcestershire Chronicle. England. 24 March 1900. Retrieved 27 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "The "Great Western Railway" Magazine". Gloucester Journal. England. 7 December 1907. Retrieved 27 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Tetbury". Gloucester Citizen. England. 4 May 1900. Retrieved 27 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Mr. W. H. Penson". Gloucestershire Echo. England. 24 January 1941. Retrieved 27 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Brimscombe Presentation". Gloucester Journal. England. 12 February 1938. Retrieved 27 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Sources
  • Mike Oakley (2003). Gloucestershire Railway Stations. Wimborne: Dovecote Press. p. 27. ISBN 1-904349-24-2.
  • Rev. Nigel Pocock; Ian Harrison (1987). Great Western Railway Locomotive Allocations for 1934. Didcot: Wild Swan Publications. p. 27. ISBN 0-906867-34-7.
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Brimscombe Bridge Halt
Line open, station closed 		  Great Western Railway
Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway 		  St Mary's Crossing Halt
Line open, station closed