Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway
Encyclopedia
The Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway project (SBR) aimed to re-open the closed railway from Stratford-upon-Avon
, Warwickshire
to Honeybourne railway station
for main-line connection. A later extension was planned to Broadway, Worcestershire
where the line could link up with the proposed northern extension of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
.
The railway operated at the former Long Marston
Ministry of Defence
depot. The railway operated at the north west corner of the site which is now the location of the proposed new Middle Quinton
Eco-town
.
to Long Marston
and initial efforts were concentrated on this. A newsletter for members was published under the title The Shakespeare Express.
The SBR project was run by the Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway Society (1999) Limited (SBRS) and the Society had locomotive
s and rolling stock
stored at the former Ministry of Defence depot at Long Marston. The site is not generally open to the public but there are occasional open days. The site is also visited by railtours.
It was envisaged that the rolling stock would be moved to the Berkeley Vale Railway which plans to use the Sharpness Branch Line
. This plan did not come to fruition so an alternative plan was devised. Some of the stock will be sold and the remainder will be loaned to other railway societies. The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust
took delivery of two ex-Navy goods vans and a two-car diesel multiple unit
on loan in October/November 2011.
The SBR website is seriously out-of-date and (November 2011) makes no mention of these developments.
The Long Marston site is also used for the storage of surplus main line locomotives and rolling stock which do not form part of the SBR fleet.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
to Honeybourne railway station
Honeybourne railway station
Honeybourne railway station serves the village of Honeybourne in Worcestershire, England. It is on the Cotswold Line and was formerly a junction with four platforms.-History:...
for main-line connection. A later extension was planned to Broadway, Worcestershire
Broadway, Worcestershire
Broadway is a village and civil parish in the Worcestershire part of the Cotswolds in England.Often referred to as the "Jewel of the Cotswolds", Broadway village lies beneath Fish Hill on the western Cotswold escarpment...
where the line could link up with the proposed northern extension of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire/Warwickshire Borders that has reopened the closed railway line between Laverton Halt and Cheltenham Racecourse railway stations in Gloucestershire/Worcestershire., it currently...
.
The railway operated at the former Long Marston
Long Marston, Warwickshire
Long Marston is a village about southwest of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The southern and western boundaries of the parish also form part of the county boundary with Worcestershire.-History:...
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
depot. The railway operated at the north west corner of the site which is now the location of the proposed new Middle Quinton
Middle Quinton
Middle Quinton is the name given by the developers St. Modwen Properties and The Bird Group to a proposed new Eco-town near Long Marston in Warwickshire, England....
Eco-town
Eco-towns (UK)
Eco-towns are a government-sponsored programme of new towns to be built in England, which are intended to achieve exemplary standards of sustainability.In 2007, the...
.
Activities
A short section of track remains as a freight-only line from HoneybourneHoneybourne railway station
Honeybourne railway station serves the village of Honeybourne in Worcestershire, England. It is on the Cotswold Line and was formerly a junction with four platforms.-History:...
to Long Marston
Long Marston, Warwickshire
Long Marston is a village about southwest of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The southern and western boundaries of the parish also form part of the county boundary with Worcestershire.-History:...
and initial efforts were concentrated on this. A newsletter for members was published under the title The Shakespeare Express.
The SBR project was run by the Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway Society (1999) Limited (SBRS) and the Society had locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s and rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
stored at the former Ministry of Defence depot at Long Marston. The site is not generally open to the public but there are occasional open days. The site is also visited by railtours.
Dissolution
On 14 February 2010 the Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway Society (1999) Limited was dissolved because "...with little chance of opening the line between Stratford and Honeybourne within the next 10 years and the fewer volunteers, we only had two choices: find a new home or sell the stock". The Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway Trust (a separate body) still exists.It was envisaged that the rolling stock would be moved to the Berkeley Vale Railway which plans to use the Sharpness Branch Line
Sharpness Branch Line
The Sharpness Branch Line was a railway in Gloucestershire, England, built by the Midland Railway to connect the port of Sharpness to the main Bristol and Gloucester Railway...
. This plan did not come to fruition so an alternative plan was devised. Some of the stock will be sold and the remainder will be loaned to other railway societies. The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust
Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust
The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust operates a railway museum at Midsomer Norton railway station and plans to run passenger trains south towards Chilcompton in the near future. It should not be confused with the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust at Washford railway station. The Midsomer...
took delivery of two ex-Navy goods vans and a two-car diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
on loan in October/November 2011.
The SBR website is seriously out-of-date and (November 2011) makes no mention of these developments.
Steam
- Hawthorn Leslie and CompanyHawthorn Leslie and CompanyR. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
0-4-0ST, works no. 2800, Met - Hawthorn Leslie and Company 0-4-0ST, works no. 3718, Swanscombe No.4
- Peckett and SonsPeckett and SonsPeckett and Sons was a locomotive manufacturer at the Atlas Works in St. George, Bristol, England.-Fox, Walker and Company:The company began trading in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works, St. George, Bristol, as Fox, Walker and Company, building four and six-coupled saddle tank engines for industrial use...
0-4-0ST, works no. 1903, LITTLE LADY - BarclayAndrew Barclay & Sons Co.Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. was a builder of steam and diesel locomotives, based in Kilmarnock, Scotland, that was founded in 1840 and is now owned by Wabtec Rail.- History :...
0-4-0ST, works no. 2220, Invicta No.8
Diesel
- Barclay 0-4-0DM, works no. 362, Mulberry 70047
- FowlerJohn Fowler & Co.thumb|right|John Fowler & Co. [[steam roller]] of 1923John Fowler & Co Engineers of Leathley Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England produced traction engines and ploughing implements and equipment, as well as railway equipment. Fowler also produced the Track Marshall tractor which was a...
0-4-0DM, works no. 4220022, ROF Chorley No.4
The Long Marston site is also used for the storage of surplus main line locomotives and rolling stock which do not form part of the SBR fleet.