The Banbury & Cheltenham Direct Railway

The Banbury & Cheltenham Direct Railway

Now out of print.

From the earliest beginnings of railways in the Cotswold area, the narrative traces the piecemeal development of the B&CDR – the Chipping Norton Railway, the Bourton-on-the-Water Railway, extension to Cheltenham, extension to Banbury and the direct line at Kingham – as well as looking at the various abortive schemes which surrounded its birth. The route itself is studied in detail, with numerous scale plans of all of the stations and junctions at the various stages of their development, as well as looking at the various industries which connected with the line. Train services, including the famous Port-to-Ports express, and the locomotives to be found on the line at the different periods of its history are also considered. This is a well rounded history, backed up by a collection of over 400 photographs and illustrations, many of which have not been published before, and were collected over a period of 25 years, covering the route from the 1860s up to its demolition in the 1960s.