Double track Cheltenham Lansdown Junction to Andoversford Junction, then single line branch to Bourton-on-the-Water and Kingham with another on the ex-MSWJ to Cirencester Watermoor, Swindon Town and Andover.This latter had one running line and one half mile long line used for accessing the goods yard at Andoversford & Dowdeswell. The passenger station name was just plain 'Andoversford'.
Andoversford saw modest activity for most of the day, but there was a relatively busy two hours in the early afternoon. During this time, Andoversford Station signal box was in operation, from 10.30am to 2.30pm*. In contrast the Junction box was open continuously from 4am to around 1am.
The following entries relate to a typical day in 1956 before cutbacks reduced both passenger and freight services on the MSW route.
The 11.52am Kingham –Cheltenham St James passenger arrived at 12.25pm, just as the 12.5pm from Cheltenham to Kingham drew in. The latter gave a good connection at Kingham for Oxford, due 1.47pm, and a London Paddington arrival at 3.20pm.
Normally locos ran chimney-first from Cheltenham with a two or three coach train. At this date power would have been GW 2-6-2Ts, possibly one 45XX and the other a 41XX.
While the few passengers would be getting on or off, the MSW branch was also active, with the 9.40am pick-up freight ex Swindon Town appearing, most likely hauled by a GW 43XX class 2-6-0. Sometimes the working was used as a running-in turn for an engine fresh from Swindon Works overhaul.
With both passenger trains having departed, the freight, which usually terminated here, would set about shunting off its wagons at Andoversford & Dowdeswell yard. There was provision for the freight to carry on to Cheltenham High Street, if it had a certain number of wagons, otherwise the engine would leave here light for the run into Cheltenham.
The next movement was unusual in being a service not calling at Andoversford – the10.10am Southampton Terminus to Cheltenham Lansdown class 'A' passenger, with a Southern Region based 2-6-0, a 'U' or BR 76XXX, which ran non-stop from Cirencester Watermoor and passed through Andoversford at 1.22pm. Speed over the junction for this train was restricted to 15 miles per hour+. At Lansdown it connected with the up 'Devonian' enabling passengers to go further north. This was a throwback to pre-grouping and inter-war years when through carriages between the MSWJ and MR/LMS were shunted on and off trains at Cheltenham.
Meantime the usually well loaded 12.48pm Cheltenham High Street to Andover freight had been making its slow progress up the 1 in 60 from Charlton Kings, over the impressive Dowdeswell Viaduct before plunging into the 384 yards long Sandywell Park Tunnel and coming out alongside the A40 trunk road before trundling through Andoversford at 1.30pm, picking up the MSW single line token from the Junction box. The motive power for this tended to be eight-coupled, a GW 28XX or WD 2-8-0.
In the other direction, the light engine off the 9.40am Swindon goods was departing at 1.39pm for Cheltenham, going into St James to use the turntable and then to Malvern Road shed for servicing. Its return working was the 5.25pm Lansdown to Andover stopping passenger.
Due at 1.51pm was the 11.30am Kingham to St James pick-up goods, headed by an 0-6-0PT, a 57XX or 84XX. This would shunt at Andoversford & Dowdeswell yard, picking up wagons left by the 9.40am from Swindon, with nearly 40 minutes allowed in the timetable for these moves.
There were two passenger trains crossing at Andoversford around 2.15pm. Due in at 2.14pm was the 1.40pm from Kingham - giving a good connection off the 11.45am from Paddington - and at 2.18pm was the 2.1pm Lansdown to Southampton Terminus, normally three carriages, with a Southern Region 2-6-0. The service gave a decent connection at Lansdown for passengers from Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield off the down 'Pines Express' and was well supported. The loco on the2.1pm worked into Cheltenham with the 7.50am passenger from Andover.
Finally, the pick-up from Kingham departed at 2.30pm,but paused after a short distance at the 'STOP' board for some wagon brakes to be pinned down, bearing in mind the steep gradient falling towards Charlton Kings; brakes were unpinned at a brief stop by Lansdown Junction Signal Box before going over the junction there.
After this busy two hours, the next train was at 3pm, the 2.45pm passenger from St James - Kingham--.
Footnotes:
* This box was operated by a porter/signalman. My friend Robin Stanton did the job in the early 1950s.
+ Trains from Kingham were restricted to 25 mph over the junction.
-- The loco and carriages off this service also worked a train on the branch from Kingham to Chipping Norton and return.
An enthusiast made a log of a run on the Kingham line in April 1959. The service was the 12.15pm Cheltenham St James to Kingham, headed by Prairie tank 4123 with two coaches, a standard train. The highest speed up to Andoversford with stops at Malvern Road, Leckhampton and Charlton Kings was 38mph. From Andoversford top speed to the summit was 33mph, but then 49mph was recorded before the Notgrove stop. After Notgrove the train got moving, with 58mph achieved, and 56mph approaching Bourton-on-the-Water. 43mph was the highest going on to Stow-on-the-Wold. After that, speeds of 41mph and 51mph were noted before slowing for Kingham. The schedule of 53 minutes, with seven intermediate stops, for the 24.19 miles was maintained.
In 1959 the Working Time Table stipulated that 'The speed of trains between Kingham and Lansdown Junction must not exceed 40 mph'. It also noted there was a 'temporary speed restriction of 30 mph in place between Kingham and Andoversford'. (This was still the situation in 1962 when the passenger service between Cheltenham and Kingham ceased.)