The following text is an extract from “Great Western Railway Magazine”, August 1906. It has been slightly edited to remove some of the tables and diagrams that are hard to reproduce - however, we hope you’ll find the text interesting.

The Engineering Department.

BY F. C. WARREN.

The Cheltenham and Honeybourne Railway.

The circumstances which led to the construction of this line and the objects it is designed to serve formed the subject of an interesting article by the General Manager in the October, 1904, issue of the MAGAZINE. Doubtless this is fresh in mind and it will therefore only be necessary to mention, as the primary objective, the fruit and vegetable industry of the Vale of Evesham, while a glance at the diagram [diagram omitted, Webmaster] discloses that the new railway will serve as an important section of a new route between the Midlands and South Wales and the West, the further links being the Birmingham and North Warwickshire Railway now under construction, and a portion of the Stratford-on-Avon Branch.

Four separate contracts were let, but as these were all entrusted to one firm simplicity of narrative will be gained by dealing with the railway as a whole. Proceeding from the northern end, where work was first started, the principal junction is in the Birmingham direction, but a junction curve trending westwards leads into Honeybourne station. The first work of importance is the bridge built for the new line to pass under the Company's Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway, span 56 ft. Another interesting bridge is at the Icknield Way (Roman road), 1 m. 73 chs., the long approaches to which absorbed about 20,500 cubic yards of filling, the road having originally been at nearly the level of the rails.

Toddington Viaduct (9 m. 0 chs.) will be viewed as the chief item of work throughout the railway, and is an imposing structure of 15 spans, each 36 feet in the clear. The height of the viaduct is about 50 feet and its total length 210 yards.

A tunnel 693 yards long has been driven through a spur of the Cotswold hills at 12m. 33 chs., and the only other tunnel on the line is at 19 M. 26 chs. Both are brick-lined and inverted to a thickness of 2 feet 7½ inches throughout. The maximum headway along the centre line of these tunnels is as much as 21 feet above rail level; on the invert below the rails is a brick culvert for drainage.

At the Cheltenham end the last half mile contains the heaviest grouping of works, viz., six considerable underbridges carrying the railway over St. Paul's Road, Swindon Road, High Street, Market Street, Millbrook Street and the River Chelt, and an overbridge bearing the St. George's Road. As is usual in towns, the value of the adjoining property led to extensive retaining walls being built, as being cheaper than purchasing land for slopes to the embankment on which the line is situated.

In a general way the new line may be described as one heavy in earthwork, over 1,750,000 cubic yards of soil having been excavated and tipped to embankment. Some 155,000 cubic yards of ballast have also been used. There are twenty overbridges and fifty underbridges in steel girderwork or steel main girders with jack arches in brick, and a few overbridges in brickwork of the three arch type.

The positions of the stations and halts on the new line are indicated on the diagram. [diagram omitted, Webmaster] These have similarity of design, being practically roadside stations of improved type, with special provisions for local needs. Broadway, Toddington, Winchcombe, and Bishops Cleeve are provided with goods shed and cattle accommodation and Weston-sub-Edge and Gotherington with lock-ups. A six-ton crane is fixed at each station.

The permanent way throughout is of the Company's heaviest standard for main trunk routes, viz., bullhead rails 97½ lbs. per yard. The ruling gradient is 1 in 150 and the sharpest curve 40 chains radius except at the junctions, the junction at Cheltenham having a curve 23 chains radius. The total length of the railway is 20 m. 62 chs. The dates of opening the various sections are given hereunder: [table omitted, Webmaster]

The whole of the work has been very satisfactorily completed by Messrs. Scott & Middleton, of Westminster, and has been supervised, on behalf of the New Works Engineer, Mr. W. Y. Armtrong, by Mr. J. C. Blundell, the resident engineer.

The new line passes through a district rich in picturesque scenery and historic interest. The pretty village of Broadway affords many pleasant examples of stone-built houses with quaint decorative qualities, and with the adjoining village of Wickhamford attracts many visitors from amongst our cousins across the Atlantic. Stanway House, near Toddington, the residence of Lord Elcho, was built by Inigo Jones as far back as 1626; and Toddington Mansion, erected in 1865, shows a marked similarity of appearance to the Houses of Parliament, the same architect having been engaged upon each. In Sudeley Castle is the grave of Queen Catherine Parr. Originally built in the reign of Henry VI. by Sir Ralph de Boteler, the castle displays interesting features, not the least being the honourable scars dating from the Civil War. Winchcombe, “the ancient capital of Mercia” comprises many interesting buildings and much of interest to the antiquary.

Situated in the immediate vicinage of the new line is Evesham Abbey, erected in the 8th century. Under the high altar of this ancient fane are the mortal remains of Simon de Montford, carried thence after his defeat and death at the famous battle of Evesham in 1265

Contracts.
Contracts have recently been placed for the following works :-
Widening. Didcot to Steventon and Wantage Road to Challow, about 5 miles, Mr. J. 0. M, Dixon, Surbiton.
Stratford Branch Widening, 7½ miles, Messrs. Walter Scott & Middleton Ltd., Westminster.
Birmingham Widening, Tyseley to Small Heath Mr. H. Lovatt, Wolverhampton.
Oxley Engine Shed, Wolverhampton, Mr. H. Lovatt, Wolverhampton.
Cheltenham Engine Shed, Mr. W. Walkerdine, Derby.

Messrs. Robert W. Blackwell and Company Of 14, Great Smith Street, Westminster, the contractors for the electrification of the car sheds at Hammersmith, in connection with the Hammersmith and City electrification, are engaged upon an important extension of the Chester City tramways, the existing system of which was of their construction. Messrs. Blackwell have also secured a large contract with the Exeter Corporation, and are about to start the 6,000 volt over-head line. on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from Victoria to London Bridge, as sub-contractors to the Allgemeine Elektricitats-Gesellschaft of Berlin. The latterwork is being watched with much interest for reasons given by Sir Alexander  Kennedy in his article in the March issue of the MAGAZINE.