175th Anniversary


Celebrations at Culham - 15th and 16th June 2019



Culham Station name board
Photographed at the Didcot Railway Centre

Early morning sun at 8:00am

Special Thames Travel 175 circular bus service
Courtesy of Thames Travel

Three returns to Didcot please guvn'r

Visitors eagery awaiting Clun Castle

Vintage Trains 175 Luncheon Special

Clun Castle going to turn on the Didcot triangle

Going back to Oxford for the 175 Express return leg

A copy of the very first timetable

The ticket office ready for action

Information banners and some memorabilia on display

Part of the display in the ticket office

The Old Ticket Office at Culham hosted two celebration events with the Railway Inn joining in both days, and our neighbour opposite in Station House on the Saturday. The whole area both sides of the railway was constantly very busy, and many people commented on the mini village atmosphere it created.

Thames Travel operated a special 'GWR 175' bus service on the Saturday. It ran hourly between Didcot and Abingdon, calling at Culham, Appleford, and Long Wittenham for Pendon Museum who were also open. The bus stopped on the old Abingdon Road by the steps leading down to the Railway Inn, and also a little further along at the end of the service road by our banner giving level access to the Old Ticket Office.

Normal GWR train services operated throughout the day (Saturday only - no trains stop on Sundays), and they sold a special combined bus/train/Didcot Railway Centre ticket which gave unlimited travel between the various events. It was certainly noticeable when either a bus or train arrived bringing fresh visitors.

Many people took advantage of the free parking outside the Old Ticket Office, alongside Platforms 1 and 2, and by the Railway Inn. There were so many cars at one point that they were also parked solid along both service roads.

In the event, the Old Ticket Office opened its doors to the public at 8:15 am on Saturday as there were many early birds who sought the opportunity of seeing inside this fine old building before going on to one of the other venues. The day was so popular, that the last visitors did not leave until 7:10pm! On Sunday the doors were actually open from 9:30am until 3:15pm. We were kept so busy on both days that we totally forgot to take any photos during the event. For much of the time on Saturday, visitors were shoulder to shoulder in both rooms in the ticket office - far exceeding our expectations, good weather for most of the day must have helped. Sunday was less hectic, but we were still kept busy by a constant influx of eager visitors. As a rough estimate we think that about 800 people visited on the Saturday, with 150 or so on Sunday.

Visitors could explore the original Brunel broad gauge era building and its surroundings where there are a few surprises waiting to be discovered. They could see the old ticket office window, original tickets dating back to the 1890s, Edmondson date punches, and even take home a special souvenir ticket after punching it with the date and cancelling it like an old time Ticket Inspector.

Well over 200 of our free Discovery Trail booklets were taken as it proved popular with both young and old alike. Using the booklet visitors could search out some remnants of broad gauge rail, discover graffiti from 140 years ago and try to find the mark where a fatal shot ricocheted from the ticket counter top in 1868. The challenge was to find all the items of interest and answer all the questions about them in the booklet.

Items on display in the two rooms which were open to the public included GWR memorabilia comprising original books, staff magazines, tickets, jigsaws and uniforms; model railway items in four scales from '0' down to 'Z' including wagons from local coal merchants; an illustrated history of Culham station featuring copies of original plans from 1843; and albums containing copies of old railway posters, original GWR paperwork and publicity leaflets, and photographs of all our jigsaw collection. A video display of steam excursions that have passed through Culham was played throughout the day and visitors were intrigued to learn of the historic links between the station at Culham and Nuneham House. Also on dislay were a number of items loaned specially by Pendon Museum, these included a 3D banner showing Pendon Parva station and a large board with a photograph of Pendon Parva ticket office alongside one of the real Old Ticket Office taken from the same angle in 2018.

Some duplicate items from our collection were for sale, but there were many free souvenirs to take home too. These included specially produced souvenir vintage style tickets, a coloured information leaflet, a sheet outlining the history of the line, postcards of the Old Ticket Office, colouring sheets, and the Discovery Trail booklet. Freely available to download from this website are coloured sheets, in various scales, with which models of the Old Ticket Office on Platform 2 and the original Waiting Rooms on Platform 1 can be made. Free sample packs of acid free card were available for aspiring model makers and all the packs (over 20) went. Several people said they were going to have a go at making a model ticket office and we look forward to seeing the results of their labours.

At the Railway Inn

Refreshments and toilet facilities were available on both days at the Railway Inn which is adjacent to Platform 1. Staff were kept very busy as many people followed our Discovery Trail which ended near there, and the Inn was certainly bustling for much of the weekend.

On the Saturday, Ploughman's Lunches were available from 12:00noon right through until 4:00pm, with tea, coffee and light bites available all day from 9:00am. Sunday Roasts were served from 12:00noon, with light refreshments also proving to be very popular on both days.

A full sized traction engine steamed over from Appleton and stayed for a couple of hours on the Saturday, later being joined by a beautifully restored breakdown recovery vehicle, a kit car and a rather special motor tricycle.

At Station House

Our neighbours were busy saving the Green Belt with a stall set up outside their house selling potted plants, green teas, delicious cakes with green icing and lovely home made scones with very tasty rhubard and orange compote.

Steam on Saturday - and lots of it!

The traction engine which steamed over from Appleton started the ball rolling in fine style, and this was followed by more steam activity on the main line in one day than we are ever likely to see again.

~~ Not one, but four steam trains passed by on their way between Oxford and Didcot ~~

The Railway Touring Company

Always popular, the Flying Scotsman left Didcot after stopping to pick up passengers from platform 1 shortly after 9:07am travelling towards Swindon, hauling the Railway Touring Company's Cotswold Venturer bound for Worcester. The return journey was via Oxford arriving at Didcot platform 5 a couple of minutes late just after 6:37pm.

Vintage Trains

As a very special contribution to the 175th anniversary celebrations, Vintage Trains ran not one, but two one-off railtours on 15th June, both very fittingly featuring their flagship locomotive, GWR number 7029 'Clun Castle'.

The Oxford 175 Express made an early morning start, leaving Solihull slightly late at 7:00am, picking up along the way at Dorridge and Warwick Parkway. Passing through Banbury 4 minutes early at 8:27am, the train arrived in Oxford at 9:21am having had a slight delay just north of the city. The return journey was scheduled to leave Oxford at 6:32pm which it did, bang on time. These timings allowed plenty of opportunity to join in with the 175th celebrations, explore Oxford and even travel on the Luncheon Circular.

The Oxford 175 Luncheon Circular departed Oxford Parkway at 12:40pm, then having stopped at Oxford continued via Radley, Culham and Appleford towards Didcot. Leaving Didcot, a sprint along the Great Western Mainline took it through Reading, Slough and Southall. Shortly after Southall, turning onto the Greenford curve that links the Chiltern and Great Western Mainlines it joined the Chiltern Mainline, continuing past High Wycombe and Princess Risborough towards Bicester. The Bicester chord and Gavray Junction took the tour through Bicester Village station and Islip, completing the circular railtour back at Oxford Parkway and Oxford 7 minutes late at 16:34, having been delayed once more just north of Oxford.

Vintage Trains turned their train round using the Didcot triangle prior to its return to Birmingham meaning Clun Castle travelled along the line between Oxford and Didcot three times in the one day. Short videos of each visit can be found on our YouTube channel via the link in the page footer.

~~~oooOooo~~~
Published timings raised the very exciting prospect that Clun Castle and Flying Scotsman would acually pass each other, travelling in opposite directions, somewhere near Hinksey at about 6:22pm. Incredibly this meeting did take place when and where anticipated, despite both trains running just under a minute late. The remarkable event was captured by a number of people who were in the right place at the right time, perhaps as a result of reading our heads up on the special 175th anniversary website.
~~~oooOooo~~~


Simmering outside the Railway Inn

Two more visitors in the Railway Inn car park

Visitors gathering ready for Flying Scotsman

Flying Scotsman and the Cotswold Venturer
Courtesy of the Railway Touring Company

The Railway Inn - it won't stay this quiet for long!

Our roving Edwardian passengers

Special GWR timetable for Saturday

7:00pm on Saturday and the car park is still busy

Clun Castle should be here soon!

Our banner at the end of the station approach road served to mark our temporary bus stop on Saturday

A magic moment near Hinksey at about 6:22pm
Courtesy of Vintage Trains


~~~oooOooo~~~
Published timings raised the very exciting prospect that Clun Castle and Flying Scotsman would acually pass each other, travelling in opposite directions, somewhere near Hinksey at about 6:22pm. Incredibly this meeting did take place when and where anticipated, despite both trains running just under a minute late. The remarkable event was captured by a number of people who were in the right place at the right time, perhaps as a result of reading our heads up on the special 175th anniversary website.
~~~oooOooo~~~


Culham Station name board
Photographed at the Didcot Railway Centre

Early morning sun at 8:00am

Special Thames Travel 175 circular bus service
Courtesy of Thames Travel

Three returns to Didcot please guvn'r

Visitors eagery awaiting Clun Castle

Vintage Trains 175 Luncheon Special

Clun Castle going to turn on the Didcot triangle

Going back to Oxford for the 175 Express return leg

A copy of the very first timetable

The ticket office ready for action

Information banners and some memorabilia on display

Part of the display in the ticket office

Simmering outside the Railway Inn

Two more visitors in the Railway Inn car park

Visitors gathering ready for Flying Scotsman

Flying Scotsman and the Cotswold Venturer
Courtesy of the Railway Touring Company

The Railway Inn - it won't stay this quiet for long!

Our roving Edwardian passengers

Special GWR timetable for Saturday

7:00pm on Saturday and the car park is still busy

Clun Castle should be here soon!

Our banner at the end of the station approach road served to mark our temporary bus stop on Saturday

A magic moment near Hinksey at about 6:22pm
Courtesy of Vintage Trains