Luxborough Road railway station
| Luxborough Road | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | East of Gupworthy, Brompton Regis |
| Area | Somerset |
| Coordinates | 51°06′35″N 3°27′22″W / 51.1096°N 3.4560°WCoordinates: 51°06′35″N 3°27′22″W / 51.1096°N 3.4560°W |
| Grid reference | SS981354 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | West Somerset Mineral Railway |
| Platforms | 1 |
| History | |
| March 1861 | Opened for goods |
| 7 November 1898 | Closed |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z |
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Luxborough Road (sometimes referred to as "Langham" or "Langham Hill") was an intermediate station on the West Somerset Mineral Railway (WSMR), which was built primarily to carry iron ore from mines to Watchet harbour in Somerset, England. The line was unconnected to any other, though it passed under what is now the West Somerset Railway south of the village of Watchet. The station was located west of the top of the line's most striking feature - a three quarters of a mile, rope-hauled incline at a gradient of 1 in 4 (25%).
The line's seven stations were designed by Rice Hopkins. Luxborough Road was one of the five which showed a clear family resemblance. It was built in anticipation of offering the usual goods and passenger facilities, but no regular passenger service ever ran south of Comberow. Almost immediately the building was erected it was converted to miners' accommodation by adding a lean-to at the rear. By 1900 the building was roofless and without windows, having been used as a source of materials for repairing other railway buildings.
The stone-built station opened for goods traffic in 1861. The railway introduced a passenger service in September 1865, connecting Watchet with the village of Washford and the hamlets of Roadwater and Comberow. Passengers were carried from Comberow up the rope-hauled incline to Brendon Hill and on through Luxborough Road to Gupworthy on a wagon, free of charge, but at their own risk. As no fares were collected no tickets were issued to or from Luxborough Road. Sources are unclear whether the station was ever staffed or carried any paying goods traffic.
The initial passenger service down the valley consisted of four trains a day out and back.
Like other railways built to serve one industry, such as iron ore carrying lines in Cumbria, their fortunes were at the mercy of that industry. Iron and steel making was given to boom and bust and suffered a significant downturn in the 1870s, exacerbated by imports of cheaper and better ore from abroad. The iron mines which provided the WSMR's staple traffic stuttered to complete closure between 1879 and 1883. The line did not close immediately, two mixed trains a day continued to run until 1898, when all traffic ceased.
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