GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Hatton Station: gwrhj4003

The Regulation of Railways Act (1840) introduced government regulation of the railways in Britain with the creation of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade (BoT). The Railway Department were sanctioned to; advise the Government on new railway schemes, inspect new railways after completion, and to investigate the cause of any accidents. Capt. Douglas Galton was a Railway Inspector for eight years from 1850 and issued the attached letter on 29th April 1858. This was the first officially documented requirements for the construction and operation of new railways. It is a short document, which was extended over time, being issued as a fifteen page book in 1892. The Stratford-on-Avon Railway opened on 9th October 1860 and was therefore required to comply with these 1858 requirements. The last sentence regarding stations requires ‘Turntables for engines to be erected at terminal stations.’ The Great Western Railway Land Survey Plans show that turntables were installed both at the Stratford-on-Avon (Birmingham Road) Terminus and behind Hatton Station at the junction (see gwrhj4000). Both these turntables were eventually removed, with that at Hatton disappearing in 1913. Thanks to Andrew Squibb for identifying these BoT requirements, which can be viewed at 'BoT_Inspectors001.pdf (railwaysarchive.co.uk)'.

Robert Ferris

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