Strange isolated track at Oxford

[BestWestern]

Hello All

Query about Oxford; as you enter from the down side, heading towards Didcot, there is a rather bizarre piece of infrastructure located immediately to the left of the running lines, facing at 90 degrees and down below the raised level of the track into the station. Best description from the brief glimpse I caught would be to say it looks a little like a stranded turntable or a railed swing bridge, but clearly long abandoned and in the wrong place to make any sort of connection with the current running lines. I'm assuming it's probably a well known relic, but it's a mystery to me!

Any insight?

 

[theageofthetra]

I have seen what you refer to on Google maps. Unfortunately the forum does not alllow me to attach the pic from a mobile device. Its right next to the Castle Mill stream and has a pair of tracks. I think your guess of a swing bridge might be correct as on the south side of the stream is a flat structure which could well be where the end of the swing bridge connected.

 

[swt_passenger]

The old swing bridge over the Sheepwash Channel which led to the old Oxford Rewley Rd station. They had to build a swing bridge because that was once a very busy connection between the Oxford Canal and the Thames. It was still an obstruction boaters had to deal with as late as the 70s, possibly into the 80s before it was left permanently open.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Rewley_Road_railway_station
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheepwash_Channel

The bridge relics are a listed monument, and AIUI the Chiltern Evergreen 3 project has to widen the higher level bridge for their new track into the station without affecting it.

 

[wibble]

This might answer your query - has photos too!

www.disused-stations.org.uk/o/oxford_rewley_road/

 

[IanD]

I noticed this on an episode of Morse or Lewis a couple of months back. Had a look out for it when passing through Oxford earlier this week. Was going to ask the same question!

Here's a picture from a passing train.

 

[swt_passenger]

IMHO it's yet another piece of redundant infrastructure that there was little or no point in saving. I doubt there is anything interesting about it from an engineering standpoint.

I also suppose all the people who resisted its removal will have long moved on to objecting to other things, and no-one will want to cover the long term costs of stopping it rusting and rotting away...

 

[Andyjs247]

IMHO it's yet another piece of redundant infrastructure that there was little or no point in saving. I doubt there is anything interesting about it from an engineering standpoint.

I also suppose all the people who resisted its removal will have long moved on to objecting to other things, and no-one will want to cover the long term costs of stopping it rusting and rotting away...

No. The Rewley Road Swing Bridge is not just any old redundant piece of railway infrastructure though. It dates from 1850 and is a scheduled monument, despite its rather forlorn appearance currently. It appears that this is the oldest swing bridge in Britain to retain its original mechanism and was constructed to designs by Robert Stephenson. It also retains the majority of its original structure and is also the last hand-operated main line railway swing bridge in Britain of any significance.

The Oxford Preservation Trust is working with Network Rail, Chiltern Railways and others to ensure its preservation.

See www.oxfordpreservation.org.uk/projects/swingbridge.php for more.

 

[30907]

The old swing bridge over the Sheepwash Channel which led to the old Oxford Rewley Rd station. They had to build a swing bridge because that was once a very busy connection between the Oxford Canal and the Thames. It was still an obstruction boaters had to deal with as late as the 70s, possibly into the 80s before it was left permanently open.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Rewley_Road_railway_station
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheepwash_Channel

Rewley Road was still in use for coal traffic when I was a student in the mid 70's but I'm pretty sure that had ceased by about 1978.

 

[jimm]

Rewley Road was still in use for coal traffic when I was a student in the mid 70's but I'm pretty sure that had ceased by about 1978.

No, was operational until 1985.

Update on efforts to restore the bridge here http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10604379.Nostalgia_as_rail_bridge_gets_set_to_swing_again/

As the story mentions, there will be events at the bridge on the weekend of September 14 and 15, from 2pm to 4pm both days, to give more details of the project.