Oxford St Ebbes Gasworks

[CarltonA]

I was walking in Oxford recently when I spotted what looked like a disused railway bridge across the river. After a bit of research I discovered it served a gasworks in the city up until about 1960. The bridge seems to have room for two tracks and underneath the gas mains ran between the works and the gas holders which were on the other side. The last of the holders were demolished sometime after the works and now there is a park on the site. So, does anyone have more on how extensive the rail operation was here? Did they have their own loco and shed possibly?

http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/old_oxford/st_ebbes/stebbes_gasworks.html

I could only find the above so I would be grateful for anything more. Thanks.

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/index.php?view=51.52601,-0.64643&map=NPEMap&zoom=8&layer=3

 

[swt_passenger]

I find a good resource for this sort of thing is old OS maps. The National Library of Scotland side by side mapping feature is good. The 25” 1914 map suggests the bridge led to a fairly simple layout on the east of the river, is that where the gasworks would have been at that time? The 1961 1:25000 map shows a greater extent of sidings on the south and west of the river and an additional connection to the mainline at that time.

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side...=51.7468&lon=-1.2635&layers=168&right=BingHyb

 

[CarltonA]

Thanks, the Sabre Maps site that I linked to shows the site and gasholders etc. I was mainly hoping somebody could unearth a photo or two of any stock used and whether or not there was double track on the bridge or was it road and rail. It is interesting the city managed to bribe the gas board to get out and left Reading to have the dirty job of making gas for them instead.

 

[swt_passenger]

Here’s another link to another old maps site, the Oxford 1958 1:2500 map here shows the track layout in detail. Not sure if the link will keep working on this one, it shows 2 tracks on the bridge. The earlier 25” map only had one as you’ll have seen.

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/451500/206500/13/101329