Great Western Coffee Shop

Nice feature:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/oxford/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8859000/8859509.stm

The steam engine just nosing its way into the first photograph used to work on the Wantage Tramway, which ran from the station to the town. After the tramway closed in 1946, the GWR acquired it for preservation on the platform, where it remained until the station closed. It is now part of the NRM collection and is on loan to Didcot Railway Centre.

http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/locos/5/5.html

No doubt many of you are already familiar with it, but Adrian Vaughan's books Signalman's Morning and Signalman's Twilight have a lot of reminiscences about the beginnings of his railway career at Challow. They include various descriptions, photos and anecdotes about Challow, Wantage Road, Uffington and the Faringdon branch as well. Not sure if they are still in print (there was a combined volume available at one point) but if not and anyone's interested I think they're easy enough to pick up on Ebay.

This link http://www.adrianvaughan.co.uk/ (http://www.adrianvaughan.co.uk/)might help

The last time I worked in the Wantage Road area (about 10 years ago) the station platform on the Down were virtually in place and I think the Up was too; couping stones missing and the ravages of vegetation and neglect, the station approach / yard was still there used by track maintenance for storage but is a large area.  There a loop lines that go past the old platforms and given the old station area and sidings area a reopening would not be impossible but is it justified would be the question