| Stratford And Moreton Tramway |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT STRATFORD AND MORETON TRAMWAY | |
| early british railway companies | |
| transport in warwickshire | |
| history of warwickshire | |
| transport in gloucestershire | |
| history of gloucestershire | |
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The tramway was intended to carry Black Country coal to the rural districts of southern Warwickshire via the Stratford-on-Avon Canal , and Limestone and agricultural produce northwards. The parliamentary act for the line was passed in 1821 and construction was completed in 1826 . The branch to Shipston was built in 1836 . The line functioned as a horse-drawn tramway for several decades, but did not prosper. In 1851 the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway was opened through Moreton-in-Marsh and the tramway began experimenting with steam operation. In 1859 the southern section between Moreton and Shipston was converted into a proper Railway . The tramway company went bankrupt in 1868 , and the line was taken over by the Great Western Railway . The northern section of the line from Shipston to Stratford continued to be used as a horse-drawn branch-line carrying lime until the 1880s , when it fell into disuse. The tracks were lifted in 1918 as part of the war effort, and the line was formally abandoned in 1926 , exactly 100 years after it had been opened. The southern section between Moreton and Shipston fared better: a steam-hauled passenger service operated until 1929 , when buses took over. The line was used by occasional freight trains until 1960 , when it was closed and dismantled. REFERENCES
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