The Brill Tramway, also known as the Quainton Tramway, Wotton Tramway, Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad & Metropolitan Railway Brill Branch was a six-mile (10 km) Rail line in the Aylesbury Vale, Bucks. It was Privately Built in 1871 by the 3rd Duke of Buckingham as a Horse Tram Line to Transport Goods between his Lands around Wotton House & the National Railway Network. Lobbying from Residents of the nearby Town of Brill led to the Line’s extension to Brill & Conversion to Passenger use in early-1872. 2-Locomotives were bought for the Line, but as it had been Designed & Built with Horses in mind, Services were very Slow; both Forms of Transport travelled at an average speed of only 4-mph (6.4 km/h).
Constructional Work began on 8th September, 1870; the 1st Section, from Quainton Road to Wotton, was brought into use on 1st April, 1871 & the whole Line completely to Brill by the summer of 1872. No Contractors were Employed on the Construction of the Line, except for a short time for Track laying. The Estate Workers made good progress during the Winter of 1870/1, as did the Contractors for the laying of the Permanent Way, Lawford & Horton. The Ballast was brought by Rail over the Oxford Line and then down from Verney Junction to Quainton Road. The Rails used were very light in weight, only 30-lbs per yd, and they were of Bridge Section. They were purchased for £8-2s-6d a Ton from Townsend Wood & Co, Briton Ferry, South Wales & were laid on Longitudinal Timber Sleepers with suitable Cross Members to maintain the Gauge & Alignment. The Sleepers, which cost 1/10d per ft run were formed from Imported Norwegian Timber & they were protected against Rot by Creosoting. The Rails were secured by Fang Bolts to the Sleepers & there were Oak Fish Pieces to join the Lengths of Rail. The Railway, including Sidings & 2-Goods Sheds, cost rather less than £1,400 a mile, exclusive of the value of the Land. The Working of the Line was conducted at 1st by Hauliers Chaplin & Horne, who Estimated that Annual Working Expenses amounted to £650, which included 10% Interest on the 2-Engines; Earnings were between £1,350 & £1,400. Maintenance Work was undertaken by the Duke of Buckingham.
A Turntable at the end of the Tramway is connected to a Spur from the Aylesbury & Buckinhgham Track. The Line was to run approximately Southwest from Quainton Road to Watton near Watton Underwood. The Line Splits at Watton, just West of the Station. Some Sections continue West to Wood Siding near Brill. A short Branch, known as the Church Siding, runs Northwest to Watton Underwood itself, Terminating near the Parish Church & 1-mile 57-chain (2.8-km) Siding North to the Coal Siding near Kingswood. A Spur to Kingswood was Routed through the Pond so that the Horses Working on the Track had Water to drink.
Problems with Horse Trams included the fact that any given animal could only work so many hours on a given day, had to be housed, groomed, fed & cared for day in & day out & produced prodigious amounts of manure, which required storing & then disposing. Since a typical 2-Horse Team pulled a 16-Seat Horse Tram for about a 24-miles (19 km) a day & worked for 4 or 5-hrs, many Tram Systems needed 10 or more Horses in Stable for each Horse Carraige.
A Passenger Service by Horse-drawn Carriage took 60 to 70-mins to Travel the 6-miles (9.7 km) between Quainton Road & Brill. Composite Trains hauled by Locomotives make frequent Stops for Loading & Unloading, with Timetables ranging from 1.5-hrs to 23-hrs & 4-hrs to Walk the same Journey.
Tram Wagons were literally pulled along the Line by Horses & the Carriage Types would have been full of harvested crops, fruit, vegetables, Milk Churns & probably sheep & chickens too. The Stations were literally Sheds raised up on Earth Banks supported by Wooden Planks. In the Opening Ceremony in 1871, the 1st Goods Wagon to arrive at Wotton Distributed Coal to the Poor. But Villagers in the nearby Village of Brill liked the Idea so much they called for it to be extended to the Village and to be used by Passengers – which it was in 1872. The Horse-drawn Tram Service, which Terminated North of the Village at the foot of what is now Tram Hill, originally took 1½-Hrs to get to Quainton Road.
At this point 2-Steam Engines were Bought in to replace the Horses as the Loads on the Track were becoming too Heavy & the Carriages were often Derailing. The Locomotives had to be very Light & Small because of the primitive nature of the Track.
The 1st Engine was one of a Pair which were obtained by the Blisworth & Stowe Brick & Tile Co Ltd – Henry Martin’s predecessors – from the Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad Co in 1894. Originally Supplied in January 1872 to the Duke of Buckingham (for the Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad), the 6-HP Engine Aveling & Porter No.807 had a Single Cylinder (7¾-ins x 10-ins) & was carried on Wheels of 3-ft in dia. Other small variations will be noted – for example the Spring Buffers & a crude Wooden Running Board, both probably later additions. Happily, No.807 survived the War, being Stored until March 1951. It was then secured by the Industrial Locomotive Society & is now on Display at the Museum of British Transport, Clapham.
No.807 has a Single Cylinder mounted on top of the Boiler, is surrounded by a Steam Jacket. Motive Power is transmitted from the Transverse Crankshaft by Spur Gearing to a Countershaft carrying a Chain Sprocket (5-teeth) at the other end. The Final Drive to the Wheels is by a Chain passed around the Sprocket & a Chain Wheel mounted on each Axle behind the Driving Wheels, which are thus Coupled together. The Countershaft Bearings are Located in Curved Slots in the Supporting Brackets, to give a means of adjusting the Tension of the Driving Chain. A Heavy Flywheel 3ft-6ins Dia is mounted on the Crankshaft. No.807 was one of a Pair of Locomotives which worked on the Wotton Tramway, later known as the Brill Branch. No.807 was supplied in January 1872 & its Counterpart No.846 in the following June at a price of £400 each.
2-Aveling Porter Geared Locomotives were Purchased from the Makers for Motive Power over the Line. These curious Machines were more like Traction Engines with Flanged Wheels, each had a single overslung Cylinder 7¾”x 10″ connected through the Countershaft & Pinion to further Pinions on the Axles, the cost being £400 each. Their maximum speed was about 8-miles per hour. The early Timetables show a time of 95/105-mins for the 6½-mile Journey, this being an average of no more than 4-mph. The Trains were Mixed & ran Daily & there were additional Freight Trips if required. Watering Facilities were in the Church Sidings & Turntables were situated in Quainton & Brill & on the Kingswood Branch; the Engines seemed to have Worked more satisfactorily Chimney 1st. Horses were still used for Shunting & Light Duties, they also Worked the 3-Short Branch Lines.
There is little clearance between the front Water Tank & the track ballast
Being only capable of 4-mph they were deemed not man enough when it became a Branch Line rather than a Private Railway. Consequently both were withdrawn in 1894 & were Replaced on the Brill Tramway by 2-Manning Wardle K-Class Saddle Tank Locomotives. It is likely that the 2-A & P’s were Sold when the 1st 2 0-6-0ST’s arrived in 1894/5. They went to George King & Son for their Brickworks at Nether Heyford (Northants) on the down side of the Main Line, about a mile south of Weedon station. This became the Blisworth & Stowe Brick & Tile Co Ltd & in March, 1923, the Ownership passed to Henry Martin Ltd.
While the original Aveling & Porter No.s 807 & 846 Locomotives were Slow & Noisy & could be Heard by the Station Porter long before its Arrival, (later Locomotives were quieter & quicker); a Ladder was installed against a Large Oak for the Porter to watch for oncoming Trains. The Aveling Porter locos were withdrawn in 1894 & were Sold to a Brickworks at Nether Heyford, Northants. No.846 failed its Boiler Test soon afterwards & was dismantled for Spare Parts for Loco No.807 which Survived until 1940 on the Closure of that Brickworks.
By the mid-1870s, Slow Locomotives & their Unreliability & Inability to handle Heavier Loads were a major problem. In 1874, Ferdinand de Rothschild Purchased a 2,700-acre (1,100-ha) Site near Waddesdon Station for the Planned Waddesdon Mansion from John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough. Line Manager Jones & the 3rd Duke of Buckingham realised that the Construction would increase the Transport of Heavy Loads that the Engines could not cope with. Engineer William Gordon Bagnall who Founded the Stafford Locomotive Co, W G Bagnall in 1875. Bagnall wrote to the 3rd Duke, offering to Hire a Locomotive for Trials. On 18th December 1876, the ‘Buckingham‘ Locomotive was Delivered. It began Operating on 1st January 1877, mainly on the Steeper Line between Watton & Brill. Manager R A Jones was unsatisfied with some Aspects of the ‘Buckingham‘ Loco, but he acknowledged the Improvement & Ordered a Locomotive from Bagnall for £640 (about £64,100 in 2023). ‘Wotton‘ Engine was Delivered on 28th December 1877 & ‘Buckingham‘ was returned to Bagnall in February 1878. ‘Buckingham‘ & ‘Wotton‘ were more reliable than the Aveling & Porter Engines.
The Engine in the Image is an Inside Cylinder 0-4-0 Tank which was supplied ‘New’ to the Wotton Tramway in 1877 from W G Bagnall Ltd, Stafford, Maker’s No.120 & was called ‘Wotton‘. The 1st Test Engine was called ‘Buckingham‘ & this was a 0-4-0 Saddle Tank Built to the Order of Hauliers Chaplin & Horne, the Duke’s Agents & this Arrived in December, 1876. It was recorded as Maker’s No.16 & is reputed as having 1st been in South Wales before coming to the Tramway.
Above, engravings of a 4-Wheeled Tank Locomotive Constructed by W G Bagnall, of the Castle Engine Works, Stafford, the leading feature in this Engine being the arrangement of the Cylinders & Working Gear. The Engine is of a Type of which several have been Constructed by Bagnall, with Cylinders of from 4-ins in dia upwards, the particular Locomotive Illustrated being 1-Built for the Duke of Buckingham’s Private Tramway “the Wotton Tramway” which runs from Quainton-Road to Brill. The Gauge of the Line is 4ft-8½ ins, & it is Laid with Vignoles Rails, weighing 28-lb per yd & Spiked down to Longitudinal Timbers 6-ins Square. As will be seen from our Illustration the Engine has inside Cylinders & Bagnall makes the Leading Axle the Cranked Axle, & places the Cylinders between the 2-Axles, the 2-Cylinders with the Crosshead Guides being all fixed down to a Strong Plate, which is stiffened by Angle Irons, as shown & which is Bolted to the Ordinary Frames of the Engine by turned Bolts. The parts can be well seen from the Footplate for Oiling, etc, & the whole Foundation Plate with the Cylinders & Guides can be very readily taken down when desired for the Execution of Repairs. The Boiler is placed at such a height that the Ashpan comes above the Trailing Axle & it has thus been rendered possible to give it such a position Longitudinally as to attain a good Distribution of Weight on the 2-Axles. The Boiler is of ample size & is found to give a good Steam Supply with Wood Fuel. It is fed by a Steam Pump & by an Injector. The Feed-Water is carried in a Tank under the Front End of the Barrel, as shown in the Longitudinal Section. The Engine Illustrated has now been at Work some time & we understand does its Work well, taking Loads of 90-Tons Gross up Gradients of 1 in 100 & 41-Tons Gross up 1 in 44. The Arrangement has altogether many points to recommend it for small Tank Engines. The Principal Dimensions of the Engine we Illustrate are as Listed:
‘Modern’ Locomotives were introduced on the Brill to Quainton Road Route (the Kingswood Branch was usually Horse-powered, (sometimes with Aveling & Porter Engines) to reduce Traffic. Milk Traffic increased from 40,000-gals in 1875 to 58,000 gals (260,000 L, 70,000 US gallons) in 1879 & in 1877 the Trams carried 20,994-tons of Goods. It appeared on Bradshaw’s Maps in early-1877, and from May 1882 Bradshaw Published Timetables. Despite frequent Derailments, the Wotton Tramway had a Good Safety Record due to its Low Speed. The Locomotive occasionally ran over a stray Sheep & on 12th September 1888, a spark from one of Aveling’s & Porter’s Engines blew back into one of the Train’s Oxcarts, igniting the straw bedding & killing 2-Oxen. suffered severe burns. There was 1-Serious Accident on the Line when Wotton House‘s Servant, Ellen Maria Nichols, was killed by a Locomotive near Church Siding. The Coroner returned a Verdict of Accidental Death & the Driver, James Challis, was Acquitted.
The Replacement Engine was one of Manning, Wardle & Co Ltd’s Standard K-Class 0-6-0ST‘s which had been Built in 1876, Maker’s No.616. The K-Class & their Predecessors were very popular for use on Constructional & Industrial Works, including new Railways & many 100s of these Inside Cylinder Engines with their 3-ft dia Coupled Wheels were Built for these Customers. No.616 was Ordered by T A Walker, Civil Engineers. The Engine was named ‘Prestwich‘, a Northern Suburb of Manchester. The Firm, J D Nowell were also Civil Engineering Contractors. ‘Prestwich‘ may have changed Owners & become Huddersfield at this time, but Nowells are believed to have obtained it from another Contractor, Cubitt Son & De Lange at Bridgwater. The Coupled Wheelbase of No.616 was 10ft-9ins & it had 12-ins Bore Cylinders with Pistons having a 17-in Stroke. Its weight in working order was 18-Tons compared with the 10-Tons of the Aveling & Porter Engines which it Displaced.
In 1876 2-Bagnall built Saddletank Locomotives were Supplied to Replace the Aveling & Porter Engines, but these were further Replaced after Operations were handed over to the Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad Company (O & AT) in 1894. The Line was re-Laid & the basic Stations on the Line were Renovated & Improved. Two New Manning Wardle & Co 0-6-0 ST’s were brought in to Operate the Branch Service. The Locomotive Pictured here at Quainton Road is Manning Wardle & Co K-Class 0-6-0 ST, Brill No.1, (No.1249) of 1894. The Locomotive is pictured hauling 2-Midland Railway Wagons & an Antiquated Carriage, probably that loaned from the Great Western Railway.
An 1895 Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad Passenger Coach & Goods Wagon Loaded with Milk Churns
The 2-Engines Acquired by the O & AT in 1894 were Contractors Type Tank Engines. It had been the Company’s intention to again Hire the 1st-Engine, named ‘Huddersfield‘, from the Owners, J D Nowell of Todmorden (Todmorden is about 12-miles West of Huddersfield), but, to avoid the burden of Payment of £26 a month, the Dukes Son the 4th Earl Temple of Stowe Purchased the Locomotive outright for £450 in the February. By 1894, 2–Manning Wardle Locomotives were in use: ‘Huddersfield‘, Works No.616, Built 1876 & Earl Temple, Works No.1249, Built 1894. ‘Huddersfield‘ was bought 2nd-Hand & had originally been named ‘Prestwich‘. The Engine ‘Earl Temple‘, later renamed Brill No.1, was identical to Huddersfield other than having a Covered Cab & was bought New. The Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad could not afford the Price & thus ‘Earl Temple‘ was owned directly by the 4th Earl Temple of Stowe & rented to the O & AT. Wotton No.2, Works No.1415, Built 1899, was bought on 7th February 1899 to replace ‘Huddersfield‘. All 3 were 0-6-0ST with inside Cylinders. The Decrepit ‘Huddersfield‘ was Sold in 1901 & the other 2-Manning Wardle Locomotives were Sold in 1909.
On 26th March 1889 the 3rd Duke of Buckingham & Chandos died, aged 65. A Special Train brought his Body from London to Quainton Road & from Quainton it was taken to Stowe House for the Funeral Service & on to the Family Vault at Wotton. He had passed without realising his Dream of connecting his Tramway to Oxford.
The Operation of the Tramline was taken over by the Metropolitan Railway in 1899 & the Line became one of the Railway’s 2-North-western Termini.
The Brill or Wotton Tramway continued to be worked by the Oxford & Aylesbury Tramroad Company Administered by 4th Earl Temple as the Company Chairman. He actually owned nearly all the Land over which the Tramway Operated. He owned the 2-New Manning, Wardle Saddle Tank Engines, Brill No.1 & Wotton No. 2 & the 2-Bogie Passenger Carriages built in 1896 & a Wagon were also his Property. Earl Temple also owned £11,000 of Lloyd’s Bonds issued to the Tramway primarily to Finance the 1894 Reconstruction of the Branch. Furthermore, the Earl had the benefit of 20-yrs of continuous experience of R A Jones as his General Manager. Under the O & AT, Mr Jones was not only Manager but a Director. Indeed, from March 1895 to December 1896 he was Managing Director and from September 1899 he was also the Company Secretary.
The Metropolitan Railway Acquired the Lease of the Brill Branch in 1899 & the Company soon replaced the Manning Wardle K-Class Locomotives with 2-D -Class 2-4-0T’s from their Own Stock of 6 Built in 1894-1895 by Sharp, Stewart & Co. However, when the Great Western & Great Central Railways Built their New Line & a Station at Wooton, this offered much faster Connections to London.
From 1903, the Manning Wardle Locomotives were replaced by Metropolitan Railway D-Class 2-4-0 Tank Engines, No.s 71 & 72. The D-Class Locomotives were unsatisfactory to the Met Railway & between 1916 & 1922 the Met Sold their entire Stock of D-Class Engines.
From 1st December, 1899, the Metropolitan Railway took over the Lease & the running of the Tramway & Purchased the Rolling Stock. The 2 relatively new 0-6-0ST‘s, Brill No.1 & Wotton No.2 were bought from 4th Earl Temple & the older Wotton No.1 from O & A T. This latter Engine was in a poor condition but the other 2-Manning, Wardles were kept at Work until they were replaced by the Metropolitan Railway’s introduction of their 2-4-0T’s, D Class, in 1903 & 1904. The history of Brill No. 1, MW 1249, shows that it returned to Contractors Work about 1913 when it was Owned by the Firm Frank Hayes. They used the Engine on the Construction of the Great West Road. Later it was Sold to Kirk & Randall of Bromborough Dock on the East side of the Wirral Peninsula. Wotton No.2 MW 1415, also returned to the rough & tumble of Civil Engineering life. It was Sold to C J Wills Ltd, of Chadwell Heath, near Romford, Essex & finally ended its working days with the Contractors, Holland, Hannah & Cubitts Ltd.
It is not surprising to find the 4th Earl Temple interested & receptive to an Approach from the Metropolitan Railway with Proposals for Purchasing the Tramway. On behalf of the Freeholders & the Company the Earl conducted negotiations & drew up an Agreement for the Sale of the Tramroad for £20,000 & for the Right of the Metropolitan Railway to acquire any additional Land found necessary for Doubling the Track or for making New Sidings & Stations. Pending Parliamentary Approval for the Purchase of the Tramway Co a letter dated 27th November 1899 from John Bell, the Manager of the Metropolitan Railway to 4th Earl Temple set down the Terms of the Agreement & the Temporary Rent of £600 a year to be paid to the Tramway Company. This Letter also stated that the Metropolitan Railway would maintain the Line & the Rolling Stock during the Temporary Period & accepted responsibility for Accident Claims, Loss or Damage to Goods, etc. From 1st December 1899 the Metropolitan Railway took over. R A Jones continued as General Manager & Secretary & all other Employees of the Tramway continued in Service with their New Employer, including the Loco Driver & Fireman & the Fitter at Brill. For another 40-yrs the Wotton Tramroad was Operated on this Temporary Basis. The Metropolitan Railway never sought Parliamentary Powers & the O & AT continued its Independent Existence until 1940.
Notwithstanding the Temporary Agreement for the Operation, Maintenance & Legal aspects of the Tramroad, the Metropolitan proceeded to Purchase the Rolling Stock . They paid £700 to the Company for the early 0-6-0ST, Wotton No.1, (Manning Wardle No.616) the original Composite Carriage, the Horse Tram, 8-Wagons, a Horse, a Van, a Cart & Sundry other Items. They Purchased for £2,300 from 4th Earl Temple his 2-Manning, Wardle 0-6-0ST’s, his 2-Bogie Bristol Carriage & Wagon Co Passenger Cars built in 1895 & the Mineral Wagon he owned. These Locomotives & Coaches were virtually New and were in Good Order unlike the Tramway Company’s Stock. The Metropolitan soon placed the original Carriage off the rails as a Store in Brill Yard while the 16-Seat horse Tram and the 8-Old Wagons were withdrawn form Service & eventually Sold for Scrap in 1905.
Just before the take over the Tramway had Hired a Rigid 8-Wheeled Coach from the Metropolitan Railway which could Seat 70-Passengers in 7-Compartments. There was also a Guards Compartment which was not a feature of the Bristol Cars which had to run with the Original Luggage-Composite despite its advanced years. This was the reason for the Hiring of the 3rd Brake Coach & it was also reason for the Disposal in 1900 of the 2 rather unusual end-Verandah Saloons acquired New only 5-yrs earlier. They were bought by the Colliery Owner & Contractor, George Waddell & used on the Llanelly & Mynydd Mawr Railway in South Wales.
So the year 1900 dawned with the 2–Saddle Tanks working a Service of 4-Trains each way between Quainton Road & Brill with a Metropolitan rigid 8-Wheeler. Departures from Brill were at 8.10 am, 10.35 am, 3.o5 pm & 5.15 pm. The Return journeys from Quainton Road were at 9.30 am, 12.15 pm, 4.15 pm, & 6.25 pm. The Journey Time was 35 to 40 mins with Scheduled Stops at Waddesdon & Wotton & Conditional Stops by Signal at Westcott & Wood Siding.
3rd-Class Ordinary Single Ticket from Waddesdon Road to Wood Siding, Issued by Metropolitan & Great Central Joint Committee, 1922-1935
By 1935, the new London Passenger Transport Board (into which the Metropolitan Railway had been absorbed) decided that they could no longer justify Operations North of Aylesbury & Ceased all Services, including the Brill Branch, beyond that Point.
Their place on the O & AT was taken by 2-Metropolitan Railway A Class 4-4-0T Locomotives numbered 23 & 41, built by Beyer, Peacock & Co in 1866 & 1869 respectively. The A-Class Locomotives would Alternate in Service, each Operating the Route for a week. No.41 was Scrapped in 1936, but No.23 continued to be used by London Transport until 1948 & is now preserved in the London Transport Museum.
Photo at the Branch Line Platform at Quainton Road Station, this Locomotive is Metropolitan A-Class 4-4-0 Tank Locomotive No.3, which the Met had brought in to Operate the Line. Built by Beyer Peacock & Co. (Works No.710) in 1866, this Loco was already 68-yrs old by the time this Picture was taken. The Loco is pictured hauling 2–Midland Railway Wagons & an Antiquated Carriage, probably that Loaned from the Great Western Railway.
The Brill Platform of the 2nd Quainton Road Station, Sited on the Curve between the O & AT & Met Railway Lines. The short stretch of Rails at the Platform is the only Surviving part of the Route.
Aston Rowant & Chilterns Spring Line Villages 