Trouble House Halt railway station
Encyclopedia
Trouble House Halt was a small station on the Tetbury branch line
between Kemble
and .
, and was the only station in England built specifically to serve a pub. (Although Berney Arms station in Norfolk has much the same function). The landlord of the Troublehouse Inn used to supply a beer crate to enable passengers to step up into the coaches.
The line and station closed on 6 April 1964, but the station was immortalised in that year in the song "Slow Train
" by Flanders and Swann
.
On 4 April 1964, the last day of operation, when the last passenger train from arrived at Trouble House Halt, a coffin was loaded onto the train by bowler-hatted mourners. It had been made by the landlord of the pub together with his brother, covered with inscriptions and filled with empty whisky bottles. On arrival at , the coffin was transferred to a train for , addressed to Dr. Beeching. The last passenger train to Tetbury found its approach to Trouble House Halt blocked by burning hay bales.
Tetbury branch line
The Tetbury branch was a seven and a half mile long single track branch railway line that ran from Kemble railway station on the Great Western Railway's Golden Valley Line to via five intermediate stations, , , , , and .-History:...
between Kemble
Kemble railway station
Kemble railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire. The station is located on the Swindon to Gloucester "Golden Valley" line. Despite its rural location, Kemble station has a high number of passengers, due mainly to the proximity of...
and .
History
Diesel railbus services were introduced by British Railways Western Region on the Tetbury branch line on 2 February 1959, and on the same day two halts were opened on that line, at Church's Hill and at Trouble House. It was built to serve the Trouble House Public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, and was the only station in England built specifically to serve a pub. (Although Berney Arms station in Norfolk has much the same function). The landlord of the Troublehouse Inn used to supply a beer crate to enable passengers to step up into the coaches.
The line and station closed on 6 April 1964, but the station was immortalised in that year in the song "Slow Train
Slow Train
"Slow Train" is a song by the British duo Flanders and Swann, written in 1963.It laments the loss of British stations and railway lines in that era, due to the Beeching cuts, and also the passing of a way of life, with the advent of motorways etc....
" by Flanders and Swann
Flanders and Swann
The British duo Flanders and Swann were the actor and singer Michael Flanders and the composer, pianist and linguist Donald Swann , who collaborated in writing and performing comic songs....
.
On 4 April 1964, the last day of operation, when the last passenger train from arrived at Trouble House Halt, a coffin was loaded onto the train by bowler-hatted mourners. It had been made by the landlord of the pub together with his brother, covered with inscriptions and filled with empty whisky bottles. On arrival at , the coffin was transferred to a train for , addressed to Dr. Beeching. The last passenger train to Tetbury found its approach to Trouble House Halt blocked by burning hay bales.