First Timetable A New Line The Impact Stroud Time Rail Motor Decline of the Railways

One unusual feature of rail transport in Stroud in the 20th century was the 'Rail Motor', which ran between Chalford and Stonehouse.

In 1901, a Mr Nevins proposed building passenger tramways. Although this scheme came to nothing, the Great Western Railway was sufficiently worried by competition from buses, let alone trams, to look for a cheaper way of providing local passenger transport than a conventional train.

A report by J.F. Lean, a GWR official, in 1902 recommended using a 'rail-motor'. This was a single carriage which could carry 52 passengers. It had a steam engine compartment at one end and was staffed by a driver and a conductor who collected the fares.

From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local History Society

GRO D3976 Lean's Report on Rail-motor, 1902 (3)