Guernsey Military Railway

Currently on holiday on the West coast of Guernsey, I was interested to read about the short lived 90cm-gauge military railway that ran from St Sampson down to L'Eree during the occupation.

Just wondering if anyone is aware of any online resources about this railway? I intend to order the (now out of print) 1967 NRP Bonsor Oakwood Press volume on this subject, but this will not be until my return home from the Channel Islands. I was hoping to visit some areas of the former trackbed whilst here...

 

My wife was born and bought up in St. Sampson. Unfortunately she cannot assist but she will speak
to her (older) brother and see if he knows anything. He still has strong links with people in that area.

I hope you enjoy your holiday.

Stef.

 

Thank you sir! It's a truly beautiful part of the world.

The limited information I currently have comes from a small display at the Occupation Museum. It seems that there was a 90cm "mainline" that ran from St Peterport up to St Samson's, then across to L'Islet, and down the West coast finally finishing at L'Eree, plus numerous 60cm spurs.

There are two photos in the Occupation Museum of what appear to me to be two different Henschel 0-4-0 locomotives. At least one of these survived the war, being photographed at St Sampson in 1945, and was apparently subsequently scrapped.

Many thanks for your help!

Andi.

 

Industrial Locomotives of Central Southern England published by The Industrial Railway Society in 1981, mentions these. See attached partial page scans.

 

Many thanks for this. I'm enjoying this particularly flexible interpretation of "Central Southern England"!

Very interested to note the reference to the line at Mirus Battery, which is just up the lane from where I'm currently staying. The wording seems ambiguous about whether this connected to the 900mm "mainline". The maps I've seen don't show this, but given the transitory nature of the entire system that's hardly conclusive evidence!

Andi.