Military Railways

Not strickly heritage I know, happy for it to be moved!

I was wondering if anyone had knowledge of any military camps that were served by railways, but didn't have direct rail access? So troops would be bussed from the nearest station etc? Crazy I know, but wondered if it ever happened in practice?

Many thanks

Chris

 

Bussed? Surely they'd be marched! Or perhaps moved by lorry?

There was a lengthy thread on military railways a year or so ago - might be worth doing a search on the forum for it?

Regards,
John Webb

 

In Germany RAF Wildenrath and RAF Bruggen (possibly RAF Laarbruch too) were linked by railway but unsure if there was a physical connection to the DB network. It was a useful mode of transport for those engaged in "inter base drinking contests."

 

I can think of 3 RAF stations that had railway links: Bicester (The DE&S Bicester site is still rail-connected), Halton (near Wendover) and Cranwell. The Cranwell Railway was built in 1916 to serve the new airship station at Cranwell and a short piece of track still survives in the contractors' compound. The line ran for just over 5 miles from the GNR line near Sleaford and closed in 1956. Tracks were lifted in 1957. The old station is now the RAF Cranwell Guardroom and is listed.
There was also the Belton Park Railway from the GNR main line just north of Grantham to the Belton estate. It was built in WWI and was taken up after the end of the War.

 

Lympstone Commando has is own station on the Exmouth line. Britannia Royal Naval College had its own station on the Kingswear line, jump off the train, catch the feet and march up the hill. Also Devonport Wardroom has a railway in the"garden"although not a passenger line.

 

I guess you mean "ferry". BRNC looks nice from a distance, even nicer after you've graduated! Memories flooding back listening to the "Manor" leaving Kingswear whilst yours truly stands on parade ground trying not to laugh as the PO GI (Petty Officer Gunnery Instructor) waves his cane in your direction and says something like, Stand up straight sir! I mean erect, like Kojak in a....!" well you get the rest.

 

Very distracting when your out on the picket boats trying to carry out a man over board drill and the trains are rolling past.

 

Glutton for punishment: 8 years Senior Service, 24 years Junior Service, 3 years Civil Service and counting!

Back on thread, the Naval Stores Depot at Gosport had quite a railway network at one time and some of the box vans there were ex-LNWR. I think at least some of them went to heritage railways.

 

We have a couple of ex LNW / RNAD box vans at Llangollen.

 

Tidworth barracks in Wiltshire served by the ludgershall branch line from Andover junction.

 

In Hampshire there were once a number of substantial internal military railway systems. Tidworth North is still served by a rump of the old MSWJR from Andover Red Post to Ludgershall. I believe this still generates regular traffic. There was a spur that ran from Ludgershall down to SOuth Tidworth serving various parts of the site. I suspect this is no longer in use.
And of course at Marchwood Military Port the Port Regiment RCT are still served by a fantastic network of internal tracks and sidings that host a quantity of weird and exotic rolling stock many will have not seen for years. Marchwood generates a lot of traffic. Aldershot military town had a couple of sidings and a platform for troop trains - I think a siding may still exist but is disused. THe LOngmoor Military railway has all gone, as has Portsmouth Naval dockyard's rail network, the system at Bramley munitions depot, the tramway to Farnborough airfield (that would be useful for today's airshows!), the sidings to Hedge End RN depot, RAPC Worthy Down once connected to the DNSR. There was a Royal Naval Depot siding somewhere near Dunbridge which has now gone. THe Gosport Line served the RN munitions depot at BEdenham which ran on through back streets down to the cordite factory at Clarence, now it is to be turned into a Guided Busway (Political speak for "a road").
This is all freight though - I'm not aware of any troop trains running for decades.
I think that's it for my county!

 

In Dorset there was a branch from the S&D to Blandford Camp.

 

RNAD Dean Hill was served from the main line between Romsey and Salisbury with a spur at Dean Hill. The exit signal and G/F are still in situ but all the rails have now gone. Inside the depot there was a substantial narrow gauge railway. Details and photos can be viewed here: Subterranea Brittanica: Sites:Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) Dean Hill

There was a US army camp during WW2 at Lockerley (nr. Dunbridge) that was served by a railway. Although I knew about the camp it wasn't until late last year that I was made aware of the rail link which has now long gone.

More details here: US Army In Lockerley Romsey UK

 

There were extensive military railways around Dinton on the SW mainline, west of Salisbury.

Firstly, there was a military camp at Fovant in the First World War. This was served by a short branch line from Dinton and handled both freight and troop workings. While stationed there, the troops carved their regimental badges into the chalk hillsides, and these still survive - see Fovant Badges - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (the main Fovant Badges website seems to be down at the moment). The line saw significant traffic at the end of the war as many soldiers were demobbed at Fovant and used the line to travel to Dinton and thereby gain the national network. Gradients were up to 1:35 and trains were hauled by an Avonside 0-6-0T with troops conveyed in elderly LSWR stock. the line was lifted around 1920 but then relaid in the 1930s as narrow gauge for the Air Ministry.

In the Second World War, there were Ministry of Supply sidings at Dinton and Chilmark (an ammunition dump) and the US Forces had a short branch at Baverstock, all in the area.

Dinton station is now closed (though trains still pass) but the Station building and signalbox are preserved as a private residence.

See Fovant Military Railway which contains this image:



There are still some substantial brick built buildings near Fovant that are obviously railway related, but don't come from the Fovant Military railway - are they from the 1930s Air Ministry Railway? See fovant - Google Maps

Tom

 

Ernesettle RN depot near Plymouth has some sidings off the Gunnislake branch - to the right just after going under the Royal Albert Bridge on a Gunnislake train. No regular traffic any more, but there was a working out of there a few weeks ago. Back in the early seventies I recall there was a busy narrow gauge network in that area.

John

 

Tidworth is in Wiltshire not Hampshire.

 

Yes you're right - but only since 1992. Until then South Tidworth was in Hampshire!

 

I was replying to your write up of military installations in Hampshire, I was based at Tidworth Garrison from 1969 to 1980 and the address was always
Tidworth Garrison.Wiltshire.

 

But when I was resident in one part of Tidworth Garrison between 1977 - 82 I was in Hampshire.
Overlooking the railway into Ludgershall depot.