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This topic focusses on railways built by the military. It starts with some relatively small networks in the UK. I wonder whether others can highlight other lines built solely for the use of the military, or perhaps tell stories associated with the military railways in the First World War?
This is my first contribution ............
Bicester Military Railway
It seems as though this railway is all but abandoned. It appears that way when travelling through the site. If anyone knows any better, it would be good to hear from you. I have seen pictures on the internet, with notes about the railway, which say that it was last used in 2014.
I only came across the railway by accident as I explain below:
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MOD Ashchurch, its railway and Ashchurch Railway Station
I was reading a book by Neil Parkhouse and looking at a series of photographs of the historic station at Ashchurch which was demolished as part of the fall out from the cuts to the UK railway network associated with Dr. Beeching. Apart from feeling a sense of dismay that the original station and its building, together with the branch-lines it served, has been lost for ever, I noticed a reference to a siding serving MOD Ashchurch and decided to investigate.
DE&S Ashchurch, known locally as "Ashchurch Camp", was the UK MOD's primary vehicle storage and distribution site for all types of armoured and soft-skinned vehicles, together with Royal Engineer bridges, boats and construction plant. The Centre was the only vehicle depot in the UK using Controlled Humidity Environments (CHE) for long-term vehicle storage.
MOD Ashchurch remains at risk of closure and its site is marked in the local authority plan for mixed development.
Posts: 329 | From: Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, UK. | Registered: Dec 2018
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MOD Kineton developed as a depot in the Second World War. Construction began in 1941 and the depot came to occupy most of the land between Kineton and Temple Herdwyke. It was a Central Ammunition Depot, it also served during the war as a transit camp, with Polish and Czechoslovakian troops based there.
The site continues in use into 21st Century. Much of the original railway and sidings at MOD Kineton has been removed but the depot continues to be rail-served and to have a significant internal rail network.
Posts: 329 | From: Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, UK. | Registered: Dec 2018
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posted
Very recently, I have been reading a book about the Bicester Military Railway which was published in 1992. It was published by the Oxford Publishing Company and is widely available to buy second-hand. It is worth a read. ...
This book, written by E.R. Lawton and Major M.W. Sackett in 1992, gives a comprehensive history of the Bicester site which extends from the original concept to the date of publication of the book.
In the 21st century, large areas of the complex have been given over to civilian use.
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