Prototype Military Railways 1980s

Devonbelle

Western Thunderer
Ive a keen interest in standard gauge military railways and in the 1980s I managed to visit quite a few in the southern part of the country.

IMG_3098.JPGFirst up is the Bramley Military Railway - all shots by self - Father and I did the last day of the Bramley line - 33 miles of track darting through woodland - with spurs everywhere and loading bays a depots spread out over a huge site. the last few months saw government stores shipped out - with daily block trains of VEA box vans hauled by Speedlink class 37s - I once saw a train in Feb 1987 absolutely storm through Swindon - crewed by Tunnel men (Severn Tunnel Depot). Of course the rail tour could only happen once the site cleared of things which could harm folk! Enjoy -

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The light on Sun 1st of March was dire - so some very slow shutter settings necessary - the trip worked with a pair of Thumper units Basingstoke to Bramley - then onto the BMR, then split the units - they were then led by an Army Ruston 0-6-0 round the whole system, with a lad clipping up points and hand-signalling - it was rather like the great St Trinians train robbery with multiple trains chasing along- cue 'Im Amanda Spotiswood, Headmistress of St Trinians and claiming the reward for the stolen money' on a wickham railcar pursuing a thumper unit!!

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BMR loco shed - home to the three Ruston locos - note the Wickham railcar. When I visited 3 years earlier and viewed the shed from a public footpath as a school boy the marshalling yard in front of the shed was full of MoD and BR wagons - with a lovely ex SR brake Van in Army green.

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The shot I took of Army 422 was with a tripod - it was almost dark - witness the brightness of the marker lights and blurred people.
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More military railway shots to come…..
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Interesting pics for sure. I never got further than Liss!

I've just taken the liberty of photoshopping one of the shots - very quick and crude, and just adjusted the colour a bit. I took it from a screen grab so quality could be improved.

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Nothing more to say, really - you either think it's worth doing or not!

Brian
 

West Junction

Western Thunderer
In 1972 I moved to Arncott in Oxfordshire which is circled by part of the Bicester military railway (now mostly closed). At that time there was still one Hunslet saddle tank available plus an old inspection coach. Not being very aware of military security I was poking a large telephoto lens through the security fence to take a photograph of the said coach when I was accosted by a very irate MOD policeman (it must be remembered this was at the time when the IRA were starting to get very nasty). Fortunately despite all of the threats I was able to keep my camera and film but missed my photo of the coach. I did however manage to get a couple of photos of the Hunslet after crossing a farmers field.

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Thirty two years later my son took a photo of 50026 Invincible in a similar position to the crane. It was at Arncott until the TA dropped it when lifting it.

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Peter
 

Devonbelle

Western Thunderer
Superb Peter I went all weak at the knees seeing your lovely shots. Army 197 went onto the Kent and East Sussex Railway in 1977 - then formally sold by the MoD in 1979 - it remains on the KESR to this day, I travelled the line at Bicester in a work capacity on board the coach to which (I think) you refer - it's was an ex LSWR Ambulance coach, sadly in 2001 it was a Thomas Hill Steelman diesel which hauled the train rather than 197 or it's sisters!
Paul
 

Devonbelle

Western Thunderer
After doing Bramley I was bitten by the bug so did Long Marston in 1987 (Sat 4th October) - when they had a rare open day - to celebrate 200 years of the Royal Engineers. Their own diesel fleet was operational on demonstration freight trains around the huge circuit, plus BR bought in a rail freight class 47 which was named that afternoon The Sapper. Plus 8233 ex SVR was present working shuttle trains Long Marston - Honeyborne - alternating with hauling a trainload of war flats / war wells round the LMR loaded with military boats, excavators etc.

Highlight for me was seeing the Army's last steam engine working - a ubiquitous Austerity 0-6-0 saddle tank, number 98, Royal Engineer.

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Two years before the October 87 event - Royal Engineer made a rare public appearance - at Tysley without the awful headboard.
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And down at Honeyborne on 4th Oct 1987PICT0467.JPG - the 8f was working Honeyborne Long Marston Shuttles, alternating with Royal Engineer taking the same set of coaches around the circuit at Long Marston, giving rides -

And then the highlight was a main line charter arriving from London, which the 8f attached to at Honeyborne along with its 5 coach set and hauled to LM exchange sidings where Royal Engineer took over the train (load 16) - which it stomped round Long Marston Military Railway.

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Devonbelle

Western Thunderer
In November 1983 I took my first picture with a non instamatic camera - it was at Chatham Dockyard - which remained a military dockyard until Summer 1984 - they had some Planet 4 wheel diesels and a lovely 0-4-0 saddle tank Ajax. We were chaperoned around limited parts of the site as it was still an operational navy base on a bus - and allowed off at select spots to photograph the steamer, which worked a train of vintage Navy wagons through the dockyard.


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Move forward to 1987 and I visited Ludgershall on a BR special - the Army boys had laid on a brake van shuttle for railltour passengers and between hoping off the special and joining a few other snaps, until I got an 'oi - where are you going', as I wandered round the Army locos on site including this smart loco - either a Drewry or Barclay product being dismantled for spares.
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The shuttle brakeman service laid on by the Army ran from Ludgershall up onto the MSWJ branch to Tidworth - with a number of lines shooting off into warehouse. the locos were two Thomas Hill wheel wheel chain drive locos atop some SR bogie brake vans. To the far right of shot (looking toward Swindon) is the area where troop trains were loaded/unloaded - where our special had arrived.
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Also at Ludgershall were 3 newly arrived Army Ruston locos, ex Bramley Military Railway - after the last trains at Bramley the 3 Rustons, coupled to an SR bogie brakevan ran under their own power from Bramley to Ludgershall in March 1987 - Id love to see a shot of them going through Basingstoke! Heres Army loco 435 (ex Bramley)
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View from 435s cab looking toward Tidworth, with the Army located left hand side and some lovely internal user wagons centre of shot and just in shot some Warwell wagons loaded with snow cat vehicles.
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Now wind back to June 1984 and this 2 foot gauge line at Aldershot Army base - it was what proved to be the last military tattoo at the Rushmoor Arena - the line was purely a demo line to carry passengers. The loco is a Simplex machine judging by the style of the chassis, and the same comment goes for the vehicle in shot on the left.
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Highlight at the tattoo for me was seeing my first Army steam loco - in 1984 they had two 0-6-0 Austerity saddle tanks (Royal Engineer at Long Marston and Waggoner at Shoeburyness).

Waggoner - seen below was ex Marchwood Military Railway, where it worked until 1979 - it then went to Shoeburyness for an overhaul (where they used to overhaul MoD steam cranes). It was barely used at Shoebury and then came to Aldershot for the tattoo in June 84 - where it was in steam and visitors to the cab were allowed. It then went from Aldershot to preservation, to the Army Museum of Transport in Yorkshire (now closed). Behind the Austerity is a new Thomas Hill steelman loco. The two locos now reside together on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

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Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Move forward to 1987 and I visited Ludgershall on a BR special...

Also at Ludgershall were 3 newly arrived Army Ruston locos, ex Bramley Military Railway - after the last trains at Bramley the 3 Rustons, coupled to an SR bogie brakevan ran under their own power from Bramley to Ludgershall in March 1987.
I moved to Bramley Green in April 1989 and walked to Bramley station each weekday, my route used a footpath that ran alongside the workshop area of Bramley CAD. If the railway had closed in early 1987 then the workshop area received and dispatched BR wagons in the summer of 1989 - somewhere I have photos of opens in the yard.

regards, Graham
 

West Junction

Western Thunderer
In 1969 I went to the last public open day at Longmoor Military Railway. Unfortunately I only took two army railway pictures the others being of ex BR locomotives stationed there. As we had visited the Bluebell Railway earlier I didn't have much film left.

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West Junction

Western Thunderer
I have never noticed it before, but after playing with the photograph of 75029 the front end of a West Country/Battle of Britain can be seen in the shed at the back of the row of locomotives. I don't remember seeing it at the time.
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
I have never noticed it before, but after playing with the photograph of 75029 the front end of a West Country/Battle of Britain can be seen in the shed at the back of the row of locomotives. I don't remember seeing it at the time.

It would have been 21C123 Blackmoor Vale...

Steph
 
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