[Cussman]

Hi, firstly i would like to say you have a great magazine, it is what's been needed for a long time. i am so happy with it, i took out a subscription to it, just to make sure i get my copy each issue.
Up until now i can not find fault with what has been written about in your magazine. You seem to cover all the Big four (GWR, LNER, LMS, SR) with a broad brush, and also other subjects, which none of the other model rail press have yet covered ! So therefore would there be chance that you might consider looking at Military Railways as a subject in the magazine, as it seems to be the forgotten railway in this country, they did and still do play a part in our rail history. Plus also there does not seem to be a lot about on this subject out there, i am therefore hoping you might find this subject to be another hole which needs to be filled by a great magazine. I know it could be a big subject to cover, but i feel it has the making of a good and interesting subject.
I look forward to your reply on this subject.

Regards M.C.

PS keep up the good work.

 

[Al]

There are a number of member on here with interests in this subject, myself being one. As you said, it's a vast subject. Which particular area dues your interest lie?

 

[7113]

It would be interesting to have an article in the mag about the Railway Operating Department, it's a subject that has always fascinated me.

Regards

 

[gregs]

Hi All

I would like to echo Cussman's call, it would be great to have some articles on military railways in the UK especially during the second world war.

Ps. Many thanks again for your excellent magazine!

Cheers
Greg

 

[garratt15a]

From 1973 until 1980, then again from 1984 until 1988, I worked as a shunter, loco driver and then driver/fitter for the MOD Railways, and went to most of the Depots in the South of England at one time or another......I also had a camera !

Cheers, Andy

 

[Cussman]

QUOTE (Al @ 12 Mar 2008, 16:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There are a number of member on here with interests in this subject, myself being one. As you said, it's a vast subject. Which particular area dues your interest lie?

A big thanks for your reply, i didn't think anyone was interested in military railways ? The areas of interest to me are all aspects, such as locations of yards, track layouts, rolling stock and loco's. It's hard to find all this information in a size able amount, and i would be grateful for any pointers to getting this information.

I was in the RAF from 1980 > 2002, here in the UK and overseas and remember fuel trains and ammo trains coming into some of the camps i worked at. I still work for the MOD (air) and get to go into one or two yards around the country still, such as Marchwood just before Christmas, hence the interest.

I know it's a big subject but any information would be great, many thanks. cussman.

 

[John Webb]

There are books about - for example two I have on the Ditton Priors line both deal with its use by the Admiralty as an ammo store in WW2 and after. I can recall coming across books on the Longmoor Military Railway as well. A look at the Middleton Press website [ur]www.middletonpress.co.uk[/url] may be worth doing - they've got histories of some of the most far-flung parts of the British railway system!

I wish I'd paid more attention in my youth to the railways inside Woolwich Arsenal, close to where I used to live!

Regards,
John Webb

 

[garratt15a]

QUOTE (Cussman @ 15 Mar 2008, 00:02) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>A big thanks for your reply, i didn't think anyone was interested in military railways ? The areas of interest to me are all aspects, such as locations of yards, track layouts, rolling stock and loco's. It's hard to find all this information in a size able amount, and i would be grateful for any pointers to getting this information.

I was in the RAF from 1980 > 2002, here in the UK and overseas and remember fuel trains and ammo trains coming into some of the camps i worked at. I still work for the MOD (air) and get to go into one or two yards around the country still, such as Marchwood just before Christmas, hence the interest.

I know it's a big subject but any information would be great, many thanks. cussman.

Yea, I worked at Marchwood in the 1970's. I used to drive Austerity tank No92 Waggoner.
My brother is now the Railway Superintendent there

 

[KODIAK BEAR]

Good god,

this is a subject and a half.

like some on here i was serving and was at RAF Wildenrath.
there we had a railway yard and a very small engine shed.
once a upon a time the daft pongo's let their tiny loco trundle down the track (without a driver) that ended up smashing through the engine shed wall !!!

well, it was to good an opportunity to miss so some of our people got a thomas the tank engine face and placed it on the front of the engine and took lots of photo's !

the RCT were not best pleased

we had coaches from the military train that use to goto Berlin from there to, ammo trains etc so this subject could be a bit large but very interesting !

 

[PaulRhB]

QUOTE (garratt15a @ 15 Mar 2008, 07:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>My brother is now the Railway Superintendent there
Is that Ian? I was the Signalman at Marchwood in 2000. Saw a lot of FV432's on warflats some with amusing chalk graffiti "this side up".
Currently planning a OO layout based on Marchwood station with the old sand sidings re-instated. Lots of variety of freight traffic for the MOD and they also stored container flats in there at weekends.

 

[Al]

QUOTE (PaulRhB @ 16 Mar 2008, 16:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Saw a lot of FV432's on warflats some with amusing chalk graffiti "this side up".

Heres a quick question for you. Why is the FV432 unique by the fact it's commonly know by it's 'FV' reference number and not it's offical British Army name...?

 

[garratt15a]

QUOTE (PaulRhB @ 17 Mar 2008, 05:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Is that Ian? I was the Signalman at Marchwood in 2000. Saw a lot of FV432's on warflats some with amusing chalk graffiti "this side up".
Currently planning a OO layout based on Marchwood station with the old sand sidings re-instated. Lots of variety of freight traffic for the MOD and they also stored container flats in there at weekends.

Yes, it is ideed Ian.....I got him a job there in the mid 70's

 

[PaulRhB]

QUOTE (garratt15a @ 18 Mar 2008, 06:02) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yes, it is ideed Ian.....I got him a job there in the mid 70's
Doubt he'd remember me as we only talked on the phone but a most helpful chap.

Al, ref the FV432, I didn't know what the official name was as I never heard any of the 432 variants called by a name. Just googled it and the basic one is called called Trojan but there are 13 variants with asstd names, maybe the troops just couldn't remember all the names so they didn't catch on?
http://www.fv432.com/fv43xfamily.htm#fv432familytop

Modelling modern military railways is fairly easy thanks to the standard wagons used, although there isn't a ready to run container flat as used for MOD traffic. Bachmann make the vans and genesis do the whitemetal kits for the warflat and warwell. Vehicles to load are more difficult to find and I found a few from wargaming mags in 1/76th scale.

 

[nevardmedia]

I've always liked Marchwood Station, though only ever been there twice. Once was in 1982, then I was very surprised to see manual gates and semaphores. Even the SR precast concrete sign was there. Hastilly I took several pictures imagining this little time warp gem would be swept away very quickly. Went back in 1986 to find it all still there. The signal man invited me onto the platform to warm up in the box, "it's a cold day lad, take that big coat off or you wont get the benefit when you go outside again" - one of the best tips ever to somebody who was wet between the ears. Never been back since, but through the web I'm delighted to see that nothing much has changed. There is still the daily MOD Marchwood to Didcot working too, a train that quite frequently would be ideal for modellers short of space who wanted to model the current scene.

The St Trinian's Great Train Robbery was on the box recently, a great window into the past showing the infrastructure of the Longmoor Military Railway - a great chance to justify a Bachmann WD 2-10-0 with a motlwy colection of pre grouping wagons.... I'm wittering....

Below: 3 shots of Marchwood Station, April 1982

Below: 66186, 6V38 Marchwood to Didcot Yard MOD, South Moreton, Friday 9 June 2006.

Below: 66085 6V38 Marchwood - Didcot Yard M.O.D. Worting Junction. Nikon D70 85mm Nikkor. 13 August 2004

Below: 66013, 6V38 Marchwood - Didcot Yard MOD, Lower Basildon, Berks. Friday 12 November 2004

 

[PaulRhB]

QUOTE (nevardmedia @ 18 Mar 2008, 15:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Went back in 1986 to find it all still there. The signal man invited me onto the platform to warm up in the box,
Funny the pics don't show up in the post but did when I replyed!
Still had oil lamps until 2001 as well, 10 signal lamps and 4 gate lamps which during the summer, (when trains only ran during daylight hours anyway), if you turned the wick right down would last 2 weeks. Still got semaphores and manual gates and looks to continue as the plan to upgrade and resignal the branch was cancelled when the extension to Southampton docks failed at Dibden.
Wednesday was a quiet day when I was there with just 2 trains so the afternoon was spent carrying lamps and a lamp oil can up the loop to fill up the lamps and check all the wicks, very pleasant watching the MOD shunter from up the bracket signal!

 

[7113]

Nice pix Chris,

I really liked that one with the 33 showing the immaculate allotments alongside the track.

Regards

 

[Mike Wild]

QUOTE (Cussman @ 12 Mar 2008, 13:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi, firstly i would like to say you have a great magazine, it is what's been needed for a long time. i am so happy with it, i took out a subscription to it, just to make sure i get my copy each issue.
Up until now i can not find fault with what has been written about in your magazine. You seem to cover all the Big four (GWR, LNER, LMS, SR) with a broad brush, and also other subjects, which none of the other model rail press have yet covered ! So therefore would there be chance that you might consider looking at Military Railways as a subject in the magazine, as it seems to be the forgotten railway in this country, they did and still do play a part in our rail history. Plus also there does not seem to be a lot about on this subject out there, i am therefore hoping you might find this subject to be another hole which needs to be filled by a great magazine. I know it could be a big subject to cover, but i feel it has the making of a good and interesting subject.
I look forward to your reply on this subject.

Regards M.C.

PS keep up the good work.

Thanks for the superb comments! Its great to hear that you are enjoying the magazine so much and good to hear your thoughts about other subjects we can cover. The suggestion of military railways is an interesting one and I sure we can work on something there.
Keep the ideas coming!
Best regards,
Mike

 

[Peter Bedding]

QUOTE (Cussman @ 12 Mar 2008, 13:33) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>.......you might consider looking at Military Railways as a subject in the magazine, ....

May I include the WW2 period in the same thread? It greatly increases the subjects to model, and one can legitimately have three liveries on stage at the same time.

My 4mm Southern r-t-r wish lists include the stock of the period in Bulleid liveries, and supported by High Street road vehicles of the 30s and 40s. The manufacturers are inching in this direction, but painfully slow.

 

[Peter Bedding]

My ham-fisted first attempt (above) somehow seems to have hi-jacked another member's details. Perhaps a moderator will be so kind as to correct the non-deliberate mistake.

 

[screwy]

Good call I would like to see more on military railways.

IN case anyone's remotely interested, in my professional capacity I have done some jobs in the former Royal Naval Dockyard at my opld hometown of Chatham, which has a comprehensive military/dockyard railway still in operation, albeit occasionally. I also worked on the line breifly in the mid 80s when it first closed to the RN as part of the North Downs Steam Railway who operated the line for the Historic Yard. Details on this and some of my pictures can be seen here:

Kent Rail: NDSR

and here:

http://www.kentrail.co.uk/Chatham%20Dockyard.htm

I have more personal pictures if anyone's interested inlcuding lfiting the WW2 shunter!

Also on a similar vein, whislt on another job, I 'found' this site at Upavon in Wilts, site of the Luggershall military depot. Loks good from Google Earth and the trackk layout is of particular interest to modellers as it features several micro layout concepts like Inglenooks and Tymesavers, as well as a near complete ciruit, almost a basic tail-chaser layout! Good to have protoypes for these! Load Google Earth and have a look:

See the start at - 51 degrees 15 minutes and 19 seconds North by 1 degree 37 minutes and 30 seconds West
At Upavon end, old station and industrial sidings. This is at the start of the sidings, follow the rounds to the west. You can see the old station Northward and then the main industrial sidings, but keep going! The arch round in an impossible curve just like Hornby, cross a road and end in anothe industrial complex. There are inglenooks and tymesaver layouts galore there!
Andover station is - 51 degress 12 minutes and 40 seconds North by 1 degree 29 minutes and 41 seconds west.
Andover Station (follow line to the West and then the branch peels off to the North West then North just after a place called Little Park. Keep tracing the line and it ends at the reference above.

Happy hunting and more military please!