light railways of first world war

[341o2]

apologies if in wrong section

With all the interest in the two World Wars, especially 100 years after the start of the first world war, that which caused Davies to write "Light Railways of the First World war" seem to be ongoing

At all the agricultural shows held locally plus the film "War Horse" the sacrifice of thousands of horses is remembered..true

But as Davies wrote seemingly supplies arrived at the main railheads and then somehow arrived at the front lines for example given that Paschendale (hope I've spelt it right) resulted in a bottomless cauldron of mud

In fact an extensive network of narrow gauge lines was constructed to serve the trenches

Ffestiniog no 3 for example of of one of the survivors - locos I mean

 

[ainsworth74]

for example given that Paschendale (hope I've spelt it right)

Passchendaele

 

[341o2]

thought I'd add add a few pics The first one is of an ammmunition train loading at the standard guage railhead for Passchendaele headed by one of the most numerous steam engine designs the Baldwin 4-6-0. However i/c locomotives were even more successful both being more flexible as well as the problem that smoke from a steam engine provided a tempting target for enemy aircraft. The second pic is of a standard Simplex tractor while the third is of an armoured version

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Department_Light_Railways

alsohttp://histomil.com/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=5865&start=10

 

[R4_GRN]

Simplex Loco - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIIulLLbz1c
Channel 4 restored one of these in 2002, main problem was lack of a carburettor which also used on some exotic vintage car, but they managed to get one from narrow gauge railway in Wales and shipped it over to France and run it on track over there.

 

[341o2]

interesting video have not managed to see it all, the loco in question is a 40 hp armoured version, Simplex being the trasde mark of Motor Rail Bedford. a lighter 20hp version was also produced and the 40 hp were unprotected, protected with some armour plate while the armoured version was a tank on rails.

The basic operation of ammunition trains was steam haulage as per first pic in my previous post from standard guage railhead to marshalling yard behind the frount lines, where it would be broken up into one or two wagon sections and the petrol tractors would then proceed with these portions to ammunitiion dumps.

As well as the Simplexes, there were other petrol tractors, perhaps the most remarkable was the conversion of several model T Ford motor cars in the LNWR works at Crewe to dual road/rail operation

 

[gordonthemoron]

I believe the narrow gauge railway in Leighton Buzzard was salvaged from WWI battlefields

 

[talltim]

It's long been an interest of mine.
There's a fair bit of surviving equipment, although surprisingly there wasn't more of a take-up of surplus equipment by narrow gauge railways after the war., the Snailbeach and Ashover light railways being the main ones who bought Baldwins and wagons. (not sure why they didn't go for the 2-6-2 Alcos which were reportedly better running)

Thanks for the link to the Youtube vid, I watched the program at the time and there was a website for it for a while.

I can recommend these books on the subject, there are others, but these are the ones I have read.
Narrow Gauge at War (Vol. 1 and 2) By Keith Taylorson
WDLR Album By Roy Link
The Light track From Arras by T.R. Heritage

I even built a WDLR train in Lego a few years ago!

Also a 20hp bow-framed unprotected Simplex in post-war industrial use colours. At the time the parts weren't available in many colours
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=77793

 

[341o2]

I believe the narrow gauge railway in Leighton Buzzard was salvaged from WWI battlefields

Good to see some response.

The Leighton Buzzard line certainly was built because of WW1, not sure about the rails.

The German invasion of Belgium cut off sand supplies to the UK, so sources were sought within this country. Road steam haulage replaced horse drawn wagons, after peace in 1918, Bedfordshire CC threatened the sand companies with a bill for damage to roads, so the LBLR was opened with 2 ex WD steam locomotives, which only lasted a couple of years being replaced by I/C ex WD tractors. Also some of the class "D" bogie wagons were used as well (Lelux 2nd edition p144 also p90 with the first train of the preservation society)