British Military Railways

[rogerfarnworth]

There were a number of military railways in the UK. The most well-known if these was the Longmoor Military Railway. It is now longtime and well covered in the railway press.

Others are just as interesting. This link

https://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/08/01/b ... ry-railway

covers a significant network in Oxfordshire. The Bicester Military Railway is almost entirely dormant and much of the military site has been handed over for civilian use.

This is hopefully a fitting permanent record.

[rogerfarnworth]

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. ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/10/12/bi ... ook-review

The Bicester Military Railway. ...

This book, written by E.R. Lawton and Major M.W. Sackett in 1992, [1] 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.

[rogerfarnworth]

MOD Kineton and its Railway History

I was challenged to look at MOD Kineton by someone who read my blog on Bicester Military Railway. This post is the result. ....

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... ay-history

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.

[rogerfarnworth]

MOD Ashchurch 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 associated with Dr. Breeching. 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.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/20 ... ay-station

MOD Ashchurch remains at risk of closure and its site is marked in the local authority plan for mixed development.

[rogerfarnworth]

Nesscliffe MOD Depot

Another series of posts on this forum cover the Nesscliffe Training Camp. ...

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=16824