War Department Light Railways
by Gareth D Jones he War Department Light Railways The solution came from the railways, (WDLR) ticks a lot of boxes for me, or more specifically lightly laid with two of my big interests being 600mm gauge railways, and these railway history and history of warfare, lines became the answer to the with WDLR nicely falling across both munitions crisis being experienced by categories. In my opinion the WDLR allied forces in late 1915 through early is also a great example of ingenuity 1916. overcoming adversity. The WDLR was established in Over the years there has been a 1916, initially operated as part of the lot of fantastic books written about Railway Operating Division, which the system by very knowledgeable was responsible for the standard authors, most of which have made gauge network, prior to the formation their way into my collection. of the Second Army Light Railways In 1914 & 1915, between the standard Division. gauge railhead and the front lines road The Division was comprised of transport was in use for the supply troops from the United Kingdom, lines, with both mechanical transport United States of America, Canada and horse drawn in use. However, as and Australia. Initially it was mainly the first world war progressed the road operated by British, Canadian and condition became worse and worse as Australian forces with US troops a result of the sustained artillery fire joining later in the conflict. becoming muddy, uneven and boggy The Canadians were generally in places. regarded as using the most ingenuity
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