War Department Light Railways

by Gareth D Jones

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

having built a small closed carriage for use by senior officials, and were the only ones to do so, even King George V travelled in an open wagon during his visit to the area behind the front lines. The Light Railway network grew rapidly between the end of 1916 and the end of 1917, expanding from around 96 miles to around 815 miles in that time period. Due to the constantly changing front line, rail lines were built and rebuilt, moved and reused, but by the latter years of the ongoing battle on the European front after light railways had been developed into a key support network. The allied forces were not the only ones to utilise a 600mm railway system to support their troops, the axis forces also developed a light railway network, however there were some differences between the approaches of each side. The allied system was much lighter, unskilled labourers and soldiers could quickly assemble the prefabricated 5 metre (16ft 5inch) sections of track which weighed about 100kgs (220lb) a piece and were assembled in a similar manner to model railway track. The German systems were designed to be more permanent being well laid and of heavier construction. The life expectancy of the locomotives used on what was considered as the narrow gauge main line (between the depots and front line marshalling areas) was only 6-8 months. There were different engines in use within the narrow gauge yards, generally smaller steam engines, in the area of the trenches, petrol engined locomotives, with larger steam engines being utilised on the main line. The allied main line engines largely came from three manufacturers. From the UK the Hunslet company produced a side tank engine with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement, from the US the Baldwin company produced a 4-60 pannier tank engine, and the Alco

company produced a 2-6-2 pannier tank locomotive which was similar in appearance to the Baldwin engine though with the previously mentioned variation on wheel arrangement inspired by the reports of the rough riding by the Baldwin engines when running backwards. The German main line engine was largely of the Brigadelok design an 0-8-0 tank engine. The WDLR system supported the allied forces in a multitude of ways, one of the primary uses was to keep the troops on the front line supplied with rations, munitions and other essentials. The railway also provided a transport network for troops moving to and from the front lines and provided an improved method for extracting wounded for more prompt treatment saving lives in the process. To the north of the French town and important railway junction at Arras is found the Canadian National Vimy Memorial which honours the Canadian soldiers who gave their lives fighting in the First World War. It is on Vimy Ridge where the lookout point was of great strategic importance as it overlooked the roadways and terrain eastwards towards the German forces. Allied artillery was directed from there to disrupt German lines of supply and communication. The WDLR network that supported the troops on the ridge was of huge importance to ensure the artillery had enough ammunition to maintain its role. The site is a very moving place to visit with the very

striking memorial towering above the ridge-line, standing guard. It is highly recommended to visit if you have an interest in such things, especially the preserved trenches system a short distance from the memorial. Another area the railways came into their own was within the battlefield area that straddled the river Somme, the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. From this area the railway system transported many injured troops away from the front lines to relative safety of the field hospitals set up away from the front lines. After the First World War many of the locomotives used on the system were repatriated and sold on to other industrial users. Sadly only a handful of these engines survive today and fewer still are in operational condition. I consider myself fortunate to have seen an example of the Baldwin and Hunslet 4-6-0 locomotives during a visit to the Statfold Barn Railway, which was a great day out with good company. One of the inspirations behind writing this article is that a Baldwin 4-6-0 locomotive is under restoration within our workshop at Aberystwyth. The engine, works No.44699, is owned by the Imperial War Museum who repatriated the engine from India in 1985 and has been placed in the custodianship of the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR). The engine will be restored as, 590, a Baldwin which operated on the Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) from 1923 until it was cut up by the contractor that was hired to scrap the original WHR permanent way in 1942. I for one am rather looking forward to the day this engine once again takes to the rails under its own power, upon completion it will be the third of its type to steam in the UK, remarkable survivors when considered that they were only thought to have lasted between 6-8 months.