Kineton Military Railway and other bits!

[Dave Hayward]

Please excuse but I have posted this by mistake on my profile page as well!!

his information is perhaps not new to everybody as I did post it on the previous SMJ site. For those of interested in the Kineton Militray Railway it still possible to see the location of the third level crossing that crossed the Kineton to Edgehill road, the B4086, until the mid 1960's. About 1000 yds north of the junction of the B4086 with the road from that road to the A4100 there are square wooden gate posts painted in fading black and white, they are on both sides of the road. These are the posts that held the gates across the track here. These lines were primarily desigend to serve a now demolished area of the depot that lay near Radway village and along the course of the B4086/ A4100 road. In those days there were seventy miles of railway line in the depot - very enjoyable riding around it on a little Wickham railcar!! One of these days I will repost a map of the early 1970s track layout when I locate it again.

On another subject I recently read the Industrial Railway Society's publication
Industrial Locomotives of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire & Northamptonshire'
by Robin Waywell
ISBN 978 1 901556 23 0 (hardbound)
ISBN 978 1 901556 24 7 (softbound)

412 pages of text, including 40 4-colour maps + 96 photos.
£19.95 (soft cover) £24.95 (hard cover)

This excellent publication provides a lot of information about every tramway and quarry line etc that joined or at least served the SMJ - there are a lot more than what you think in the Towcester/ Blisworth area. I saw a copy through the Library Inter Library Loan Scheme.

Lastly a visit to Google Maps - Satellite images provides a detailed view of the remaining parts of the course of the Edgehill Tramway down the hill to the Army Depot.

[Andy Thompson]

I'm always keen on SMJ related publications and will look into this Andy

[Peter Fleming]

My knowledge of the SMJ is really confined to the eastern end, although I am aware that the only remaining section is from Fenny Compton to Kineton.

I have a simple question: what is the depot used for? MOD I suppose - does that make it top secret? I have some old (well 20 year old) OS maps which do not show anything of the system. I know that is the way OS used to be with "the military". Now Streetmap and Google Earth clearly show how extensive the system is.

Most other military railways (Longmoor, Shoeburyness etc.) seem to have gone or contracted a lot. There used to be a small depot in Yardley Chase (near Piddington station on the Bedford to Northampton line) but that closed in about 1980.
There is (or was) an extensive system near Bicester, I believe.

So what is Kineton used for? How much is it used? I get the impression that military use of railways is very much less than it once was.

[Gary]

Peter - I know what it is used for and can let you know and just to let you know that DSDC/DSDA Bicester still has its rail network and is still connected to National Rail.
Not sure how much of it is still used but they still (?) use it for storage of "surplus" TOC stock as well as at Bicester
ATVB
G

[Dave Hayward]

Regarding MOD Kineton railway. It is no secret to say that it is an ammunition depot. It was originally opened in about 1941/2 having been built at great haste after the out break of WW2. When it was originally opened there was about seventy miles of track inside. When orginally built the whole depot was entirely different in storage buildings and size. I believe there were nearly two hundred storage sheds there initially, all individually rail served. Additionaly there were two rail served workshop areas together with other miscellaneous sidings and transit areas. It was operated by steam traction until the late fifties, the redundant steam locos were still stored there in the early sixties. All internal movement was by rail and until the mid sixties a two coach passenger service that ran within the depot between the domestic buildings at the east side and the storage area to the west of the B4086, I believe there was one journey out in the morning and return at night, lunch being taken on site but I may be wrong on that.
In the mid sixties a number of sheds at the south side of the depot were demolished allowing the existing road from the B4100 to the B4086 on the south side of the depot to be built and opened. (this road permits a view of remains of the Edgehill Light Railway embankment). Also demolished were a number of sheds near Radway Village. These closures obviously reduced the length of railway that ws needed. This resulted in the closure of a third level crossing across the B4086. The level crossing gate posts are still visible for this closed crossing - a substantial black and I believe white post either side of the B4086 between the rear gate to the east part of the depot and the 'new' road previously mentioned.
Sometime in the early seventies the complete system was revamped to its presnt format, I am not really conversant with operating procedures except to say that I have been round it twice on railtours from outside.
I could tell you a lot more of personal experiences but no time at present.
regards
Dave