Funny Story about Kineton Military Railway

[Dave Hayward]

An improbable, funny, but absolutely true story relating to the Kineton military railway.

Long after my Army days I still retained an affection and passing interest in Kineton ammunition depot where I served during the 1960s. Coupled to a 'love' of railways, especially military systems, the opportunity to tour the depot in a full size passenger train, including silver service dining, was too good to miss. This was in the 1990's, before 9/11 brought a ban onto trains of this nature visiting military systems. The tour train left Paddington and first visited Bicester depot to tour that system and then went onto Banbury where, for some reason, it stopped in the station. We then went to Fenny Compton where we joined the old SMJ line to the Army railway yards at Burton Dassett. Our stop in the yard  saw all the cookers in the kitchen car extinguished and the mainline locomotive changed for two Army locomotives.
The train then went on its way round the depot, we had crossed the Kineton village to Edgehill road and were really in the depths of the site, when one of the passengers broke into panic. The first thing that was strange was his dress, he was in a smart suit, collar and tie, looking generally pristine; totally unlike the other railway enthusiast passengers. He was asking when the train would be arriving at Rugby, as he was shortly scheduled to be best - man at a wedding somewhere to the north of that town. He became bereft when he was told that leaving the depot, the next stop was Paddington. I believe he tried to get off the train in the middle of the depot
It appeared that he had boarded the train during the stop at Banbury, totally oblivious to the fact that the train looked nothing like a service train and either ignoring, or not bothering to listen to, the loudspeaker warnings indicating that it was a private train.
Fortunately the day was saved for him and his friend's wedding. The Army railway representative on the train had a radio and contacted the MOD police.  They met the train by car, removed the erring passenger, and kindly took him to Rugby to ensure he was able to perform his duties at the nuptials - I just wonder if he mentioned his travels in the "best-man's speech"!
Dave Hayward

[Dave Hayward]

Photographs of the train, perhaps one of the most 'refined' that ever passed along SMJ metals! Also a photograph of another Army loco and some stock in the yard including an Inter- City coach.

Dave