Imperial War Museum Duxford

[009 micro modeller]

I did post this in the NG prototype section originally but possibly more people will see it in here:

 

Does anyone know how much is left of the 2ft gauge railway at this site? It’s been ages since I last visited but when I was last there track was still down alongside the airfield. A recent aerial view suggests this is still the case whereas a slightly older Google Earth view also shows the remains of the balloon loop at one end - something I never saw as it is outside the museum area. I know that the stock has gone to the East Anglian Transport Museum (not to be confused with the Railway Museum at Chappel), but reading a little online it is interesting to note that the Simplexes there are on long term loan from the IWM - they have a military connection as they are ex-target range locos (according to the IWM website - EATM website has them as having worked in gravel extraction before Duxford). The only locos I ever saw there were the two WW1 Simplex locos (a 20hp and a protected 40hp) displayed in the museum - I assume they are still there as they are listed on the IWM website as on display at Duxford, although I notice on the aerial view that the spur from the main line into the Land Transport Hall (where the locos are) has been severed from the track alongside the airfield. I thought all the track might have also gone to the EATM, which the balloon loop might have done as it appears to have been lifted. Does anyone know if any track is still on site? It would also be interesting to know if the locos that remain on display were ever intended to run at Duxford or whether they were for display only with the younger locos actually running.

[PenrithBeacon]

It’s still there but unused

[009 micro modeller]

It’s still there but unused

That’s what I thought. Has the main (outside) line been disconnected from the locos indoors, as it appears to have been?

[Clearwater]

We’ve seen the track and wondered if it gets used. You’d think the IWM might link with a model engineering society to use the track and to use as a draw for additional visitors

 

David

[PenrithBeacon]

That’s what I thought. Has the main (outside) line been disconnected from the locos indoors, as it appears to have been?

I’m a regular visitor to Duxford and it’s been a long time since I last saw one of the railway locomotives.

[cctransuk]

We’ve seen the track and wondered if it gets used. You’d think the IWM might link with a model engineering society to use the track and to use as a draw for additional visitors

 

David

 

When IWM Duxford acquired one of the repatriated Indian Baldwin 4-6-0PTs, along with a Simplex, I was living in nearby Cambridge.

 

I met the then-curator to propose that a group be formed to develop a replica of a section of WW1 trench railway serving actual trenches, on which to use the restored rolling stock.

 

I'm afraid that my suggestion was met by a distinct lack of enthusiasm, and I dropped the idea.

 

I still believe that, had the idea been taken up, it would have proved to be a major public draw, especially during the recent centenary of the end of WW1.

 

It would seem that there has been no increase at Duxford in any commitment to demonstrating the use of light railways in warfare.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[sem34090]

I suppose that's what you get at a museum that (from what I know) focuses primarily on aircraft. Or perhaps the way they see it is 'Leave it to Apedale'.

[seraphim]

The railway certainly operated for a period using a pair of fairly modern Motor Rails, and a couple of pretty awful coaches. Annoyingly, I never went for a ride on the one time I visited and it was running. I was unaware that there was a balloon loop - presumably at the far end. Perhaps this was added after my visit, as the train was top'n'tailed and just shuttled back and forth. As said above, the locos went to Carlton Colville. The coaches ended up at Chasewater and were for sale not long ago. I don't know how long the railway last in operational condition - "not long" seems to be the consensus. The two WW1 locos were still on display in the Land Warfare hall last time I visited.

 

The "leave to Apedale" comment is ironic; we contacted IWM about the railway, but it all foundered because the railway track is within the "airside" area of the active airfield; working to recover the track in that area fell firmely in the "all too difficult" box. I strongly suspect that is why the track remains, albeit cut-off from the main musuem.  

[cctransuk]

....but it all foundered because the railway track is within the "airside" area of the active airfield; working to recover the track in that area fell firmely in the "all too difficult" box.

 

One wonders, therefore, how the track was installed in the first place.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[PenrithBeacon]

One wonders, therefore, how the track was installed in the first place.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

I think it was done in the 80s when things were much more relaxed than now and the airfield was a lot less busy. Also the track is very close to a taxiway which would have to be closed in order to recover the track.

[009 micro modeller]

I think it was done in the 80s when things were much more relaxed than now and the airfield was a lot less busy. Also the track is very close to a taxiway which would have to be closed in order to recover the track.

In that case I wonder how they removed the balloon loop track? I think the position of the loop also caused problems as it meant that the balloon loop and the grass runway could not be used at the same time, presumably less than ideal for special event days at the museum. Until looking into it I hadn’t realised there ever was a loop. I think the Baldwin is the one now at the WHHR in Porthmadog. The fact that there was a balloon loop at one stage would possibly suggest an intention to build another one at the other end (or some method of turning the locos, as on miniature lines that use similar layouts), as otherwise why not simply use run round loops?

Edited December 19, 2018 by 009 micro modeller

[PenrithBeacon]

Like you I didn't know there was a balloon loop and it certainly doesn't exist now. Perhaps it was on the site of the tank demo just behind the tank bank

[cctransuk]

I did post this in the NG prototype section originally but possibly more people will see it in here:

 

Does anyone know how much is left of the 2ft gauge railway at this site? It’s been ages since I last visited but when I was last there track was still down alongside the airfield. A recent aerial view suggests this is still the case whereas a slightly older Google Earth view also shows the remains of the balloon loop at one end - something I never saw as it is outside the museum area. I know that the stock has gone to the East Anglian Transport Museum (not to be confused with the Railway Museum at Chappel), but reading a little online it is interesting to note that the Simplexes there are on long term loan from the IWM - they have a military connection as they are ex-target range locos (according to the IWM website - EATM website has them as having worked in gravel extraction before Duxford). The only locos I ever saw there were the two WW1 Simplex locos (a 20hp and a protected 40hp) displayed in the museum - I assume they are still there as they are listed on the IWM website as on display at Duxford, although I notice on the aerial view that the spur from the main line into the Land Transport Hall (where the locos are) has been severed from the track alongside the airfield. I thought all the track might have also gone to the EATM, which the balloon loop might have done as it appears to have been lifted. Does anyone know if any track is still on site? It would also be interesting to know if the locos that remain on display were ever intended to run at Duxford or whether they were for display only with the younger locos actually running.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/search/duxford/@52.0910858,0.1240228,140m/data=!3m1!1e3 appears to show more than a dozen wagons, (mostly V-tippers) plus a couple of coaches(?) isolated on the balloon loop.

 

There also appears to be another wagon(?) standing at the junction of the line into the covered accommodation from the main line.

 

The line parallels one of the two taxiways. During the off-season, I would not have thought that it would be impossible to temporarily close this taxiway during the relatively short time that track recovery would take.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Edited December 22, 2018 by cctransuk

[25901]

Street view shows no stock there now

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0888949,0.1213023,3a,52.4y,200.78h,82.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s0cvlalUg3pJCnuQwhuynPQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Dava]

I did comment on the earlier thread [wondering slightly why I bothered?].

 

Here are the 20hp and 40hp Simplex WD locos in the Land Warfare gallery at IWM Duxford. I'd say this gallery is well worth 30+ minutes of your time if you have even a remote interest in land warfare in the 20th century, with very fine displays of WW1 - Cold War era hardware. Many historic items including Monty' Caravan etc. Quite dark though.

 

 

 

There were no other signs of NG track or stock on our visit in April 2018. Just lots of wonderful planes and historic Battle of Britain locations on the base. And you can fly in one of these!

 

 

That's the point of Duxford!