Bicester Military Railway

[rogerfarnworth]

It seems as though this railway is all but abandoned. It appears that way when travelling through the site. If anyone knows any better, it would be good to hear from you. I have seen pictures on the internet, with notes about the railway, which say that it was last used in 2014.

I only came across the railway by accident as I explain in my blog:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/08/01/bicester-military-railway
 

I have been aware of the Longmoor Military Railway for some time now. I knew nothing of the Bicester Military Railway until my wife and I had part of a weekend in the area. We were travelling along the M40 and using Satnav and we noticed an interesting area off to the East of the motorway which was just visible on the Satnav. Our initial thought was that there might have been some opencast workings in the area.

 

Much of the site has been sold off. The northern half of Graven Hill Depot is now an estate of plots for self build homes! (https://www.gravenhill.co.uk)

[daveyb]

I can't confirm it's been completely out of use since 2014 but it was very much reduced and truncated with nothing crossing the roads.

 

The railway was in decline from the introduction of mechanical handling equipments (fork lifts) and the reduction of staff (military and civilian) from the days when everything was hand or trolley loaded.  Similarly, the decision in the 1990s to no longer hold a War Maintenance Reserve meant the depot was over-sized.

 

All the sheds were rail served some had indoor and outdoor loading bays and there were passenger trains to move personnel between St George's and St David's Barracks and the gates and villages to the work places.

 

A sad end to a system.

[big jim]

I work the MOD trains into/out of Bicester, there is an exchange siding which is as far as I go but the traffic is taken from there by the internal Shunter’s but how far they go around the system I don’t know 

 

the engine shed is a cracker, typical MOD, everything in its place and not a spec of dirt! 

 

There used to to be a google street view of the line near ambrosden where you could see one of the Shunter’s waiting at a road crossing 

[Ian Morgan]

I did start creating the BMR for Micro$oft Train Simulator some years ago. I also created a 3D model of the Steeleman Royale locomotives used there in recent years.

 

One of the interesting stories I came across when researching was that workers trains were run from Oxford, using BMR locos and stock. It came as a bit of a shock to the Western locomen who had taken many years to rise to the rank of 'driver', seeing an old LBSCR 'Gladstone' next to them at Oxford being driven by teenagers from the army.

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Ian Morgan
re-loaded images

[Fat Controller]

8 hours ago, big jim said:

I work the MOD trains into/out of Bicester, there is an exchange siding which is as far as I go but the traffic is taken from there by the internal Shunter’s but how far they go around the system I don’t know 

 

the engine shed is a cracker, typical MOD, everything in its place and not a spec of dirt! 

 

There used to to be a google street view of the line near ambrosden where you could see one of the Shunter’s waiting at a road crossing 

Isn't most of the traffic containerised now, and so loaded elsewhere on site?

[rogerfarnworth]

Very recently, I have been reading a book about the Bicester Military Railway which was published in 1992. It was published by the Oxford Publishing Company and is widely available to buy second-hand. It is worth a read. ...

 

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/10/12/bicester-military-railway-book-review

 

Quote

The Bicester Military Railway. ...

This book, written by E.R. Lawton and Major M.W. Sackett in 1992, gives a comprehensive history of the Bicester site which extends from the original concept to the date of publication of the book.

In the 21st century, large areas of the complex have been given over to civilian use.

Edited October 13, 2019 by rogerfarnworth

[Erixtar1992]

On 15/05/2019 at 09:17, big jim said:

I work the MOD trains into/out of Bicester, there is an exchange siding which is as far as I go but the traffic is taken from there by the internal Shunter’s but how far they go around the system I don’t know 

 

the engine shed is a cracker, typical MOD, everything in its place and not a spec of dirt! 

 

There used to to be a google street view of the line near ambrosden where you could see one of the Shunter’s waiting at a road crossing 

Its an interesting little place to visit eh. Been there a few times also. Cant understand a word the guy there says lol.

im suprised just how much railway there is there!

[KeithMacdonald]

Lots of the "bits" are shown on OpenStreetMap

 

Graven Hill Depot

 

 

St.Georges Barracks

 

 

Arncott Depot

 

 

Piddlington Depot