Dunbridge and the 820th Ordnance Base Depot Company

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,

 

Some interesting local history of the US Army depot at Dunbridge on the Romsey line. It was built close by RNAD Dean Hill on a requisitioned estate and all gone within five years of the war's end even though it contained some 15 miles of standard gauge track. Of particular interest is an original US Army S100, later US Tank, maybe of interest to Graham Muz.

 

Click here

 

Cheers and Stay Safe

[Nearholmer]

Fascinating photos.

 

[Interesting that the loco has number WD1961, because that doesn't seem to be recorded in Tourret's book on USATC locos as being one that was loaned to WD.] Ignore all that - it is recorded as having been given WD identity at Longmoor.

 

He does say that locos loaned to WD that were allocated to depots that subsequently came under US control then reverted quite quickly to USATC identity.

 

The other thing to note about the loco is that it seems to have a buffer-beam only at the cab end (I now remember that I've seen the photo before - that feature stuck in my mind).

 

I don't think it is one of those that ended-up with SR, incidentally. I think it ended-up with OBB (Austrian State Railways).

Edited May 16, 2020 by Nearholmer

[PaulRhB]

It’s a good little site and I’m not sure if it’s a revamped version or a new one as I’ve seen quite a few of the photos already but several new to me. Shows just how much railway has gone from our ‘modern’ patch. The oil sidings at Wilton lasted a long time, into the 80’s just, but slowly all the military stuff has gone with Chilmark, Dinton and Dean Hill itself the longest survivors.