KeithMacdonald Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) The stretch of track between Chiseldon Camp and Ogbourne St.George is fairly uneventful, being almost dead straight, parallel to the A346. Half-way in between was another hospital. But in true M&SWJR style, it didn't last long ... Quote This isolation hospital for people with infectious diseases was built on the eastern side of the Marlborough to Swindon road, near the northern boundary of the parish of Ogbourne St. George. It was opened in the 1920s and became a geriatric hospital during the Second World War and , later, a smallpox hospital. It was demolished around 1965. https://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getfaq.php?id=469 What does Ogbourne St.George have as a claim to fame? Quote In the Middle Ages the manor of Ogbourne St George belonged to the Benedictine Abbey of Bec in Normandy. Ogbourne Priory was founded in about 1149 as a daughter house of the abbey. For some two hundred years the priory managed all the English estates belonging to the abbey. Note the "all the English estates". Ogbourne Priory was "head office" for places like Tooting Bec. That lasted about 150 years before the kings of England realised all the profits from these priories were going to "multinational corporations" based abroad, in France, even while England was at war with France. Then they got called "Alien Priories", and King Edward I took control. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_priory Note: this King Edward I (person), not to be confused with this King Edward I (GWR) What have we got for modellers? A nice passing loop, with platforms on both sides, plus a few short sidings, for the usual agricultural goods, some cattle and milk traffic. Some people still living in the village recall seeing cows being herded down the High Street to be put on a cattle wagon bound for Swindon Market. After having mentioned Broome Manor and Draycott Manor, some might wonder what Ogbourne Manor's claim to fame is. Was it another GWR Manor Class loco? No. Quote During World War II the address of the manor house was used atop a fictitious headed letter from 'Pam' to 'Major Martin' as a part of Operation Mincemeat It was a great cover story. Quote Operation Mincemeat was a successful British deception operation of the Second World War to disguise the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. Two members of British intelligence obtained the body of Glyndwr Michael, a tramp who died from eating rat poison, dressed him as an officer of the Royal Marines and placed personal items on him identifying him as the fictitious Captain (Acting Major) William Martin. Part of the wider Operation Barclay, Mincemeat was based on the 1939 Trout memo, written by Rear Admiral John Godfrey, the Director of the Naval Intelligence Division and his personal assistant, Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mincemeat Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 Nicely modelled by @richbrummitt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) Ogbourne St.George, as a two-street village, was fortunate to have a station. The even-smaller villages of Ogbourne St.Andrew and Ogbourne Maizey didn't get stations. Probably too close to Marlborough anyway? But in some Wiltshire and Berkshire villages, there's something more valuable than passengers - that's horses. Ogbourne Maizey had its very own horsebox siding. https://www.osahg.org.uk/ww1-horses-in-og-st-andrew.html Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 8, 2021 Author Share Posted March 8, 2021 Before we get to Marlborough, a nostalgic treat for anyone who grew up in Swindon, North East Wiltshire and/or West Berkshire. It's an amateur silent black & white film made in 1933. Quote Follow a troupe of sprightly Girl Guides as they tour round Wiltshire, collecting food donations for the unemployed men of Swindon. They travel by any means available - bicycle, motor scooter and even on foot - to pick up provisions. First stops are Hungerford and Chisledon, followed by a break for lunch on the Downs before carrying on to Brinkworth and Calne. https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-wiltshire-trail-1933-online How many places do you recognise? Appropriately for today, International Women's Day (8th March), it's the women that are in charge. A few men are permitted supporting roles, like transport drivers. It feels very familiar, I know my place. In a way, it's quite moving. Just think, a lot of the Girl Guides shown here would have gone on to be the backbone of some great voluntary social services (in the proper sense of the phrase) - like the local Women's Institute (Jam and Jerusalem) and Meals On Wheels (before it became a Social Service). Our mothers in fact. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) And so to Marlborough. The railway path runs in a semi-circle round the east end of the town alongside the foot of Postern Hill before splitting into the seperate GWR and M&SWJR tracks. For modellers, I see great opportunities here. Like, somehow, both lines were retained, and are still connected to the main line at Savernake. It's now become home to an "East Wiltshire Railway Museum". You heard it hear first! Complete with lots of "Rule 1" visiting heritage locos and rolling stock. Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) "By the way" notes for Marlborough. You remember how Chiseldon is famous for the largest group of Iron Age cauldrons ever to be discovered in Europe? There must be something about this part of Wiltshire for the "largest hoards of things". One mile east of town is Cunetio, which was a walled Roman garrison town. Quote The entire town lay undiscovered until it was identified from aerial photos in the 1940s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunetio Quote the largest hoard of Roman coins found in Britain ... consisted of 54,951 low value coins. The coins were contained in a large pot and a lead container. The coins are now in the British Museum and the pot is on display at the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunetio_Hoard Even more famous, in megalithic historical terms, two miles west of town are the villages of Lockeridge and Fyfield, which are at the A4 end of The Valley Of The Stones. From which, archaeologists now tell us, most of the stones for Stonehenge were extracted. How the stones were actually moved to Stonehenge is another story, which I am not be permitted to reveal here. Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 On 03/03/2021 at 15:47, Neil Phillips said: ...... I recall reading that the route was occasionally used by Swindon Works for test running and evaluation - the Yorkshire Engine Company's 0-8-0 'Taurus' comes to mind and I think a photo of one of the two English Electric shunters, D0226 or D0227, at Rushey Platt turned up in TRACTION magazine some years back, and another of a Class 120 DMU at Withington. I believe the articles (there was more than one) identified Class 08 D4122 as working the last freight service to Cirencester. I should have these in the loft......I'm feeling an urge to go and find them now! Found them at the second attempt - "some years back" = 20! I was about to give up.......doesn't time fly?! The TRACTION issues were Nos 85 & 86 (November & December 2001). Needless to say in this magazine the heading is 'The Midland and South Western Junction Railway in the diesel era' and both parts were written by Greg Morse. Issue 85 concentrates on Swindon, Withington and Chedworth, and Issue 86 on the Ludgershall end and military workings in later years. Issue 85 is more historical and has a rare colour photo of 2-car Class 120 DMU W50695 + W50739 passing Withington on driver training duties on 31/5/61 - there are also b&w photos of what's believed to be the same train at Foss Cross and entering Chedworth Tunnel on 14/6/61. Another b&w pic shows GWR streamlined railcar No 5 at Chedworth (the article says that No 15 was the first one used on the line but the intensive if rather convoluted service only lasted for the summer of 1936 due to low passenger numbers). Braking trials were conducted on YEC's 0-8-0DH 'Taurus' on the 1 in 75 from Rushey Platt to Swindon Old Town on 2 & 3/5/61, but it was found wanting. Other photos show less than five-month-old Hymek D7096 'off the road' at Marlborough with a punctured fuel tank (600 gallons of fuel spilt!) on 1/5/64 and D7044 at Swindon Old Town with a freight on 29/4/65; Class 08 D3358 on an M4 construction stone working climbing to SOT on 15/5/71; Class 123 DMU L713 on an LCGB special on 16/4/72, the last passenger train to SOT; a colour shot of battery-electric loco No. 1197 of 1941 shunting coal wagons at Moredon Power Station on 26/3/72; and finally that colour photo of EE's experimental shunter D0226 at Rushey Platt on what is believed to be a coal train to Moredon PS in May 1960 - exotic motive power for such a small out-of-the-way facility! I'll keep these two mags to hand in case any of the above prompts further questions, as there's quite a lot of written information regarding activities (and the winding-down thereof) around Swindon in the later years. Oh, and D4122 did work the daily goods to Cirencester Watermoor, but on 19/7/62 (reported in the RO 9/62) which was not the last day. Other than that, it's good to know my memory ain't half bad after 20 years! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 (edited) @Neil Phillips - that's great info, thanks! On 12/03/2021 at 02:51, Neil Phillips said: Other photos show less than five-month-old Hymek D7096 'off the road' at Marlborough with a punctured fuel tank (600 gallons of fuel spilt!) I wonder if it's the same Hymek I've been told about? That was the one pulling the very last Special for Marlborough College in 1964. Everything should have been fine, even though all scheduled passenger traffic to Marlborough had ceased in 1961, and goods in 1964. Except nobody had told the gang that had already started undoing the spare track, and the Hymek fell off the loosened track while running round to pull the Special back to Swindon! Doh! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlborough_railway_stations#Closure Not D7096, but almost. Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 13, 2021 Author Share Posted March 13, 2021 On 12/03/2021 at 02:51, Neil Phillips said: Needless to say in this magazine the heading is 'The Midland and South Western Junction Railway in the diesel era' and both parts were written by Greg Morse Are we lucky enough to have Greg Morse as one of our inmates? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halvarras Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 17 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said: @Neil Phillips - that's great info, thanks! I wonder if it's the same Hymek I've been told about? That was the one pulling the very last Special for Marlborough College in 1964. Everything should have been fine, even though all scheduled passenger traffic to Marlborough had ceased in 1961, and goods in 1964. Except nobody had told the gang that had already started undoing the spare track, and the Hymek fell off the loosened track while running round to pull the Special back to Swindon! Doh! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlborough_railway_stations#Closure Yes, that was 'the event'! Here's what Greg Morse says in his article: "The first main line diesel to work to Marlborough was 'Hymek' D7096, which hauled the final 'College Holiday Special' carrying 400 boys from Paddington on 1at May 1964. The visit could neither have been more embarrassing, not less auspicious: Westbury driver William Neate ran round on arrival, but chose, somewhat unwisely, to operate the locomotive from the 'train end'. Neate [.........] did not realise that the line to Ogbourne had been lifted and promptly ran off the end of the rails, spilling some 600 gallons of diesel fuel in the process. (Perhaps 'backed off' would be a better description, given that he was, after all, driving from the position 'away from the point of derailment', as it was delightfully phrased in the report). There were no injuries, but Signalman Jack Christian immediately called Reading for a breakdown train. The Berkshire crew worked from 9pm to 2 the next morning in order to clear away the debris and 're-rail the unfortunate hydraulic." It's not stated what worked the breakdown train. There are two photos of D7096, taken by then 11-year-old CJ Hughes, showing the loco with its 'B' end in the ballast, as there was literally no track beyond the point of derailment - no rails, no sleepers, nothing but ballast! Clearly it was the 'exposed' rail ends which had punctured the fuel tank as the loco dropped. D7096 - incidentally Beyer Peacock Works Number 8000) suffered further bad luck at the other end of its life as it was one of two Hymeks retained by RTC Derby as 'dead weight' vehicles for track dynamics testing, but when they became available in the early 1980s it was the other one, D7076, which was rescued and brilliantly restored - D7096 went to Marple & Gillott at Attercliffe, Sheffield for disposal around 1984/5, making it the last Hymek to be scrapped by some considerable margin (at least 7 years!) I haven't seen Greg's name mentioned anywhere recently that I can remember, although obviously I hope he is still with us.....! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 On 01/03/2021 at 09:13, Miss Prism said: Siphons, with churns on the platform. Dear @Miss Prism - it's only just cross my mind - where did the churns go? Did they stay local? Swindon perhaps? Or was it to the milk collection depot at Semley in Wiltshire? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 (edited) 9 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said: Dear @Miss Prism - it's only just cross my mind - where did the churns go? Did they stay local? Swindon perhaps? Or was it to the milk collection depot at Semley in Wiltshire? Good question, and I really don't have a clue. I almost get the impression that some lines had up trains with churns full of milk and down trains with churns full of milk, i.e. churn transit was complex. Edited March 16, 2021 by Miss Prism Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share Posted March 16, 2021 We've already mentioned @CME and Bottlewasher's Top Secret Military Railway that went to Down Ampney airfield. That, however, wasn't the only Secret Military Railway with a branch off of the M&SWJR that never appeared on any official maps. Why was Savernake Forest chosen? Quote In July 1940 control of the ammunition service was taken over by Whitehall, one function being to maintain ammunition supplies. Pre-war munitions depots rapidly became unable to accommodate the accelerated output from the munitions factories, and new depots sites were sought. Open air sites such as woodland, road verges and field edges were preferred because they required considerably less effort to establish than purpose built depots. The new depots were required to be within easy reach of two railway stations. Savernake had the specified rail access, and being predominantly broad leafed woodland provided excellent cover to conceal and dampen potential explosions (Day 2007). Savernake’s nearby stations - High Level station and Marlborough station were prepared to process up to 60 railway wagons a day, and on 14th July 1940 a total of 556 men from three separate corps were dispatched to Savernake to prepare the forest for its new role as 22 Ammunition Sub-Depot (22ASD). But it didn't have it's own branch immediately. Quote Until the summer of 1943, all military supplies, equipment and the ammunition stores were transported by rail to Marlborough (Savernake Low Level) Station or to Savernake High Level Station on the M&SWJR to the south of the forest. From there everything was transported by lorry into the forest. This was inconvenient to say the least and Marlborough goods yard was becoming inadequate for handling the increasing volume of ammunition destined for Savernake. A dedicated spur (North Savernake Mileage Sidings) off the existing M&SWJR was opened in August 1943 enabling rapid transit of ammunition onto waiting trucks to be transported the short distance into the adjacent forest It did have some danger. Quote There were several incidents involving the ammunition stores, but the worst by far occurred after the war on 2nd January 1946 when Savernake was being cleared of both allied and captured enemy ammunition stores. Destined to be dumped at sea, a consignment of ammunition was being prepared at the Mileage Sidings by drilling holes in the crates to hasten sinking. Whether this was the cause is not certain, but there were two massive explosions involving the outgoing train and an inbound train bearing ammunition from South Wales, resulting in the deaths of eight soldiers and the serious injuries to several others. More here: https://web.archive.org/web/20160917145403/http://services.english-heritage.org.uk/ResearchReportsPdfs/029_2009_WEB.pdf 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 34 minutes ago, KeithMacdonald said: We've already mentioned @CME and Bottlewasher's Top Secret Military Railway that went to Down Ampney airfield. That, however, wasn't the only Secret Military Railway with a branch off of the M&SWJR that never appeared on any official maps. Why was Savernake Forest chosen? But it didn't have it's own branch immediately. It did have some danger. More here: https://web.archive.org/web/20160917145403/http://services.english-heritage.org.uk/ResearchReportsPdfs/029_2009_WEB.pdf Lots of activity in Savernake during WWII, as you touch upon, some nasty accidents too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted March 16, 2021 Share Posted March 16, 2021 2 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said: Dear @Miss Prism - it's only just cross my mind - where did the churns go? Did they stay local? Swindon perhaps? Or was it to the milk collection depot at Semley in Wiltshire? Waterloo. The M&SWJ had their own milk vans (some converted from OCTs). Originally these were handed over to the LSW for carriage on to London. Whether this traffic survived after the grouping or the introduction of tank I don't really know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 15 hours ago, CME and Bottlewasher said: Lots of activity in Savernake during WWII, as you touch upon, some nasty accidents too. Swindon's Other Railway has "Enquiry into the Savernake Explosion, 10th January 1946" http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/savex.html That contains the main report and conclusion, Appendix A (wagons damaged or lost) and Appendix B (statements of the railway staff involved). My favourite part of the conclusion: Quote We consider that the conduct of Acting Checker H.F.Moore of Marlborough, Engineman A.C.Pickett and Fireman S.E.Griggs of Westbury, in moving the 14 wagons out of danger, was meritorious and their action undoubtably saved thse wagons from being blown up. Mr.Newbury, Station Master, Marlborough and Ganger N.F.Trotman, Marlborough, also performed good work and merit commendation - the former initiating the shunting movement from the Mileage Sidings to the Reception Sidings, and the latter, by his devotion to duty, and keepting all concerned advised of the position on the main line. Shunter A.C.Baldrey of Marlborough, although not actually concerned with the withdrawal of the wagons from the Mileage Sidings to the Reception Sidings, remainded at the depot, did what was required and is worthy of notice. Relief Signalman Ham is also deserving of notice as he went on his motor cycle through the Forest road to Grafton South in readiness to open pilot working if required although this road was barred to civilians. He also walked from Lye Hill bridge near Savernake to North Savernake Deport with the token to release the engine and van of the 3.0 a.m. A.D.Junction. http://www.swindonsotherrailway.co.uk/savex.html Appendix A (wagons damaged or lost) gives an insight into the traffic involved. LMS Open wagons : 21 SR Open wagons : 1 NE Open wagons : 6 GWR Open wagons : 8 LMS Van : 3 GWR Fruit van : 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 (edited) Savernake Low-level (GWR) and high-level (M&SWJR) stations. Much traffic? Quote When the Reading to Taunton line was created and the Stert to Westbury cut-off opened in 1900, the platforms at Savernake were lengthened, the footbridge roofed and brick waiting rooms provided on the down platform. Until 1916, Savernake then had six trains a day, plus up to six slip coaches from Paddington, the fastest covering the 70 mi (110 km) to Savernake in 75 minutes. In the 1950s Savernake had ten trains a day on the main line, seven to Marlborough and two other Midland and South Western Junction Railway trains. (Ref : Wiki) Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 (edited) For a long while I'd thought Savernake might make a good location for modelling, and an excuse for mixing GWR and Southern. But the cons seem to outweight the pros. Like, no easy aesthetic way to make any round & round loop unless hidden a long way out of sight. Plus the Wiki description of the traffic makes it seem more suitable for GWR than M&SWJR. Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 (edited) Continuing southwards, one mile from the Savernake stations is Wolfhall Junction. No station, but does the name sound familiar? Wolf Hall was the home of the famous Seymour family. Recently a TV series based on the novel by Hilary Mantel. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=51.36042&lon=-1.64862&layers=168&b=1 Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 (edited) One mile the other side of Savernake was Burbage Wharf on the Kennet & Avon Canal. More GWR than M&SWJR, but if I don't mention it, who will? A nice canal-side setting with a coal yard and a goods shed. Any Kennet & Avon Canal experts out there? Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 (edited) Next station proper on the M&SWJR is Grafton & Burbage. Quote Grafton and Burbage station was sited at West Grafton on a double-track section of the line. It had a small main building on the down platform (towards Andover), with a large signalbox that controlled what had become a complex junction. The up platform had a wooden shelter. There was a small goods yard to the north of the station. Station signs on the platforms referred to it as "Grafton" station; in timetables and on other printed material, however, it always appeared as "Grafton and Burbage". As a whole, traffic on the M&SWJR fell steeply after the Second World War and the line closed to passengers in 1961 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafton_and_Burbage_railway_station It looks like it had a small goods yard with a shed. Was it for the usual M&SWJR traffic? Coal, agricultural (cattle wagons) and milk? Edited March 2 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb "lost images" replacement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Prism Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 http://daviddibben.blogspot.com/2012/05/18-may-burbage-wharf.html 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 (edited) Lucky Collingbourne? Two stations, a little over a mile apart. Edited November 1, 2022 by KeithMacdonald RMWeb image disaster recovery Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted March 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18, 2021 (edited) Collingbourne Kingston was a wooden platform with a tin shed on it as a waiting room and that was it. Tickets could be bought at a nearby house. Collingbourne Ducis, was another station with a "horse dock" siding lots of professional horse racing stables in the area. The station also had two long sidings to the south of it a weigh bridge and a signal cabin. Rawlings Engineering works ( called The Bourne works iirc) backed onto the station yard. Oh mum was born in Aughton just at the top of the map. Granddad was a plate layer/ lengthman at the time. Edited March 18, 2021 by TheQ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithMacdonald Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 Collingbourne Kingston A passing loop, two sidings, and thanks to @TheQ for the "horse dock". Was that the smaller siding closest to the station? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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