WW2 Trackside pilboxs...

[class"66"]

Has anyone got any photos,of wartime pilboxs placed along railway lines??

 

Cheers neil...

[Rivercider]

There is one that still stands at the west end of Bridgwater station, it is a multi-storey version.

 

There are some photos of it on Flickr, including a poor one of mine with 08281 shunting beside it.

Search for 'Bridgwater pillbox'

 

edit  - there are lots of pillboxes within sight of the railway between Highbridge and Taunton

including an impressive pair at Cogload Junction.

They are part of the 'Taunton Stop Line', one of the  WWII defence systems

 

cheers

[pH]

Search "pillbox railway" on Flickr and you'll get quite a few pictures.

[Londontram]

Wills scenic do a nice standard pillbox in 00 for very little money (usual disclaimer, no connection etc.)

 

 

[trisonic]

They were numerous in East Anglia last time I looked but I'm not aware of anything specific on them. Most look similar to  the photo in Londontram's post but heavily weathered and covered with undergrowth by now.

 

Best, Pete.

[Kris]

No photo's but I'm sure that there are some next to / near the line between Bath and Trowbridge.

[cnw6847]

There are some around in east anglia, I posted a photo of one against a bridge (not quite track level though) on the following link.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/54436-the-waveney-valley-line-whats-left/

 

Its a little way down the post and not the best photo though.

 

I think theres a track level one just outside Beccles on the east suffolk line, i'll check next time i'm past there.

[Pete 75C]

They were numerous in East Anglia last time I looked but I'm not aware of anything specific on them. Most look similar to  the photo in Londontram's post but heavily weathered and covered with undergrowth by now.

 

Best, Pete.

 

To back up what Pete said, there are hundreds here in Norfolk.

There's a link below for pillboxes in East Anglia, but not rail-specific.

http://s134542708.websitehome.co.uk/pillboxes/html/east_anglia.html

If you need pictures of pillboxes alongside a railway line for reference, as has been said, just type "railway pillbox" into Google and click the Images tab. Loads of them.

Pete.

[peanuts]

not just pill boxes other trackside defences 

 

 you may find this usefull http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=27720#.UpmjFMRdWVo

[Coombe Barton]

There's one that still exists close to the St Ives branch between Lelant and Carbis Bay on the path from Lelant Church to Porth Kidney.

[TheSignalEngineer]

There's a forum for pillboxes. A rather posh one at Teignmouth. http://pillboxstudygroup.freeforums.org/e06753-photos-pillbox-t794.html

[Bernard Lamb]

Find a photo of Tollesbury Pier and it should include a pill box.

One existed at least until recently on Bushey station.

Be aware that the Wills version is a south coast type rather than the version used in east Anglia.

Bernard

[colin penfold]

I posted this picture of a cow that might help

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56877-getting-close-to-wildlife-litteraly/page-6&do=findComment&comment=825776

[PhilJ W]

There is one where the old A130 crosses the Southminster branch on the down side. This was part of the 'Headquarters Line' which was a line of defences running North/South. The remains of these defences are clearly visible between the old and new A130 up towards the A12.

[Kris]

There's one that still exists close to the St Ives branch between Lelant and Carbis Bay on the path from Lelant Church to Porth Kidney.

I'd forgotten about that one. If I head that way this weekend I shall see it I can grab a photo.

[Londontram]

Two next to railway lines I can think of near Great Yarmouth off the top of my head are next to the level crossing in Beccles and as you go over the rail bridge at St Olaves on the Yarmouth to beccles Rd and look down to the line there is one next to the track there, although not next to the line across the road in the boat yard the box there is a WW1 veteran as are the two either side of the road one being near the railway as you enter Yarmouth on the A 47

 

Oh and I recall that as you approach Acle on the A47 Norwich bound there's one beside the line there

[Clive Mortimore]

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.php/figure/view/InfantryPillboxes3D

 

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.php/figure/view/LargePillbox3D

 

http://www.juniorgeneral.org/index.php/figure/view/ATGandMGPillbox3D

 

Are these of any help. I drew them for wargamers in mind.

 

If you can get hold of Pillboxes by Henry Wills ISBN 0 436 57360 1 there is a wealth of informtion plus better drawings than my wargames ones.

 

Now off to walk the dogs past some type 24s and 26s and one anti tank box. The village I live in was on the Eastern Commands headquaters line.

[jjb1970]

Quite a lot were blended into other architectural features as camouflage and were quite ingeniously disguised. History is my principal hobby (more so than railways) and I love the Southern, my dream project is to build a war time Southern layout with lots of military transports, wartime structures etc, but it is getting the time and the permission to use the spare room from the other half

[class"66"]

Thanks very much guys,lots of good information here!! wil now take on board....

[johnb]

There's a few in places alongside the West Somerset Rly between Blue Anchor and Minehead. The line is right on the coast there on a low embankment in places and the pill boxes are tucked away in the landward side of the railway.

[steviesparx]

There's still one on the northside of Putney railway bridge ( District line, but a pillbox none the less ).

 

No picture, but I really should get one myself, alomg with the ancient hydraulic bufferstop with huge fluid reservoir that sits at the end of platform 2...

 

With a camera on almost every phone now there really is no excuse...

[alfsboy]

Several guarding Fairlop Aerodrome on the LNER soon to be London Transport Fairlop loop  so you tube guys can have one .Most pillboxes guard roads but some times if there was a strategic reason they were stuck in fields ,usually on the edge in a hedge row .

[RJS1977]

I posted this picture of a cow that might help

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56877-getting-close-to-wildlife-litteraly/page-6&do=findComment&comment=825776

What's wrong with that cow? ;-)

[Clive Mortimore]

Several guarding Fairlop Aerodrome on the LNER soon to be London Transport Fairlop loop  so you tube guys can have one .Most pillboxes guard roads but some times if there was a strategic reason they were stuck in fields ,usually on the edge in a hedge row .

The RAF built many non standard (army type) pill boxes to defend airfields from paratroop invasion. Some airfields wee jointly defended by the RAF and the army and have army designs of pill boxes.

 

In 1940 there was a bit of a panic going on and local commanders had pillboxes built where they thought they would be best suited. These were at times not the best places. As the panic settled down a series of stop lines were being constructed. The pill boxes in my village sometimes seem to be sited in positions that make no sense until you look at their line of fire and how that would support the next pillbox along the river. All pillboxes had a trench connected to them, most of the infantry would have fought in those trenches just like in WW1. These stop lines where never fully finished as Churchill replaced General Ironside with General Brooke who did not believe that static lines of defence would be best and that mobile counter attack was. So by 1941 most work had stopped.

[Swiper]

If you position Pillboxes (if it is a fictitious location) consider how it would have looked during the 40s (if its a modern layout) and what roads would have been added since then/or former roads now reduced to footpaths. Often they were accompanied by tank traps as well, or other emplacements which now could just be a small recess in the ground.