Wartime 'Government' connections

[adanapress]

Is there a list anywhere of the many links between various lines hastily installed 1939-1940.  Eg  at Calvert, G.C. to  N.E.  or ?  the second entrance to Longtown Army Depot near Carlisle.??  Any info welcome

[PhilJ W]

Not new connections as such but I know of two connections that were re-instated. The first was at Wickford where a connecting link from the Southminster branch towards Southend was reinstated having been removed in the 1920's. Also the link at Romford between the Liverpool Street lines and the LMS Romford-Upminster line that had been removed in 1930 when the main line was Quadrupled.

[russ p]

I never realised Romford to Upminster was part of the LMS presumably it was LTS?

With regards to wartime connections Northallerton had an emergency avoiding line built including a section on wagons where it crossed the wensleydale branch

[PhilJ W]

I never realised Romford to Upminster was part of the LMS presumably it was LTS?

With regards to wartime connections Northallerton had an emergency avoiding line built including a section on wagons where it crossed the wensleydale branch

Indeed it was LTS. I presume the link was removed due to anything entering or leaving the branch at Romford would have to cross the 'fast' lines.

[brianusa]

The famous links at St Budeaux and Lydford to enable service to Plymouth in the event of serious damage to the main lines. Both were in use long after the war.

 

Brian.

[RailWest]

The famous links at St Budeaux and Lydford to enable service to Plymouth in the event of serious damage to the main lines. Both were in use long after the war.

 

Brian.

Likewise the one at Launceston. There was also the one at Yeovil South Junction, though that was little used after the war until after the closure of Yeovil Town. Lydford was another example of the re-instatement of a former connection.

[russ p]

Indeed it was LTS. I presume the link was removed due to anything entering or leaving the branch at Romford would have to cross the 'fast' lines.

Did that line ever have any through traffic? I work RHT trains over it where we stop on the up electric platform and change ends for trip to upminster and back, I do wonder if these are some of the only diesel hauled trains other than ballast trains to have worked over it

[PhilJ W]

Did that line ever have any through traffic? I work RHT trains over it where we stop on the up electric platform and change ends for trip to upminster and back, I do wonder if these are some of the only diesel hauled trains other than ballast trains to have worked over it

There was the coal yard in Victoria Road that was in use up until the mid sixties. There was also Hall & Co's gravel pit in Manor Road Romford which was rail served via the coal yard. The gravel pit was exhausted by the early 50's and it became Halls builders supply yard until about 1970 but with no rail connections.

[russ p]

So prior to the war I take it these were worked from the upminster end?

[PhilJ W]

So prior to the war I take it these were worked from the upminster end?

Yes, Would make a nice subject for a model as it was 1930-39.

[caradoc]

There was a wartime connection installed north of Oxford between the GW and LMS lines. This later enabled BR to close the LMS station, Rewley Road, and divert trains on the Bletchley route into the the GW station.

[31A]

There was a west to north connection put in north of Sandy station, connecting the ex LNW Oxford-Cambridge line with the ECML.

[D9020 Nimbus]

In Scotland, the link between the West Highland and the C&O at Crianlarich. Since the closure of the C&O east of Crianlarich in the 1960s, used regularly by Glasgow–Oban trains.

[The Stationmaster]

New - Down SR to Up GWR/Down GWR to Up SR at St Budeaux west of Plymouth purposely installed for strategic reasons in March 1941 and financed by the Ministry of War Transport.

 

New double line link plus two loops in each direction between the GWR and SR at Reading commissioned in May 1941; Reading New Junction (GWR) to Reading Spur (SR).  Reading Spur was a newly built 'box specifically to control the SR end, the GWR end was controlled by an SGE miniature lever frame installed adjacent to the east end of the mechanical lever frame in Reading East Main Signalbox.

 

I beleieve the new connection with teh LMS at Oxford North Junction was commissioned in 1940 but it wasfollowed in 1942 by considerable enhancement of freight facilities south of Oxford station and to Hinksey.

 

Numerous crossing loops on the DN&S (Didcot, Newbury & Southampton) were extended to handle additionalwartime traffic to the south coast 

[hmrspaul]

From the GWR West Drayton to Staines West connecting with the SR Windsor to Staines line on Staines Moor.

 

Paul

[pH]

In Scotland, the link between the West Highland and the C&O at Crianlarich. Since the closure of the C&O east of Crianlarich in the 1960s, used regularly by Glasgow–Oban trains.

Are you sure that's a wartime connection? I understood it was in place (though little used) by the end of the nineteenth century.

Edited June 5, 2017 by pH

[bécasse]

My recollection is that there was a series of articles in the Railway Magazine c.1946 that covered all of the WWII emergency connections (so called because they were built under the DORA emergency regulations). They would be available in the RM's on-line archive.

 

There were many more of them than have been listed here so far.

[melmerby]

In Scotland, the link between the West Highland and the C&O at Crianlarich. Since the closure of the C&O east of Crianlarich in the 1960s, used regularly by Glasgow–Oban trains.

 

Are you sure that's a wartime connection? I understood it was in place (though little used) by the end of the nineteenth century.

1897according to Col. Cobb

 

Keith

[john new]

New - Down SR to Up GWR/Down GWR to Up SR at St Budeaux west of Plymouth purposely installed for strategic reasons in March 1941 and financed by the Ministry of War Transport.

 

New double line link plus two loops in each direction between the GWR and SR at Reading commissioned in May 1941; Reading New Junction (GWR) to Reading Spur (SR).  Reading Spur was a newly built 'box specifically to control the SR end, the GWR end was controlled by an SGE miniature lever frame installed adjacent to the east end of the mechanical lever frame in Reading East Main Signalbox.

 

I beleieve the new connection with teh LMS at Oxford North Junction was commissioned in 1940 but it wasfollowed in 1942 by considerable enhancement of freight facilities south of Oxford station and to Hinksey.

 

Numerous crossing loops on the DN&S (Didcot, Newbury & Southampton) were extended to handle additionalwartime traffic to the south coast 

I believe the DN&S connection to the SW main line at Winchester Junc was also a WW2 build. Not sure when the extra down line from Shawford Junction and passing behind the down line platform through Shawford was added but that may also have been a WW2 addition as the two to three, then slightly further south to four line divergence was originally south of the station. (The extra platform face later added was an electrification era add on)

Edited June 6, 2017 by john new

[£1.38]

My recollection is that there was a series of articles in the Railway Magazine c.1946 that covered all of the WWII emergency connections (so called because they were built under the DORA emergency regulations). They would be available in the RM's on-line archive.

 

There were many more of them than have been listed here so far.

It was in the March/April and May/June issues 1946 (bi-monthly at that time) Some were improvements rather than completely new connections.

[Ian Morgan]

Yes, the DN&S had a lot of wartime changes, including doubling the line between Didcot and Newbury, adding and extending loops and adding the new connection to the LSWR line north of Winchester. A new halt was built for 'military purposes' at Barton Stacey. Some of the signalboxes were also reinforced (bomb-proofed?). This previously minor line became the major route from the midlands to Southampton and Portsmouth in the build up for D-Day.