Trains on Salisbury Plain with nowhere to go

[whole diary]

[Marlburian]

Copehill Village sidings

Though the "presenter" is a bit confused about rolling stock!

It's a long time since I visited the village and I can vaguely remember the track, but in those days they were devoid of locomotives and stock.

(And since I'm posting about Salisbury Plain, when I passed through Ludgershall in the summer the new housing estate west of the former station was nearing completion, though the embedded rails and warning signs for the spur that crossed the A3026 remained. An enthusiast for the M &SWJR was in Ludgershall in August, and was surprised to see how many wagons there were in the south yard. I didn't think that the "military line" from Andover was used nowadays, although talk persists of re-opening it to civilian traffic.)

[Marlburian]

Yesterday I visited Andover (parking my car several miles away and walking in) and popped into Andover Station. To my slight surprise the three sidings for, presumably military traffic,looked freshly ballasted, though with wooden sleepers. See this photo of two years ago.

I thought that the last time I'd been at the station was in mid-January 1963 when snowfall deterred my father from driving me from Sidmouth to Marlborough, so I took the train from Honiton and spent more than an hour in the waiting room for a connection to Marlborough. But  I see that the line and station had been closed by then, so I guess it must have been in 1961, which also had a bad January weather-wise.

After closure Marlborough College specials did run to and from Paddington for a couple of years at the beginnings and ends of terms. Account here.

[bradshaw]

This might help
https://property.networkrail.co.uk/properties/ADV00501/

[Marlburian]

Interesting link, thanks for posting. I note the references to the "new Ludgershall Branch Loop Siding" - I had wondered about the branch's double track disappearing under the bridge to the west, which seemed a bit elaborate for just MoD use.

I can't imagine there would be much demand for the site?

[CyclingSid]

Another photograph of the Copehill Down railway can be found at https://spta.uk/spta-west

Some pictures of the former machine gun range target railway can be found in the SPTA Central section of the website.

Also covers the eastern side of the SPTA, Bulford and Tidworth. Incudes a few pictures in a section on Boscombe Down and porton, despite being outside the SPTA.

Unlike Melanie Friend's book The Plain there is no acknowledgement of MoD involvement.

[Marlburian]

Some great photos there. I had hoped to explore the rights-of-way around the Warminster ranges. including the perimeter path, but old age and infirmity precludes that.

But recently I was able to visit this plinth at Butler's Cross, near Tilshead, just inside the SPTA.

In early 1918 when a Meteorological Section R. E. (Home) was formed that consisted of four stations: an HQ^▸ (HeadQuarters) at  Stonehenge Airfield, Shoeburyness, Butler's Cross and a detachment from Stonehenge at Filton. For a few years after the Great War the plinth was used as a  stand for theodolites tracking weather balloons.

BTW^▸ ('by the way') Sid, I couldn't find my way to the central part of the SPTA website to find those pics of the target railway.Could you guide me, please?

[CyclingSid]

This should find what you want https://spta.uk/. Roll over the pictures to get the label for which area it covers.

[Marlburian]

Ah, thanks Sid.  A fine collection of photos. In the early 1970s I cycled from Reading to watch the Tour of Britain "Milk Race" (then our national cycle-racing tour lasting two weeks) on the Amesbury by-pass and beforehand rode up to the machine-gun range target railway on Enford Down. It rained all day, and it was the only time in 270,000 miles of cycling that I suspected I was suffering from exposure up on the Plain. It was VERY bleak and wretched up there.

IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') the maximum number of competitors allowed in the race in those days was 60, and when they passed me they were hurdled together in a very compact bunch, not looking very enthusiastic.

Then I had to ride 45 miles home; I was probably out on the bike for twice as long as they were.

[Marlburian]

Back to Ludgershall now. I've just acquired this card of the 4th Royal Fusiliers leaving the station in 1913. The splendid signal controls the MSWJR line to Marlborough and beyond and to the Tidworth branch.

I seriously think that taking into account its size Ludgershall must have been one of the most photographed stations in the country in between 1906 and 1914, with local cameramen being on hand to record the arrival of troops for their summer training camps and then publishing postcards. The most favoured shots show troops assembling on the platform, but others, such as this one, are of them outside the station.

The Great War brought a halt to such photography, except when George V left the Royal Train to inspect troops during the war. Earlier this year there were listings on eBay of cards showing the train's army staff and Royal valets, but the prices were at least double what were realistic. When the cards didn't sell, I suggested to the vendor that they might like to re-list at half the original prices or less, adding that this might prompt a "bidding war" between myself and an MSWJR enthusiast but nothing has appeared.

[Godfrey Tables]

I found this video of interest, published yesterday - an interesting discussion about bringing the line back into public service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aVJER9GQR4