Trains on Salisbury Plain with nowhere to go

Marlburian

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Trains on Salisbury Plain with nowhere to go

« on: December 23, 2024, 18:44:28 »

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.)


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Marlburian

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Posts: 786

Re: Trains on Salisbury Plain with nowhere to go

« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2025, 10:27:34 »

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.


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bradshaw

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Re: Trains on Salisbury Plain with nowhere to go

« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2025, 12:03:54 »

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


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Marlburian

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Posts: 786

Re: Trains on Salisbury Plain with nowhere to go

« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2025, 17:52:37 »

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?


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