OO Military Vehicles

That is a very logical assumption, but sadly it is wrong! Although having toyed with the Spartan (an APC version of the Scorpion/Scimitar without a turret) during the mid-80s, the Regiment were never really considered to be mechanised infantry. It was found that if they needed to get anywhere in a hurry then Landrovers and 4 tonners were by far the most efficient option.

Various detachments of the Regiment used the Saxon (which was effectively just an armoured 4 tonner) for "supplementary defence duties". I'm sure that you can imagine what those duties were, but I'm still not allowed to tell you about them, nearly ten years after something or other was withdrawn! ;-)

For over 20 years, the Regiment has mostly considered airfield defence to be

*air* defence, using Rapier missiles. Now *that* would be an interesting wagon load.

Wasn't there a much publicised move of Rapiers from Plumstead to Scotland by rail a few years ago? I recollect some photos in the railway press of mobile radomes etc loaded on flat wagons. BTW, there was a battery of Rapiers deployed near to Dolland's Moor recently. Whilst the initial post was about potential loads for Warflats/Warwells, it sholudn't be forgotten that other flat and open wagons were also used and are sometimes still to be found on military traffic. We lived in Stoke in the late 70s/early 80s, where Cockshute Yard would often have Lowfits and Plates carrying Land-Rovers, 1/4t trailers etc for Marchington. Later, when we moved to Tyneside, 'Speedlink' trains from the area would often have what I had assumed to be pairs of single-axle trailers on them, carried on SPAs. I was subsequently told that these were some sort of mine clearing device (Viper?) from ROF Birtley. Don't forget also that the Royal Engineers sometimes used rail to move various bits of 'militarised' construction plant around the place- tractor shovels, road rollers etc. Often the only difference between them and 'civilan' plant was the application of camouflage. One of the DEMU group has built a model of a branch line 'somewhere in Oxfordshire' which has some interesting military material on it- worth looking out for. Still slightly on topic, there is a description of a visit to Marchwood Military Port in the latest Modern Railways- I liked the reference to a rake of Palvans ,ballasted with sand, that serve as a mobile blast wall when ammunition is being loaded. Brian ps- I've E-mailed the company I mentioned previously enquiring about possible modern British models. I'll post when I hear something.

So no one could see them? I guess it's a bit less visible than bright yellow (as used to enhance visibility).

I lived close to the Alvis factory and the munition trains used to run past our school, presumably on their way to Kineton. There was nothing unusual about the wagons which carried the light armoured vehicles. They looked like regular frieght wagons. Even the ammunition was carried in what looked like ordinary wooden box vans. The only odditiy was that on one occasion the train was pulled by a loco which was bigger than a shunter but smaller than a mainline diesel. I've never seen one like it before or since.

(kim)

And whenever they made a shipment they'd announce, "Alvis has left the building?"

Sorry. Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

ROFL Nice one!

Individual vehicles were sent by road so it wasn't unusual to pull up at traffic lights alongside a Scorpion tank or Stalwart amphibious truck. Daimler Fox and Ferret armoured cars were made nearby too.

(kim)

Class 15/16/17/20 possibly?

15/16/17 maybe. Not a 20 as they were a common site on that stretch of line. Did Kineton Army Depot have any locos of its own?

(kim)

I believe the MOD had, at one point, a number of Ruston shunters similar to the Southampton Docks Class 07s, but they were 0-6-0 and wouldn't have worked on the mainline.

That could be it. This was a branchline closed to passenger traffic since

1965. As I said it only ever happened the once. The loco had con-rods and I remember just how slowly it was moving.

(kim)

I'll need to refer to some books, but sounds like the Rustons could be it :)

More likely an application of the great military principle 'If it moves, salute it, if it stands still, paint it' Brian

Kineton has had centre-cab locos (either Hudswell-Clarke or Ruston & Hornsby type, resembling the Class 07 used at Southampton Docks), but might this loco have been one of the WR Class 14 0-6-0 centre cabs? During their brief and inglorious career on BR, they were tried in a few areas apart from South Wales- trip workings from Banbury might be a possibility. I doubt that AFVs would be going to Kineton, though, as it has always been an ammunition dump . A former colleague used to drive there back in the 1950s during his National Service. Possible destinations around the Midlands for AFVs would be Ashchurch, Donnington (near Wellington) or Marchington (near Uttoxeter) Brian

The tracks must rip up the asphalt...

Strangely enough the Scorpion/Scimitar family are quite kind to road surfaces. I was passed by 3 on the East Lancs Road some years ago and they left no marks at all. The track have big rubber blocks on them for running on asphalt.

The trains were short but mixed. They carried a *few* vehicles, vans which we assumed contained spares or ammunition and open wagons with loads concealed under canvas, often with a gun barrel sticking out. Coventry didn't just make armoured vehicles, there was a Royal Ordnance Depot which manufactured everythng from 100 ton naval guns to (I'm told) machine guns. The trains were travelling towards South Warwickshire.

(kim)

The Scorpion creates less ground pressure per square foot than a human footprint.

(kim)

Remarkable. What speed were they doing?