RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. WORLD WAR ONE: EARLY DAYS OF RAILWAY OPERATION 1914

RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. WORLD WAR ONE: EARLY DAYS OF RAILWAY OPERATION 1914

Belgian locomotive on canal bridge as rebuilt by Royal Engineers

Of the major powers engaged at the outbreak of World War One only Britain and Russia had no master plan for use of railway transport. The German mobilisation and plan of offensive depended on it, the French had a scheme for bringing their main-line railways under military control, the Austrians had a big military railway department. As the aggressors, Germany and Austria could utilise their railways fully, and the Allies on the Western Front in particular found that the speed of the German advance had largely disrupted what plans there were. The French railways, although under military control, had lost a considerable amount of stock and many important engineering works near the front lines were destroyed before the fronts stabilised. For the first two years of war in fact the position can fairly be symbolised by this picture: rapid improvisation. This elderly Belgian 0-8-0 of unknown parentage, saved during the long retreat, is typical of the motley collection of locomotives scraped up to cope with the supply requirements of not only the French but also the British armies. The improvised but sturdy reconstruction of the canal bridge epitomises the lessons learnt by the British Royal Engineers during the South African War. Yet it was still improvisation; it was not until 1916 that locomotives and rolling stock requisitioned from British main line railways came to supplement the hard pressed French machines, and it was nearly a year later when standard locomotives and rolling-stock appeared in quantity.

Badges of the French military railways

All railway lines in France, both standard and metre gauge were immediately affected by World War One. Most intimately involved, of course, were those in the battle zones and rear areas which were put under direct military control (Le Direction de l'Arriere—Rear Area Control). The railway transport side in particular was then formed into the Service des Chemins de Fer (S.C.F.) designed to ensure best use of all railway tracks and material. The Military Railway Engineers operated mainly in the front line, responsibility for most of the system being entrusted to the civilian staff called up into so-called 'Sections de Chemins de Fer de Campagne'. Each section operated in principle between ioo and 200 km. of line. For various reasons many of these personnel still used their civilian clothing at least initially, and various identifying badges were used.

The standard identification was a symbolised 2-2-2 locomotive cut out in oudine on cloth and worn on the right arm. It was originally in red on a blue-black coat and later, when the horizon-blue was in general use, the badge was changed to a dark blue. The other main means of identification was a brassard or armband worn on the upper left arm to denote the function of its wearer. The one shown is for a member of the railways' 'home guard', the 'garde-voies et communications', consisting of armed railwaymen who protected vital points on the system.

Cross-Channel Transport

Alone of the European participants in World War One, the United Kingdom had the problem of having first to ship all its men and equipment across the Channel before they could join in the fighting. For the first two years— when the war was always expected to end with the next offensive—this opera-

tion was carried out fairly laboriously using conventional cargo steamers and the existing port facilities. By the end of 1916, however, it was realised that something more elaborate was needed and a complete new port was gradually built up on a plot of land at Richborough just north of Sandwich on the Kent coast.

Originally a small barge depot, by the end of 1917 it had expanded to 2200 acres of sidings, berths and workshops. It was a training base, a boatyard and a ferry terminal, being served by some 60 miles of sidings. These were connected to the South Eastern & Chatham Railway and shunted day and night by a modey fleet of small tank locomotives such as that shown in Plate 27. It was also the main British terminal for a major train ferry service to Dunkirk and Calais from February, 1918, onwards, two ships being specially built. There was a plan to develop the port commercially after the war but it came to nothing and the whole complex slowly rotted away.

Much war material, including many items of railway equipment was shipped over to France in seagoing barges. These eventually reached sizes of about 1000 tons capacity and to accommodate them a major rerouting of the River Stour was undertaken. A complete horseshoe bend was drained and filled, a channel being dug across its base and a long wharf built thereon capable of handling ten barges; it was later extended to hold twenty-four.

Shunting locomotives at Rich-borough

The sidings were shunted by a motley collection of small steam locomotives acquired from various civilian sources. Most were typical industrial 'pugs' exemplified by this 0-4-0ST built by Andrew Barclay Ltd. at Kilmarnock. Positive identification of this particular locomotive is uncertain but a typical machine of the type had 14 in. by 21 in. cylinders, a boiler pressure of 160 lb/ sq. in., wheelbase of 5 ft 6 in. and a coupled wheel diameter of 3 ft.

Arrangements for docking train ferry

Train ferries were something new for the Army and considerable doubt was expressed as to whether they would be successful on a cross-Channel run. The advantages to be gained were so great, however, that orders were placed for three ships (one for another service) and a special stern-loading dock was commissioned. This was a hinged iron 'bridge', pivoted at the shore end and raised or lowered by means of counterweights working within a gantry at the seaward end. By this means the rail level at the junction with the ship could be adjusted by up to 5 ft on either side of the horizontal—quite enough since the variation in tidal levels is very small at Richborough. Additionally the bridge could be tilted to allow for up to a 50 list in the ship. The latter was warped into exact alignment by being laid alongside a wooden jetty and moved stern first until it snugged into curved piers exactly fitting the ship's stern contours. The bridge could then be lowered until positive location was made on the stern and the tracks were then automatically linked through from shore to ship. Tracks were at 11 ft 6 in. centres and to continental loading gauge.

The cross-Channel train ferry: layout of ship

As can be seen, the ferry steamers were shallow draught vessels with a single train deck carrying four tracks; they could be loaded via the stern only and had both stern and bow ballast tanks to enable rail level above water to be adjusted within reasonable limits for easy matching with the shore. Each was 363 ft 6 in. long, having a mean draught (loaded) of 9 ft 6 in., a displacement of some 3654 tons and a cargo capacity of 850 tons; track space was provided for 54 loaded 4-wheel io-ton wagons or their equivalent. Under reasonable weather conditions they could achieve 12 knots.

Ferry Steamer; bow and stern views

These views show the very wide beam of these shallow draught vessels, a total of 61 ft 6 in. or nearly a sixth of the ship's length. As can be seen, the train deck was largely open except directly underneath the boat deck, and a catwalk was provided round the bulwarks except at the extreme stern. With their ease of loading and unloading, and the advantages of not having to dismantle their cargo, these vessels performed invaluable service; it was said that they were the equivalent of at least six 8000 ton conventional cargoships.