RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. STANDARD GAUGE FREIGHT ROLLING-STOCK (U.K.)

RAILWAYS AND WAR before 1918. STANDARD GAUGE FREIGHT ROLLING-STOCK (U.K.)

Partly because of its length, partly because of its static nature, World War One was the first war in which railways were used so extensively that civilian rolling stock proved insufficient. It was always intended by the major powers that, in the event of war, civilian railways would simply be requisitioned; since the art of bombing was in its infancy and most main lines were out of shell-range, it was thought that the normal railway resources could deal with the traffic.

In practice, the fantastic requirements of supplying huge armies in static trench lines made this task impossible for the existing railways and all countries supplied new stock, usually on

very traditional lines. Perhaps the most odd result was that shown by the vehicles ordered from British firms by the British War Department; British practice had long differed from that of the Continent and the conflict of ideas produced some very surprising results.

10-ton 4-wheeled goods van

The typical goods vehicle on all British railways in the 1914 period was the 10—12-ton capacity, short wheelbase wagon and van. Like the example here, built by the Midland Railway Carriage & Wagon Co., it had no train brakes and was very much a single purpose vehicle; livestock had special cattle wagons, goods of different descriptions had their own particular pattern of vehicle. To start with the War Department simply ordered these since it was, presumably, accustomed to them.

20-ton 4-wheeled open wagon

First innovation was the production of larger vehicles to match continental practice. This 20-ton capacity open wagon by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co., built for war use in 1917, shows the bigger load area and long wheelbase. It is interesting to note that in contrast to the 60-cm. gauge rolling-stock, even this design was surprisingly inefficient, whereas a 60-cin. gauge wagon of io-tons capacity had a tare weight of between 2 and 3 tons, this wagon tared 8 tons n cwt— almost half as much as its load capacity.

25-ton brake van

Unbraked wagons have to have separate brake-vans. The 'standard* W.D. 25-ton van was in fact a conversion from the 'A' type 20-ton covered wagon built by the firm of Stableford & Co. at Coalville. Such firms were usually very proud of their contribution to the war effort and this works photograph in shop grey, testifies to the achievement of its builders McLellan's of Glasgow.

Continental pattern 20-ton goods van

For once the British were out of step. The pattern of covered goods vehicle used by all the belligerent continental powers was a multi-purpose vehicle. As well as having a high capacity and long wheelbase, features due largely to continental conditions, it could be used both for livestock and for carriage of either perishable or non-perishable goods. The feature that allowed this was the set of metal ventilating flaps along the upper part of each side. When in place the van was waterproof; when they were lowered by means of the straps below them, they revealed mesh-covered grilles which let in air and light. Another feature was that a proportion of all wagons and vans were braked, not just by lever-operated parking brakes but by screw brakes operated by brakesmen sitting in perches. These were so sited as to allow the brakesman a view along the train, but gave him little weather protection.

Faced with these odd continental practices, the British compromised. They produced some short and some long wheelbase vehicles and stuck brakesmen's huts on them—which they erroneously called cabooses. The early placings of these—with no view but more comfort than the average continental ones — may have been influenced by thoughts of the restricted British loading gauge.

20-ton goods van with brakesman's perch

This 20-ton goods van was a typical timber-framed vehicle of the period as running on several British railways, with its diagonal-strutted panels and single sliding door on each side. The bodywork was simply shifted along slightly and a crude hut built onto one end with a 'bay window' to accommodate the pillar brake wheel. Either the War Department had not grasped the principle that brakesmen should be able to look along the train or they expected them to operate by whistle codes. The vehicles were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co., during 1917-18.

12-ton wagon with brakesman's perch

Another illustration of incomprehension is this ordinary 12-ton open wagon by Charles Roberts & Co. of Horbury, with a brakesman's seat on extended underframe at one end. If the man sat to shelter from the weather, he could neither see along the train nor effectively operate the high brake wheel. If he stood up to do so, he was completely unprotected.

End views of wagon and van

This shows end views of the two wagons described above to illustrate the deliberately squat nature of the brakesmen's perches.

10-ton high-sided wagon

A more rational answer was this io-ton open high-sided wagon produced by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. during 1917-18. A normal, two-door vehicle it had a slightly shortened and offset body, with a proper brakesman's hut at one end. This was both enclosed and set high enough for the brakesman to see along a train of wagons.

Low-sided wagons with and without brake huts

In some instances it would appear that existing continental designs were used or were modified. This series of views shows a typical low-sided 16-20-ton wagon built in quantity for the War Office and destined specifically for service on main lines in France. The vehicles were even sent out in the appropriate railway livery—in this case the 6tat (State) railway working between Paris and Le Havre—and bore the appropriate wagon data. This set of wagons was built by the Metropolitan Carriage Wagon & Finance Co. and shows clearly the difference caused by the addition of a proper brakesman's hut.

STANDARD GAUGE LOCOMOTIVES (U.S.A.)

Baldwin 2-8-0 freight locomotive

In 1916, the need for standard gauge locomotives was great and, as frequently happened, orders were placed in the United States for a 2-cylinder simple expansion locomotive, 150 being supplied for R.O.D. use within a year. The design was considered so successful

that it was adopted as standard by the U.S. Army when the United States entered the war. The American variant, commonly known as the 'Pershing's' after the American Commander-in-Chief, differed only in being superheated and no less than 1946 were built between July, 1917 and November, 1918; at one time they were arriving in France at the rate of 300 a month. Leading dimensions were: boiler pressure to 190 lb/sq in.; cylinders 21 in. by 28 in.; coupled wheel diameter 4 ft 8 in.

Baldwin 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive

The British also ordered various other types of locomotive, both large and small from the seemingly inexhaustible Baldwin Co. during 1916 and 1917. Not prominent but none the less probably the most pleasing to look at was a series of mixed traffic 4-6-os ordered— and delivered—in 1917. Presumably the R.O.D. felt the need for locomotives suitable for working passenger trains to reasonably fast timings. The locomotives followed traditional American practice with high-set boilers, bar frames and commodious cabs but none the less somehow contrived to look handsome.