Rare chance to see trains which helped Britain to victory in World War One

Next month, Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway (LCLR) will be showcasing a unique collection of these vehicles which were used to transport men, materials, ammunition, food, medical supplies, hay for their horses, water and other supplies to the front line trenches of the battlefields in France – and to return the casualties to England for treatment and recovery.

the Skegness Water Leisure Park.

The registered charity LCLR, based at Skegness Water Leisure Park, is home to a unique collection of these vehicles, including the last surviving ambulance van in the UK. ‘Bogie’ wagons were used for transport from the railheads, where supplies arrived. Sometimes they were pushed by soldiers or pulled by mules into the trenches. Diesel locomotives developed from the designs proved so successful on the lines operated by the War Department Light Railways.

The wagons have been painstakingly conserved and restored by LCLR volunteers. In their short summer season, there are few opportunities to let the public see them running.

After the Armistice in 1918, track and rolling stock were sold off by the Allies, some coming to Lincolnshire to form the legendary “potato railways” which stretched into the Fens and The Marsh and from where the LCLR, as the first heritage railway in the world to be built by

enthusiasts, acquired its initial stock and rails when it opened at its first site in Humberston, south of Cleethorpes, on August 27.

Trust chairman Richard Shepherd said: “This is a rare opportunity for people to see how these narrow-gauge railways helped the Allies overcome the problem of transport of men and materials over the muddy quagmires which had earlier prevented reinforcement and supplies reaching the men fighting in some of the terrible battles of the early stages of the conflict, resulting in catastrophic loss of life.

“Initially the British were reluctant to use these light railways despite the Germans, the Austro-Hungarians, the French and the Russians demonstrating their effectiveness, but once the decision was taken in 1916 to build a network, it rapidly created an efficient and

effective system which made possible victory in 1918.

“The surviving vehicles are a significant part of our collection in Skegness and seeing them in operation is a real, living demonstration of history, showing how the British and their Allies used them to secure victory”.

Demonstrations will take place on Saturday, September 21.

Normal fares of £2 return or £5 for a family will apply on passenger services. Those wishing to see the demonstration trains from the lineside, will be asked to make a donation to the Trust and should wear a hi-viz jacket.

• The War Department Light Railways were a system of narrow gauge trench railways in World War One. Light railways made an important contribution to the Allied war effort and were used for the supply of ammunition and stores, the transport of troops and the evacuation of the wounded. The military light railways in France were of 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge and used a variety of steam and petrol locomotives. The Germans installed their 600 mm gauge system early in the war. Feldbahn - field railways – had been developed by them pre-WWI and the enormous logistical demands of trench warfare led to the development of these as military narrow-gauge railways, or Heeresfeldbahn networks. Britain came to the belated realisation that it needed a flexible and reliable method of supplying the front lines, bringing rations, shells, timber, and fodder from the rear areas and their standard gauge supply points. Narrow gauge light railways were the solution.