User:The joy of all things/subpage 15
| Catterick Military Railway | |
|---|---|
 Old railway bridge at Catterick | |
| Overview | |
| Other name(s) | Catterick Camp Military Railway |
| History | |
| Opened | 1915 |
| Closed | 9 February 1970 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 4 mi (6.4 km) |
The Catterick Military Railway was a railway line in North Yorkshire, England, that connected Catterick Camp (now Catterick Garrison), with the Richmond branch line at Catterick Bridge.
History
[edit]The line was opened in 1915 and extended 4 miles (6.4 km) from Catterick Bridge station to a railway station in the middle of the garrison called Camp Centre.[1] Originally, the line crossed the River Swale on Catterick Bridge, a stone bridge which dates back to the 15th century. This situation continued until 1922, when a metal bridge was built just upstream (westwards) of the stone road bridge.[2] Just after the bridge over the Swale, the track turned south-westwards, and from 1959, crossed the A1 on a shared road and rail bridge known as Fort Bridge.[3]
The Catterick Military Railway provided the lionshare of the traffic on the Richmond branch, both in terms of passenger numbers and trains, but also in goods traffic moved to and from Catterick Garrison.[4] At the peak of services in 1927, sidings off the running line apart from the Camp Centre station were located Walkerville, Arras, Helles, Messines, Vimy, Cambrai and Hipswell, with others leading to a power house, or general transfer sheds.[5][6]
In July 1957, the main station at Camp Centre was used as a disembarkation point for Queen Elizabeth II when she visited the camp in her role as commander-in-chief of three army regiments based at Catterick at that time.[7] The last passenger train to run on the branch was on 26 October 1964, though a connection to the base could still be made at Catterick Bridge station on the main branchline.[8] After closure, whenever the Queen was visiting Catterick, the Royal Train would be stabled at Bedale railway station on the Wensleydale line.[9]
The line was closed completely in February 1970, and demolition began in July of the same year.[1]
Post closure
[edit]The railway bridge over the river at Brompton-on-Swale was re-used to carry pipes over it, but had a new deck installed in 2012, so it could become a pedestrian route.[10]
Accidents and incidents
[edit]- 15 September 1917 - several coaches ran down a gradient towards Catterick Bridge from Catterick Camp Centre. The coaches derailed at different places and four passengers inside the coaches were killed.[8]
- 4 February 1944 - the Catterick Bridge explosion, which killed 12 and injured 102. Soldiers were loading ammunition onto a train in Catterick Bridge railway station when an explosion occurred.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Hoole 1973, p. 84.
- ^ Slack, Margaret (1986). The bridges of Lancashire and Yorkshire. London: Robert Hale. p. 93. ISBN 0-7090-2814-8.
- ^ Lloyd, Chris (4 December 2015). "From the Archive: Building the A1 at Catterick". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ Hoole 1973, p. 82.
- ^ "View map: Great Britain. War Office, GSGS:2748, 1:20,000, Scotland, 1920s - 1930s: Catterick (Special Sheet) - War Office, Great Britain 1:20,000, GSGS 2748, 1923-30". maps.nls.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Ludlam 1993, p. 30.
- ^ "Visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps training brigade stationed in Catterick 10th July 1957". The Royal Armoured Corps Journal. xi (4). London: The Royal Armoured Corps Committee: 158. October 1958. OCLC 558577162.
- ^ a b Hoole 1973, p. 83.
- ^ Goode, C. T. (1980). "The Route". The Wensleydale Branch. Trowbridge: Oakwood Press. p. 13. ISBN 9780853612650. OCLC 10811584.
- ^ "Brompton-on-Swale bridge". forgottenrelics.org. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Explosion of ammunition train in Railway Station Yard at Catterick Bridge". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
Sources
[edit]- Cole, Howard N. (1972). The story of Catterick Camp, 1915-1972. Catterick: Headquarters Catterick Garrison. ISBN 0950309206.
- Hoole, K. (1973). North-East England. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5894-4.
- Ludlam, A. J. (1993). The Catterick Camp Railway and the Richmond Branch. Headington: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-438-5.