Melbourne Military Railway
Encyclopedia
The Melbourne Military Railway was a military railway in Derbyshire
used by British Army
and Allied engineers during the Second World War
from 1939 until late 1944 to prepare them for the invasion of mainland Europe. Engineers practised the demolition and rebuilding of railways and the running and maintenance of a railway line and its rolling stock. There was also a bridge building school at Kings Newton
.
branch line between junctions near in Leicestershire
and in Derbyshire. Its principal station was , which was actually at the hamlet of Kings Newton
. Troops camped mainly at Weston-on-Trent
from 1940. A suspension bridge linked the camp with Kings Newton over the Trent.
would have to be expanded if the capacity to train the necessary railway personnel was to be met.
A second training establishment was sought. was a major railway centre. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
staff college there was about to close and its Principal, Colonel Lionel Manton recommended the nearby rural freight line between Derby and Ashby de la Zouch be used as a training line. On 19 November 1939 the section of the line from Chellaston East Junction to the Smisby Road crossing, just north of Ashby, was handed over to the War Department
. It was named the No. 2 Railway Training Centre (No. 1 being at Longmoor).
The line was named the Melbourne Military Railway after its principal station. Immediately south of Chellaston
East Junction the railway established its headquarters, consisting of workshops, offices, and engine sheds for eight locomotives. After the war this area became a wagon repair depot. At Kings Newton miles of sidings were built.
Initially the railway was to be used for individual training but later it was used for training complete railway operating companies who would work the line for a week at a time. Two such companies were Canadian. From July 1941 the Melbourne training regime was linked with that at Longmoor. Basic training took place in Hampshire before transfer to Melbourne where railway engineers undertook eight weeks training and construction engineers undertook 16 weeks training, which included eight weeks at the Kings Newton bridge building school. By the end of 1944 the additional facilities were no longer needed and the line was ready to hand back to the LMS.
On 11 July 1940 nine Royal Engineer sapper
s training on the railway were killed by a German bomb dropped on their billet in Church Street, Melbourne. Eight of them are buried in Melbourne Cemetery.
Colliery and lime from Cloud Hill, Worthington
.
Eight or more locomotives were in steam daily but most were in very poor condition. They used water mainly pumped from the River Trent
, which caused limescale
deposits in their boilers.
ways closed Chellaston Quarry Signal Box and the sidings were lifted in 1967 when the line was returned to single track running. BR finally closed the line on 21 May 1980. In 1988 the track was lifted and the section between Chellaston East Junction and was converted into part of National Cycle Route 6.
s on the Isley Walton Road, pillars from bridge building in the Trent, the concrete bases of buildings, some derelict brick buildings and remains of engine sheds at Chellaston Quarry.
Two locomotives and a coach that ran on the line are now owned by the Kent and East Sussex Railway
.
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
used by British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and Allied engineers during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
from 1939 until late 1944 to prepare them for the invasion of mainland Europe. Engineers practised the demolition and rebuilding of railways and the running and maintenance of a railway line and its rolling stock. There was also a bridge building school at Kings Newton
Kings Newton
Kings Newton is a village in South Derbyshire. The Holy well was constructed around 1660, but has been refurbished at the end of the twentieth century.-History:...
.
Location
The railway was a former Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
branch line between junctions near in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and in Derbyshire. Its principal station was , which was actually at the hamlet of Kings Newton
Kings Newton
Kings Newton is a village in South Derbyshire. The Holy well was constructed around 1660, but has been refurbished at the end of the twentieth century.-History:...
. Troops camped mainly at Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent
Weston-on-Trent is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire. It is to the north of the River Trent and the Trent and Mersey Canal. Nearby places include Aston-on-Trent, Barrow upon Trent, Castle Donington and Swarkestone....
from 1940. A suspension bridge linked the camp with Kings Newton over the Trent.
Background
In the early stages of the War it was soon realised that the military railway at LongmoorLongmoor Military Railway
The Longmoor Military Railway was a British military railway in Hampshire, built by the Royal Engineers from 1903 in order to train soldiers on railway construction and operations.-Route:...
would have to be expanded if the capacity to train the necessary railway personnel was to be met.
A second training establishment was sought. was a major railway centre. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
staff college there was about to close and its Principal, Colonel Lionel Manton recommended the nearby rural freight line between Derby and Ashby de la Zouch be used as a training line. On 19 November 1939 the section of the line from Chellaston East Junction to the Smisby Road crossing, just north of Ashby, was handed over to the War Department
War Department
War Department may refer to:* War Department * United States Department of War - See also :* War Office , a former department of the British Government...
. It was named the No. 2 Railway Training Centre (No. 1 being at Longmoor).
The line was named the Melbourne Military Railway after its principal station. Immediately south of Chellaston
Chellaston
Chellaston is a suburb of the City of Derby, which is in the East Midlands in England in the United Kingdom. It is on a natural hill, and has recently expanded due to several new housing estates....
East Junction the railway established its headquarters, consisting of workshops, offices, and engine sheds for eight locomotives. After the war this area became a wagon repair depot. At Kings Newton miles of sidings were built.
Initially the railway was to be used for individual training but later it was used for training complete railway operating companies who would work the line for a week at a time. Two such companies were Canadian. From July 1941 the Melbourne training regime was linked with that at Longmoor. Basic training took place in Hampshire before transfer to Melbourne where railway engineers undertook eight weeks training and construction engineers undertook 16 weeks training, which included eight weeks at the Kings Newton bridge building school. By the end of 1944 the additional facilities were no longer needed and the line was ready to hand back to the LMS.
On 11 July 1940 nine Royal Engineer sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
s training on the railway were killed by a German bomb dropped on their billet in Church Street, Melbourne. Eight of them are buried in Melbourne Cemetery.
Operations
Major traffic on the line consisted of moving military stores to and from Kings Newton and Tonge, coal from the New LountLount
Lount is a small village near Ashby-De-La-Zouch in north-west Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 50 . It has no local amenities apart from a public house. The village straddles the B587 road and is situated near to the A42 road....
Colliery and lime from Cloud Hill, Worthington
Worthington
-Places:In England:*Worthington, Greater Manchester*Worthington, LeicestershireIn the United States:*Worthington, Indiana*Worthington, Iowa*Worthington, Kentucky, a city in Greenup County*Worthington, Louisville, Kentucky, a neighborhood...
.
Eight or more locomotives were in steam daily but most were in very poor condition. They used water mainly pumped from the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, which caused limescale
Limescale
Limescale is the hard, off-white, chalky deposit found in kettles, hot-water boilers and the inside of inadequately maintained hot-water central heating systems...
deposits in their boilers.
Final years
The railway track was handed back to the LMS on 1 January 1945 who then submitted a bill of £25,265 to the War Department to restore the line. In 1958 steam power was replaced by diesel on many local lines and large numbers of redundant steam locomotives were stored at Chellaston quarry. In March 1966 British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed Chellaston Quarry Signal Box and the sidings were lifted in 1967 when the line was returned to single track running. BR finally closed the line on 21 May 1980. In 1988 the track was lifted and the section between Chellaston East Junction and was converted into part of National Cycle Route 6.
Remains
There are several remains of the railway: buffer stopBuffer stop
A buffer stop or bumper is a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of track.The design of the buffer stop is dependent in part upon the kind of couplings that the railway uses, since the coupling gear is the first part of the vehicle that the buffer stop...
s on the Isley Walton Road, pillars from bridge building in the Trent, the concrete bases of buildings, some derelict brick buildings and remains of engine sheds at Chellaston Quarry.
Two locomotives and a coach that ran on the line are now owned by the Kent and East Sussex Railway
Kent and East Sussex Railway
The Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...
.
Print references
- David Birt materials on the Melbourne Military Railway (1985–2002) at Melbourne Public Library, Bill Shone Centre, Melbourne, Derbyshire.