I was very interested to read the article (RECORD 9) dealing with the present position on the Longmoor Military Railway. In addition to the references to previous publications given, you will find a very good account of the line in the August 1933 "Railway Magazine" including some good photographs. There was also a post-war account in the "Railway Gazette" for 5th July 1946.

    I was stationed at Longmoor from August 1947 until my departure to the Detmold Military Railway in Germany in April 1948. At this time the line was worked mainly by standard Austerity saddle tanks, but several of the pre−war locomotives were still stored ("hidden" would be a more accurate description) in various odd sidings around the system. The whole time I was there I kept finding locomotives not seen before. Your readers may find a list of these of interest.

    This completes the list of stored locomotives except for about twenty-five Austerity 2−10−0’s which appeared to have been there since delivery from the makers; at any rate they had done very little work. These started to leave in batches of three or four at a time about the beginning of 1948, going to Eastleigh or Brighton Works.

Other steam locomotives used at times were:-

That completes the steam locomotives but the diesels were quite an interesting bunch.

    The roster was completed by the two 4−wheel railcars, known as the "Wickham car" and the "Drewry car". The coaching stock included an ornate 6−wheel observation inspection car and some ex Caledonian Railway 12−wheelers. Before closing though I must mention 3239, the Hunslet 4−6−0T, which carried a plate stating "Built at Hunslet Leeds 1919. W.D. Indent No.1832. Boiler No.4530." This locomotive was out in the open with several other pieces of instructional equipment, mounted a couple of feet off the ground and supported by concrete blocks under each buffer beam.

    The system of naming all the locomotives was about to be introduced just before I left Longmoor in April 1948. I remember seeing a memo listing the proposed names but do not have a record of it.

    There were many more shunting yards around the system at that time (and most were regularly used) than shown on your map on page 200. Starting at Bordon, there was a double track as far as Oakhanger but only one track was the main line and this was worked as single with staff instruments. The other connected Bordon yard with Martinique yard which was alongside Oakhanger station. This was taken by the Martinique shunt when going to Bordon to avoid using the main line. The spur going off to the right of Oakhanger on your map used to go down to Louisberg coal sidings, as they were then known.

Passenger train from Liss arriving at Longmoor on 11th October 1947,
hauled by Austerity locomotive 75041. (B.D. Whebell)

Longmoor locomotive depot in August 1947 with, left to right, 79250,
94382, 73797 and 93257. (B.D. Whebell)

    Between Oakhanger and Whitehill were three sets of sidings; one was known as Montreal but the names of the other two escape me now. One is shown on your map as Bordon Camp but I believe this was known by another name while I was there. Halfway between Weaversdown and Liss Forest Road was Palmers Ball Yard. I am not too well acquainted with the Hollywater loop as I never managed to circumnavigate it completely. But between Hopkins Bridge and Whitehill was Hopkins Sidings, while Hopkins Bridge itself was a large "Everall" sectional truss bridge built across a slight depression in the ground for training purposes. Most trainees had "a go" at it but I don’t know if it was ever completed as they only did a little at a time and often dismantled it again afterwards. If completed the span would have been about 320ft. The main line would have gone across it if complete but in my time it went around the side as described in your article, so it sounds as though they never managed to get it finished. At the other end of the loop, between Longmoor Downs and Griggs Green there were sidings alongside the main line known as Heifers Down where the Austerity 2−10−0’s were stored. Parallel to these sidings on the other (south) side of the Liphook road was Gipsy Hollow yard, a very extensive maze of sidings where most of the old locomotives were stored. I believe that parts of this yard had other names but I cannot remember now.

    At the period of which I write there was an intensive service daily, both passenger and freight, which required about six engines in steam. The passenger timetable included a late night train from Bordon (SO) which was timed at one intermediate blockpost at midnight, and I was intrigued to see it listed in the timetable as 00.00 hrs.

    I enjoyed this article in RECORD 9, and enclose a photograph of GORDON, one of the old Longmoor engines, obtained shortly before it was taken out of service at South Hetton Colliery in County Durham. On the original print slight steaming can be seen on top of the boiler (the photograph was taken about 8p.m. on a wet evening) and the reflected light comes from one of the yard lamps beside the line. The most peculiar wear of the wheel bosses caused by forcing too long a wheelbase round too tight curves in the colliery sidings was very noticeable. I did suggest removing one pair of side rods but was told that all the coupled adhesion possible was required to surmount the heavy gradient up from the Murton direction.

    The engine stood in practically the same spot for a long time in disuse, during which time some of the sanding gear was removed. When it disappeared in January 1962 I feared it had gone for scrap, but in. fact Caerphilly Works was its destination - for preservation. GORDON moved to Swindon Works in March 1963, and since about October 1965 has reposed in Stratford Works with some other relics. (We understand no restoration work has yet been done as BR have allocated no funds. - Hon. Eds.)

    GORDON’S history I think is worth recording. Built at the Taff Vale Railway West Yard Shops, Cardiff, in 1897 (works No.306) to the design of Hurry Riches; T.V.R. No.28, Class 01. Became GWR 450 at grouping, and fitted with Swindon trumpet-type safety valve casing; withdrawn in October 1926 and sold to the War Department at Longmoor in December 1927, No.70205. Went to South Hetton Colliery in February 1948.

I believe that GORDON is probably the only surviving example of locomotive
designing and building of totally Welsh origin.

An interesting photograph showing 119 (Henschel 21844 of 1930) outside
Moyeuvre locomotive shed on 8th July 1963. The. Chemin de Fer de Wendel was
featured in RECORD No.1. (D. Trevor Rowe)