Rowtor Target Railway
| Rowtor Target Railway | |
|---|---|
Layout of the track
Points and locomotive shed of the Rowtor Target Railway | |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 450 m (500 yards) |
| Track gauge | 24 inches (610 mm) (Category 610) |
The Rowtor Target Railway was a military narrow gauge target railway south of Okehampton in Dartmoor, England, with a gauge of 24 inches (610 mm).
History
The Rowtor Target Railway was built 1959 as a target railway based on an older target railway.[1] The 1,480-foot (450 m) long track consists of a long straight section and one curve, to which balloon loops were added each end as well as a double track siding into the locomotive shed, in which an old Wickham trolley was stored. There are four points, which are still in a working order, because the track and the trolley are maintained by a group of railway enthusiasts.[2][3]
By the dumbbell shaped design with turning loops at either end, it was possible to run the unmanned trolley, onto which a wooden target in the shape of a military tank was fixed, continuously back and forth along track.[1][2][4][5]
References
- ^ a b Guy Wareham: Military Target Railway. 10 November 2009.
- ^ a b Tom Moran: Explore Dartmoor’s Obscure Rowtor Target Railway. 17. November 2016.
- ^ The Railway Magazine, Band 151, IPC Business Press, 2005. S. 98.
- ^ Timmy Raa: Derelict Places: Rowtor Target Railway. 29 November 2009.
- ^ Zoom Earth.