Light railways

[peterhodgkinson]

I have a sentence in a letter from an inventor-gunner at Ypres in August 1917:

I’ve got another stunt to suggest ... It’s not to do with gunnery this time but very light railway for humping shells and supplies. The idea is a single rail and something like this is used in works quite often.

 

He seems to be suggesting a monorail of some sort - he was a surveyor by trade. I can't find any reference to such a thing - Henniker only describes 60cm railway, 'trench tramway' and 'ropeways'.

 

Does anyone know of such a thing, even in civilian use?

 

Thanks

Peter

 

[DavidOwen]

Hi Peter

 

Something like this?

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205268886

 

Some more here including suspended rail! https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=mono+rail&pageSize=15&filters[periodString][First+World+War]=on

 

 

Regards

 

David

Edited 11 May , 2018 by DavidOwen
Added to

[Gardenerbill]

Hi Peter,

I am sure I have seen a photograph of a communication trench with a monorail system for moving shells. This was not like David's picture, the rail was near the top of the trench side with the carriage suspended below.

[peterhodgkinson]

Marvellous, thanks.

[Terry_Reeves]

Yes there was, and it was also equipped to move casualties. I have a sketch of one somewhere which I will post if I can find it.

 

TR

[Terry_Reeves]

The Wilson Trench Monorail. Illustration from the reunion dinner programme of 1st East Anglian Field Company RE , 13 December 1919.