The WDLR companion and older brother was French

Our friend and colleague Roy Link has produced a book, WDLR Companion, to mark the end of the First World War. It acts as a supplement to the WDLR Album published in 2014. The first album was based around a photographic journey round the British Front in early 1918, the topic being the War Department Light Railways used by the British and Colonial Army.

The fkavour of War Department railways: a 16mm model of a Wrightscale WD Baldwin 4-6-0 pulls two WD covered goods wagons, built by Jim Hawkesworth on Wrightscale bogies

Drawing on his own graphic resources, the archive of Colonel David W. Ronald and the skills of Peter Foley, RCL Publications has given us, as of winter 2018, The WDLR Companion This companion book includes photos from the archives of the Imperial War Museum, the Scottish National Library, the Library of Congress and others. It also boasts a series of drawings by the talented Peter Foley.

Here, as an author in the same field, I confess a bit of envy. When I approached the Imperial War Museum their rates for reproduction were very pricey. For my own book, Tracks To The Trenches, I calculated that I could have spent at least £10,000 for the rights to reproduce the required illustrations. A self-respecting history of this kind would need at least double that number of illustrations thus an up-front investment of anything up to £20,000 before thinking of paying a printer or distribution costs. These high charges might explain why there was never a reprint of the excellent Light Railways of the First World War by WJK Davies.

At this point, once again, thanks to those who shared with me their archives and charged far more modestly. Without them, the book ‘Colonel Péchot: Tracks To The Trenches’ would not have been possible and the English language story of  Colonel Péchot and the birth of French, German and British military narrow gauge would not have been told.

Prosper Péchot 1907 with Légion d'Honneur. Photo courtesy Raymond Péchot

In a few words, Colonel Péchot: Tracks To The Trenches explains how Prosper Péchot made trench transport possible. Without his ideas, portable narrow gauge railways would have remained light devices, suitable for agriculture or quarries.   

It could be argued that the basic ideas already existed. The point is – they were in existence but never used together. It took the genius of Péchot to put together ideas from various sources. The 2’ gauge Festiniog railway, the portable railways of the Decauville Company, Fowler agricultural machines, the Darjeeling-Himalaya railway and the timber extraction railways of the USA were already in operation, but totally independently.

Péchot was the first to create a prefabricated 60cm gauge railway system which could be quickly set out in the field and then reliably transport a vast tonnage of freight. From Decauville he took the concept of portable-prefabricated rail and at the Decauville factory he devised valuable improvements. The Festiniog Railway showed that vast tonnages could be transported by narrow gauge. The Fowler company, among others, demonstrated tough little steam engines which could work in the field.

Péchot added his own ideas. Using his mathematical skills garnered as a graduate of the top Ecole Polytechnique and his experience as an Artillery officer, he calculated the merits of 60cm gauge. He needed a sweet spot. The broader the gauge, the smoother and more reliable running became; the narrower, the more expeditiously the railway could be laid. 60cm provided the best compromise. Between 1882 and 1888, he put his life and career on hold trying to persuade the French Army to lay in a stock of portable railways. He met with partial success in 1888 and more than 500 km (300 miles) of artillerie 88/ Péchot system railways were installed around the frontier fortresses of France.

Péchot-Bourdon locomotive on the military narrow gauge network serving the Belfort frontier defences. Picture courtesy Raymond Duton

Before Péchot, the Prussian army had been experimenting with 70 and 75cm gauge. Very soon after reports of French experiments appeared in French newspapers, the Prussians and soon the whole German Army went over to their version of 60cm gauge, known as Heeresfelbahn. Paul Decauville, mentioned above, recalled a letter from the German ambassador expressing great interest in the new portable railways. Ironically, they grasped Péchot’s ideas better than the French generals. By 1914, they had a thousand kilometres of track in readiness for attack.

The British, until they saw French field railways, had been using 2’6” (75cm.) Although they - and the USA - used Imperial measurements as a rule, they, too in their own good time, adopted the French metric standard of 60cm.

16mm Wrightscale model of a Péchot bogie wagon

The same applies to the rolling stock. Until then, whether Decauville or Welsh, narrow gauge wagons were sturdy little four-wheelers. Péchot insisted on bogie wagons. The body could be longer and thus have superior capacity. The bogies enabled them to take narrow gauge, roughly laid track far better. Braking for every wagon came as standard. They could even be operated by brake-wheel – or by a key at track level.

The Péchot system of compensated springing was a world leader. Unfortunately, between 1888 and 1914, the French army lost its early technological lead. In 1914, what material that was left was ageing; Péchot bogie wagons were still going strong but there were very few of them.

In 1914, the Péchot system acquired a powerful advocate. As the German Army thrust westwards, General Gallieni was charged with the defence of Paris. The capital of France was ringed by fortifications, but there was no way to roll supplies up from the railway stations. He realised the potential of a light railway system that could rapidly deliver  military supplies. Though retired, Péchot returned to make a contribution to the defence of Paris and, once more, the value of artillerie 88 was demonstrated.

General Gallieni, remembered as the hero of 1914 as his efforts stopped the German advance. Photo copyright MD Wright

Paris was soon out of danger to be replaced by the realities of trench warfare. New rail, rolling stock and locomotives were needed, in great volume. The Decauville company produced a relatively light design which could be rolled out by the thousand, the 'Decauville 15'. 

For all its merits, the WDLR Companion provides a blinkered view. The enormous contribution that French design made to the British War Department Light Railways is only mentioned briefly in the text. A railway stores depot in Andruiq (page 9) included projects such as ‘manufacture of standard gauge, metre gauge and 60 cm’ in 1915. In early 1916, the British took over a French sector (also page 9). ‘The takeover included a 60cm French military railway.’  The book admits that orders for 60cm gauge material flowed home from February 1916 onwards. (pp 9-10)

So far, the push towards 60cm field railways came from relatively junior officers.

General Haig, fairly recently appointed British CinC, was open to suggestions; the Battle of the Somme was not going well. Photo copyright MD Wright

It was not until the battle of the Somme was under way that ‘Top Brass’ got involved. On September 11^th (WDLR Companion pp 13-14) Haig recorded a meeting which included L-G (Lloyd George), M. Robert (the French Minister for Muitions) and Sir Eric Geddes. ‘The necessity for 60 centimetre railways was quickly shown’

Here, hey, a revolution in British thinking has happened!

The compilers of WDLR Companion are well aware of the French influence. They had access to the Imperial War Museum Archive where there are various photos of French field railways, for example Q 4111 (Decauville wagons on the ex French system)

In 1916, Sir Eric Geddes was apointed Director of Light Railways and was in at the formation of the WDLR. Photo copyright MD Wright

I feel particularly disappointed. Roy Link and the Wrights have been friends for many years. He knows about the huge contributions that Péchot made to military narrow gauge railways.

In the drawings section of WDLR Companion, there are two or three plans featuring Decauville-15 bogies and a Péchot bogie. For these drawings, we can thank Peter Foley.  He has clearly examined surviving examples, checking to see where they have been modified during their long service life.

They are attractive drawings, and we hope that they will inspire interest in French military narrow gauge. The reader can see from pp 166-7 the differences between the heavily engineered Péchot bogies and the relatively light Decauville 15 equivalent. We should like to comment on an outstanding feature. This was one of the innovations that made the Péchot design revolutionary.

A Péchot bogie which retains some original features. Photo courtesy Jacques Pradayrol

The chequer plate shown (page 166) without comment on the top surface of the Péchot bogie was one of the world-leading introductions produced by the Péchot team. Remember – the original designs date from the 1880s.The original drawings housed at Chatellereult and a bogie in its original state indicate this early use of non-slip surfacing. As can be seen from the drawings of WD wagons and the Decauville ones, their top surfaces did not have this thoughtful safety material.

In this enlargement of the photo shown above, you can just see the non-slip surfacing.

 The simplest way to produce a non-slip surface was to use cast iron. Unfortunately, this was too brittle for use in the field where heavy weights might be dropped with, literally, shattering results. The material must have been steel. Before theappearence of the huge rolling mills of the 20^th century, production of steel was usually in sheet form. But these sheets must have been pressed in relatively small portions.

It may be a little pernickety, but we’d like to suggest that the simple diamond pattern shown in the drawing is slightly misleading. Because of the technology, the diamond pattern would have been heavily ridged. This could have been indicated on the drawing if traced in double lines. It would have been a simple matter for Peter Foley to haveindicated the way that they would have appeared in the 19^th century.

 This is a small quibble. We just wish that, In all, given Mr Foley’s work, it would have been simple for the text to have pointed out more of the history of the War Department Light Railways.

An end to war

In various ways, the craft of 16mm can put an end to war. As you sit at your workbench fettling up a kit or preparing a locomotive, you are part of a long tradition. For centuries, the skill of the hand and eye have been used, firstly to bring people together, then to convey messages to a wider public. Ritual whether martial or religious, crowds attending sport, modern folk at their 16mm scale meetings, all know the value of craft.

Our craft has two aspects. One is private love and knowledge, the other is social.

The craft of the ‘16 miller’ is not to frighten. It is inclusive, kind, open-hearted and peaceful. At its best, it can be gentle, active.  

A 16mm scale Kerr Stuart 0-4-0 gently makes its way around our garden railway. Photo MD Wright

There are parallels with other crafts and indeed with activities which may be considered more cerebral.

Needlework is one example. It is a gentle art but yet can also be active. It can even provide a response to injustice or atrocity. The word Craftivism was coined in 2003 but the idea that needle-craft can be a tool towards positive change – is much older. We can take just two 20^th century example. Chileans made arpilleras (hand-stitched embroideries) to protest about dictatorship. Woman Suffragists made beautiful banners to advertise the cause of Votes For Women.

You will not be surprised that needlework could be used as an advocate for peace.  Many examples have been lost over the last hundred years but a particular sampler preserved by The Embroider’s Guild collection pleads, celebrates and advocates for peace. Though striking, it is not meant to be beautiful. It is good to look at, but was not primarily made to beautiful. It acts as an encouragement to others to make an effort.

The creator was Margaret Foster. She took her designs from two established genres. Before the arrival of woven name-tapes, the typical sampler was worked by a trainee to practise or showcase the art of embroidered lettering. Marks of ownership were essential when even a handkerchief was valuable and when laundry took months. As a showcase, or to make the labour less dull, the sampler consisted of improving verses, artfully framed. In these days, the sampler, with its embroidered verse, is a collector’s item.

Copyright and exclusive! Embroidered local costume. Postcard courtesy MJ Jackson

The other genre was the local embroidery style. In some parts of Europe, each region or even village still have their local style of embroidery. I was proudly shown a sample book of Norwegian patterns, showing patterns each typical of a particular town or district. Every child will receive a costume bedecked with these patterns. They will sit down and be taught, in their turn, how to create them. This must have been true all over Europe at one time. The boy illustrated is wearing Tyrolean Sunday best.

In the early 20^th century, the ‘local style’ had almost died out in England, though some patterns are preserved in old pieces. Margaret Foster wanted to keep alive the Wessex style, best described as multi-coloured black-work interspersed with bands of smocking. A preserved piece includes a strip in the Strawberry Flower pattern, typical of Wessex style.

The Strawberry Pattern consisted of a strip of embroidered flowers embroidered in black on a self-coloured background. This picture is adapted from a design by Moyra MacNeill

In summer 1918 she created a sampler. It has both lettering and bands of pattern. It thus incorporates the two strands (to coin a phrase) of sampler embroidery – tradition and utility.

She wanted to be accessible and so her art is not intimidating. She used a piece of cream even-weave fabric, very roughly edged. The background shows through the stitching in an unpretentious way. It is mainly black thread on cream with colour and distributed in small random patches. The lettering records a few unpretentious lines of doggerel. In the original, the poem was jumbled on to seven lines of text. Below them are the maker’s initials and the date – May 1918.

A little sampler for the month of May

work’d while skies were warm and flow’rs were gay

And all good British people humbly pray’d

that Peace with Victory be not long delay’d

The overall effect is of heartbreaking simplicity. It well deserves its place in the archives.

This needlework is mentioned because of its relationship with our 16mm model layout. Both are conscious of the history and issues of the real world.

Malcolm Wright's 16mm garden railway features a bridge in the U.S. style. A war surplus WD Baldwin 4-6-0 pushes a couple of WD wagons, all Wrightscale. Photo MD Wright

Like most layouts, the Wrightscale South Deeside Line starts with a story. Our garden railway is set firmly in the period between First and Second World War when the First World War is still known as the Great War. All of its staff are personally acquainted with events in that war and the roster is full of war surplus stock.

In the fictional history, the railway started some years previously, serving a slate quarry in Scotland. Yes! we did have our own Scotch slate. It was, if you like, a second Ballachulish which came into its own around 1930. Some American loggers remained after the Great War was over. They built the bridge which links the original line with the extension. The railway also serves local people, for travel, post and groceries.

Consistent with this story, most models are accurate War surplus plus hardy pre-War survivors such as the Wren. The management bid successfully for a War Surplus War Department Baldwin 4-6-0 but were outbid for a German 0-6-0. The majority of trains carry freight. Wagons include small slate wagons designed or built in Wales or War Surplus War Department stock.

For complicated reasons, some of the only French Péchot bogie wagons to leave France ended up on South Deeside. But that is another story. To tell it now would be an overly long digression.

The artillerie-88 bogie wagon, designed by Prosper Péchot of the French Army, was the fore-runner of War Department bogie wagons. Wrightscale 16mm model.

Like any craft, there is a focus on improving skills. The sampler is a good place to start when learning needlework. A model, or series of models, is a good introduction to a mastery of metal-crafts.

Samplers should be done to the best of the crafter’s ability. A 16mm scale live steam model locomotive demands the best from the modeller. Each piece demands the correct materials. Working it and ensuring a good fit with other components requires a series of skills; putting it together yet more.

At each stage and certainly at the end, trouble-shooting is needed. This is quite a skill of its own. The ability to go back through the work looking for the flaw - where things started to go wrong - has to be learned. It requires character. The first experience of trouble-shooting is hard, but working at it helps. A new mindset will be acquired, the ability to see mistakes and regard them not just as time wasted, but as an opportunity to learn. Dismissing a mistake out-of-hand brings on a peculiar and damaging psychological blindness. Working at it clear-eyed dispels the blindness. It is that unique something that folk who work with their hands can offer the world – whether they be needleworkers or metal workers.

Baldwin Gas Mechanical as used in World War 1. Photo courtesy Jacques Pradayrol

There is the vital social aspect. Taking part in a select list of activities can make us better people. Model-making and sampler design require what is known to professors of social science as scenario planning. Authorities such as Professors, Mellers, Tetlock and Arkes studied forecasting, a fairly cerebral process, but their findings apply to planning a craft project.  They distinguish forecasts which are pure bluff, attention seeking or cheerleading from  better ones. These are efforts made in good faith to get the answer correct. (I am borrowing words from Tim Harford.) 

Serious forecasters, like modellers or needle-workes, will soon be confronted by the gaps in their knowledge. They have to come to terms with the illusion of explanatory depth. We think we know how something works … until we try getting it to work. How many times has a parent been caught out by a curious child or an onlooker who seems to be asking naïve questions? The experience can prompt humility and moderation.

Turning a prototype BGM into a working model requires many skills, including feedback from friends and customers. 16mm Wrightscale model. Photo MD Wright

Get-togethers, whether cerebral or crafty can bring out the best in us. They can make difference a cause of celebration rather than conflict. This is not a new discovery. There are schools and colleges for workers by hand and brain, the name being used in the chummy original sense. ‘School’ comes from Latin schola – leisure employment, ‘college’ from Latin collegium - association or partnership.

Academics appreciate face-to-face time, whether in the flesh or by Skype. The same applies to model-making. The people who model most productively are club members. In an unclubbable age, active membership of clubs is still high. Time is given freely. Information is offered on a not-for-profit basis. The assumption is that members bring an open mind and treat others as they have been treated. Even before the 16mm association was formed, area associations began, where it was possible to meet in the flesh and run trains together.

Collaborative sewing has the longest history of all.  Needlework these days still has a strong social aspect. Every craft shop has its local directory of craft-clubs and sewing bees.

A restored ex-WD Baldwin 4-6-0 has honed many skills but the impression you get from this photograph is of fun! Photo courtesy Jim Hawkesworth

There is another quality shared by the crafts and more cerebral arts such as fore-casting. A good example is possible to recognise but less easy to explain. There are many examples of sloppy work. At the other extreme, arguments, models or sewing projects can be so pleased with themselves that they have no appeal to anyone else.

Model of ex War Department Baldwin 4-6-0 exudes tranquility. Wrightscale 16mm model pulls wagons built on Wrightscale WD bogies

To have merit does not require a crushing level of skill or knowledge. In the realm of predictions, a ‘superforecaster’ does not have to be an expert in some subject, but does have to be open-minded and respectful of contrary evidence or opinions. A sampler has to please. Something made by a child might nestle in the heart in the way that overwhelming skill in needlework fails to do. A model has to have ‘it’ too. Perhaps it can be described as genuine ‘play-value’