With The Locomotives, Railway and History 1916-1919 of the National Filling Factory No.14, Hereford author, Colin Judge, explores an important WW1 factory in Herefordshire, which was one of the many new shell filling factories that were hurriedly assembled to cope with the ever-growing need for shells and explosives. Internally it contained 27 miles of standard gauge track and at least 8 dedicated industrial locomotives that had been purchased, loaned, or hired by the Ministry of Munitions - the story is a fascinating one.
In 1916 the Ministry of Munitions acquired Rotherwas House and 10 acres of land by compulsory purchase. The book provides details of the area acquired, its history from 1916, the processes shell filling involved, and the factories staff (mainly female), plus many superb official factory construction photographs. One chapter details the Great Western Railways involvement in the internal railway’s construction. Many original-coloured plans from the official public records files are reproduced and above all, details of the contractors and their 2ft gauge railway and its diminutive locomotives. The factories standard gauge locomotives, include their history, many photographs, plus some original-coloured general arrangement plans.
Information about an outpost for filled shell storage, some six miles away at Credenhill, is also included, along with details on its own internal railway and locomotives.
80 black & white illustrations, plus various track plans, maps and engineering drawings. 104 pages.