Rowtor Target Railway
Rowtor Target Railway | |
---|---|
![]() Layout of the track ![]() | |
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]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Military_Target_Railway_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1575494.jpg/220px-Military_Target_Railway_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1575494.jpg)
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
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
50°42′08″N 3°59′34″W / 50.702343°N 3.992758°W / 50.702343; -3.992758