Why is it there?

Well, most of it isn't any more. I'm not quite sure when it was closed but, as far as I can remember, it was open through to Pirbright Camp until after the war.

It was a one carriage train in my day with a small steam engine and ran from Brookwood Station thru' Bilsey camp to Pirbright.

I'ts only in recent years that Pirbright ceased to be a Guards Depot and I imagine it was used to transfer Guards battalions from London and back.

I travelled on the train when I was shooting with Epsom College in 1946/47 - I cannot remember why as we normally came down in awful Bedford buses of Epsom Coaches. They had very few springs, wooden slat seats and were converted Bedford OY 3 tonners with the result that the back of the bus was a long way behind the back axle so that when we went over a bump, the rifle stacked in the back used to jump in the air!

Anyway, the railway track can still be seen; it runs across Queens Road in front of the armoury and behind the pavilion and crossed Elcho Road where it now become the entry to No 7 Caravan Site and runs down the site and the Inns of Court tent site and into the trees.

I seem to remember that the train had to change tracks by crossing Queens Road and switching in front of the armoury and crossing back again - hooting both ways.

One used to be able to walk along the track to Pirbright but it's now become overgrown.

Tiger.

Where are We?

Old Epsomian Rifle Club

Surrey Hut
Bisley Camp
Woking
Surrey
GU24 0NY