SATTs Support Tring Railway and Museum

Servicemen Awaiting Trade Training, SATT’s, from RAF Halton have assisted Tring Museum with moving an historic stone sleeper from Tring Railway Station back to the Museum.

In the 1830’s Tring Railway station was part of the first long distance intercity railway in the world which ran between London and Birmingham, with 165,000 tonnes of stones being laid three feet apart as a platform for the railway to sit on.

These stones were laid as engineers believed the track needed to be solid, but the services of these stones were short lived due to the newly introduced steam locomotives as they were too heavy and the stones had no flexibility. By comparing previous railway lines the engineers realised wood was a better alternative being more flexible and requiring less maintenance, hence the original stones were disregarded and replaced with wooden sleepers. It was believed that the stones were used for reconstruction work but one of them was recently found on an allotment.

The SATT’s, AC’s Wilkinson, Simmons, Wellings, McDonald and O’Sullivan then stepped in to help and last week, led by Sgt Davies, were tasked to aid Tring Local History Museum in the transportation of the stone to the museum. Sgt Davies said: “The stone was bigger and heavier than we thought, it took six of us to lift it on to a pallett and on to the low loader vehicle supplied by the museum. When we got to the museum we lifted it back off and slid it into place. When the task was complete the volunteers deemed it necessary that the stone was placed outside of the museum for all to see. A job very well done.”

The volunteers were extremely grateful with the support they had received from RAF Halton and as a result of the help the community can now appreciate the history of Tring Railway Station.