BRITISH RAILWAYS AND THE WAR
being modified, a still further increase might be necessary in the future.
TRANSPORTING STOCK TO THE
WAR ZONE
Late in 1916 a fresh consideration came to the fore. In the early stages of the war the British had relied mainly for the transport of their goods
in France on the service of large numbers of powerful motor wagons. Experience proved that while a motor service might answer as a temporary measure for a comparatively small body of men, it was impossible to provide for very large armies by road traffic. It was particularly impossible to bring forward with sufficient rapidity the enormous quantities of shells required and the numerous heavy guns without the use of properly built railroads. The companies could not well manufacture afresh the rails, locomotives, and rolling stock necessary, or educate outside men to operate them in France. To meet this situation large sections of line were torn up in England and sent over to France, and every spare locomotive and spare bit of rolling stock was also sent over. These rails were quickly laid down by the Railroad Construction Corps, drawn largely from railroad builders from the Dominion of Canada. The new lines were operated by the Railroad Corps, recruited from practical British railwaymen. This of necessity still further reduced travelling facilities in England. Speaking at
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