§ 66. Mr. PETOasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that at the aerodrome at Wey-hill, near Andover, a two-foot gauge line has been constructed for a distance of about 300 yards on level ground from the sidings constructed at the railway; whether this involves delay of railway goods trucks and the unloading of goods for the aerodrome to the small two-foot gauge stock; if he can explain the reason why a full gauge line should not have been laid for this short distance; and whether it is proposed to now rectify this defect?
§ Major BAIRDA temporary two-foot gauge track, about 600 yards long, has been laid. I am informed that no delay of railway trucks is involved. Apart from the difficulty of procuring standard track, it was not considered necessary to extend, as from whatever point the line might have finished, it would still have been necessary to tranship into two-foot gauge wagons, so that the building materials brought by rail could be distributed on to the site of the buildings under construction. The siding will not be required for the aerodrome after the construction work, which is approaching completion, is finished.