79 Railway Squadron

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The modern day 79 Railway Squadron is part of the 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps of the British Army. They are responsible for maintaining and providing the British Army with its railway transportation requirements.

Originally the Railway Squadron started life in the Royal Engineers at Longmoor in Hampshire. They were known as the Longmoor Military Railway and operated steam locomotives. The Squadron eventually moved to Monchengladbach in West Germany and in the fullness of time became 79 Railway Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport. The locomotives were all diesel and for a while the future of the squadron seemed uncertain until when in 1983 a multi-million pound make over was begun. New locomotives started to arrive and the operating Yard at Monchengladbach got something of a makeover.