WWII Road Block Vertical Rail Sockets (unconfirmed) Littleworth Drove, Market Deeping.
I came across these three lumps of concrete on the outskirts of Market Deeping, they have a rectangular slot which would allow a Vertical Anti-Tank Rail to be inserted. I've been unable to find them on the Internet to prove what they are for certain.
During World War Two Road Blocks could consist of almost anything, such as Felled Trees, Knife Rests, Taught Wires stretching between two fixed points, Horizontal Rails and even vehicles. More purpose-built objects were used, such as Anti-Tank Blocks, Cylinders, Pimples and Buoys which were not very efficient, and replaced in the latter part of the 1940's for more purpose-built objects, such as Anti-Tank Rails.
There were two major types of Anti-Tank Rail for fitting into road surface sockets, the Vertical Rail and the Bent Rail, 90lb railway lines and 6in x 4in, and later 8in x 4in RSJ`s, the latter coming rather later than the others having been found by August 1940 to be rather more efficient at grounding Armoured Fighting Vehicles, but were often of mixed type within the same road block. In addition, welded Bent Rails orRSJ`s were found to snap under pressure, with those shaped under high temperatures being considered rather more effective. Anti-Tank Rails were often supplied by the railway companies (who often built their own Rail Blocks) with RSJ`s being manufactured at local foundries.
WWII Road Block Vertical Rail Sockets (unconfirmed) Littleworth Drove, Market Deeping.
I came across these three lumps of concrete on the outskirts of Market Deeping, they have a rectangular slot which would allow a Vertical Anti-Tank Rail to be inserted. I've been unable to find them on the Internet to prove what they are for certain.
During World War Two Road Blocks could consist of almost anything, such as Felled Trees, Knife Rests, Taught Wires stretching between two fixed points, Horizontal Rails and even vehicles. More purpose-built objects were used, such as Anti-Tank Blocks, Cylinders, Pimples and Buoys which were not very efficient, and replaced in the latter part of the 1940's for more purpose-built objects, such as Anti-Tank Rails.
There were two major types of Anti-Tank Rail for fitting into road surface sockets, the Vertical Rail and the Bent Rail, 90lb railway lines and 6in x 4in, and later 8in x 4in RSJ`s, the latter coming rather later than the others having been found by August 1940 to be rather more efficient at grounding Armoured Fighting Vehicles, but were often of mixed type within the same road block. In addition, welded Bent Rails orRSJ`s were found to snap under pressure, with those shaped under high temperatures being considered rather more effective. Anti-Tank Rails were often supplied by the railway companies (who often built their own Rail Blocks) with RSJ`s being manufactured at local foundries.