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When all regular passenger traffic came to an end in November 1933 on the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Light Railway between Shrewsbury and Llanymynech (affectionately known as the 'Potts Line'), it was thought that the line had finally died. Gradually stations disintegrated and weeds took over the track. Only occasional freight traffic continued to survive. Yet despite the end of passenger services, the line was to experience a further important lease of life.
On September 1st 1939, because of the impending war in Europe, the Potts line with its staff came under the control of the Railway Executive. On June 1st 1941, the Shrewsbury to Llanymynech section was requisitioned by the War Department (WD) to serve the many munitions depots that were being constructed in the area. The WD saw this as a ‘low population area’ to store vast quantities of ammunition. The track was extensively relaid and very soon twelve locomotives, operated by military personnel, were operating in steam simultaneously. At the same time, regular civilian freight trains continued to operate.
The railway yard at Kinnerley became rife with khaki and sidings were full of military stock. Nissen huts sprang up like mushrooms. Such was the extent of the sidings constructed that the line's mileage increased from 28 to 78 miles during military use. Over 200 ammunition store buildings were erected, worked by the No 1 Group of the Royal Engineers.
During the war there were a limited number of trains for passengers or WD personnel. But train services were always infrequent and unreliable. When a farmer from Dyffryd in Maesbrook drove up to the crossing one morning he noticed one pole was up and the other down. When he asked the lady crossing keeper why was this, she commented that she was ‘half expecting a train’.
Towards the end of the war it became necessary to rebuild the up side of a viaduct at Shrawardine where a pillar showed distinct signs of sagging. Royal Engineer personnel cut down the original girders and a bailey bridge structure able to take heavier loads was placed on the remaining pillars. A railway viaduct at Melverley on the Shropshire/Welsh border also had its share of problems. Twice destroyed by floods earlier last century, a new bridge was designed by the GWR just after the war in 1947 and built by A E Farr Lyd the following year.
Earlier in its existence Shrewsbury’s Abbey Foregate station had seemed insignificant compared with the nearby Shrewsbury General station. Passengers entered by the small gate on the left, the right hand side being a goods entrance. The station buildings comprised a booking office and, unusually for the Potts Line, a ladies waiting room. During the Second World War this latter room was used by the ARP. Unfortunately for male travellers, no toilets were provided either on the trains or at stations anywhere along the line. Perhaps it was fortunate the trains made numerous unscheduled stops throughout its journey!
In 1959 the WD closed its last depot and by the following year the line returned to civilian status with operations gradually run down. The last scheduled train ran from Shrewsbury to Llanymynech on 26th February 1960 and on 29th February the line closed officially. Shrawardine viaduct was dismantled in 1962 but Melverley viaduct on the already closed Criggion branch was rebuilt as a road bridge. In the same year BR completed removal of all track apart from oil depot sidings at Shrewsbury which had been connected to BR tracks in 1960. These finally closed in July 1988 and were lifted early in 1990.
Truly the Potts line had 'done its bit' to help the war effort.

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