passenger trains were to be run, a speed limit of 15 mph ought to be enforced. This should be reducing to mph over the underbridges, which should, he advised, be inspected every morning in case of malicious damage. Continuous brakes would be required on passenger trains. Having accepted the possibility of opening to passenger trains subject to these conditions, he appears to have had second thoughts later, and in his written report of 22 March he refused to pass the line for passenger operation. The Admiralty replied on 16 April 1916, saying that in view of the wartime emergency, it would be inappropriate to insist on peacetime safety measures. "Risks must be taken in wartime and work must not be held up in waiting for obligatory peacetime safeguards to be applied." The Board of Trade replied that they had no jurisdiction in the matter, and the Admiralty would have full responsibility for the operation of what amounted to a military railway. Construction started, and the Great Northern Railway took responsibility for the engineering of the new line: it was to be a little over five miles in length. They employed the contractor Logan and Hemingway, who had quoted £31,316 for the work. Construction started in the late summer of 1916, and was finished at the end of 1917. There were 1 in 50 gradients, rising from the Slea River crossing and both sides of the Leasingham decline. Opening The branch diverged from the existing railway network near Sleaford, and Sleaford West signalbox was extended to control the new junction. There were exchange sidings at the junction. The new arrangement was operational in March 1918 but the branch line was not completed fully until February 1919. There were various temporary branches off the main line to suit construction requirements. Gradients were mostly rising towards Cranwell, with a ruling gradient 1 in 50, but there was a fall of 1 in 60 in addition. Passenger services were run from the opening of the line. In early timetables there were seven passenger trains each way daily, and there was a Sunday service in addition. The Admiralty paid the Great Northern Railway £500 annually for the use of Sleaford station, used by the branch passenger trains. There were three passenger stations on the branch: Slea River, not far from the junction with the GNR line, Cranwell, and East Camp. One of the passenger services