Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway

Address: P.O. Box 300, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 2DZ
Telephone: 0871 22 1568  Email: info@sklr.net
Web site: www.sklr.net

 

There will be no trains run on the line in 2009, it is hoped the long term future of the railway can be secured soon.

 

Spa Valley Railway

 

Address: West Station, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
TN2 5QY
Telephone: 01892 537715 
Email: enquiries@spavalleyrailway.co.uk
Line Length: 3½ miles  Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Tunbridge Wells West to Groombridge 
Journey Time: 16 minutes
Service: Saturday & Sunday 3 April - 31 October / Bank Holidays / part school holidays / Thursday & Friday in August
Tickets: Adult £6.00, Child £3.50, Family £16.00 (2 adults and 2 children) unlimited travel on day of issue
Parking: Pay and display car parks in Tunbridge Wells (not owned by railway). Free parking at High Rocks Inn TN3 9JJ.  No parking at Groombridge station   
Website: www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk    YouTubevideo    location map

 

Tunbridge Wells West Station: Refreshments, gift shop, model railway, Victorian engine shed.

 

Groombridge Station: Refreshments, picnic tables

 

The East Grinstead, Groombridge and Tunbridge Wells Company was granted approval in 1862 to construct a railway in an eastwards direction from East Grinstead to Tunbridge Wells. While the route was being built the company was acquired by the Brighton and South Coast Railway. Only built with a single track it was not expected to be an active line. Opened on 1 October 1866 there were stations at Forest Row, Hartfield, Withyham and Groombridge. Tunbridge Wells West station was impressive terminus, complete with a clock tower. In later years Groombridge became a busy station serving lines from four directions.  

 

On 2 January 1967 the route from Three Bridges to Groombridge closed to passenger traffic. Diesel electric mutiple units were used to continue the service between Eridge and Tonbridge. Trains went via Groombridge to Tunbridge Wells West, through the tunnel to Tunbridge Wells Central to terminate at Tonbridge. Closure for the Groombridge to Tunbridge Wells West line came on 6 July 1985.  

 

A preservation society was formed with the aims of operating the route as a preserved railway. After a long hard struggle they were rewarded when they acquired the line in the early 1990s. The Spa Valley Railway (SVR) was the name chosen for the railway. No trains were run until winter 1966 when a ½ mile stretch opened. By August 1997 there was a passenger service over the three miles of track to Groombridge. There is an extension to Eridge which is complete all that is required is the red tape with Network Rail to be finalized. 


Tunbridge Wells West station has lost the elegant buildings with only the platforms left. Fortunately the original Victorian loco shed is still intact and used by the railway. At Groombridge the SVR could not raise the funds to purchase the station buildings so a new station has been built. 

 

The SVR has two steam locomotives they are No.47493 LMS 'Jinty'  0-6-0T, No.7715 GWR 57XX 0-6-0PT. In 2010 the service to Eridge should start, connecting the railway to the mainline.

 

Further photographs of the Spa Valley Railway can be found in the Gallery section.

 

Kent and East Sussex Railway


Address: Tenterden Town Station, Station Road, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HE
Telephone: 01580 765654  Email: enquiries@kesr.org.uk
24 Hour Talking Timetable: 01580 762943
Line Length: 10½ miles  Gauge: 4ft 8½ inches
Route: Tenterden to Bodiam  Journey Time: 50 minutes
Service: Saturday & Sunday 20 March - 31 October / Bank holidays / school holidays / every day in August / many days in June, July, September
Tickets: Adult £12.80, Child £7.80, Family £34.00 (2 adults and 3 children) unlimited travel on day of issue
Parking: Large free car park at Tenterden, Northiam has parking, no parking at other stations   
Website: www.kesr.org.uk    YouTubevideo    location map

 

Tenterden Station: Gift shop, refreshment rooms, play area, Carriage and wagon workshop, picnic area, Colonel Stephen's Museum (extra charge).

 

Rolvenden Station: Locomotive workshop and viewing area.


There were a number of previous attempts to build a line to Tenterden before Colonel Tom Stephens proposal for the first light railway in 1897. The Rother Valley Railway as it was called ran from Robertsbridge to Rolvenden, it opened in 1900. Tenterden was not reached until 1903, two years later the line extended to Headcorn. At this time the name was changed to Kent and East Sussex Railway (KESR).  Ambitious plans were agreed in 1906 to extend the railway further from Headcorn to Maidstone. Land was bought but the funds required to construct the line could not be raised so the project was abandoned and the land sold off.

 

The KESR was not part of the grouping in 1923 and continued to be an independent company. As an economy measure petrol engined railbuses were introduced. Colonel Stephens died in 1931, a year later the railway became bankrupt. A receiver was appointed and the KESR continued operating a further sixteen years. During World War II there was an increase in activity when the line was requisitioned.

 

In January 1948 the KESR became part of British Railways. A survey of the track and rolling stock showed both were in poor condition. Even so a passenger service continued up to January 1954 with goods being carried until complete closure in 1961.


A preservation society was formed just before the line closed. There was a thirteen year struggle with many impediments put in their way by British Rail and the Ministry of Transport. The only brick building on the railway was Tenterden station. Considering closure to passenger traffic had taken place in 1954 it was not surprising that the wood and corrugated iron buildings at the other stations had gone.

 

After a great deal of work, trains ran again in 1974 from Tenterden to Rolvenden. On 16 June 1978 the line was extended to Wittersham Road station. By 1990 seven miles of track had been laid to Northiam.  The present terminus at Bodiam was attained in 2000 as a Millenium Project.

 

The following steam locomotives are operational No.3 LBSC 'Bodiam' 0-6-0T, No.11 SECR 0-6-0T, No.14 Manning Wardle 'Charwelton' 0-6-0ST, No.22 Vulcan 'Maunsell' 0-6-0T, No.23 Hunslet Austerity 'Holman F Stephens' 0-6-0ST, No.24 Hunslet Austerity 'Rolvenden' 0-6-0ST, No.30 GWR 0-6-0ST plus a number of diesel locomotives and DMUs. The collection includes 'Terrier' class engines which would have worked the line in the early years.

 

Further photographs of the Kent and East Sussex Railway can be found in the Gallery section.

 

Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway


Address: New Romney Station, New Romney, Kent TN28 8PL
Telephone: 01797 362353  Email: enquiries@rhdr.org.uk
Line Length: 13½ miles  Gauge: 15 inches
Route: Hythe to New Romney  Journey Time: 1hr 5mins
Service: Saturday & Sunday in January - March / daily from 1 April - 31 October / Sunday & Monday in November / weekends in December
Tickets: Adult £14.00, Child £7.00, Family £38.00 (2 adults and 2 children) unlimited travel on day of issue
Parking: Large car park at Hythe station CT21 6LD, parking at Dymchurch TN29 0PJ, New Romney TN28 8PL, Dungeness TN29 9NB    
Website: www.rhdr.org.uk    YouTubevideo    location map

 

Hythe Station: Refreshments, souvenir shop, refreshments, locomotive turntable. 

 

Dymchurch Station: Refreshments, Souvenirs, picnic tables.

 

New Romney Station: Refreshments, souvenir shop, engine shed, children's playground, picnic tables, model railway.

 

Dungeness Station: Refreshments, souvenir shop, picnic tables.

Count Louis Zborowski ordered two locomotives from the Colchester works of Davey Paxman. Unfortunately he was killed in a racing car accident in October 1924. A close friend, J.E.P. Howey, a wealthy landowner took over responsibility for the two engines. The idea was to have an express dual track miniature railway serving a popular tourist area with properly equipped stations and all run to a published timetable.

 

The locomotives had been designed by Henry Greenly and he was commissioned to find a suitable area for the new railway. A route was chosen from Hythe to New Romney in Kent, it was ideal with easy gradients to allow for high speed running. After some opposition the Light Railway Order was granted in May 1926.

 

Work progressed on the 8¼ mile of dual track and railway construction. Meanwhile orders were placed to Davey Paxman for five more locomotives which were delivered in time for the official opening on 16 July 1927.

 

Howey decided to extend the line to Dungeness, permission was granted on 12 July 1928. Two extra locomotives were required because of the extended line, these were built as Canadian Pacific 4-6-2's they came into service in 1931.

 

During the war the government took over the line using it to run troop trains and transport materials. One of the trains was armour plated and fitted with guns. When the railway was returned to Howey's hands there was a great deal of restoration to be done including relaying the track to Dungeness. It was decided the extension to Dungeness would be single track only.

When J.E.P. Howey died in 1963 the railway was in a run down state. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (RHDR) was purchased by two bankers in 1964, they sold it after four years to a group of twenty one local businessmen. Restoration of the track, carriages and buildings was made but this left the finances in a dire state. Attempts were made to sell the railway with no interested parties coming forward, so closure was threatened. This brought matters to a head with W.H. McAlpine of McAlpine Contractors pledging interest in the line. In 1972 the new owners took over, major expenditure was made to bring the line back to a high standard. 

 

Even though the line is a quarter size everything else is built to a one third scale. There are 11 steam locomotives which date from 1925 - 1937 they are No.1 'Green Goddess' 4-6-2, No.2 'Northern Chief' 4-6-2, No.3 'Southern Maid' 4-6-2, No.4 'The Bug' 0-4-0, No.5 'Hercules' 4-8-2, No.6 'Samson' 4-8-2, No.7 4-6-2 'Typhoon', No.8 'Hurricane' 4-6-2, No.9 'Winston Churchill' 4-6-2, No.10 'Dr. Syn' 4-6-2, No.11 'Black Prince' 4-6-2 and two diesels. The engines are capable of pulling twelve carriages at speeds up to 25mph, which is equivalent to a scale speed of 75mph.

 

A visit to the RHDR is an excellent day out for adults or children, a trip on 'The World's Smallest Public Railway' is always memorable.

 

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