The COLONEL STEPHENS SOCIETY
For enthusiasts of the railways of Colonel Holman F Stephens
● Quarterly Magazine
● Annual visits
● Donations Programme
● Low subscriptions
● Drawings service
For details: write with A5 SAE to:Sheena Baylis, 10 Cedar Court, Farrand Road, Hedon, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU12 8XL. Email: css@thetrackside.karoo.co.uk www.colonelstephenssociety.co.uk
People
I’msorrytohavetoreportthatPeterCoombs,RVRSAmemberno4,diedrecentlyafter severalyearsofpoorhealth.ManywillrememberhimrunningtheCollectors’Coachin what later became our mess van, originally at Tenterden and then coming with it to Robertsbridgeintheearly1990s,joiningtheRVRSAassoonasitwas formed.Hewas chairmanandmembershipsecretaryforanumberofyears.Hecouldalsobefoundgiving acheerywelcometoeverybodyatourannualmodelrailwayshow,untilheeventually moved to Derbyshire and we saw much less of him. He was also well known for his involvementinamateurdramatics.Wesentourcondolencestothefamily.
WeofferourcongratulationstomemberPhilipLanewhofeaturedonthisyear’sChannel 4 TV series The Piano. Not only did he make it through to the final, but his railwaythemed boogie featured large. In the show, amateur musicians are invited to publicly performonstreetpianosintheconcoursesofmajorUKrailwaystations.InPhil’scase thestationwasBrighton(series2,episode2)andthefinaltookplaceinaconcerthall. TheshowscanbeseenonFreeviewintheC4catch-upservice.
K&ESR’sHelenDouglashasjoinedtheteamatRobertsbridgeJunction.Youcanfindout moreonpage9.
TomBrowning–doyouknowthisgentleman?Ifsopleaseaskhimtogetintouchwith meregardingmembership.
Progress
on the ‘missing middle’,
by Alasdair Stewart
Work has been progressing, largely out of sight, along the track bed in a westerly directionfromAusten’sBridgetowardsSalehurstsincelateFebruary.Thissectionofthe routehasbeeninaccessibleformanyyearsandduringtheperiodofclosure,treeshad grownalongmuchofthislength,makingsurveyingandsettingoutdifficult.Surveying hasbeenrequiredtodeterminethewidth,andthelevel,oftheremainingembankment, such as it is (it is rarely elevated more than about 600mm above the level of the surroundingfields). Bytakingreadingsofthelevelalongtheoldsolum(soiletclayers), measurements of position are taken using GPS equipment which requires a clear, unobstructedviewofthesky.BelowisarecentvieweastatBridge15(TEDS)showinga temporarybridgealongsidetheremainsoftheold.
Settingoutoffencepositionshasfollowedtheinitialclearanceandnewfencinghas beeninstalledwheretherewasnoremainingstock-proofbarrier.
InthesecondweekofJuneattentionturnedtothesectionoftrackbednearthesiteof theformerhaltatSalehurst.Beforeanymachinerycouldenterthesection,surveyswere carriedoutfornestingbirds,greatcrestednewtsandanysignsofoccupationofpotential roostsintreesforbats.Nonehavebeenfoundtodate,althoughacoupleofmarshfrogs havebeenseen.Theseareanon-nativespeciesthatoriginatedinCentralEurope.
PlayfootEngineeringatUdiamhavebeenworkingonthetwosteelspansforBridge24 andtheyarenowreadyforinstallation.Wehavealittlebitofworktodoontheconcrete abutmentsandcentralpierbeforetheycanbecranedintopositionfromthetemporary accessroadcreatedalongside. Thefinallocationofthebeamswillbedeterminedbythe
horizontal alignment design,whichiscurrentlyunderway.Interestingly,thetrackwas alwaysslightlycurvedoverbothBridge24 andAusten’sBridgeandthepositioningof thebaseplatesoverBridge24willhavetobedoneverycarefullyindeed.Thetrackwill be directly fixed to the steel spans on that structure, which was built as a flood relief bridgethat crossesa dry stream bed for most of the year.The new bridgehasdeeper section beams thanthe original andwewill excavatethe level underneath toincrease theverticalclearancetofacilitatefutureaccessforinspectionandmaintenance.
TheTransportandWorksActOrderauthorisedRotherValleyRailwaytoconstructlevel crossings over the public highway. As we go to press associated bespoke agreements havebeenconcludedwithEastSussexCountyCouncilforJunctionRoadandNorthbridge Streetlevelcrossings.ThoseagreementscommitRVRtoensuringtheworksundertaken aretotheagreeddesigns,alongwithassociatedroadsignage.IncollaborationwithESCC theschemeatJunctionRoadalsoincludesanewroadtrafficspeedrestrictionof40mph for some distance either side of the crossing to help improve general road safety throughoutthatareawheretheroadnarrowsacrossvariousbridges.
Important: the above locations are live construction sites on private property and no unauthorised access is permitted at any time.
Therooftimbersofthenewstationbuildingtakeshape(SG)
ThedoublespanBridge24(AS)
The new spans were originally built for use on the North Wales Coast (Chester to Holyhead)lineduringthebuildingoftheA55‘Expressway’inthe1980s.Acquiredbythe Bluebell railway for use on their extension, two were left over and surplus to that railway’srequirements.We’vehadtohavebothofthemextendedslightlytofitontothe originalK&ESRsubstructure.
At Robertsbridge, the station building construction is continuing apace. Roof trusses werecranedinduringAprilandacomplicatedlattice-workoftimberaddedduringMay. RoofcladdingmaterialsweredeliveredinearlyJune,andarenowinplace.Thecanopies on the platform side of the building and on the opposite (west) side above the main entrancearebothwellonthewaytocompletion.Thesecanopiesmatchthetraditional ‘Colonel Stephens’ appearance of other stations along the line to Tenterden to ensure
thatthereisaconsistentlooktotheentirerailwayuponconnectionandthroughrunning. Thesecanopiesalsoinvolvesomecomplicatedcarpentry.Completionofthebasicroofed shellisexpectedthissummer.
At the northern end of the RBJ site, beside and beyond the turntable, Network Rail contractorsbeginworkthissummerontheembankmentthatsupportstheirsidingon thedownsideofthemainHastings–Tonbridgeline.Thisworkwillallowthecurrently truncatedheadshunttobereopenednorthwardsenablinglongertrainstobebrought fromthenationalnetworkontoRVRmetals.Thisareawillbefencedoffforafewweeks.
Rooftrussesweredeliveredready-made,andcranedin,beforethegableendswere addedtothenewbuilding–seeviewfromthemainlinestationfootbridgeinApril above.Contrastwiththesamescenebelowon18June,withroofpanelsappearing.Also below,anendviewofthecanopystructuretakingshape.(SG)
Ed:HelenDouglasfromK&ESRhasjoinedtheprojectteamatRobertsbridgeJunctionat theinvitationoftheRVRHeritageTrust,intheroleoffundraiserforthenewbuildings atRobertsbridge. Shewritesasfollows:
Who am I?
I am the former Sales & Marketing Manager from K&ESR and remain a member and volunteer.MyparentsmetasyoungvolunteersatK&ESRandIgrewupattherailway, meeting my own husband there whilst volunteering. We are now raising the next generationofrailwayvolunteers!IwillbeworkingforRVR,initiallyonedayperweek, alongside colleagues, to help achieve fundraising goals for the various facilities at RobertsbridgeJunction.
What fundraising goals have been set?
TodatesignificantsumshavebeeninvestedintheRVRprojectbyprivatedonors.Since the granting of the Transport and Works Act Order in 2023 much progress has been made.Now,weneedtoensurethatfacilitiesatRobertsbridgecansupporttrainservices. Aswellasfittingoutthenewbookinghall,weneedtobuildthelocomotiveandcarriage sheds,andtodothisweneedtoraise£907,000!
Wearecreatingacampaigntodemonstratetheprogressthathasbeenmadetodateand seekassistancetodeliverthenextstagesoftheproject.Wewillbereachingout,bothto existing supporters and members and the wider world, to help us achieve this goal. Furtherdetailsforthecampaignwillbeissuedshortly.
I’llbevolunteeringalongsideyourRVRSAteamattheRobertsbridge800villageevent on Saturday21st June to help with theRVR andK&ESR’s joint stand so Ihopeto meet someofyouthere!
In the meantime, if you want to help right now justclickonthelinkbelow: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/27493#!/DonationDetails
ThisisadonationspagecreatedbytheTrustees.Giftaidmayapply.
You can also donate by sending a cheque made payable to the Rother Valley Railway HeritageTrustatthestationaddressshownonpage2.Pleasemarktheenvelope‘appeal’.
RVRSA and K&ESR working together, by Bob Evans
With the unbelievably complex and long-winded legalities more or less behind us, we can now fit a time frame to the actual physical work needed to complete the task of
buildingourlinetoBodiam.Theambitionistoruntesttrainstowardstheendof2027 withthefirstpassengertrainatthestartofthe2028season–whataneventthatwillbe! AsyouwillseefromAlasdair’supdatebelow,‘themissingmiddle’isgettingunderway inearnest.
The management teams of RVR and K&ESR have worked together over the years to ensurethatthenewlinewillbeoperationallyappropriateforaworkabletimetableover the13milesoftrackbetweenTenterdenandRobertsbridge. Whatwe’vebeendoingat supporter level is getting a lot closer to K&ESR with a series of joint initiatives, so far involving our regular site volunteers in preparation for join-up. Anyone working at RobertsbridgeJunctionafterjoin-upwillneedtobeK&ESRmembers.
Firstlyandmostimportantly,weregularsitevolunteershaveallattendedtheBasicRail Safety module at Rolvenden Station, since everyone who may need to go trackside is required to be suitably trained. To enable this training to happen we were made honorary members of K&ESR (if we weren’t already full members). We all passed the assessmentat theendoftheday, andeagerly await receiptofourHOPS1 cards,which will need to be carried at all times when working on the railway. We will all then be officiallycompetentvolunteersofbothK&ESRandtheRVR.OurthanksgotoK&ESRfor kindlyorganisingallofthis.
Secondly,it'senvisagedthatwe’llseethecreationofastationgroup,asalreadyexistat Tenterden,NorthiamandBodiamstations.Workingalongsideoperationalpeoplesuch as platform staff, station masters etc, this moreinformal group of volunteerswill help maintaintheinfrastructureoftheirstations,andotherassetsonthesite,withfundingby K&ESRandusuallyworkingaminimumof1dayperweek.
A large group of our volunteers visitedTenterden and Rolvenden stations recently, to meetthestationgroupthere,andfindoutmoreaboutthewaythegroupoperates.Ialso spentagreatdaywiththegroupsatNorthiamandBodiam.
Thirdly,therehavebeenseveralconversationswithK&ESRaboutjointpromotionofthe rejoined railway - for example at the Robertsbridge 800 event we shared a tent with K&ESR. Organising that was a joint effort. We can expect a joint presence on other occasions,andwe’llbedoingwhatwecantohelpwiththefundraisingdrivedescribed byHelenDouglasabove,incloseconsultation.
AlsoontheagendaofcourseisthefutureoftheRVRSAitself.Wearechewingoversome issuesinternallyandwithK&ESRinordertocomeupwithaworkablesetofproposals.
Finally,weshouldsoonbeworkingwiththeK&ESRpermanentwayteamtoinstallpoint levers, and undertake maintenance on the RVR trackwork at Robertsbridge. We don’t havemuchexperienceoftrackworkingthesedayssoitshouldbeinteresting!
1 HOPS is the safety management and compliance system used by K&ESR and many other heritage railways, to communicate with volunteers and other staff, organise rotas etc and record their competencies.
WeareverymuchenjoyingworkingwiththeK&ESRorganisationandlookforwardto the exciting day when – as one railway again - passenger trains set out from Robertsbridgeforthe13-milejourneytoTenterden.
SAMREX
Ourannualshowwentwell,aidedasusualbyateamofRVRSAvolunteersonbothdays andquitealotofpreparation.WewereespeciallygratefultomemberAlanBoneforonce againorganisingthecontentoftheshowandroundinguplayoutsandtraders.Thisyear we were lucky enough to have Mark Justice’s G-scale railway on the platform, which visitorswereabletooperatethemselvesusingahand-heldcontroller.Wealsoopened upthemessvan’sservinghatch tosellrefreshments,makingsomeuseful fundsinthe process. VolunteersalsogaveguidedtoursoftheRobertsbridgesite-somethingweall enjoydoing.WewerealsojoinedontheplatformbytheRobertsbridgeAviationSociety whobroughtalonganinterestingcollectionfromtheirmuseum.
Twoofthemanyhigh-qualitylayoutsatSAMREX.(JE)
MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION
RVRSA Model Railway Exhibition 24/25 May 2025
24th/25th MAY 2025
Income and Expenditure Account
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
DavidFelton
Another shunt
In late May a bit of a shunt-around took place at RBJ. This was intended to bring the bogie-bolsterwagonuptotheloadingpadareajustnorthoftheplatform,sothatitsstack of flat-bottom rails could be unloaded onto a lorry. We also wanted the three-plank wagon to be placed between D2112 and the SR brake van, to form a small train to be displayed on the embankment alongside the Robertsbridge 800 celebrations. It wasdecided to place Titan and Dougal in the platform to provide a bit more visitor interest instead of their charms being largely hidden on the run-round line. Gaps left between vehicles allow work to be done on the ends using towers. Stock may be repositionedfurtheroncethebuilders’scaffoldingontheplatformhasbeenremoved.
Membership Matters
Our membership secretary Paul Simpson was taken seriously ill in March. He’s now recoveringathomeafteralongspellinhospital. Wesendourbestwishes.
Please renew if you haven’t already done so, as we are now well into the new membershipyear.
Areminderletterisenclosedforlate-payers.Thisisthelast Phoenix theywillreceiveas theywillbedeemedtohavelefttheAssociationif,bytheAutumnissue,theyhavestill notpaidtheirsubscriptionfor2025-26.
We currently have 293 paying members. This number may reduce if not all renew by October.
Finally, mythanksagainforthemanydonationswhichmembershavemadethisyear whenrenewingtheirsubscriptions.Theseareverymuchappreciatedandhelpusinturn donatemoretotherailway,notablythevariousrunningcostsatRBJ.
Come and visit
RVR’s Robertsbridge Junction site and shop welcome visitors every Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
The mainline carpark always has plenty of room and costs £4.00 all day on Sundays. Blue badge holders park free of charge in any bay.
Bus: route 1066 runs hourly from Hastings to Tunbridge Wells (every two hours on Sundays).
Train: hourly between Hastings and London, but check for engineering works as these are frequent. We can accommodate visitors’ bicycles but not cars (unless agreed).
Whoknew?
Ransomes,themakersoftheRVRturntable,alsomadethemechanismfor the(longclosed)revolvingrestaurantinLondon’sBTTower.
Book corner, by Dana Wiffen of the CSS
BobBunyar,avolunteerwiththeSwanageRailway,may havehadhisinterestinthesubjectofhisnewbooksparked bytheline’smilitarylinksduringbothwars.Therearen’t manybooksaboutaboutmilitarybranchlinesandthisone offersauniqueinsightintoaselectionoflinesintheSouth West Andalthoughphotographywashardlyencouraged, theauthorhasmanagedtosourceasuperbcross-sectionof photos–evenimagesofWW1Germanprisonersworking onthebuildingoftheBovingtonbranchline.
Forrailwayenthusiaststhereareplentyofphotosof sidings,carriagesandlocomotives,informationonwhen lineswerebuiltandwhentheyclosed Ifyoulikebranch linesyouwillreallyenjoythisbook: itisaneasyreadonan interestingsubject.
£11.99
WyldthymePublications
ThisA4sizebookcoversthehistoryoftheSECR’sline betweenMaidstoneEastandAshford.Itcentresonthe pivotalstationofCharing,whichhasnotchangedmuchover theline’ s140years.
Theroutesawsomechangeswiththebuildingofthehigh speedChannelTunnelRaillink(CRTRL.akaHS1).Arailway workscentrewascreatedatBeechbrookFarm,whilenearby PluckleyBridgewasrebuiltin1992toallowthelargerChannel Tunnelfreighttrainstopass.
Otherwisethebusylinehasremainedlargelyintactand enjoysservicestobothVictoriaandCharingCross.Onlytwo stationshavebeenclosed,oneofthembackin1919.
Unusuallyperhapsthe34-pagebookhasbeenputtogether byalocalhistorysociety.ProceedsgototheAshfordModel RailwayMuseum.
£7.00 Charing&DistrictLocalHistorySociety
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY (Pse check event ads before attending)
Collectors fairs
Bromley High Sch, Blackbrook Lane, BR1 2TW: 20 July , 17 Aug, 28 Sept, 26 Oct, 16 Nov 9.45am to 1.15pm - KRJ
Rayleigh, Essex - Sweyne Park School, Sir Walter Raleigh Drive, SS6 9BZ: 6 July, 3 Aug, 14 Sept, 12 Oct 9.45am to 1.15pm – KRJ
Charity Toy and Train Fair, Falconwood Community Centre, The Green, Welling DA16 2PG: Thursday 28 August 5pm to 9.30pm in aid of Bexley charities – Alan Bone
Maidstone Vintage Toyfair, Lockmeadow Market Hall, Baker Rd, Maidstone, ME16 8LW: 4 Oct 9am to 2.30 pm - MVT
Worthing Toy and Comic Fair, Durrington Community Centre, 2 Romany Rd, BN13 3DW
9.45am to 1.15pm (Monster Toy Fairs)
Model railway shows
Pevensey Bay MRC show, Victoria Baptist Church, Eldon Road, Eastbourne, BN21 1UE: 5 July 10am to 4pm (Pevensey Bay MRC)
Chatham Show, Historic Chatham Dockyard, Slip 5 car park, Main Gate Road, ME4 4TZ: 19-20 July 10am to 5pm (4pm Sunday) (Chatham MRS)
Bexhill Model Railway Show, St Richards Catholic College, Ashdown Road, Bexhill TN40 1SE: 9 Aug 10am to 5pm (Bexhill MRC)
Tenterden Model Railway Exhibition, Tenterden Town Stn, TN30 6HE: 31 August 10.40 to 4pm (K&ESR)
Erith Model Railway Soc Harris Garrard Academy, Thamesmead DA18 4DW: 24 & 26 Jan 2026 10am to 5pm (closes 4pm Sunday) (EMRS)
Arecenteditionof The Colonel –issue158–includesafascinatingarticleby BrianJanesconcerningtheoriginsoftheoriginalRVRfacilitiesat Robertsbridge.Nottobemissed!
Site volunteer activity at RBJ
Paul Hayes writes:
We’ve progressed steadily on the various vehicle engineering projects under way at RobertsbridgeJunction.Workisstillneededontherearlightsofthe03andtheheaters willneedtestingatalaterdate.HavingfinishedpaintingtheupperpartsofthelocoAlan and Terry have been working on its frames and wheels. The buffer beams are resplendent in redgloss. The buffers of the brakevan arenow ashiny black.Johnhas been refreshing the van sides with an additional layer of brown paint, and Simon has beenfollowingupwithalarge‘SR’inwhite,usingasetofstencils.
WorkhasstartedontheeastsideoftheBYvan,whichnowadayshousestheshop.The frontorwestsidehasalwaysbeengivenpriorityovertheeast,becauseitistheaspect mostexposedtoinclementweather.Itisalsothesidethatisvisibletothepublic.Asa result,theothersidehasnotreceivedsomuchattention Rotispresentinthebottomrail of the van body towards the Hastings end. Dave Liggett and Andrew have made great progressinremovingoldflakingpaintfromthebodyplanking,andinapplyingcoatsof primerandgreyundercoat.Onemissingplankhasbeenreplaced.However,thetwosets ofdoubledoorsaresagging,donotcloseproperly,andneedtoberebuilt.Whilewecould renew thedoorplanking, theskilled joinery onthe frameswill needtobedone inthe Carriage and Wagon works at Tenterden. All four doors will therefore have to be
removedandtheresultantgapstemporarilycoveredwithplywood.Asthehingeshave longagoseizedup,worktoderustthemhasstarted,involvingtheuseofwedges,copious amountsofWD40,andlubricatingoil.Thenwewillneedtounbolttheheavydoorsfrom theirhingesinasafewayandgetthemtotracklevelreadyfortransportingtoTenterden. Meanwhile,DavehasstartedworkonthesouthernendoftheBY.
ImentionedinthelastissuethatRVRLtdhadaskedustoassesstheirtwo0-4-0diesel locomotives Titan and Dougal. After various attempts to start both engines, we discoveredalotmoreabouttheircondition, andattemptedvariousrepairsandservicing ofproblematicitemslikeinjectorpumpsandoilpumps. Simonsubmittedareportfor consideration,and aninitial response hasbeengivenbyRVRLtdchairmanMikeHart. Unfortunatelythenewsisn’tlookinggoodintermsofthenatureandscaleofthework needed,letalonethecost.ThetwoGardnerenginesintheselocosareveryworn,andthe locos’mechanicsgenerallyareinverypoorshape.Wearerespondingtothis,andthere shouldbeanoutcomebythetimeofthenextissue.
Steve Griffiths writes
A panel of volunteers led by Trust chairman Gardner Crawley continue with weekly inspections of the various work sites along the railway, looking at security, safety, scafftags,signsofantisocialbehaviourandgenerallykeepinganeyeopen.
Our ever-eager gardeners trimmed the 100-yard hedge alongside the platform, which they plan to extend a few more yards southwards in the autumn after digging out a plantingtrenchalongsidethenewpedestrianaccessrampleadingdownfromthenew stationbuilding.Ahosehasbeenriggeduptomakewateringthemainflowerbedeasier, butahosepipebanlooksinevitable,meaningwewillneedtotrolleythewateralongand dospot wateringinstead. Moreplantshavebeenaddedbytheheadgardener,mostly fromhome.We’vebeengettingsomeencouraginglypositivecommentsasthemainbed hasbeenatitsbest.Someunwanted/diseaseditemsstillneeddiggingout. Andrewand Doughavekindlymowedthegrass,sparingtheattractivelargedaisiesandotherpollen-
Awedgehelpsreleaserustedhinges(SG)
TheseizednorthreardoorstotheBY(SG)
laden wildflowers to help out the pollinators in the crucial busy-bee weeks. We’ll do morereseedingintheautumn.
WorkisunderwaybyBobEvanstosortoutthewoodtent,whichrequiresbuildinganew racktostorewoodinanorderly,accessiblefashion.Webelievewehavevitalbitsofwood somewhereburiedinthetent! Thenewrackmakescleveruseoftheobsoletescaffold towerandthisiscostingnexttonothing.
SimonAllenandPeterPopeinvestigateDougal’soilpumpproblemsaspartoftheirassessmentofthe twovintageDrewry0-4-0shuntersownedbyRVRLtd.(seepage18).
Robertsbridge 800
VolunteershadagreatdayalongsideK&ESRcolleaguesatthevillagerecreationground, publicisingthecomingofthejoined-uprailway.WithourRVRtrainontheembankment aboveus,wecollectedquiteafew‘expressionsofinterest’fromthepublicthatwillnow befollowedup.Thankstoallwhocamealongtohelp.(photo:K&ESR)
Milestones in the development of Britain’s railways, part 3
This has been adapted from the HRA’s timeline marking 200 years of the railway network.
1852– The east coast route sees trainsrunning from London to Scotland via York and Newcastle into Edinburgh, competing with the west coast services from London to GlasgowviaCarlislewhichstartedin1848.
1863–Theworld’sfirstsub-surfacepassengerrailwayopensbetweenPaddingtonand FarringdoninLondon:TheMetropolitanRailway.
1864–TheMetropolitanDistrictRailwaysAct of1864usesthesub-surfaceconceptto createacircularrouteservingallthethenexistingmainlineLondonterminiinorthofthe Thames. Ittakesuntil1884fortheDistricttojointotheMetropolitanatAldgate.
1874– The first Pullman carriages, imported from America, are introduced to Britain. TheyrunontheMidlandRailwaybetweenLondonStPancrasandBradford.
1879– The first dining car in Britain is introduced by the Great Northern Railway on trainsfromLondonKingsCrosstoLeeds.
1883– The first electric railway in Britain is opened: the Volks Electric Railway in Brightonwhichisstillinoperationtoday.
1890–Thefirst‘tube’lineopens,thedeep-levelCityandSouthLondonRailway,running electric loco-hauled trains from King William Street to Stockwell though originally plannedtobecable-hauled.
1902– The Underground Electric Railways Company is formed to develop three deep tubesystems,theoriginsoftheorganisationlaterknownas‘TheUnderground’.
1904–The first suburban electric railway service outside London begins between Newcastle and Benton on the North Eastern Railway on 29 March. Just days later the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway begins its electric services between Liverpool and Southport.
1904– OntheGreatWesternRailway, City of Truro becomesthefirst locomotivetobe timed(bystopwatch)atover100mph.
1914– It is estimated that no village in England is more than 20 miles away from a railwaystation.Aswarisdeclared,atthestrokeofmidnightonAugust4,Britain’s130 independentrailwaycompaniesaretakenunderstatecontrolforthefirsttime.
1914– In an effort to replace men fighting on the Continent, the first large-scale recruitmentofwomentofront-linerailwayworktakesplace.Bytheendofthewarsome 68,000womenareemployedonBritain’srailways.
1923– The Grouping takes effect, under the Railways Act 1921. This Government measuremerges120individualrailwaycompanies,manyofthemloss-making,intothe BigFour-theSouthern,GreatWestern,LMSandLNERcompanies.
1928– The first non-stop run from London to Scotland is accomplished. A train to Glasgow and another to Edinburgh, complete the feat on the same April night. The LondonMidlandandScottishRailwayarrangetherunsasaspoilerwhentheLondonand NorthEasternRailwayannouncetheirplansfornon-stoprunstobeginonMay1.
Canopyextensionoutsidethebookinghall,door andwindowframesinside, mid-June(SG)
TheplatforminfullJunebloom
Below:carefullypreppingadoor
Thisyellowingclipping(opposite)fromalocalpaperin1964cametolightintheeditor’s dungeon.Much-lovedTerrier32670isseenhereinthebayplatformatRobertsbridge. Incidentallythearticlehasgotonethingslightlywronginthatthislocomotivewouldnot havebeentakingpassengersbetweenLondonandBrightoninthe1870s Itsdutieswere rathermoremodest,operatingLondon’sLBSCRcommuterlineswhichincludedtheEast LondonLine.ItbecameK&ESRlocoNo.3 Bodiam in1903whenpurchasedsecondhand by Col. Stephens. It was however built in Brighton, so there was a connection in that sense. Interestingly, the preservationists seemed confident of reopening the line to paying passengers within a year or so. Of course it took a bit longer, with K&ESR launchingitsfirstofficialservicein1974,overasomewhattruncatedroute.
Above:
(SG)
Bodiam handover
WELCOME TO RVR’s SHOP
RAILWAY BOOKSHOP
Wideselectionof pre-lovedrailway books,
Above: Buff up your RVR knowledge with this fascinating softback book bymemberDavidPennon the original project in the late 1890s, focussing on the little-known tale of who backed it and why. £8.65 + p&p
We’relocatedontheplatformatRobertsbridgeJunctionStation OpeningtimesareSundays,10am–4pm
Tel01580881833forallenquiries,or emailreception@rvr.org.uk.
Ouraddressisshownonpage2 Wenolongeracceptorsellmagazines
Wenolongeracceptitemsforsaleoncommission Donateditemsareverywelcome(butnotmagazinesplease).
Wecanmail-orderitemsadvertisedhere–justcontactuswithyour addressandrequirementsandaninvoicewillbesenttoyou
RVRSAfourA4sizebooklets:
Reconnecting Robertsbridge -the RVR project,24pages,£5
The Robertsbridge Turntable project detail,24pages,£5
The 2024 RVR – K&ESR gala at RBJ in photos,4pages,£1
Rother Valley Railway 125th outlines historyplustoday’sproject,20pages,£5. special offer: allfourat£11, whilestockslast.
member discount. P&P is extra
Vast stock of s/h railway booksasalways,organised by subject. Plus DVDs., jigsaws,RVRpens, stickers and fridge magnets, and original cast iron rail chairs, painted or unpainted.
Tea and coffee while you browse!
Above: lots of 00-gauge items including points & accessories.
Left: lotsof1950sHornby tinplate O-gauge wagons andsimilaritems
We have a rare unmade KitmasterBeyer-Garrett.
Just in – a Hornby-Dublo breakdown crane (no jacks).
