Rother Valley Railway

But the best place for the viewing area, including suitable segregation from the tracks, might not be on the shed side

It might be too late to change the design but it’s never too late to ask why. Eventually this is called ‘history’

 

I thought it was called 'character'!

 

Col. Stephens certainly designed the original RVR with plenty of character, but he probably called it something else. I wonder how he would have reacted if NP had been around, questioning some of his, often rather strange, station layouts.

 

Not there's a question! Recalling he served a conventional engineering apprenticeship on the Metropolitan and was an enthusiastic 'early adopter' of any new technologies he considered cost-effective and applicable, I suspect, had he any inclination to do so, he'd be more than able to hold his own in 'robust exchanges' .... assuming the many disparate demands of his sprawling empire afforded him the time.

 

He would have most likily told them to Go on the WC&P

 

Track geometry will play a certain part in the turntables positioning. Besides which, judging by the drone views, there is only about 6ft of clearance before the turntables operation would begin to foul the loading gauge of the NR connecting spur. It could not go any further westwards, because of clearance between it and the NR boundary, so I really cannot see what the issue is here. Yes, an appreciable amount of ground will have to be "made" in order to accommodate a solid footing for the locomotive shed, but I'm certain that this will already have been worked out to the Nth degree by the RVRs consultant engineers. Let's be straight- it's obvious that these guys know exactly what they are doing.

 

Robust exchanges were certainly his forte. I'd love to read his chronicled correspondence with FR someday. The parts I've seen published are fabulous. His frustrations are almost tangible off the page.

 

Doesn't it just. Even the in respectful and circumspect age of the old authors preferred, so much of the man's dry, caustic personality surfaces.

I always wonder what sort of reaction the arrival of some clasically named loco might've produced .... the best you might expect would be from a former sailor '"Esperus? Well, it's a bleedin' wreck right enough!" and more likely " my lad's a bright one and he says the guvnor's spelled "June" wrong".

Quite what the Colonel had in mind when he ordered something as heavy as Hecate is a bit of a mystery, though you have to reckon had it survived, with today's track and train weights, it'd be a major asset and well equal to Tenterden bank.

 

Definitely a part for a young John Mills "an' that's no bloomin' error".
What would be more useful to the current KESR-
A "Northiam" replica, or "Hecate"?
No contest, really!

 

A ROTHER replica !

I always felt that the 'Norwegian' should have been named ROTHER, but the ( to me) rather uninspired name was chosen democratically, so I shouldn't complain.

 

There needs to be a separate line for a coal stage, and coaling locos, between the turntable and the running line. Or, at least, that's how it was explained to me, although the separate line seems to have disappeared on this plan!

 

Wouldn’t that be on the same line as the Network Rail connection? Doesn’t look like much room for another.

 

Simples! A fence is required 2m from the adjacent track for safety and 4m gap between it and the turntable wide enough for vehicle/loading shovel/etc access. Hope that helps. Mike

 

Thanks Mike - you are today’s “Col. Stephens”

 

Or perhaps one in the style of Jago Hazzard; "You are the Col. Stephens to my moth-eaten branch line"

 

I did say I was sure there was a reason, and just wanted to know what that reason was.

 

Just in case you missed it the RVR blog has been updated with further progress on the turntable. Link HERE. I understand that there may be an opportunity to look at the turntable if you visit SAMREX at the end of the month.

[Edited to add link to SAMREX]

 

Looking good. Is time to start speculating about the first customer coming off the big railway yet? Odd optical illusion in that RVR link. Enlarge the view and it looks for all the world as if the chap in Hi-Vis, working in the well, is doing some running repairs on the side of that bottomless pit on George Lucas' "Death Star".

 

70000 Britannia with an reopening day special working from Victoria. for invited guests and certain VIP'S only

 

Well there's a thing. No one's told me about that!!!