Spa Valley Railway - Latest News

I have ignored this line too for more or less the same reason but now interesting things are starting to happen and the February gala looks like a good time to pay a first visit!

 

I can imagine.
Still, glad to still see the line being used, albeit for preservation purposes.
Although you do wonder what would've happened if the line hadn't been preserved.

Or if it was still in use like it was in the 1950's.

 

For me things have been happening very much so since 2021! And, if all goes to plan for the February event, one of the class of locos I watched and photographed around Groombridge in April 1962 should be in operation there. Here it is recently, leaving the new Groombridge station a few weeks ago. Quite a large photo, but very low resolution to hopefully accord with what is requested here.

 

It might only be around now that some are noticing us but it'd be important to note that we have operated a fair number of locos over the years, it is above 40 locomotives since 1996 when you include the various Thomas' we've had over the years.

Steam Locomotives:

• Southern Railway Bulleid Pacific 4-6-2 No. 34072 ‘257 Sqaudron’ (In Service)
• BR Standard 4MT No. 80078 (In Service)
• Caledonian Railway Class 812 No. 828 (In Service, courtesy of the Strathspey Railway & CR828 Trust)
• Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2315 ‘Lady Ingrid' (In Service)
  
• Southern Railway Bulleid Pacific 4-6-2 No. 34053 ‘Sir Keith Park’ (Under Overhaul, expected to return to traffic in 2024)
• LMS Jinty 0-6-0 No. 47493 (Under Overhaul, expected to return to traffic in 2024)
• Hunslet 0-6-0ST No. 1589 ‘Newstead’ (Under Overhaul, expected to return to traffic in 2024)
  
• LB&SCR Terrier No. 650 ‘Sutton’ (Under Overhaul)
• RSH No. 62 'Ugly' (Static Display inside Tunbridge Wells West Engine Shed)
• Bagnall No. 2193 'Topham' (Stored)
• LNER J94 No. 68077 (Stored)
• RSH No. 57 ‘Samson’ (Stored)

Previous resident Steam Locomotives include:

• TKh No. 3135 'Spartan' - Now at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway
• TKh No. 2499 'Hotspur' - Now at the Churnet Valley Railway
• RSH No. 7846 'North Down' - Now at the Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust
• Peckett No. 1636 'Fonmon' - Now at the Ribble Steam Railway

Previous visiting Steam Locomotives include:

• GWR 64XX Pannier Tank No. 6412 – At the time, from the West Somerset Railway (1998)
• BR Standard 4MT No. 80078 – From the Swanage Railway/SLL (2004) and Steward Robinson (2017/20/23/24)
• LBSCR Terrier No. 662 'Martello' – From the Bressingham Steam Museum (2006/7)
• Aveling Porter Rail No. 9449 "The Blue Circle" – Courtesy of Private Owner (2007)
• LBSCR E4 No. 32473 'Birch Grove' – Courtesy of the Bluebell Railway (2007)
• LSWR Beattie Well Tank No. 30587 – Courtesy of the National Railway Musuem/Bodmin & Wenford Railway (2007)
• GWR 94XX Pannier Tank No. 9466 – Courtesy of Dennis Howells M.B.E. (2005/6/7)
• GWR 56XX Taffy Tank No. 6695 – Courtesy of the Swanage Railway/6695 Group (2007)
• GWR 57XX Pannier Tank No. 7715 – Courtesy of Private Owner (2008/9/10)
• SR USA Tank No. 30065 – Courtesy of the Kent & East Sussex Railway (2010)
• GWR Prairie Tank No. 5521 – Courtesy of Bill Parker (2011)
• SR M7 No. 30053 – Courtesy of the Swanage Railway (2011)
• Austerity No. 3155 'Walkden' – Courtesy of the Ribble Steam Railway (2013/14)
• Austerity No. 72 – Courtesy of Private Owner (2016/17/18)
• Hunslet No. 2705 'Beatrice' – Courtesy of John Beasley/Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway (2017/2023)
• Hunslet No. 1982 'Ring Haw' Courtesy of the North Norfolk Railway (2017/19)
• SECR P-Class No. 323 'Bluebell' – Courtesy of the Bluebell Railway (2018)
• L&Y A-Class No. 52322 – Courtesy of Andy Booth (2018)
• GWR No. 813 – Courtesy of the Severn Valley Railway/813 Fund (2018)
• GER Y14 No. 564 – Courtesy of the North Norfolk Railway (2019)
• GWR 64XX No. 6435 – Courtesy of the Bodmin & Wenford Railway (2020)
• LBSCR Terrier No. 2678 'Knowle' – Courtesy of The Terrier Trust & KESR (2021)
• L&Y No. 51456 – Courtesy of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Trust & East Lancs Railway (2021/2022)
• CR No. 419 – Courtesy of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society & Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway* (2022)
• SR Bulleid Pacific 34092 'City of Wells' – Courtesy of the East Lancs Railway (2022)
• BR Standard 4MT 75069 – Courtesy of the Severn Valley Railway (2022)
• GWR Small Prairie 5526 – Courtesy of the South Devon Railway (2023)
• SECR O1 65 – Courtesy of the Bluebell Railway (2023)
• BR Ivatt Tank 41313 – Courtesy of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway (2023)
• Hunslet Austerity No. 2890 'Douglas' Courtesy of Andy Booth (2021/22/23)
• Also, over the years a large number of 'Thomas the Tank Engine(s)' have visited the Spa Valley Railway.

*The visit of No. 419 was combined with No. 828, together the pair brought in 2,700 visitors to our railway in the space of two weekends and the end result was the biggest and most well attended enthusiasts event in our railways history. An event that will be remembered for a long time to come, The web page from this historic occasion can still be found here.

 

Thank you for the list Jonnie,

Do I remember 44422 visiting as well?

I think it may have been the first tense engine to operate, it was certainly after the Eridge extension opened (as I remember being stood in the QMB and having a 171 rocket past my left shoulder) but I can't remember what year that was.

Andrew

 

44422 - October 2012.

 

Yes, as Ben says the 4F did visit in October 2012. It ran for two weekends, it was the first tender loco to run on the line but sadly its visit didn't see the visitors we needed to cover the costs hence why for several years we trod very carefully after that.

The next tender engine was then Andy's A-Class in 2018 and the Y14 in 2019 so there was quite a gap.

 

Err @Jonnie mate I do believe you’ve also had some premier traction visit in the case of D821 and 55019?
I also believe you’ve had a lot of fun with a certain star of of ‘Goldeneye?’ (You know that piece of kit that had a bloody GM dubbed over it? )
In all seriousness you’ve also had some interesting modern traction pay a visit too would I be right in thinking a certain Class 17 has gone seriously off region and made it up to Kent?

 

For anyone interested in the diesel locos that have visited or are based at Spa Valley...

Diesel Locomotives/Units based at Spa Valley:

• Drewry No. 2591 'Southerham' (In Service)
• Thomas Hill Vanguard 189c (In service)
• BR Class 08 08922 (In Service)
• BR Class 09 No. 09026 'Cedric Wares' (Under Overhaul)
• BR Class 12 No. 15224 (Stored)
• BR Class 25 D7535 (On loan from SDDT, In Service)
• BR Class 31 31430 'Sister Dora' (In Service)
• BR Class 33/0 33063 'R. J. Mitchell' (In Service)
• BR Class 33/0 33065 'Sealion' (Under Overhaul)
• BR Class 73/1 73140 (In Service)
• BR Class 207 DEMU 1317 (DMBSO - S60142, TC - S60616, DTSO - S60916) (In Service as a 2-car unit)
• BR Class 421 3CIG 1497 (In Service)

Previous resident Diesel Locomotives include:

• Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 No. 376 'Princess Margaret' – Now at Tyseley Loco Works
• Class 09 09004 – Now back in mainline use
• Class 37 37254 – Now back in mainline use with Colas
• BR Class 10 D3489 'Colonel Tomline' – Now owned by the Helston Railway

Previous visiting Diesel Locomotives include:

• Class 14 D9537 – Courtesy of the East Lancs Railway (2016/17)
• Class 14 D9539 – Courtesy of the Ribble Steam Railway (2015)
• Class 17 D8568 – Courtesy of the Diesel Traction Group/Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway (2018)
• Class 20 20059 – Courtesy of the Somerset & Dorset Loco Co. Ltd. (2017)
• Class 20 20098 – Courtesy of the T1LC and Great Central Railway (2015)
• Class 20 20110 – Courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction (2010)
• Class 20 20118 – Courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction (2006)
• Class 20 D8188 – Courtesy of the Somerset & Dorset Loco Co. Ltd. (2020/21)
• Class 24 D5054 – Courtesy of the East Lancs Railway (2022)
• Class 25 D5185 – Courtesy of the Northamptonshire Type 2 Group & Great Central Railway (2016)
• Class 25 D7612 – Courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction (2007/15/18/22/23)
• Class 26 26010 – Courtesy of the Llangollen Railway (2016)
• Class 26 26038 'Tom Clift' – Courtesy of the 6LDA Group and Bo'ness & Kinneill Railway (2014)
• Class 27 27001 – Courtesy of the 27001 Loco Group and Bo'ness & Kinneill Railway (2019)
• Class 31 31101 – Courtesy of the Suburban Preservation Group and Avon Valley Railway (2017)
• Class 31 31206 – Courtesy of Private Owner (2013/14)
• Class 31 31289 – Courtesy of Private Owner (2017/18)
• Class 33/0 33002 'Sea King' – Courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction (2021)
• Class 33/2 33201 – Courtesy of Private Owner (2017/18/19)
• Class 33/2 33202 – Courtesy of Stewart Robinson (2014/15/16)
• Class 42 D821 'Greyhound' – Courtesy of the Diesel Traction Group and Severn Valley Railway (2019)
• Class 50 50026 'Indomitable' – Courtesy of Paul Spracklen (2017)
• Class 55 55019 'Royal Highland Fusilier' – Courtesy of the Deltic Preservation Society (2018)
• Class 73/1 73136 – Courtesy of GBRf (2017)
• Class 73/1 73141 'Spa Valley Railway 25 Year Anniversary' – Courtesy of GBRf (2022)
• Class 205 DEMU 1133 – Courtesy of the Lavender Line (2015)

 

Matt I bet you only asked as you knew there would not be a 47 on that list

 

In all seriousness, I genuinely had no idea that one hadn’t visited yet, I just hope we haven’t given @Jonnie and his team any ideas!
Wasn’t 50019 based at the Spa Valley at one point too? Or do we not talk about that one? Have a feeling the Class 12 shunter was there for bit too?

 

It's a great list of diesels, and contrary to a few posters saying they'd ignored the Spa Valley because it was all top and tailed steam/diesel (not quite accurate - I think that was only ever the first and last trains of the day then they alternated with swaps at Eridge), it's been the chance to get both types of classic traction in during the day that has made me make as many visits as I have to the Spa Valley. The Feb gala will be my first ever no-diesel visit there (and I wouldn't object if the 31 popped out as a thunderbird).

The August 2018 running with 52322 and the Clayton alternating on one set and a Deltic and 33 top and tailing the EMU on the other duty was my favourite trip there (what a mad variety of traction in sussex), and the following year having a Warship and a 27 there for the summer was one of the things I'm saddest I've missed in preservation since being back into the hobby.

It's always come across as a great little line with a really inspiring mix of ambition and pragmatism, which always comes through in Jonnie's hugely appreciated posts.

The mix of candour, practicality and enthusiasm in what Jonnie posts on here and WNXX always makes for fascinating reading and is a great example of a representative of a heritage railway being a real credit to their line when communicating with enthusiasts. (He's not the only one of course, I love reading jamessquared's Bluebell posts for similar reasons)

 

These posts have reminded me how much I enjoyed the "Double Thumper" event. Spa Valley being such l a long way from home means I don't visit often, but it was so rare to see a thumper moved to meet another one that I was drawn down for that gala!

On a tangent - a note to those who complain about galas clashing or visitors not being to their taste - fans of heritage multiple units consider it lucky for just one unit to visit one line somewhere in the UK in any given year! Shows what a niche that section of the movement is I guess...

Anyway, the 205 and 207 combo was a real treat, I will be back to Spa when the unique centre car is completed, if not before.

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk

 

Yes, a whole host of excellent posts from Jonnie. Very helpful indeed for someone like me with my very narow focus on SR steam and BR standard classes that did, or could possibly have worked on the Spa Valley Railway, hence my interest in 78019; but please don't ask what service one of that class would have operated on. Well, don't ask yet, after February I should be able to give you chapter and verse on that!

And Jonnie, only if you get time amongst all you do for the SPA, any idea please, which steam loco will be out over the weekend, especially on Sunday. I've got rather fond of standing on the lineside under an umbrella in pouring rain. . . .

And yes, James to the power of 2 also does a great job for the Bluebell here on Nat Pres. He just needs a tiny bit more persuading to get all the Bluebell locos to only ever operate with BR SR numbering and livery, ie as they did in the 1960s. . . .OK, I'll get my coat . . .LOL!

 

80078 is running today, Saturday and Sunday.

 

Livery is well above my pay grade

Tom

 

First train in the morning and last thing maybe, but during the day loco swaps at Eridge occur.

 

On all locomotive based operating days to Eridge (e.g., the Green timetable) the first train is top and tailed or double headed from Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge.

If it's double headed the train stop at the points at Erigde, the leading loco uncouples and goes into Platform 3 and the train then arrives into Platform 2. Locos then swap throughout the day at Eridge and run round at Tunbridge Wells West, we try to avoid top and tailing when possible.

 

Many thanks for that.

 

Looks like you'll be self sufficient soon!