The Remembrance Line- The campaign to save the Folkestone Harbour Branch

What happens to "Antwerp" now that the organisation to which it was - IMO precipitately - loaned is effectively defunct as a heritage movement? Will it be returned to the NCMM, or end up on a nearby line such as the KESR?

 

What is "Antwerp?" have I missed something? Did they secure a vehicle of sort?

 

Antwerp is an Austerity, one of the last to be overhauled by the NCB and still owned by the National Coal Mining Museum. It ran on the NYMR for a while. A few years ago it was adopted by the group at Sellindge for overhaul and use on the RL. Don't know the current status. They were planning to retain the GPCS firing and exhaust, which would fill a significant gap in industrial/Austerity preservation.

 

I honestly don't think we've got the capacity to take it at the minute. Our works is working flat out, with more engines waiting. It might actually be more appropriate if it went to the East Kent Railway, a line that ran to a colliery.

 

I a can vouch for the works being Flat out, plus there is the running fleet to maintain .
but as ever its i would say manpower, its only a small team doing the work at Rolvendon , any extra hands would be more than welcome, ( i have just spent 2 days needlegunning the USA'S bunker) the more people than can get involved with their local railway the better .

 

Anyone have any up to date information about the above? I can't place it or visualise it myself.

 

Just come across these on Flickr, progress so far looks promising - Folkestone Viaduct & Station


Untitled by ACME, on Flickr


Untitled by ACME, on Flickr


Untitled by ACME, on Flickr


Untitled by ACME, on Flickr


Untitled by ACME, on Flickr


Untitled by ACME, on Flickr

 

Good to see the structures under restoration. The signal box would make a nice café, with pics of the olden days on the walls. Better than demolition but, not as good as the 3rd rail heritage line it should have been, if the heritage EMU sector wasn't so fragmented. The only place where preserved EMU's could have run.

 

Things seem to have moved on in a very efficient manner. It does seem to be well designed and more to the point still manages to portray a fair amount of what was once the original purpose of the place. It is pleasing to see some original structures maintained and much trackwork visible. As for the 'remembrance' aspect I think the fact that luxury apartments and shops were not built on the station site does allow for some form memorial to exist. A good many people will enjoy (when the weather is tolerable) the place when it is finished and it certainly must enhance the town.
One thought, seeing the tracks in the walkways, reminded me that pedestrians and third rail electric railways do not mix.

 

...the health and safety implications didn't mean that a third rail electrified preserved railway has been completely out of the question from the year dot and, for the same reasons, will always be completely out of the question, no matter how much a minority of enthusiasts indulges in dreaming, wishing and WIBN.

 

Oh well back to the gas producer R1 new builds then may need to fit them with road wheels though

 

In the case of the Bluebell's Ardingly branch ambitions, which might just come to fruition sometime, I wondered if the solution might be vintage EMU + dummy 3rd rail + battery power conversion (not claiming any technical knowledge as to how expensive/practical this would be for a fairly short, flat branch). Anyhow, apologies for going offtopic.

 

Why would a preserved 3rd rail line be treated differently from the 3rd rail network, from a H&S viewpoint?

 

It wouldn't. But the likely obligations - just see recent issues of Modern Railways about overhead electrification and ORR's approach to standards - mean that extension of top contact 3rd rail is highly unlikely, and the likely demands would be even more relatively onerous on a preserved railway than on the national network.

 

Oddly enough Havenstreet Museum has just been donated an example of the device used for shorting out third rail electric supplies in the event of an emergency.

Our Operating Manager showed us how to go about using one of these devices (which of course we don't need to but, as a proper pro. he knows all about). This includes looking the other way just as contact is made in order to avoid suffering from "arc eye". Thank goodness we don't have to use it. I would have been amazed if ORR had taken any other approach.

PH

 

The redevelopment of the harbour branch is reminiscent of the "High Line" in Manhatten and seems like a good way of making use of the structure.

 

Rather steeper than you think - quite a lot of it is 1 in 70.

I think the likelihood of a heritage railway anywhere gaining sanction for a live 3rd rail installation is vanishingly small.

Dummy 3rd rail plus battery - I guess it might be possible technically, but I am not 100% sure how desirable it would be in an area in which surrounding Network Rail lines still had live 3rd rail installations: I can see it might breed complacency (not just amongst staff on the heritage system with dummy 3rd rail, but conceivably amongst the general public who might trespass or legitimately cross the "dummy" system without consequence, and then try similar on a nearby mainline "live" system). A battery-only system would probably be feasible, without the visual "set dressing" of the dummy 3rd rail.

Tom

 

Agreed. Not least because I suspect the challenges of getting such a system authorised will be sufficiently daunting that it is unlikely that any organisation would commence or, having commenced, wish to see it through. Their insurers may also have some bearing on that decision.

 

Using a short circuiting bar isn't undertaken lightly even after training, it is the emergency isolation of last resort. Having applied a SSB once and looking away before making contact, I could see clearly through closed eyelids. Luckily the bang and bl**dy big flash persuaded the kids who had settled down in the 4 foot to move on very quickly.

Cheers, Neil

 

I'm afraid I find this logic difficult to take seriously. The idea that a full size model of third rail will make staff more complacent to the extent that it is too dangerous to install one I find ridiculous. You may as well argue that we should hide all out of ticket locos as these could make staff complacent and more likely to burn themselves on a loco in steam.

Thee are several tram systems in France where the power supply is fed in very short sections, allowing for ground level supply even in a street running section. The front of the tram livens it up, collects power in the middle car and the rear shuts it off, so all electrical feed is always under the tram. I wonder if something similar would be possible with a low speed application on heavy rail. Bigger sections perhaps, but usable?