Rother Valley Railway

Oh, the hazards of working on plans for events next year! You loose track of what year you're in!
Original post corrected.

 

Given the feeling over the whole scheme, its probably best if there is no new news, I understand the public hearing is scheduled for some time in the first quarter of 2019 and the very last thing the railway would want is negative publicity from the pages of this site, that can be used in the meeting to undermine their case, On a more positive note, the plan was to start clearance work on the newly acquired Udiam to Austins Bridge this winter with track laying some time in 2019 , is this still the case?

 

This will inevitably be a quiet time for news while the powers that be decide on the public enquiry. Rest assured that it is being worked on appropriately and when there is news, it will be brought properly into the public domain.

Robin
Director, K&ESR.

 

And probably best if that was more quiet waiting.

 

This is correct.

It is to be hoped that there will come a time when the K&ESR will need lots of help and support with the Robertsbridge extension and its consequences for the rest of the Railway. We will let you know when.

If you would like to offer support in 2019, do plan a visit to our rather special Railway. And bring a few friends. That would be a great help.

Robin

 

I visited the K&ESR last summer (2017)

It was marvelous

My late father lived in South London (Thornton Heath/Croydon) before WW2

He was a keen Scout & travelling in the SECR Birdcage stock hauled by a Terrier must have been a reasonable re-creation of what it was like for him going on Scout Camp in the late 20's/early 30's

 

My last visit was in 2015, so it's probably time for a re-visit.

 

There are some fun events in the 2019 calendar, lunch or dinner on the Wealden Pullman is very special, and there are lots to see and do beyond the train ride on an ‘ordinary’ day.

Robin

 

View attachment 40580 [/QUOTE]
I love that photo of yours, Robin.
"A train wheel-high in the wheat"

 

I love that photo of yours, Robin.
"A train wheel-high in the wheat"[/QUOTE]

Kind of you to say. One of those chance ‘snaps’

It was taken in the Summer at ‘Harvesters’ Crossing just the Noethiam end of the Rolvenden site. I was having a walk around to get my bearings as I am re-learning the K&ESR thoroughly having been priviledged to be asked to take a Directorship there (and confirmed as such at the recent K&ESR AGM).

I always have my i-Phone SE with me. The snap is now being sold by the Railway as a post card.

The K&ESR will never be a Severn Valley or a NYMR (and, IMHO, nor should it try to be) - it is a very special Railway in its own way.

Robin

 

[/QUOTE]Kind of you to say. One of those chance ‘snaps’

It was taken in the Summer at ‘Harvesters’ Crossing just the Noethiam end of the Rolvenden site. I was having a walk around to get my bearings as I am re-learning the K&ESR thoroughly having been priviledged to be asked to take a Directorship there (and confirmed as such at the recent K&ESR AGM).

I always have my i-Phone SE with me. The snap is now being sold by the Railway as a post card.

The K&ESR will never be a Severn Valley or a NYMR (and, IMHO, nor should it try to be) - it is a very special Railway in its own way.

Robin[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Robin, and many congratulations on your recent appointment. Is this purely a professional role, or will you ever be pulling levers? I can think of few places closer to Heaven than Wittersham Road on a Summer's evening.
And quite- the KESR should always be Colonel Stephens. Nothing else. That is its USP.

 

I love the remoteness of some of the locations out on the marsh, the hum of the wind in the telegraph wires. I saw a barn owl rise up at Witt Road.



The train in the picture, Sutton hauling two Maunsells, was heading for the radically distant new terminal of Wittersham Road. It was a pit of mud.

'Bodiam by 1980' then was the heading of an article in the Terrier in 1977 . But we did get there, despite the total rebuild of the track that was required. The stretch between Hexden and Rother bridges was even laid down twice!

 

I love that photo of yours, Robin.
"A train wheel-high in the wheat"[/QUOTE]

Isnt that the Teresa May Express??

 

That'd be the one that derailed into the ditch before departure, in a reversal of Wallace and Gromit with the tracks being ripped up in front of the train as it careered along by helpful colleagues. While the cargo of gammon advised the driver on the best course of action, suggestions veering between closing their eyes and wishing it was 1910 again, blaming anyone a bit foreign looking and sounding, all while claiming they could have done a much better job of driving the train straight into the ditch at high speed.

'But let me be completely clear about this, I am completely determined to carry on driving the train into the ditch,' said the driver, as smoke and steam swirled around the train wreck.

 

Thank you, and kind of you to ask.

Given the distance from home in Somerset, I have committed to do a long weekend in Kent around each K&ESR Board meeting and believe I can make a significant contribution at Board level that way. Some detachment and objectivity have already proved useful. I am grateful to a great K&ESR friend who has offered me accommodation when I am in Kent.

For those who do not know, I was an active K&ESR volunteer when at university in London and subsequently working for BR in London, Kent and Sussex in the 1980’s. (There are a few embarrassing photos from that time.). I am a K&ESR life member.

I had expected to make a Board level contribution in Somerset after the long fight to put the WSRA to rights and hoped that 40 years of operational managerial / directorial experience (big railway and heritage) would be thought valuable, along with being both a MCILT and an MIRO. But when a WSR Operations Director was appointed I was specifically told that ‘knowledge of and experience in railway operations were not considered a significant matter in the appointment of an operations director’ to explain my non-appointment. That attitude may go some way to explaining the mess that the WSR has found itself in recently. Hopefully that attitude is changing following recent regulatory interest.

I have recently been priviledged to be asked to join the South West Committee of the Institution of Railway Operators, which is allowing me to make a contribution to supporting the next generation of operators here in the west.

Maintaining my competencies for Minehead, Blue Anchor, Williton, Crowcombe, Bishops Lydeard, Swanage, Harmans Cross and Corfe Castle signal boxes soaks up much of the rest of my heritage free time.

Robin

 

Hi Robin,
Thank you for that fulsome and interesting reply. I had no idea your links with the KESR went back so far (who of us were around at the time DON'T have embarrassing photos from the 1980s knocking around somewhere?!) And I'm very pleased you are finally being appreciated at board level.
I must admit, I had to stop following the WSR thread, as it was too disheartening. Rather like a railway version of Guido Fawkes website, and the "reason" given for your non-appointment to their board speaks volumes, not just for the WSR, but a more general malaise which seems to afflict this country. Square pegs in round, and often vitally important holes are everywhere.
Anyway, glad the KESR have you on the board, as their business model will be radically altering with the Robertsbridge link. Best wishes.

 

As I understand it, all works are in abeyance pending the TWAO. Therefore, nothing to report!

 

There was some rolling stock restoration in progress at Robertsbridge but no recent updates during all the TWAO excitement. Has this stopped?

 

does this apply to all of the RVR, for instance the section between Junction Rd And Austin's Bridge, or is this also included in the TWAO?

 

In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. Willful blindness is a very real phenomenon and seems (to me) to be quite entrenched within the Heritage Railway community. I imagine you were a victim of this kind of thinking.