Rother Valley Railway

With this in mind starting at the Junction Rd end makes sence, there is enough space by the crossing site, to enable road access, even once the crossing is in, I would imagine a temporary road surface could be put on it, to divert traffic around the crossing site whilst the road is dug up and crossing laid, then once the work is finished, that could be used by lorries to lay a ballast bed , up to Austin's bridge, once the clearance gang have cleared the track bed, accessed and repaired the bridge, then work can continue until the next point where there is access to the track bed,

 

There is no way that Highways would accept a temporary road surface on private land being used to replace the road, even temporarily. The location is such, with the width restrictions, that to divert the road would make it dangerous. Given that the A28 itself was closed for a weekend to renew the crossings at both Rolvenden and Northiam, I see no problem with getting a closure for Junction Road itself. I suspect that the crossing will be done using the same, tram based, system. I believe, though I wouldn't swear to it, that there is a discussion as to whether Austen's bridge can be repaired in situ, or may have to be lifted. I guess we will have to wait and see....

 

I wonder whether the embankment rebuild from Northbridge Street through Parsonage Farm land might be one of the first things to get started as this is probably the biggest civil engineering task of the re-instatement? The excellent work of the contractors in building-up and re-profiling land at the engine shed site would be good practice for this work.

Any further preparatory work between Junction Road and Austen's Bridge could occur simultaneously as could the level crossing installations at both Junction Road and Northbridge Street. It looks as if the excellent work at the new-ish Northiam level crossing undertaken by K&ESR in conjunction with London Underground and Bakerail engineers will form the basis of the design and installation for these. See: https://www.railengineer.co.uk/revolutionary-level-crossing-on-kent-heritage-railway/

It's already looking possible to me that the final piece in the jigsaw will be the A21 level crossing.

I also wonder whether any ballast might be brought in by rail when it becomes possible to do so?

It is deliciously exciting to imagine how it will all play out, isn't it? Of course, in the real world, Mike Hart will doubtless post to the RVR website as and when there is anything about to happen...

 

My understanding that engineering principles are going to maintain the Colonel's traditions. The embankment will use fly ash from Drax via Mountfield, loaded onto vintage lorries and transferred along the Battle Road to Robertsbridge. After which, an ancient Manning Wardle, using temporary track panels, will haul dumb-buffered wagons across the fields to the construction site. Timber sleepers will be produced from sawn trees felled along the route. Rails will be of the 30lb variety and secured to the sleepers by spikes. The operation will be supervised by somebody wearing a Derby style bowler hat.

 

The original inspection of the K&ESR noted how cheaply built it was, to a 'just' acceptable standard and noted that it would require constant maintance. Original locomotives aways carried screw jacks to put the loco back on the track when it fell off as it ambled along.

We try to do a little better these days.

 

How much work has had to be done on the K&ESR Infrastructure since preservation?

 

Could the Manning Wardle not just shuttle a few PFA wagons between Mountfield GBRF and Robertsbridge engineers siding...

 

Loads, including complete replacement of several bridges & embankments and strengthening or stabilising others. And lots of track replacement. That’s one reason why after the railway reopened to Rolvenden in ‘74 restoration had to be in several stages with Bodiam not reached until 2000.

Col. Stephens no-doubt did the best he could with the available budgets but did not build things to last. I imagine the original business-model aimed to carry out upgrades funded by profits. The original company certainly did some of that in the early years but profitability did not last.

 

In the early days i.e. 50 (?) years ago, I remember a volunteer of the time, Alec Flett, telling me about the many bridges which had to be replaced to get further than Rolvenden.

 

Locos carrying a pair of traversing jacks was pretty common in Victorian times, both on the big railway and in industry so the KESR was not unique. Contractors locos were usually provided with them although I think they were an option.

 

Hydraulic jacks?

 

Not sure they HAD hydraulic jacks in 1900.

 

I meant that the "doing a little better" meant providing hydraulic jacks nowadays

 

Apparently they go back to at least 1851.
Ray.

 

The original Rother Valley Railway track, with light FB rail spiked to half-round sleepers, had to be replaced with second-hand SECR bullhead track in about 1904-5 by William Rigby, the contractor for the Headcorn extension.

 

Mr Stephenson utilised them when building the Britannia bridge at Menai... 1846

 

When I was on the KESR PWay way back I was on Newmill bridge one day, and the water level in the channel was particularly low. I fished out several ancient two bolt chairs, and I guess they were part of that first relay. I eventually gave them to the museum at Tenterden.

 

(Deleted - can’t get YouTube to work!)

 

Worked fine for me, but hopefully, a trailer is what it is. Mike has quite a story to tell, and there are chapters still to be written, yet.