Spa Valley Railway - Latest News

Gonna try and visit the event hopefully, sounds like it could be a really good event.

 

Aaah, I hadn't realised 78019 would head back to North of Watford, before coming south again. Anyway, it's a very good addition to the February event, as well as the weekend it will do running with 80078 (as per the Spa Valley Railway website).

As for 34072, are any of the current workings in daylight Jonnie? I'd love to get out to a bridge somewhere (I appreciate the Spa Valley stations are shut during the Polar Express season), so I can see her on her current work, which is quite a change from my one and only previous sighting (and travel back then), on 13 August 1964.

 

Polar Express
If anyone is interested, this is how the Polar Express operates.

Tunbridge Wells West End

• Steam Locomotive (34072 or 80078)
• TSO 4999
• TSO 5037
• TSO 5033
• TSO 5035
• TSO 4949
• TSO 4946
• BSO 9141
• Queen Mary Brake Van
• Diesel Locomotive (either 31430 or 33063)

North Pole End

Train Capacity:
The capacity of the train is 379 per train, 1895 per day. Over the event 40,907 people are booked to travel as not every seat is sold so that people aren’t always sat with people they don’t know.

Shows:
There are 5x shows a day:

• 11:30
• 13:30
• 16:00
• 17:45
• 19:30

Timetable
This is the show start time, the train doesn't run to a timetable as is common practice, it is all driven by when passengers are loaded and seated and then by the script for the Polar Express show. The train departs Tunbridge Wells West heading for Groombridge, with the time allowed by the script it must take us 30:27 seconds to the ‘Caribou’ stop.

Due to the length of line, to enable this to happen the train reverses twice, so it travels from Tunbridge Wells West to GBR No. 1 Signal, changes direction and goes back to High Rocks Cattle Creep, changes direction and then stops just at Groombridge station. This is to allow Santa to alight to be in position to wave the train past through the station, which doubles up as the North Pole.

Once Santa has alighted and it is time/safe to do so, the train passes through the station enabling everyone on board to catch a glimpse of Santa, reverses and arrives back in the station to collect Santa.

The train has 33 minutes from the Caribou stop to reach Tunbridge Wells West, it travels from Groombridge to High Rocks Cattle Creep, changes direction again, heads back to GBR No. 1 Signal and then returns from there to Tunbridge Wells West.

The Guard and Tech liaise with the locomotive crews, and we carry stop watches to guide us on where we should be but you’re averaging about 15mph most of the time, so it is quite a relaxed affair operationally.

If you want to see it?
So, if you do want to see the Polar Express, you can do so from most of the usual public vantage points and the trains are usually leaving around 5-10 minutes after the show times above. They're seen more between High Rocks and Groombridge because of the reverse but they're working their hardest between High Rocks and Tunbridge Wells West on the return leg of the show. With the load on the train being what it is the 4MT is working hard, the Bulleid not as much but still makes a fair bit of noise.

Groombridge and High Rocks are closed and Tunbridge Wells West is only accessible to Polar Express passengers.

Roster:
80078 is running today and probably tomorrow. 34072 Sunday. I'm driving tonight and Sunday, if you want to come and look closer at the engines drop me a message.

 

That's incredibly helpful, very many thanks. Not only that, but it gives a good idea as to what is involved in running these trains. I've got a late afternoon family event on Sunday, but I'll aim to get somewhere between High Rocks and Groombridge to watch 34072 in action again earlier in the day. A preview maybe for me of the use of that loco at the winter steam up and other running days early next year, which, hopefully will see me making multiple visits to the railway - Tunbridge Wells traffic permitting! And I won't forget the kind suggestion of a closer look at the loco sometime soon. Many thanks again.

 

By the way, 34072 is my key focus at present and into next year, but come the new year and normal working I do aim to repeat this shot that I took a little while ago, April 1962 in fact! Groombridge Junction. That was the only time I ever remember seeing a doubleheader anywhere in that area back then. I've already repeated it, and with a doubleheader amazingly. That was 34053 and 32678 in July 2021. My 1962 shot, taken with a old folding Balda camera that took 16 on 127 film is one that got processed better than many I took back then, and if/when I get a similar shot of 80078 I aim to get a print of each made and mounted side by side to give to the Spa Valley Railway. The Spa Valley Railway is the only ex SR, now a heritage railway, that I visited and took photographs at in normal steam days. Most around Oxted and Hurst Green, but some around Groombridge. I've got no idea why I took a going away photo, but I am very pleased I did, as it does pick up the other route at the junction and the small hut that is still there today!

 

That's actually a nice photo, so glad to see that some things never change eh?
Guessing they double-headed these services to save on light engine paths.

 

Yes, it is rather good that it is still possible to see parts of the junction today.

The other end of Groombridge is somewhat different of course, and shows the incredible effort the Spa Valley Railway have made to reinstate a station there.

And re the doubleheader. Yes, I imagine that it was to save a pathway, I think at that time the Groombridge area was a very busy location.

The second photo down in this link to a great web site shows a photo taken looking north-east from the road bridge. The current track is at a location six feet further to the right than the loop round the outside of the island platform - I was told that by one of the guys who provide such a wonderful hot drinks and snacks service from the kiosk at the new Groombridge station. http://disused-stations.org.uk/g/groombridge/index60.shtml Sadly, my few 1962 photos were taken from the platforms and not the bridge.

 

Roster:
34072 is back in service today following a repair late last night to a component. It is booked to run all remaining Polar Express days which are Thursday to Sunday next week and then Wednesday 13th to Sunday 17th and then Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd.

More Polar Express how it happens:
It might interest people to know that when I say Santa alights (as per above) there are actually 6x Santa's, 6x Conductors, 4x Chefs and 1x Hobo per coach on the Polar Express.

There is then a multitude of other people making it happen, hot chocolate makers, platform staff, entrance staff, medics, catering outlets (staff and public), shop staff, customer service etc. It is a huge operation for one of what is often thought as the smaller railways in preservation (see below).

Operationally there is also:

• 1x Duty Traffic Manager
• 2x Diesel Driver (Early & Late)
• 2x Guard (Early & Late, or a Guard/DTM will prepare the train for the day turn Guard)
• 2X Steam Drivers (Early & Late)
• 2x Fireman (Early & Late)

Tunbridge Wells West:
The site at Tunbridge Wells West is set up ensuring the Class 08 is available for shunting and mid-week trains, the spare diesel (31430 today) is kept in the secure sidings outside Tunbridge Wells West, 34072 uses 4 road pit, 80078 uses 3 road pit. 828 is available if required inside on 3 road pit.

Spa Valley Finances
Sometimes we are still thought of as a 'small' railway in the preservation sector, probably because we've only been running trains since 1997, we don't have a fleet of lovely old coaches or a huge number of steam engines.

However, we carry in excess of 70,000 people a year and the turnover of the Wealden Railway Co. Ltd. was £909,995 for year end 31st January 2023, a slight loss was made though of £36,317 but I'm not concerned by this so it isn't doing too badly.

 

Thanks again for the update Jonnie, yes, watching things from the road bridge at the North Pole today, it was obvious these trains are well planned and need a lot of work to run them smoothly. I do hope the Spa Valley get a decent return for all your are doing to make this a success and to make so many people happy at this time of the year. As for you being a small railway, I guess the answer could be yes, but look at the wonderful sequence of steam locos you have had there over the last few years - especially the SR/BR standard ones.

I had found out at circa 12.10 that 34072 was working today, courtesy of your Webcam. By 12.20 I was on my way, and despite everything that the Tunbridge Wells traffic threw at me I got to the North Pole with time to spare for the 13.30 Polar Express. Wonderful to see Father Christmas, his caribou and a Bulleid pacifics all together at out planet's northern extremity.

Despite a very gloomy day I managed to record some of the action, and was very pleased to see 34072 again after over 59 years. Not able to buy a day ticket today of course, which I usually do when visiting just to take photos, but I sorted that by other means!

 

Great photos! Would you mind emailing me the ones of 257 in high res, please? Jonnie.pay@spavalleyrailway.co.uk I'll share them on our socials (credits given of course) if that's ok with you.

 

Jonnie, of course you can have them; I've just emailed you the three from yesterday and also one from today. Hopefully they will get to you ok.

Another superb day watching 34072 today.

I walked along the road to find a spot on the road's verge further up the climb from High Rocks today, and the return of the 1330 Polar Express, just like the return of the 11.30, made a wonderful surefooted climb of the grade, despite the wet weather. Very dull at times too! Photo attached here - it's amongst those I emailed you just now.

Oh, just re-read you email - I'll email them again at a higher res.

Bryan

 

It certainly has Al. I only started visiting in 2021, and since then it has served my very narrow focus amazingly well. 34053, once as 34095, 34072, 34092, 32678, 75069 and 80078. With 78019 expected in February for the winter event. Other locos are available!

A very pleasant line to visit, run by a very friendly group of hard working volunteers. Yes, I am sure there are plenty of other heritage lines that do the same, I know the Bluebell does, but this is the nearest heritage line to me, and has certainly grabbed my attention.

 

I'll enjoy seeing the Jinty, but as you would expect from me Al, my main interest for a steam loco re-emerging from overhaul at the Spa Valley Railway will be the one below: a photo I prepared earlier! 2 September 1962, just coming off the swing bridge on the Hayling Island swing bridge. I am so very pleased I left the big, fast, mainline Bulleid pacifics for a few hours at the end of my first seven day SR rover - that was due to a suggestion from my SR steam mentor, big brother Don.

 

It is great news that the railway is doing so well, quite heartening in these hard times so well done!

A thought for the Polar Express trains, have you thought about having one of the American locos for your trains to give it the authentic wow factor?

 

As nice an idea as that is, it sounds like Polar Expresses are selling perfectly well without needing the added expense of hiring in a loco that looks a little bit more like the one from the original film.
Plus, assuming you're thinking about S160s which are the biggest American-style locos in Britain, there are only two in operable condition in the country at the moment, so if every railway decided they wanted an American loco to look slightly more the part, it's not like there are enough to go round all the heritage railways running a Polar Express service each winter

 

The public don't really mind what's on the front providing its steam. We've our own locos to use and the fees paid to loco owners we work with go a long way to keeping these machines running.

 

Without going into any monetary numbers, as I believe this is you third year of Polar operation, the railway sees it as valuable Christmas product?