Rother Valley Railway

A truly fantastic article; it has a fair amount of engineering detail, for we geeks. I highly recommend it to everyone. Thanks for posting it!

Noel

 

Jon Not entirely correct Im afraid. The installation of the track slab and rails will need a relatively short term closure. All the rest of the associated roadworks, including barrier equipment installation, is done by single line working. Mike

 

That makes sense - I understand why you wanted half-term if it’s something like 1-2 days road-closure plus a few days of 2-way temporary signals. Good luck with alternative dates.

(Rolvenden & Northiam, of course, didn’t need signals or any time for barrier equipment installation since they’re both manually operated gated crossings.)

 

Hi Mike. I was only referring to the slabs going in. I didn't know when or how the rest of it would be done.

 

I doubt if these road closures/temporary traffic lights will cause much of a ripple, if any, here in East Sussex. This must be the No. 1 UK hotspot for traffic disruption - water mains, broadband, you name it - everything except pothole repairs, sadly. Installation of a level crossing will just be another inconvenience which local drivers will take in their stride as they are just so used to their journeys being affected by road works. If I manage more than 15 miles around here without encountering a single "Road closed " sign or tempoarary traffic lights, it's little short of a miracle these days.

 

Ain't that the troof?!

 

Here in Hastings, we're surrounded by the flipping things, Roadworks, not level crossings, of course, the road to nowhere, london road, all the main routes, it seems have these , then there's the potholes, ours are now so old, they could qualify for ancient monuments .

 

As could most of the residents.

 

Look outside, see that glow in the distance, Well that's people from Hastings enroute, with lit torches, on their Zimmer frames to have a word,

 

More route clearance at Rother Valley Railway
https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/2025/10/oct-25-northbridge-street.html

 

Its an awkward little corner, that. What with the crossing, bridge 6, and the flood defences all within yards of each other. Ongoing will be an interesting civil engineering story and solution.

 

I found the pictures confusing, until I realised that the first pic was inverted compared to mapping convention. (West being on the right, rather than on the left on most maps)

 

Yes, track has been in place from Robertsbridge station to the Northbridge Street level crossing for some years. Incidentally, I believe that level crossing was the only one on the old K&ESR to have a separate crossing keeper employed.

 

I'm just so used to seeing aerial photos displayed in conventional orientation, that my mind automatically reads right as East.

I have had a similar momentary confusion when I first encountered one of the engraved map pillars in London. They are oriented to align with the direction one is facing, rather than traditional 'North is Up'.

And yet I don't suffer any similar confusion with a car sat-nav being aligned with facing direction of travel.

[post script. I have become aware in recent years that some children do not get any cartographical teaching in their geography lessons. And they therefore have slight difficulties with reading conventional maps.]

 

The relaying of the down headshunt on the rebuilt embankment North of Robertsbridge is well underway, again using the RVR as its strategic access and storage point.
https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/?m=1

 

Some really interesting updates, showing how the platform roads being relaid at Etchingham are cascading their redundant materials south to Robertsbridge, for their repurposing as the Down siding.
https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/?m=1
Worth a look here is the embedded YT video of the previous full relaying at Etchingham, just a shade over 51 years ago, now...
Trackside hi-viz then seemed to consist of taking ones shirt off!

 

I remember that when I transferred to Hoo Jn in 1976, Hi-Vis was provided, but not compulsory. The shunters and train crews rarely wore Hi-Vis while within the yard, even when crossing the mainline to the Down Yard.
At that time the "minivests" provided, were not designed to pull apart if snagged. Shunters felt unsafe because they could get caught while "in between".

Velcro fastening safety gear came much later.

 

Hard hats not invented by then either.
Mind you (in the absence of internet last week) I watched one of those Aussie Rail programmes. Included a heritage line where they were fitting a new tank to a tender frame. No overhead lifting gear, guys underneath with no hard hats and the tank "moved into place" by being nudged with the forklift tines.
No ORR equivalent down there I guess.

 

ONRSR

 

NTDWA.