Kent & East Sussex Railway

Having attended on Saturday, I can say that yes, it was busy at Tenterden. The parking marshals were doing their best, and a couple were even deployed to the top of Station Road to try to help with the situation. We needed to use a significant area to allow for stalls and displays. However, if we hadn't had them, people may have felt that there wasn't enough to the event. We are damned if we do, and damned if we don't. Some staff had already parked elsewhere, to ease the situation a little.

@David Mylchreest I hear what you say. It is a very rare occasion that the Tenterden car park is not able to take all our visitors. Our visitor numbers on Saturday were significantly up on previous years, and everyone who made it to the station seemed to be having a very good time indeed. As I have mentioned, if this issue does arise at Tenterden, there is always the option to divert to Northiam. If the buffet there is open, (and I understand it was this weekend,) you can sit and have a cuppa while looking out across the valley. It's rather a nice spot to spend some time. (As is Wittersham Road, where I went to have my lunch, and watch the world go by....)

As for our neighbours, most of them know the situation (i.e. for a very few weekends of the year, Station Road gets rather busy.) I don't believe we get any complaints. Incidentally, the only problem I had getting up or down Station Road this weekend was when I went to leave, only to find a marshal on his radio, with his back to me, in the middle of the road! His look of surprise when he finally noticed the car behind him was priceless!

 

Latest upload on the channel from yesterday running during the 40s weekend if anyone is interested.

Certainly nice to see Hastings out and about again, do have a soft spot for the loco when I first saw it running at Bluebell during our Branchline gala in 2023. The Teddy being out was also a nice surprise and of course it made a nice racket up the bank.

Was also refreshing to see the trains full also,
hopefully a nice profit for the railway when all is counted.

 

Er.. Yes... That genuine wartime Class 14. Unfortunately, one of the Austerities was found to have a broken spring on disposal Saturday night. There wasn't the time or personnel to get it changed before Sunday. So, in the best wartime spirit, we employed the first part of "make do and mend", and used the engine we had.

Very nice video. Thanks for that. Nice to see those bits from the outside for a change!

 

Thank you mate, was pretty happy how it turned out in the end. Even the sun playing ball was a nice addition.

The 14 being out certainly didn’t ruin anything, if anything was nice seeing it out besides it’s appearances during the diesel galas

 

It's a bit early for Santa, but.... 4270 was spotted on the move today. Was being moved by the unit that took the 4-SUB car back to Margate.

 

Service Update – Train Services until 12 July

The current spell of extreme heat means we've had to make some temporary changes to our train services to help keep our passengers, staff, volunteers and the beautiful countryside safe.

Until 12 July:
We will be operating a reduced timetable with fewer departures. Our steam locomotives will be temporarily withdrawn due to the exceptionally high risk of lineside fires.

Our amazing heritage diesel locomotives will continue to operate, so you can still enjoy a relaxing journey through the stunning Rother Valley while we continue to provide a safe and reliable service.

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you aboard for a great summer's day on the railway.

Please check our website before you travel for the latest timetable and service information.

Traction planned to operate:
30th June Class 14
1 July – Class 14
4 & 5 July – Set A: Class 14 | Set B: DMMU
7 July – Class 20
8 July – Set A: Class 20 | Set B: DMMU
11 July – Set A: Class 20 | Set B: DMMU
12 July – Set A: Class 20

 

Is all that really necessary? It was thunderstorming here just 3 nights ago, and I'm a mere 10 miles west of Robertsbridge.

 

If it wasn't necessary, they wouldn't do it, would they?! I'm about 20 miles away and yes, we've had a couple of thunderstorms, but there is apparently more heatwave to come - maybe even hotter and drier...

 

So far, yours is the only source I can find for that information. Local forecast also predicts rain tomorrow morning. Thoughts?

 

BBC Weather for Tenterden is showing a low likelihood (30%) of rain for two hours around lunchtime today and then scorchio for the next 10 days.

I’m a bit further west but the little rain we’ve had will have had no impact on the tinderbox fields around us – I doubt it’s meaningfully different in KESR territory.

Simon

 

Thunderstorms don't help, it needs a prolonged period of rain. The ground is baked solid so storms simply dump a lot of water that will merely run off. And they're usually quite localised. The forecast for the next two weeks shows temperatures getting into the 30s and virtually no rain. Don't forget, the railway is also right in the middle of an area with a hosepipe ban.



This is a field in North Hertfordshire a couple of weeks ago. The soil was like concrete and under the crops was a lot of dry vegetation, and this was after a week of intense downpours. Some of the cracks were big enough to get your hand into!

 

It is critical. We have a duty not only to our customers, but to our neighbours, too. Farms right along the line have crops in tinder dry fields right now. In one area, we have flax planted right next to the line. I am told that if that were to go up, it would be extremely hard to put out. When the conditions first dried out, we ran an 08 as a fire tender up and down Tenterden bank between services. The crew had to deal with a number of fires that was way higher than expected. As a result, some very pragmatic decisions have had to be made. You may not like diesels, but get used to them, because they are here to stay....

 

Ok, ok I'm totally convinced, and would like to retract the question. Incidentally, its not that I dislike Diesels, I'm fine with them. I was just querying the necessity, but from the examples given, I now realise just how important it has become.

 

The critical months are June/July, arable crops are getting towards harvest, grass and scrubland still has the previous year’s die back with the new growth not established enough to dampen any sparks. A fire, particularly in ripened arable crops will spread at an alarming rate, often faster than you can outrun it.

 

Sadly, we're well aware of that one. Not only faster than the average human but, on one occasion, faster than the combine harvester he was driving, too. That was a long time ago, and fortunately the driver managed to get out. We are really keen to be responsible neighbours to the great farmers whose fields we run past. You never know when you might need their help!

 

I worked for NFU Mutual for 30 years, combine fires were a nightmare for the claims people, lots of electrics, hot diesel engine and combustible contents when in use. Not a good combinatiion.