Spa Valley Railway, West
Station, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5QY
Telephone: 01892 537715
Email
enquiries@spavalleyrailway.co.uk
News
Welcome to the Spa Valley News Page. This is where details of the latest developments on the railway and website are posted.
Spa
Valley Railway Locomotive Roster - See What Engines Are Rostered To Haul The
Trains On Each Running Day
(Note: Although every effort is
made to ensure the roster is correct, the Spa Valley Railway reserves the right
to alter the roster without notification)
10th
June - STEAM
GALA SUCCESS
The Spa Valley Railway celebrated the golden age of steam during its annual Steam Gala on the Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May. This years event featured two steam engines taking it in turns to haul passenger trains between Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge. They also hauled several demonstration goods trains where passengers had the opportunity to travel on a traditional brake van.
Above Right:- Lady Ingrid sits at Groombridge with a goods train during the steam gala - Photo T. Christian
Visitors
had the chance to ride behind miniature trains and see a steam roller on display
in the yard at Tunbridge Wells West. On the Saturday visitors also enjoyed
additional entertainment supplied by a group of Morris dancers and a display of
vintage Morris cars at High Rocks.
Left:- Other attractions at the event included two miniature railways which included some visiting engines like the Terrier shown in the picture. This came from a private railway in Kent - Photo T. Christian
Event Organiser Matt Dives said “We are very pleased with how the event went, we had lots of visitors who had an enjoyable day out.”
HIGH ROCKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND
Early ideas for this year's event focus on an additional brake van special from Tunbridge Wells West to High Rocks. At High Rocks, access to the historic rocks will be free to SVR ticket holders, and there will be a host of attractions including a miniature railway, live music as well as many displays. The High Rocks Inn will be open serving its usual refreshments which can be enjoyed in the garden whilst watching the trains pass by.
The date for this event - August Bank Holiday weekend.
GROOMBRIDGE STATION DEVELOPMENTS
Whilst
the new signal box continues to make progress, Stage 3 of the Groombridge
station construction also continues apace. Prior to the Steam Gala weekend in
May, the Permanent Way gang returned for the second round of "Patio
Wars"! Having laid a new patio under the first canopy in mid March, the
decision was made to lay the other side before the second canopy was built. So
on Friday 17th May, the gang gathered to dig the foundations and lay said patio.
By the end of play, the back of the work had been broken, leaving the completion
for another day.
Left:- Station project leader, John Butler, leads the way with the laying of the second paving area at Groombridge station on 17th May - Photo R. Sharpe
Also,
visitors to the railway that weekend, where welcomed by the erection of
component parts of the second canopy. The brackets and main beam were all lifted
into position on Wednesday 14th May, leaving the construction of the roof
trusses to be carried out now.
Right:- At the end of the day, the group pose for a photo - Photo R. Sharpe
ERIDGE EXTENSION UPDATE
News on the the contractors starting work on the Eridge extension has been announced on the project's own News page. More information can be found here.
29th April - STEAM GALA 17TH - 18TH MAY
This year's steam gala will only see the railway's home fleet in operation. This is mainly due to other railways not being able to release their engines, as they need them for their own requirements. Even so we plan to put on a good display with our resident steam engines operating over the whole length of the line.
The Birchden extension will be in use once again. This is possibly one of the last times the extension will be in use before the railway re-opens to Eridge, as the buffer-stop is set to be removed and track reinstated, pending the starting of work by contractors on the Birchden to Eridge section.
A number of goods trains will operate during the day, offering rides in our restored Queen Mary brake van.
Also at the
event will be two road steam engines, in steam and on display in the yard at
Tunbridge Wells West. There will also be miniature steam offering visitors rides
in the yard too in-between the passenger trains.
Left:- Steam Roller "Ebenezer", seen at Tunbridge Wells, will be on display along with a Showmans engine for the weekend - Photo M. Dives
Trains will run from 10am each day and will operate into the early evening on the Saturday. A steam hauled Fish and Chip special will run too. Advanced booking is required.
15th April - PASSENGER TRAINS BECOME WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY
For some time it was appreciated that our ability to carry disabled passengers was woefully inadequate. The only space for wheelchairs was in the baggage compartment of one of our brake coaches with its grim décor and limited views from the windows. As Carriage and Wagon (C&W) team leader Mike Elkerton said, "Surely we can do better than this?"
The initial idea was to smarten up the luggage area and install seating for companions, but this was not fully satisfactory as it would still mean our disabled visitors sharing the space with bicycles, buggies and other items.
After much discussion but no progress, earlier this year one of the C&W team came across an article in the railway press mentioning that Peak Rail had adapted a BSO similar to ours to enable wheelchairs to be accommodated in the saloon. It was quickly realised that if we were to adopt a similar approach our disabled passengers would be able to sit in comfort with their companions and other passengers, and all could enjoy the passing scenery as well as partaking of the excellent food and beverages supplied by our Buffet Car.
The BSO has double doors into the baggage area so, with assistance from the guard, there has never been any difficulty in getting a wheelchair from the platform by means of a ramp. The problem was that the corridor into the saloon had to be widened to a minimum of 700mm to allow a wheelchair to pass. This involved repositioning the guards compartment door, emergency tool cupboard and part of the cage. Then the saloon door had to be moved from the centre of the coach to the corridor side. Space for wheelchairs was made by removing one row of seats, two on each side of the gangway. Installation of tables remains to be done after a trial period to establish the best positioning.
What has been achieved, with the agreement of the BSOs owners and thanks to the skill of C&Ws Wednesday Gang members, is a great improvement on the original idea, and we are all delighted that at last our disabled passengers can travel in the style and comfort which we have long wanted them to enjoy.
Above Left:- In
the passenger saloon of our new disabled coach, seats have been removed and the
main door moved to one side and widened - Photo T. Parsons
Above Right:- The
passageway past the guard's compartment has been widened and the whole area has
been cleaned too - Photo T. Parsons
More details on the wheelchair facilities at the railway will appear soon.
37254 ARRIVES ON THE RAILWAY
After
five years away from a railway line and nearly nine years after working its last
trains 37254 was returned to active use in memorable style on the Spa Valley
Railway on March 28th.
After
withdrawal in November 1998, three years later 37254 was purchased by HNRC and
stored at Barrow Hill with a view to possible re-certification for main line
use. At this time it received 37153’s power unit. However in 2003 it was
offered for sale and purchased for preservation, moving to an isolated
non-rail-connected private site near Ashford where the owning group restored the
locomotive to operating condition. In 2006 37254 moved under its own power for
the first time in preservation, albeit restricted to the few lengths of track
panels upon which the locomotive was sited.
On
27th March 37254 was transferred by road to the Spa Valley, drawing
much attention as low bridges dictated a convoluted route through the historic
centre of Tunbridge Wells. After final checks the following morning including
the first time the locomotive could be positioned over a pit for five years,
37254 was confirmed as fit for immediate service. As this coincided with a need
to relocate some of the Spa Valley’s engineering stock around the railway
37254 was immediately rostered to work the train, less than 24 hours after
arrival. 33063 was added to the formation as insurance but was not required.
With 37254 leading, the stock was top & tailed to Groombridge where a crane
was left in the engineers siding after which a wagon was taken to the current
limit of operation at Birchden Junction. 37254 then brought 33063 and a single
wagon back to Tunbridge Wells West, the day’s faultless operation being a
testament to the restoration skills of the locomotive’s small owning group.
Above:- 37254 pauses at High Rocks during its first run along a preserved line. The locomotive was undergoing a test run following its exam and at the same time, was returning rolling stock to Groombridge - Photo D. Staines
On April 26th, the first day of the Spa Valley’s Spring Diesel Gala 37254 is rostered to work its first passenger train for over a decade, its last known passenger working being in connection with the Glastonbury Festival on 27th June 1997.
STATION IMPROVEMENTS AT GROOMBRIDGE
Despite
the railway being closed for the last few months, work at Groombridge station
has continued apace. Work on the new signalbox has been detailed elsewhere on
this website, but the station building itself continues to be improved. In
January, the second pair of canopy stantions were lifted into place and painting
is continuing here. At the end of March, after all the track renewal had been
completed, the P'Way gang assisted in helping to lay a paved area underneath the
first canopy, which greatly improves the general ambience of the station. The
paving slabs were kindly donated last year and have been complimented by some
black bricks.
Above Right:- A view of the newly paved area under the first canopy at Groombridge in early March - Photo M. Dives
Secondly, a second Dreadnought postal truck has been completely rebuilt over the winter by a small team made up of a couple of younger volunteers. The trolley was a complete wreck, left to rot in the bushes, last year and it now looks splendid, bringing the quota up to two now based at Groombridge. It is hoped to give the first one a repaint shortly so that they both match. The next project is also being lined up for the team - a former P'Way trolley.
PERMANENT WAY REPORT
The P'Way gang have certainly been one of the busiest gangs on the railway during the Winter shutdown period. It really is their one chance to get as much work done on the running line as possible without interference from trains.
As
already detailed on these pages, they have relaid a section of track at
Groombridge and helped clean up the spare span on the A26 bridge at Tunbridge
Wells. On 26th March, the new bridge wheel timbers were lifted into place on the
former down line, and with some assistance from a group of contractors, they
were fixed in position and readied for the rails. This will enable us to extend
the siding at Tunbridge Wells initially, followed by expansion of the siding
complex here, as and when pointwork becomes available. This work is the end of a
long held wish to double-track this bridge and it now means other projects can
be progressed over the next few years.
Left:- The newly fitted bridge timbers on the South side of the A26 bridge on 27th March. The timbers and the associated components had been lifted into place the previous day. The boiler in the background now needs moving to allow the rails to be continued from the siding and over the bridge - Photo M. Dives
On Good Friday, the vegetation gang were out in force once again, but this time in the Poke Farm area, to continue the work undertaken last winter. Scrub clearance also continues on the Tunbridge Wells to High Rocks section too, and it's believed the team are well on schedule to meeting their target of complete clearance by next Spring!
Above Left:- A view of the
clearance on the North side of the line at Poke Farm - Photo R. Sharpe
Above
Right:- The tree clearance has improved the view for our passengers, loco crews
and trackworkers. For the latter two, it means that both can be seen in plenty
of time and means volunteers have time to get out of the way of trains. Lady
Ingrid and its train can be seen in the distance on Good Friday - Photo R.
Sharpe
As
described above, the gang have also assisted at Groombridge laying the new paved
area, and in early March, the team spent a Saturday digging out the cutting side
in the run-round loop, in preparation for the new point to be laid here,
hopefully later this year. Work included digging a drain under the track at the
station end of the loop and then clearing the ditch along the north side of the
cutting. The trackbed was also levelled around the Tunbridge Wells end
groundframe.
Right:- A view of the earth works in Groombridge run-round loop showing the clearance in preparation for the new point and track modifications. The embankment has now been dug out behind the groundframe (right) too - Photo S. Pay
11th
March - 37254
TO SPA VALLEY
37254,
now at the end of a lengthy five year overhaul will be making its first runs in
preservation at the Spa Valley Railway’s ‘Spring diesel weekend’ on 26th
& 27th April. It is anticipated that the locomotive will be moved
from its restoration base, a private site near Ashford, and undertake tyre
turning en route to Tunbridge Wells where it will arrive during the last week of
March.
‘Dutch’
liveried 37254 will then remain on the
Above:- 37254 working a china clay working in Cornwall on 14th April 1994 - Photo John Hooson
MEMBERS/VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT WEEKEND - 29TH & 30TH MARCH
The Spa Valley
Railway is run by volunteers from all walks of life, and with all sorts of
interests. Not all of us have a vast knowledge of railway matters or operations,
but that doesn’t necessarily matter. We’re all part of a common cause to
make “Our Railway” the best it can be for the benefit of ourselves and our
many visitors alike.
If you’ve
thought that you might like to be a part of the
Along with a
safety briefing, you’ll meet fellow members, who will guide you through the
maze that is starting something new, and make friendships that can last a
lifetime. The
We’re a
friendly bunch with a common goal – to make the
Join us - even if you can only offer a day every few weeks – every little bit helps, and you’ll be able to say, “I helped to make the railway what it is”.
With the extension to Eridge now within touching distance, there’s never been a more exciting time to get involved. From driving the trains to running the buffet, from repairing bridges to cutting down trees, there’s a job for everyone, and we’d be delighted to have you along for the ride.
Paul can be contacted on volunteer@spavalleyrailway.co.uk or through the office at Tunbridge Wells West.
WINTER TRACK WORKS
Following hot on the heels of the winter track renewal, the Permanent Way gang have been even more busy over the last month. The first couple of weeks were spent undertaking the final fettling of the re-laid section of track. Work then moved to Groomrbridge, where preparatory work is being undertaken in readiness for laying the new point for the run-round loop. This included digging out some of the embankment, which has now been undertaken. Work this weekend will focus on laying a new drain under the old point and preparing some of the trackbed.
Last weekend, saw work concentrating on the Eridge Road bridge. A number of members worked all day to needle-gun the old paint on girders on the former down line span, which has been un-used for a number of years. Work in the last year has seen this span brought up to spec, with a view to laying new bridge timbers on it and replacing the rails.
The
tree clearance gang have continued their hard work over the last month too,
sometimes putting in three days a week. Work continues with distinct progress
being made each day.
Left:- A view towards High Rocks from the A26 bridge on March 9th, shows the extent of this winter's vegetation clearance. This is a drastic change considering less than six months ago, the tress almost covered the 10MPH sign and were touching the rolling stock at this location - Photo R. Sharpe
The photos below have been kindly reproduced by Derek Hayward. He visited the railway in late January and documented all the work going on at the time on the track and Eridge extension. His photos of the extension works can be viewed on the project's dedicated News Page.
Above Left:- The
progress made with the winter track renewal in late January. Sleepers have been
changed from just this side of the signal post in the distance - Photo Derek
Hayward
Above Right:- The progress made with the winter track renewal in late
January, showing the point where they P-Way gang had reached by this point.
Their target, the distance signal, can be seen in the background - Photo Derek
Hayward
Below:- Work has also continued at Groombridge on the second platform
canopy. The columns were lifted into place in early January and all the other
parts were being cleaned up and painted in early March - Photo Derek Hayward
12th Febrauary - WINTER TRACK WORKS
Although
the railway has been shut since the beginning of January, the Permanent Way gang
have been busy making the most of the shorter closure period this year. The
objective was to change wooden sleepers for concrete, between the new home
signal at Groombridge and the distant signal. A total of about twenty 60 foot
panels. The last of the sleepers were changed on the 10th February, and subject
to the completion of the final pieces of work, the line should be re-opened this
coming weekend. This work has been completed in just over 6 weeks, where the
highest number of sleepers changed in one day totalled 103!
Above:-
A view early on 10th February shows the P-Way gang fast approaching their goal
of the distant signal on Lealands straight - Photo R. Sharpe
The track will now undergo final fettling before the P-Way gang move on to other projects which include some jacking and packing at Tunbridge Wells and preparations for a drain to go under the new point at Groombridge - Plenty of work to keep the guys busy until trains resume at Easter.
Right:- Slightly later and another track panel approaches completion and the distant signal can be seen in the background - Photo R. Sharpe
Elsewhere
on the line, a small gang have once again been busy clearing the lineside from
Tunbridge Wells towards High Rocks, on the North side of the
line. The has opened up the views on the first curve out of Tunbridge Wells and
removed branches which were getting very close to the stock and damaging
paintwork. Work will continue on this until the beginning of the nesting season
shortly.
Right:- A view of the recently cleared lineside just outside Tunbridge Wells West on 6th February - Photo B. Halford
28th
January - A
NEW ENGINE
The railway has taken delivery of a new steam engine. 0-6-0ST 'Ugly' arrived on the railway on Saturday 19th January from the Barry Island Railway in Glamorgan. The engine which is the second of its class to be based on the line, has been purchased by a private individual and it's hoped that it can be returned to service relatively quickly. The plan is that Ugly will undergo a boiler swap with Samson, which it is identical to.
Left:- 'Ugly' sits on the low loader shortly after its arrival on January 19th - Photo V. Skinner
Ugly
has had a lead a varied preservation life, having been based at a number of
different preserved railways, including the local Lavender Line at Isfield. It
spent its entire working life at Corby Iron Ore mines working alongside Samson.
Its one and only claim to fame is that it hauled a train carrying HM The Queen, whilst it was based on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. Its name comes
from the nicknames that this class of engine acquired whilst working at Corby,
due to their short tanks which stopped before the cab, and high fireboxes.
Right:- One of Ugly's nameplates - Photo T. Christian
7th
January - ERIDGE
EXTENSION PROGRESS
Work
is steadily proceeding on the
Right:- The Jinty approaches the Down Distant signal during December - Photo D. Staines
A
new signal box controlling the loop is under construction on the platform end at
Groombridge station. Blockwork is already at a height for the beam upon which
the lever frame (formerly in use a mile away at Birchden Junction) will be set.
Work is nearly complete on building the passage for the wires and rodding at the
front of the box. The first of seven new signals required for the scheme, a
distant on the eastern approach to Groombridge has been completed and awaits
commissioning.
Also
at Groombridge the right hand point leading into the loop is being replaced with
a left hand version. Together with slight slewing of track this will permit the
use of an extended length of platform. The new point has been manufactured off
site at Tunbridge Wells.
Right:- The main beam, that the lever frame will stand on, was lifted into position on 5th January. This just requires final adjustments before the frame can start to be installed. The walls of the box will be built up around it now - Photo V. Skinner
Meanwhile
at Eridge part of the old down side buildings have been converted into the new
GROOMBRIDGE STATION NEWS
Work on Stage 3 of the Groombridge station project took a major step forward on Saturday 5th January, when the two platform canopy columns were craned into position. The second canopy, which is being erected on the Eridge side of the station building will be built in the same style as the first one that was built a couple of years ago. Whilst the crane was on site, the main beam of the canopy was offered up to ensure everything fitted correctly, before placing the main beam onto the base of the new signal box. Work will continue on all the canopy components before they are lifted into position.
VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE AWARD
Volunteers at the Spa Valley Railway have received a certificate through the Kent Volunteers Awards for Volunteering Excellence 2007 in recognition of their hard work and commitment over the past year. The award scheme is supported by Kent County Council and businesses and aims to highlight and thank volunteers for the work they do across the county.
Everyone who works at the railway is a volunteer and they undertake a wide range of roles from driving and firing steam engines to taking bookings over the telephone for special events, they come from a range of different backgrounds and are vary in age from teenagers to the over 75’s.
Volunteer Liaison Officer Paul Mckinnell said “We are delighted to receive this certificate which recognises the time and effort which our volunteers have put into running the railway over the past year.”
As the railway nears its long term goal of extending to Eridge, they are seeking new volunteers to help with the running of the railway, from repairing steam and diesel locomotives in their Victorian engine shed, to serving cups of tea and coffee to passengers in the railway’s award winning bar car ‘Kate’, everyone will be made to feel welcome and jobs can be tailored to suit all ages and abilities.
Mr Mckinnell added “Volunteering at The Spa Valley Railway is immensely enjoyable and rewarding, which is why over 100 people regularly volunteer with us; It’s a great way to meet new people and you can make friendships that can last a lifetime.”
If you would like to get involved in helping to run the railway please email volunteer@spavalleyrailway.co.uk or phone 01892 537715 and leave a message for the Volunteer Liaison Officer.
Last Updated 10th June 2008. ©M. Dives