Spa Valley and Eridge

The blurb at the end of the article says:

Small but power-packed... the Spa Valley Railway
Route: Tunbridge Wells West-Groombridge-High Rocks-Eridge (by Easter)
Membership: 670 volunteers ...

HOW MANY?!?!?

Richard

 

out of the 670 members our working member percentage is quite high with a good turn out at weekends and certain groups who meet on weekdays. the atmosphere is also very welcoming, as we are still quite a New railway and relatively small operationally so we have not got too comercialised and not lost thee freindliness, so if you live in the area and like drinking tea!! you are more than welcome to join \/

why have a big railway 8,000 members and only 150 working ones the amount of work required the volunteers become overstretched and enjoyment is taken out of the equasion

 

My investigations reveal that there -
670 paid up members of which
over 200 are registered as regular working volunteers.

 

Which is exactly why I joined as a volunteer 2 years ago and hopefully will continue to volunteer for a good number of years yet. I've now got experience in both on train work such as TTI and the footplate, shop and station, as well as in the Shed...which I have to say I've enjoyed the most in recent months! The only reason I haven't got involved with other areas is simply through lack of time or in the wrong geographical location.
PS forgot to mention that it is also a fairly young railway, with many under 25's in many if not all departments.

 

wow didnt realise we had that many brian, just for everyones information as far as i know today the new point was lifted in at groombridge, the signal box has also had attention recently with several components of the lever frame installed with 4 levers placed in position to enable control of the new point when we open in April
will go down and get some pictures for my fotopic site tomorrow if anyone is interested

 

yes please [-o<

 

i have now posted some pictures of the point installation at Groombridge on my fotopic site for those who are interested to enjoy

 

First of all, congratulations on the progress, and I hope to get down and travel on the extension later in the year. I'd be interested to know what paperwork was required. Did you need a station operators licence for example; does your stock need to be maintained to a defined standard; who maintains the track and signalling in future on the shared bit?

Tim

 

I am amazed at how quickly this extension seems to be progressing!
You say in your comments on your fotopic about your jinty and 5 coaches, well how about a Standard tank and 5 coaches??
Jut a quick question. How do you intend to run round at Eridge?

 

At the present time the final pieces of paperwork are waiting signature so until they are signed off further details cannot be revealed.
The track is inspected and maintained by Network Rail approved contractors.
At Eridge only a single track has been laid and therefore loco hauled trains will be "top and tailed". When funds permit it is planned in the future to construct a run round loop using the trackbed of the old down loop line which was truncated to a bay platform by BR.
Standard tank no. 80078 (from Swanage) ran on the Spa Valley Railway in September 2004.

 

We are open to offers of anyone that wants to bring along their Standard 4 Tank and run it to Eridge now that would be a sight perhaps oneday if someone is feeling generous, a resident one would fit the bill perfectly \/ :-k

 

The previous reported opening date of the extension to Eridge will NOT be taking place at Easter but it is hoped will occur in the first half of the year.
A press notice dated 29th January issued by the Spa Valley Railway Board of Directors reads-

" The Spa Valley Railway is making continued progress topwards the goal of opening the Network Rail infrastructure sharing extension to Eridge. On the former double track Uckfield Line, for one mile between Birchden Junction and Eridge the Spa Valley will utilise the former down line whilst National Rail services will run on the parallel former up line. All track refurbishment has now been completed courtesy of contractor Gramm Interlink and the railway is now waiting completion of the revised level crossing works at Forge Farm being undertaken by Invenys Signalling Systems. Forge Farm Crossing keepers hut has also been refurbished for re-use. Network Rail themselves have undertaken additional forestry and clearance work along the line which has visually returned to the same appearance it bore over 20 years ago at the time of closure. No date for re-opening has been set, but it is hoped it will occur in the first half of the year. On the Spa Valley side of Eridge station a new ticket office has been converted from an existing room together with the refurbishment of the waiting room and toilets.
Allied to the extension project is the conversion of the existing run round loop at Groombridge into a fully signalled passing place. A major element, the replacement of a right hand point with a left hand version was completed in January. A platform extension can now be brought into use together with the commissioning of signalling, including the reuse of a bracket signal recovered from Cuxton. Work on a new signal box is also progressing well, utilising the frame from the long demolished box at Birchden Junction ".

Further details visit the web site www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk

 

The Spa Valley Railway web site has now been updated with recent pages showing the work in progress on the Eridge extension.
Eridge station renovations are now nearly (99%) complete- Telephone , electricity and water mains installed, the platform has been repaired, new platform tarmac surface has been laid, the canopy repaired and repainted, new gutters and downpipes installed, the buildings ( 99% complete) restored and repainted both internalling and externally.
Groombridge- Signal box now constructed to roof level and work now in progress on installing the roof. Signal bases for signals being cast with a few signals already erected.
Visit -www.spavalleyrailway.co uk - scroll down the index on the left hand side and click on "Eridge Extension Project ".
Opening date? - Coming soon.........still expected to be during the summer.

 

Any news yet on an opening date?

All the progress is very encouraging, and I hope that any remaining obstacles will be sorted soon

 

No news yet on opening date to Eridge......
Advance notice will be given to this forum when there is a definite date.

 

I guess the original plans for the reopening have slipped significantly. The website doesn't say anything, so can we look foward to the reopening in 2010 ? I am really looking forward to visiting and would like to be able to pencil a date in my diary.

 

Still no news yet on opening date to Eridge.
Provisional opening dates have previously been given but these are now past and consigned to history. It is unwise to give any more provisional dates until a definite date is announced. This years timetable is on the society web site showing Eridge expected to open in 2010.
Regarding the work- The trackwork is complete. Eridge station renovation work is complete. Staff training work in the classroom is in progress.
Still waiting for the final pieces of paperwork to be signed off.
Advance notice will be given to this forum when there is a definite opening date.

 

Just an update on Steamybrian's post. We stil have a minor signalling installation to do at Eridge, which will involve fitting a groundframe. There are also some extra trackworks that need to be undertaken. However the latter will not be done until the paperwork is complete as it is nothing major.

Classroom training for all our crews is now underway and I attended last weekend. Very interesting and it will be good to see all the hard work that people have undertaken on this finally come to fruition as we move towards the practical element.

Matt

 

Rather a sad sign of the times that it's been necessary to fit roller shutters to the signal box.

 

Some long awaited news on the Eridge Extension copied from the website:

One of the last major hurdles in the Spa Valley Railway’s ground breaking Eridge extension was cleared in late August with the signing of the lease with Network Rail for use of the track and trackbed of the former down line between Birchden and Eridge and into the down main and down bay platforms at Eridge station. Finalisation of one of the other major components in what has become an ever more complicated jigsaw, the station access agreement with train operator Southern is anticipated to be finalised imminently. The Spa Valley already holds a lease upon the platform buildings at Eridge. This now paves the way for the use of heritage Spa Valley services to share a mile of the former double track formation between Birchden Junction and Eridge and similarly share Eridge station with National Rail services. There are still a mirad of tasks to finalise but the heritage line is now looking with greater certainty at the running of ‘preview’ services into Eridge towards the end of this year before a formal VIP opening early in 2011.



http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/SpaLatestNews.htm