Rother Valley Railway

Harold. Yes. Mike

 

Several updates to the blog, covering the abovementioned installation of the walkways on bridge 25, plus a recap of the ongoing Gully works:
https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/?m=1

 

As a volunteer at a small railway museum, I have learned to never underestimate the ability of a small group of volunteers to start with ostensibly the same information sources and arrive at wildly different conclusions when talking to the public! (And the others may well say the same about me.)

 

Various progress news updates on the RVR Blog page at:

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

Mike Hart.

 

Hi Mike,
Many thanks again for today's journey by Citroën railbus along the glorious Rother Valley. You and Alistair were both excellent and informative hosts, and I hope that we may meet again very soon.
My best wishes to you both,
Mark

 

Thank you Mark. Was a pleasure to meet you and show you around the RVR project works. Looking forward to your next visit. Mike.

 

Deleted

 

RVR Update.

The extensive overhaul of RVR owned locomotive 'Charwelton' chassis is now complete thanks to JM Steam Ltd based at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. That work included fitting new cylinders. Last Thursday the finished rolling chassis was transferred over to the long established Flour Mill locomotive workshops in Gloucestershire who will look after competition of the loco and its recommissioning ready for putting the engine back into service on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. With the locos new boiler due to arrive at the Flour Mill next week everything will then be on site ready for work to get underway

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

 

Hi Mike, I am not sure what it is about 'Charwelton' that I like as a steam loco; maybe it has something to do with the fact that it is a Manning Wardle. Whatever it is, you guys are doing a fantastic job on her, and I look forward to coming down for a ride behind her at some stage

 

One of the recent blog updates says the concrete level-crossing base panels’ve been delivered to all 3 sites and the barrier equipment to (off-site) storage.

Previous reports said the 3 crossings’d be installed on different planned dates for each site, starting with Junction Rd., then Northbridge St. As far as I know these dates’ve not yet been announced but things’re clearly moving towards the first one.

 

The East Sussex Highways road works website currently has no dates showing for the works.

 

We are working with East Sussex County Council, the highway authority for Junction Road, looking at road closure dates. We had hoped for the October half term week but that's already been grabbed by others. So, it looks like the first slot they have available is going to be January unless some other booking can be shuffled around. Mike.

 

It's good to have some hard info "from the horse's mouth". The progress on this project is so impressive and professional-looking!

 

It doesn't help that the A21 around Robertsbridge seems to be closed overnight most nights and Junction Road seems to be a Diversion used by many. In addition North Bridge Street is used by many villagers for access into and out of the village. So whatever date is chosen is going to be an issue for some.

 

But at least it will only be a short, sharp occupation, which wont go on endlessly like the current closures. I got caught by one at Hurst Green the other week, and having to go home via the Ticehurst lanes in the peeing rain was no joke.

 

Does Junction Road, need to be a full closure? Is there enough land to put in a temporary single track road round the site, with traffic lights, if the A21 Is closed at any time whilst the level crossing is being installed and Junction Road still needs to be available, as a diversionary route?

 

Junction Road will need to be a full closure. No room to go anywhere.

 

On any single carriageway road it’s highly unlikely a job like this could be done 'half & half' with traffic-signals. It's not a simple road-surfacing operation. In addition to the dimensions and joint-locations of the concrete base units you’d also need road space for plant, operatives and safety-zones.

RVR’ve always said they’d need road-closures and I’ve no reason to doubt that. They’re using precast concrete units both to reduce road-closure time (probably only a day or two) and to minimise any road maintenance requirements in the future.
Here’s how KESR did it at Rolvenden in 2017 and they’ve since done another at Northiam using the same methods.
https://www.railengineer.co.uk/revolutionary-level-crossing-on-kent-heritage-railway/?amp

From the highway authority’s point of view they need to agree a date not only when there’s no conflicting works in Junction Road itself but also when there’s no conflicting works or events in other roads needing this route as a diversion or relief.

 

Thanks, I just wondered if there was a way to divert traffic around the level crossing site, but as you say, it will need a full closure, I suppose the best time will be overnight, and a weekend, when hopefully there is less traffic,

 

I think Northiam and Rolvenden were done overnight but there was an existing crossing there. Dean Forest railway [advised by someone from KESR] replaced one in about 4 days and have another replacement in the planning stage.