Rother Valley Railway

You can be sure that any safety regulations and any organizational structures will - like the Australian track gauges - vary from State to State.

 

Here is the version of the URL that will work when it is no longer the most recent post (which is what the one above is).

Noel

 

Re hard hats and hi-viz, I went to watch the recovery after the Mottingham derailment in 1977, when the cement was being sucked out of the derailed wagons into Blue Circle tanker lorries on lowmacs. It was noticeable that the BR staff were wearing hi-viz but no hard hats, and the Blue Circle lot had hard hats but no hi-viz.

 

Having seen so much about the re-connection of the RVR "Missing Link", I was wondering whether a gradient profile for Robertsbridge Junction to Junction Rd is available. The existing KESR profile is Tenterden Town to Junction Road.

Presumably the full survey of the missing section has been completed, or does it perhaps need to be amended once the track has been laid?

 

@Wenlock - see the last few pages of the TWAO Land Plans document at:
https://www.rvr.org.uk/documents/

 

Thanks.

In due course, perhaps a clever person could convert the gradient information into a simplified profile to add to the Gradient Profiles section of this forum.

 

The correct name for the "headshunt" is Robertsbridge Down Siding
In Robertsbridge A days it was shown as the Long Siding on the signal diagrams and previous to that it had been the down goods loop.
With the reopening of the reversible Tenterden line via the connection does the siding need re-naming?
More importantly will the K&ESR revert to the historically correct up towards Robertsbridge or will it persevre with the 1974 preservation's up towards Tenterden?
Or maybe a compromise wherby "UP" changes direction on the RVR / KESR boundary much the same as the middle of the platform at Hastings?

 

What is practicable is most important. I doubt that anyone will be loosing sleep over the historical accuracy of what is 'up' and what is 'down' between Robertsbridge Junction and Tenterden Town.

 

I did correct myself on a later post, realising that the "headshunt" is what was the old bay platform road. Never knew that the Down/ Long Siding was once a goods loop, though. Any idea when it ceased to be?

 

The points at the northern end were still there in 1978, when I saw it in use during engineering work. I therefore assume it was removed during electrification.

 

The points at the north end were the only facing access to the goods shed and yard from the down line because of the K&ESR junction and the trailing crossove that allowed the KESR trains to access the down main line platform. Im not sure whether control of the points were transferred to Robertsbridge B when the A signal box was closed or whether they were transferred to a ground frame.

 

RVR Trust’ve launched Phase 2 of their fundraising campaign, this time for the loco shed & facilities (“far more than a mere building”).

Please send lots of money.
https://www.rvr.org.uk/fundraising/

 

Its a worthy cause, and you know that the funds raised will be used efficiently.
Helen Douglas is the new Appeals Director, and, having made a donation a few months back, was very pleasantly surprised recently to receive a (handwritten, no less!) letter of thanks from Helen. It's touches like that which make a real difference, particularly in this current world where fundraising is going to be such a tough job.
But it's attention to detail on this level , and making donors feel genuinely appreciated, which is going to get you over the line.

 

The official Locomotive shed appeal.
https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/2025/12/locomotive-shed-1-appeal-launch.html

 

Friends and Colleagues

The Rother Valley Railway Project appeal to raise the balancing funds of £350,000 to cover the total £600,000 cost of building the loco shed and it's associated facilities at Robertsbridge was launched about 10 days ago.

Responses to date have been most encouraging, though we've got a way to go yet. Details of the appeal below:

Link to Appeal Brochure (flick the pages forward with RH side arrow and for full size view click the four arrow box bottom RH corner):

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-station-building-appeal-leaflet.html

Link to RVR website appeal video:

https://www.rvr.org.uk/fundraising/

Link to RVR website appeal pages:

https://www.rvr.org.uk/

If you feel you might be able to help that would really be very much appreciated and so ensure construction the loco shed and its associated facilities can get underway in the new year.


Meanwhile very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year


Mike Hart

 

Latest updates from Rother Valley Railway at the link below cover the run up to the Christmas - New Year period shut down at the link below:

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

We have been lucky with work out along the trackbed having had a period of half decent weather in the early part of December. But, now with the coming of the winter rains, our valiant contractors have been finishing off current task wallow around in ground conditions best described as liquid mud soup. Given kind weather gods in the first couple months of the new year that will allow the partially flooded valley bottom floor to dry out so we can get back to the 2.1/2 mile long 'missing link' trackbed reconstruction works.

With best wishes for Christmas and the coming new year along with our very grateful thanks to all who have so kindly helped with our appeal to fund the new locomotive shed and its associated facilities.

Mike Hart
RVR

 

Good to see Charwelton on the home straight. Have a great Christmas, Mike.

 

Best wishes for Christmas and the forthcoming year, Mike. See you sometime.

 

Very interesting updates on the RVR site 2512 Along the Route -1 | RVRailway News and 2512 Along the Route -2 | RVRailway News

Really encouraging to see the very substantial progress that has been made on the trackbed.

 

Particularly at Salehurst, where, until autumn, was a no-go area, thanks to the ubiquitous newts. Glad to see they have been moved on.