Rother Valley Railway

Normal services resume. Including the lost post at:

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

 

Looking at the Pictures - I believe that the passing loop is to the west of Bridge 24 on the way to Salehurst Halt.

 

Thanks for the clarification. There is an update from Alasdair Stewart in Phoenix 115 - the supporters association Magazine.

 

Quite correct, Harold. I would appear to be losing my senses

 

I have checked the various web pages etc but can't find out if all the issues over the land the route is to pass have now been sorted. Presumably I haven't looked hard enough!

But does the railway now have ownership and/or the right to build the new route all the way to join the end of the line that currently heads out west (ish) from Bodiam please?

Bryan

 

From the outside, I am fairly sure that the answer is 'yes'. The line bought some land ("4 out of the 6 lengths"), but there was (at least) one landowner who simply would not sell. The line was forced to go the TWAO route in 2021, which after a public hearing, etc, was granted in May 2023. (See TWAO Documents for more.) "Having now come into force the Order gives us the necessary powers to complete the railway. " Note that the TWAO is also useful with the road crossings.

PS: Decision - Bodiam to Robertsbridge Junction: Transport and Works Act order is the government's original copy of the TWAO.


Also, while I'm posting: I note that the Northbank headshunt is, at its far end, about a foot above the level of the main line right next to it. Since they are even, close to that, back where they join (back roughly level with the engine shed, after going through a Z-shaped path through a couple of switches), I'm curious about why the level difference. Does anyone know why?

Noel

 

If I remember rightly, the headshunt is level, while the running line slopes down to the approach to Northbridge Street. Robertsbridge station itself is on slightly higher ground.

 

Bryan

The process of taking the land of the railway was completed some while ago.

Mike Hart

 

Correct

Mike Hart

 

News of progress with completion of locomotive 'Charwelton' rebuild, including new boiler & cylinders, now up on the RVR Blog at:

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

 

As ever, here is a permanent link (i.e. the link in this post should continue to work, even after further posts to the RVRailway News blog have been made) to the Charwelton item.

It only takes a few seconds (depending on one's computer and browser - Apple's don't have 'right click', the provision of which makes this operation even more trivial) to pick up the correct item URL (as above) from the convenient drop-down 'recent items' sidebar menu on the home page, and use that (instead of the one to the RVRailway News blog), so there's no excuse for not doing so! (Apologies in advance for my grump; I often read archived posts, and not using the specific URL can make doing so painful.)

Noel

 

With the coming of dryer weather at the beginning of April work is well underway on the Rother Valley Railway trackbed. Latest RVR Blog news page features work at the location of the planned future passing loop:

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/2026...fAgiBCbsxnlvMd0paY_aem_TnF476oRkvUYUzx7_3x86g

 

A new post (in two halves) on the RVR Blog Site featuring the arrival of GWR Loco No. 4270 at K&ESR yesterday. All part of our 'Ready for Robertsbridge' planning.. Mike

https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/2026...mY9WOJrg8B0L2UYl-w_aem_A3_cEm0oBIYNEal3GMYJ6A

 

You know, this beast was way ahead of its time, and ended up being just an awkward footnote in KESR history, but would be very useful today, as well as authentic.

(Credit: Charlie Verrall on Flickr)
If anyone ever proposed a new-build, I'd be the first to cough up for it!

 

Pop out to Paraguay and recquisition this one, nothing a bit of Duct tape and a gas axe won't fix: Steam Locomotive Information

 

I've noticed from the latest overheads of construction progress that there are literally thousands of concrete sleepers laid out in ranks of 4, in the cess on the south side of the route, and was trying to figure out wether this is in preparation for tracklaying, or for reinforcement against erosion from flooding?
If this is a silly question, do forgive

 

It's how we laid the Bodiam extension.
The Northiam extension was laid with track panels, assembled at Wittersham.

 

Cheers, Jo. So presumably each set of 4 is lifted using a spacing jig?

 

Yes, a spacing jig was used, and iirc it wasn't a 4 but a 7. That was genius! The extra 3 fitted precisely between the 4, so the jig was lowered a second time. The rail lengths were laid out L and R, and a reversing 360 laid out the sleepers and then lifted each rail in.

There was a pull along van with a genny, a microwave, and a massive stack of instant meals

 

Ah, yes, I spent a couple of days on track panels at Wittersham.