Historical company Kent and East Sussex Railway

1 historical company

1.1 background
1.2 opening , growth
1.3 grouping , decline
1.4 british railways
1.5 operation
1.6 accidents

historical company
background

by mid nineteenth century, tenterden in middle of triangle of railway lines. south eastern railway had opened line redhill tonbridge on 12 july 1841. line opened far headcorn on 31 august 1842 , ashford on 1 december 1843. south eastern railway opened line ashford hastings on 13 february 1851.

the third part of triangle line between tonbridge , hastings had opened far tunbridge wells on 24 november 1846, robertsbridge on 1 september 1851, battle on 1 january 1852 , st leonards on 1 february 1852. running powers on london, brighton , south coast railway s line hastings having been negotiated.

the ashford - hastings line had been promoted run via headcorn , tenterden, parliament preferred more southerly route. in 1855, proposed railway headcorn via cranbrook tenterden failed obtain act of parliament. in 1864, proposed railway paddock wood via cranbrook , tenterden hythe (the weald of kent railway) failed obtain act of parliament. proposed roadside tramway headcorn tenterden suffered same fate in 1882. in 1877, cranbrook , paddock wood railway incorporated, , powers obtained build northern section of weald of kent railway transport agricultural produce , livestock low-lying land adjacent wittersham road better mainline connection. powers obtained in 1882 extend line hawkhurst. line opened goudhurst in 1892 , hawkhurst in 1893.

the tenterden railway next proposed, running maidstone hastings via headcorn, tenterden, , appledore. section headcorn appledore authorised in 1892, , agreement reached in 1896 south eastern railway on operation of line. in 1898, proposal abandoned in favour of extending cranbrook , paddock wood railway tenterden , appledore. abandoned in 1899 expensive construct , south eastern railway again backed tenterden railway, no work done , powers construct line lapsed in 1901.

with passing of light railways act 1896 group of citizens of tenterden, led sir myles fenton proposed railway robertsbridge tenterden - rother valley railway. assent granted construct line under act. contract construction of line won london , scottish contract corporation, sub-contracted work godfrey , siddelow. work overseen holman f stephens, appointed general manager in 1899 , managing director in 1900. stephens attained rank of lieutenant-colonel in territorial army (ta) in 1916 , subsequently known colonel stephens.

opening , growth

the light railways act 1896 allowed cheaper construction methods in return speed restriction. line authorised built 56 pounds per yard (27.8 kg/m) rails built 60 pounds per yard (29.8 kg/m) rails. speed limited 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), under terms of act raised 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). line opened freight between robertsbridge , rolvenden on 26 march 1900, , passenger traffic on 2 april 1900. wind pump provided @ robertsbridge supply water locomotives. original tenterden station, later renamed rolvenden 2 miles (3.2 km) town. first train departed @ 7:30 am, carrying 60 passengers. lukewarm reception being partly because of distance of station town, , partly due fears opening of light railway robertsbridge prevent more heavily engineered line being built headcorn.

with abandonment south eastern railway of plans build cranbrook appledore line, scheme adopted rother valley railway. opposition south eastern railway meant tenterden appledore section dropped. authorisation received in december 1899 build cranbrook , tenterden light railway cranbrook via benenden tenterden terminus of rother valley railway, , extend further town of tenterden itself. proposal promoted in 1900 build line robertsbridge pevensey, worked rother valley railway. east sussex light railway authorised in 1901. line northiam rye. section original tenterden terminus tenterden town built of these schemes.

the extension tenterden town opened on 15 april 1903. original tenterden station renamed rolvenden on date. 312 schoolchildren carried on first train rolvenden tenterden, along sir myles fenton, holman f stephens, , other dignitaries. south eastern , chatham railway, seeking relieve building tenterden railway, entered agreement rother valley railway latter build , operate line tenterden headcorn. south eastern , chatham railway agreed make operating losses in exchange option purchase line @ time within next 21 years date of opening. option not exercised. windpump provided @ headcorn end of station. supplied water tower located @ robertsbridge end of station. in 1904, rother valley railway changed name kent & east sussex light railway.

the line tenterden headcorn opened traffic on 15 may 1905. wind pump provided outside headcorn junction supply water locomotives. in 1904, headcorn & maidstone junction light railway authorised. line have run headcorn via sutton valence tovil, running powers on part of medway valley line have allowed access maidstone. section tovil tovil goods ever built. original junction @ headcorn on ashford side of station. headcorn remodelled southern railway in 1930 provide 2 through roads , junction moved tonbridge side of station.

on outbreak of war in 1914, k&esr came under government control, did railways @ time. released government control in 1921, , £1,487 in compensation paid. k&esr not included in grouping of railways big 4 in 1923, , continued independent existence.

grouping , decline

by 1924, section tenterden headcorn operating @ loss. correspondence southern railway in 1930 led sir herbert walker stating there no chance of line making profit, , if passenger services withdrawn, doubtful whether receipts freight traffic cover operating expenses. should noted southern railway liable make operating losses, successor south eastern , chatham railway under terms of act of parliament construction of section of line.

in 1931, colonel stephens died, , management of k&esr came under control of william henry austen, had been assistant stephens number of years. in 1932, austen appointed official receiver line. entered negotiations southern railway aimed @ disposing of worn out stock , obtaining serviceable replacements. 1 batch of stock disposed of valued @ £855, realised £6 10s 0d. in 1935, k&esr purchased 2-ton bedford lq lorry, , purchased in 1936. in year, first of locomotives hired southern railway arrived on line, p class no. 1556. whole line relaid 60 pounds per yard (29.8 kg/m) rails in 1939.

when war broke out in 1939, k&esr again came under government control, being placed under railway operating division of royal engineers. rail mounted guns stationed @ rolvenden , wittersham. line alternative supply route south coast, , relieved of pressure on ashford. components operation pluto conveyed along line. increase in price scrap metal during war, of lines surplus stock scrapped. on 1 january 1948, line became part of british railways, southern region on nationalisation.

british railways

british railways class a1x no. 32678 , birdcage brake @ tenterden town recreating typical branch line train of 1950s



notice of closure, 1953

upon nationalisation, 1 of surviving 2 locomotives , newest rolling stock scrapped. ex south eastern , chatham railway birdcage carriages put service on line, supplementing ex london , south western railway carriages. mixed trains continued run, provided brake van. line continued run 2 sections. proposed double line. not done, line again relaid higher standard using rails salvaged elham valley railway. ticket stock withdrawn , new tickets printed , staffing of stations increased. not accompanied increase in passengers, , regular passenger services ceased: final passenger train ran on 2 january 1954. 5:50 pm robertsbridge headcorn, composed of 6 corridor coaches had been specially brought ashford occasion. motive power terriers 32655 leading , 32678 @ rear. 32655 replaced o1 31064 , 32678 banked train st michael s. 2 terriers ran robertsbridge carriage between them reduce weight on bridges. double-heading prohibited between rolvenden , robertsbridge.

two freight trains day run, hop-pickers specials running until 1958. there occasional passenger traffic in form of railtours. in 1957, drewry diesel locomotive 11220 tried on line, , , 11223 regular locomotives final years of operation. in 1958, hastings diesel electric multiple unit number 1002 underwent load tests between bodiam , northiam - time 1 of these units visited line prior preservation era. final passenger train on line before closure locomotive club of great britain railtour on 11 june 1961. line closed following day apart short stretch @ robertsbridge serving hodson s flour mill, became private siding. final section of line closed on 1 january 1970.

operation

the kent & east sussex light railway operated 2 separate sections, robertsbridge - tenterden town , tenterden town - headcorn. extension headcorn had been built heavier rails robertsbridge - rolvenden section, , had higher axle loading allowing use of heavier locomotives. section between tenterden town , headcorn largely paralleled roads, , open competition road transport. although rother valley railway , kent & east sussex light railway ran separate passenger , freight trains, 1920s mixed trains norm. first railbus introduced in 1923. although these light , economical run, did not provide in way of passenger comfort.

between 1928 , 1933 through coach added 5:15 pm cannon street hastings, detached @ robertsbridge , worked on tenterden. in hop-picking season, special trains run bring hop-pickers down london. 1 such train in 1936 recorded having consisted of 4 southern railway bogie carriages, 2 k&esr six-wheeled carriages , van. train hauled ex lswr saddletank no 4. k&esr s own stock confined system. southern railway refused permission of k&esrs carriages taken lydd in 1947 citing safety reasons. carriages required use in filming of loves of joanna godden.

tickets issued on trains, although k&esr did not acquire corridor carriages until 1944. tickets printed @ rolvenden. tickets other lines under colonel stephens control printed here.

accidents

in 1916, hesperus derailed when locomotive ploughed snow drift.
on 9 january 1929, ford railmotor derailed @ junction road (for hawkhurst).
no 7 derailed @ unknown date.
on saturday 26 march 1949 terrier 32678 derailed between northiam , rother bridge working 5.50pm bexhill west. month passed before 32678 recovered.
in may 1983, manning wardle charwelton derailed between wittersham road , rolvenden causing damage approximately 100 yards of track , locomotive s axle boxes.




^ kidner, r w (1977). south eastern & chatham railway. tarrant hinton: oakwood press. pp. 5–10. 
^ garrett 1980, p. 5.
^ garrett 1980, p. 6.
^ garrett 1980, p. 7.
^ garrett 1980, p. 8.
^ cite error: named reference rwkidner invoked never defined (see page).
^ garrett 1980, p. 9.
^ garrett 1980, p. 16.
^ garrett 1980, p. 17.
^ garrett 1980, p. 18.
^ garrett 1980, p. 19.
^ garrett 1980, p. 23.
^ garrett 1980, p. 21.
^ rose, neil (1984). kent & east sussex railway stockbook. tenterden: colonel stephens publications. 
^ garrett 1980, p. 29.
^ garrett 1980, p. 25.
^ garrett 1980, p. 27.
^ accident @ junction road . stephens museum. archived original on 3 november 2009. retrieved 18 january 2010. 
^ garrett 1980, p. 24-25.
^ mr p d shaw (ed.). tenterden terrier no.76. pp. 40–42.