20/21 December - Replacement of 91 bullhead with 95lb rail on platform road started. Three way point finally being removed. That's it folks till next Wednesday as we all take a very well deserved rest from relentless trackwork for the Christmas break. Stay tuned for more trackwork shenanigans next year...
91lb rail and chairs replaced with 95lb - passenger running line.
The 3way point (HMRI unfriendly) bites the dust at last...
14/18 December - Yard end buffer stops on back and middle road receiving new bracing, using lengths of bullhead. Last rail required on platform runround installed and gauged. A few remedial jobs on track (such as fishplate adjustment and ballast removal from under point tie bars) performed. Apparently the volunteers Christmas party on Saturday 17th went swimmingly...I was in Belgium stocking up on tabs and booze.
effect of Xmas blowout - picture from D. Felton
Blowing Holes for bolts
Yard - a work in progress
reverse view.
10 December - Still progressing trackwork in yard - this is the volunteers main focus. Middle road is presently being actioned, extending back from runround to bufferstop.
Picture of buffet from bonfire night...
16 November - From last report, we have relaid half of track nearest trams, spread a carpet of ballast along the path of the middle road, started to lay out the point for the platform runaround, and disposed of surplus earth to build up the bank behind 'the potting sheds' - as one volunteer calls the van bodies! Things didn't quite go to plan on setting out the timbers under the points - the lengths were miscalculated slightly for the current positions under the frog - this will be easily rectified but not today. The minidigger went off hire - but it goes to show what a bit of mechanisation and some motivated volunteers can achieve.
Laying out the frog.
Reverse direction - with pit on right by workshop.
10 November - Mini digger on site for a week, so trackwork can finally resume. A big push this week to get the most out the hire we can - so there is an on site gang everyday this week, the idea is to continue the trackwork in the yard as much as possible, as it was never originally ballasted on two roads and we only had a buffer stop on the platform road - so all this along with jacking and packing, and a lot of pointwork will be progressed. A great step forward is that a pit has been dug as we so desperately need to build our infrastructure on site to allow for routine maintenance and inspection on locos and rolling stock, this of course still needs to be cemented and rerailed.
The inspection pit is dug.
Middle road has a buffer stop, now being relayed on a bed of ballast. The 'Flying Flea' behind Geoff is actually an accomplished trackwork vehicle, making J&P much easier.
Ballasting, jacking and packing.
7 November update - Unfortunately management issues have seriously impacted on forward progress on site - hopefully these will be thrashed out at the end of November and we can get 'back on track'. However, a solid week of trackwork will take place for the next seven days with the help of a 4 tonne minidigger and as many volunteers as want to help us out on site.
22 October update - Drewry locomotive delivered to site Thursday 13th October, needs repairs to control panel and some other minor repairs to go into service. Trackwork has stopped yet again, particularly due to need for mini digger hire which cannot be financed at the moment, the lack of some specialist point chairs is now also an issue. At the moment loco repairs and painting / cleaning are being carried out mainly until situation can be sorted out with the RVR Ltd. Below some pictures of site developments. On a more positive note, a lot of very hard physical work has been done by some volunteers in pouring concrete and doing foundations for the platform ramp.
Concrete ramp foundations
Lifted track in yard for regrading and proper relaying with ballast. Toilet area marked with stripped tape.
Third road awaiting regrade and relay - where's the mini digger?
Our second 'new' loco - a Drewry similar to Titan. Needs some work to become serviceable.
5 October update - Matisa is serviceble, with minor defects, allowing us to shunt and finally continue with yard trackwork. Stock moved to facilitate track lifting in yard, which has commenced in preparation for ballasting and new sleepers/rail, and completion of pointwork. Toilet block area staked out as this will be essential for when open to public in future - at back of yard near trams.
28 September - Day spent on new loco - delivered on Monday 26 September. This is a diesel-electric Matisa (Swiss built). We should have a diesel-mechanical coming shortly, but without an operating loco and lots of trackwork to do, it has been imperative to try and get this operational. By the end of the day, the loco was succesfully started. More work needs to be done to put into service - although the Drury loco expected soon is already known to be a 'runner' and will be the priority when on site.
21 September - Spent most of day clearing up on site - as so much trackwork has been done recently, there were chairs, bits of rail, and fittings and scrap all over the place so things have been tidied up a bit. Late afternoon, some stock movement took place as a couple of wagons are due to go off site shortly and we can complete new trackwork configuration in the yard.
18 September -A bit more trackwork and some stock movement onto runround / second track.
After stock movement
Yard after stock movement
14 September - Placed a temporary panel in on third road, to enable extraction of brake van. We had to level the area and clear rubble, put 15 sleepers into place with chairs, then manually shift two 45 foot / 95lb PY rails into place, as the crane driver was taking a well earned holiday. It was then all drilled and screwed down, and the brakevan backed up 10 metres using pinch bars and human weight against a small gradient. This will allow the track to be slewed over properly. A good days work.
Manhandling rails
Using rail saw.
10 Sep - Instead of our previous annual sponsored walk out to Bodiam (Hoppers Weekend) we decided this year to instead have a stall promoting our project to the punters for the whole weekend, instead of the usual hour while we tanked up on beer and burgers for the return walk to Robertsbridge. It was deemed a better PR exercise, and the volunteers are only prepared to restart sponsored walk in the future, once the project has got somewhere a bit further (say Northbridge Street). It has turned out to be a resounding success, and this is being written up on the 1st day (Saturday), with lots of people who didn't know of the Rother Valley Railway' being enlightened. The intention now is to do this every year. Pictures below.
K&ESR's Diesel Rail Car (DMMU) - Perfect for Robertsbridge - Bodiam shuttles.
The usual suspects
l
Bodiam station yard and other exhibitors
Our stand - plus a volunteers Alfa
Spreading the word...
4 September - Sunday morning spent banksman training, as it is imperative that all volunteers within crane proximity know how to work properly with the crane driver (Dave). Afternoon spent drilling and screwing frog down and getting ever closer to track work in the yard to complete run round. Pictures taken 8 Sep.
3 September - A stall was taken at the local Robertsbridge Garden Show and Fete, on a hot day...
1 September - Run round almost complete. Needs lots of Jacking and packing.
27 August - Staplehurst job - finished track lifting of siding Recovered lots of chairs and pandrols/screws plus small quantity of bull head rail. Oversight made - took impact wrench to unscrew chairs, but did not have correct socket - oops! It turned out that half the chairs had cracked (possibly through metal fatigue caused by wooden block expansion and contraction over the years) and a lot of sleepers were completely rotten, so the chairs ripped out of them, a lucky break! Job done. Thanks again to Andy at Network Rail.
21 August - Double track progresses - crane can now traverse over new point into yard. Shortly be tackling lifting of three way point section and sorting out yard roads.
3 August - Continuing trackwork.
31 July - Back at Staplehurst to pick up track material donated by Network Rail - predominately an old siding of 100 metres (ish), a buffer stop and various clips and bits...some knuclehead had dumped a mountain of ballast on top of a 60ft section, so we could not take that as we could only have half the ballast, which was not financially workable.
Slight oversight was made - the HIAB lorry bed was not long enough to take the 30ft track sections, or the 42 foot point work, so going to have to do another day with an artic...however, the buffer stop, some concrete sleepers and track fittings were transported to Robertsbridge. Thanks to handy Andy from Network Rail!
start of job
looking to mainline (and that ballast)
A large compound - so lets drop the ballast right on the track!
Lifting concrete sleepers
27 July - Work continues on runround pointwork - lots to do...
20 July - Pointwork continues in yard. Bucket loader back in service.
15 July - cummulative update - Work has started on run round and revised track layout necessitated for passenger rides (HMRI). Steam charter photos (13 July). Pictures of ditch dredging work and clearance work.
Dredged ditch at bottom of embankment - the area is now finally drying out.
Steam loco (just!) visible coming through Robertsbridge. I was a bit quick on the trigger and my digital camera has a long lag between shots...
So this was the only other one I got. 13 July at 1855ish.
4 Jun Staplehurst - Network Rail kindly donated signalbox frame from redundant station box.
Suitably dosed up on coffee and bacon rolls, work commenced...by 1500 all was done.
The unassuming box - everything came out the window.
Commencing deconstruction
Dave on the case
The lever pit - very filthy work down there, full of leaves and customer detritus. Every time a 'fast' came through a whirlwind of this material ended up in (most!) orifices...
Inspecting the booty
1 Jun Another 'back breaking' day at Betteshanger sorting and stacking point sleepers. Managed to recover almost all useful material to RVR by truck on 2 Jun. Mostly same crew so rather weary. Very grateful for cooperation of Fitzpatrick.
Sorting the stack.
Neat pile of standard lengths. Unfortunately these were to stay on site.
Grim determination to finish the job.
Preparing to lift...again
Another sleeper heads to be stacked.
29 May Pictures from site showing the material recovered from Betteshanger and progress in removing large bank. Also planning permission has been granted for rezoning of land as a railway again - with conditions.
Last remnants of big bank
this is where it ends up...Southern Water mandatory access to pipeline.
Chairs and track materials in a big dusty heap.
More ex-Betteshanger material.
Buffer stops had to be sawn in half to transport.
Skip for damaged chairs to go scrap.
25 May Progress report: Due to the generous donation of track materials facilitated by SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) we have been receiving vast quantities of track materials from the former Betteshanger Colliery site in Kent (near Sandwich). Several volunteers had already gone to help facilitate movement - today a group of six went to recover point timbers. Pictures below. A lot of chairs have already arrived on site with clips and spikes. Broken chairs have been sent for scrap, as the track was roughly 'dismantled' to allow progress for the country park being developed, and fishplates were gasaxed. Much more needs sorting. Wednesday 1 Jun is last opportunity to do manual sorting at Betteshanger in prep for transporting of rest of material.
Back at RVR, painting has started on the crane, and it has been formally certified for 4 tonnes. The bucket loader has had its engine reinstalled, and bank removal work has started near bridge sections.
2 May Volunteers from the Bluebell visited on a reciprocal 'field trip'. It is always helpful to have dialogue and share experiences with other railways. We all walked to Bodiam and back to show the extent of 'progress'.
Unfortunately most people were not used to an 8 mile round trip and were rather the worse for wear on the return. Trains were running at Bodiam and we talked to a few KESR volunteers as well as a stop in the buffet.
Along the Udiam cutting
End of Udiam cutting
Start of prepared trackbed, towards Bodiam (KESR) headshunt.
Austins bridge - our finest pway structure, languishing unused in the middle of nowhere...
Late April Not so much going on at the moment on site - most projects on hold while planning permission is going through. This has allowed time to be spent on some other tasks, such as rebuild of pway trolley and other engineering and maintenance. Model railway exhibition held over 23 and 24th weekend was well attended - thanks to all who exhibited and attended.
New pway trolley
Dave working on the 'flying flea'. It has a hydraulic table which can be used to spin it round 180 on the track and lots of other previously unknown talents (I don't think it can fly though!)
6 & 7 April Bridge timbers being sawn into point and standard sleepers with the help of a mobile bandsaw. Creosote substitute applied to timbers. Even after saw hire and an industrial quantity of 'creosote' this will save a lot of money and enable us to get on with critical trackwork.
Treating sawn sleepers with 'creosote' (smells the same to me!)
3 April Worked all day with bridge timbers preparing and sorting for cutting on Wednesday into point sleepers.
Rother Valley Railway flower bed (and nice new ballast)
Flower bed and diesel tank
28 Mar Trackwork on Oak Tree sidings and fence clearance work.
New ballast for run round.
Siding relaying.
Veg clearance bottom of Oak Tree bank. A right swamp at the moment as the drainage ditch is full of debris.
Late Feb to Sunday 20 Mar Ballast delivery for second track, ornamental landscaping, bridge section cut and moved out of way of ballast delivery lorries. Drain work near B&Q (PWay hut). Vegetation cleared from top of big bank. A furry intruder! Pictures below,
Moving bridge timbers for cutting into point sleepers
A view down track. Burnt out inspection coach against buffers.
This pole is so old it has a 4 digit phone number!
Helen's Rother Valley sign
Clearance of top of bank of vegetation to be excavated for engine shed.
Network Rail machinery used during recent engineering works on mainline.
Removing rail from concrete sleepers and pandrols donated by contractors.
Gas axing bridge section in two to clear room for ballast delivery.
Delivery of sand/ballast mix for drain manhole construction.
Ballasted section for second running line (with Terram matting).
Intruder of the furry kind!
Wednesday 23 Feb update Oak tree sidings worked on during preceeding week, straps removed from all exposed bridge sections, and some timbers layed by track for reworking into point sleeper timbers. Trees leaning on Network Rail fence removed.
Oak tree sidings remodelling
Sunday 13 Feb Finished tree and high level clearance near first bridge. Crane repaired and tested. Oak Tree sidings tidy up.
February 05 Driver training and work started on foundations for platform ramp for disabled patrons.
January 05 Lots of digger and dumper action at the RVR. A new drainage ditch has been constructed along by the bank, from near the workshop container right down past the bridge sections, and partially filled with scrap ballast and also piped. During the excavation work, the original trackbed was exposed near bridge sections, under a load of wealden clay, and an old drain and soakaway, which is still in excellent condition, and is being incorporated into the drainage works. A few manhole covers have to be fabricated and some more work done to finish. Bridge sections still on site as scrap value not back up to level for sale yet, this is holding up finance for trackwork and infrastructure needed to commence brakevan rides - hopefully this situation will change soon. Driver training has commenced.
30 Jan pictures
A very water a clay clogged trackbed.
22 Jan pictures
Fuelling up Titan.
With all the plant on site, we have been getting through a large quantity of red diesel.
16 Jan pictures
Old drain - lives again!
Drainage work
A lot of extra material has gone into Oak Tree sidings and this area is constantly being extended and relandscaped. The crane has kindly been donated to the Rother Valley Railway, as it was expected to cost us money being relocated from the Spa Valley.
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