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‍Kent & East Sussex Railway

Members e-newsletter No.48

‍Hello   

‍Welcome to the May 2021 issue of the e-newsletter    

‍The first public train of 2021 departs Tenterden on Saturday 22nd May 2021...

‍From the Chair...

I can’t resist taking the opportunity to say that when you travel on the line this year there is one thing that you won’t see.  The line of derelict vehicles stored in the open country between Northiam and Bodiam – and visible from the top of Bodiam Castle – has now gone, and the local countryside restored to its original state.  More on this in a subsequent article, but I’d like to record here our thanks to those who planned and executed the operation.  

Although we hope that our cash registers will soon start ringing, we still need to continue our Sixtieth Anniversary Appeal.  It is now over halfway to completion but, as we predicted, the second half is proving to be challenging and as we reopen we turn our attentions to asking our visitors to help us meet our target.  Please do what you can to support, including by passing the materials on to all your social media contacts.  

The separate Kitchen Car and the Terrier 150 appeals of course remain in being, and the latter has recently been boosted to the tune of no less than £25,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, a family-run philanthropic trust that has been in existence since 1958.  We are extremely grateful to them for this generous gesture.  One of our two Terriers will of course be welcomed back into service on 21 May and will then go on tour to the Isle of Wight – we hope that the publicity from those two events will further boost the coffers.

Pannier tank with vintage coaches as part of Ewhurst siding stock removal.  

Image courtesy of Jonathan Edwards

‍We continue to explore all possible funding opportunities, and any suggestions and offers of help will always be welcomed by the Fundraising Working Party.

As if reopening and resetting the Railway wasn’t enough, the prospect of running trains to Robertsbridge is becoming more real.  The Public Inquiry into the enabling Transport and Works Act Order is finally due to begin on 6 July and we are already heavily engaged in preparing our evidence in support of our friends at the Rother Valley Railway who will actually own and build the new piece of line. 

Assuming the Transport and Works Act Order is granted, the work to plan how we are going to run our trains over it will begin in earnest.  Much was done some years ago, so we shan’t be starting from scratch.  There are huge opportunities for us but also challenges and risks which we shall need to understand and deal with.

All of which means that we are going to continue to be very busy for the rest of 2021.  We are spread pretty thinly across all the tasks that need to be accomplished, not to mention those things we would like to see done but which aren’t essential.  Sometimes that can be a worry, and we do need to temper ambition with realism.  We can’t do everything at once.

But one thing we can all do, with effect from now, is to enjoy operating, showing off and travelling on our trains.  See you at Tenterden, very soon.

Simon Marsh

Chairman

‍Ian Scarlett, George Harman and Christopher Stuchbury enjoy being "back" on the line on Friday 21st May 2021.  Image courtesy of C Stuchbury

‍From the (virtual) Boardroom

‍The board of trustees, with one apology for absence, had its monthly meeting on Saturday 24 April.  We used the K&ESR’s Zoom facility. 

The e-Newsletter provides an opportunity to give a brief flavour of some of the most important points.  It should not in any sense be regarded as a formal record.  

‍A time to reflect.  Image courtesy of Martin Crease

‍We noted and endorsed progress towards reopening, and progress with the Railway’s restructuring.  We noted that the latter was taking longer than expected due to pressure of work and the need to ensure everyone was fully on board, but we received assurance from the General Manager that it would be published by 1 June.

We noted that the Railway was financially secure as well as the various fundraising initiatives in progress.  The 60th Anniversary Appeal had raised in the region of £60,000 to date; the Fundraising Working Party would be looking at ways of keeping the momentum going to ensure that it reached the target.

We noted a report from the Safety Director together with the further steps taken, and to be taken, in response to the incident in the C&W shed.  

We noted progress towards the completion of the review of the Safety Management System and supporting documentation.  The latter was still taking longer than we would have liked; the target now was to have a final draft of the high-level documentation for Board sign-off at the May meeting.  The supporting documentation which was being developed would clarify lines of responsibility for all safety-related issues.

We noted a report from the Risk and Compliance Committee, which highlighted among other things the need to overhaul the current suite of policy documents and instructions once the SMS and the overall governance document were in place.  This would be a formidable task for which the resource was very limited.

The RCC report also drew attention to the risks and liabilities that would arise from the Robertsbridge extension should approval be granted.  The Board agreed the need to understand these more fully and noted that we were in dialogue with the Rother Valley Railway.  This dialogue included the working up of the evidence to be submitted to the impending TWAO Inquiry.

‍Members train passes Cranbrook Road Crossing Friday 21st May 2021.  Image courtesy of Alan Crotty.

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We noted that the “Second Thursday” presentation on the five-year strategy had been well attended and that it had now been published on HOPS. 

In respect of the kitchen car project, we noted progress and that the vehicle would shortly be back on the Railway.  The “lessons learned” exercise was under way and it would provide valuable pointers for the future.

There was no significant news on the Terrier 150 project.  We looked forward to management proposals for the return to traffic of Knowle.

The complex IT project remained on track and would be complete by May. The Board noted that proposals were being developed for an upgrade of the K&ESR telephone system.

We noted a report from the new Project Assessment Committee which was already proving its usefulness in improving the allocation of money and ensuring that potential projects were properly thought through.  We were learning lessons as we went along, one of them being the need for more robust challenge of the proposals put forward.

We agreed an amendment to the Volunteering Committee terms of reference, the main purpose of which was to make clear that the committee would take more responsibility for the actual delivery of its recommendations.  We reaffirmed that volunteering should be a standard Board item.

We noted the auction of Llangollen Railway assets and invited the management to consider whether any might be of use to us. 

The next scheduled meeting would be on Saturday 29 May.  

Simon Marsh

Chairman

‍HOW WE DO THINGS

‍Many successful bodies, including other heritage railways and indeed mainline railways, have adopted a code of common values and expected behaviours.  These codes help to bind an organisation together by setting out some principles around what it believes in and how its people are expected to treat each other.  

Now that we are about to reopen for what we hope will be our first post-Covid running season it is time for the Kent and East Sussex Railway to have such a code.  Having received the endorsement of the managers, the trustees formally adopted it at the Board meeting on 27 March 2021.  It has already been published on HOPS and here it is again for a wider audience.

It is short and simple; it sums up the spirit of our Railway when working at its best and makes the basic point that even when we disagree, we treat each other with courtesy and respect.  If we can all live up to it, we shall make our work and / or hobby still more enjoyable – which after all is why we are here.

Please read and embrace it as we move our Railway forward together.

‍KENT AND EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS

• ‍We are all One Railway.  Within the K&ESR family we work together and support each other.
• We run a safe Railway which complies with relevant standards or recognised best practice.
  
• We recognise the importance of communication which should be open and transparent. 
  
• We respect others’ viewpoints.  If we disagree, we do so constructively with the intention of finding a better solution.
  
• We recognise that resource will always be limited, and we look for solutions that are safe, effective, proportionate, and practicable.
  
• We take pride in what we do, and in our Railway and its surroundings.
  
• We want our visitors to have a positive experience and look forward to coming back. 
  
• We value all our people.  We treat each other with respect.  We are here because we want to enjoy ourselves.
  
• We challenge, appropriately, those who do not display these values and behaviours.
  

May 2021

Simon Marsh                                                                                                      Chairman

‍Terrier with Maunsells - view from Ewhurst. 

Image courtesy of Phil Edwards

‍USA Tank 300 Frank S Ross awaits preparation in Rolvenden yard.  Image courtesy of Robert Wickham

D‍iesel D4118

‍Diesel Shunting locomotive 08 888 aka D4118 was inside Tenterden C&W shed last week to diagnose the ongoing issue within the electronics that previously controlled the remote control system.  A fitter from Rail Support Services who operate a similar fleet of Class 08 Shunters attended site.  Unfortunately, whilst the fault has been narrowed down to specific components, more work will be needed to sort this out.

Mark Stuchbury

08 888 Owner

‍Commercial Department

Model Railway room

The Model Railway room has had a bit of a makeover with 6 new interpretation panels added telling our preservation story from 1961 to the present day. This gives visitors a great insight into the heritage era of the railway with lots of fascinating archive photos charting the progress of the past 60 years.  A 7th, modern day panel, looks to the future and with a contactless donation point, encourages visitors to help support us to continue creating happy memories. 

Following restoration by 4253 volunteers, an interactive model of Walschaerts Valve Gear, built by apprentices at the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow to train railway staff on the technical details of how this valve gear operates, is also on display in the model railway room with interpretation.

What to see from the train

29th May which is the start of half term, will see the launch of our brand new “What to see from the train” family activities; linking to the promotional posters of the same name created for KESR by Kent artist, Andrew Redden.

These activities encourage families to look out of the carriage windows as they travel through the Wealden countryside to see what wildlife they can spot. This comprises of three main elements; a map of the line showing the places where the various birds and animals are most commonly found; a website page giving more in-depth detail about the landscape and wealth of different wildlife which can be found along the line and finally, a spotter trail for children.

Children can also collect a “nature detective” certificate and sticker from the catering outlet or shop at the end of their visit where incidentally they can also buy a selection of related merchandise.

This project has been several months in the making.  Huge thanks goes to Colin Duncan and Caroline Warne for all of their help with content and the rest of the commercial team for the copious amount of proof reading pleas.

Heather Packham

Commercial Assistant

‍An excerpt from "What to see from the train" on board activity launching 29th May 2021.

Volunteering Committee

‍Our Railway is all about our people...

Image taken 21st May 2021 courtesy of Phil Edwards

A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes in many areas of the railway including the volunteering committee. The Committee have continued to meet regularly and new projects and work streams are beginning to become our focus. As well of this our terms of reference have been updated and are now as follows; 

• To consider the views and experiences of the existing volunteer membership and staff of the K&ESR.
• To consider sources of experience from other volunteering organisations, such as other heritage railways and local volunteering groups
• To monitor recruitment, induction and retention of volunteers.
• To bring forward proposals to the Board of the K&ESR for improving     methods of recruitment, induction and retention of volunteers.
• To help implement the approved proposals via working parties and liaison with the management team as required.
• To promote cross departmental co-operation amongst volunteers

The faces within the committee have changed slightly over the most recent lockdown (and no I don’t mean the dodgy haircuts!). We’ve said goodbye to some members and also welcomed some new members. With a re-strengthened committee our work is now starting to take a more structured focus.

‍Volunteer Committee members Phil Wiles and Sarah Tagart enjoy a trip on the engine during shakedown days in May 2021.  

‍The committee is looking at four main work streams, these are:

• recruitment material
• recruitment processes
• volunteer retention
• social events

In order to cover these workstreams, the committee has split into working groups - each looking at one of the workstreams independently and feeding back into the meetings. 

The group working on recruitment material will be looking at how we are seen by the outside world, how we recruit people and the media we use to advertise. Through this work we aim to reach out to a wider group of people, local communities and groups. 

Within the working group focussing on recruitment processes their work will be looking at implementing a streamlined process for new volunteers, ensuring there are no metaphorical holes for people to fall into. They will be working to support cross-departmental progression. With a new process in place, we will be looking at treating potential volunteers in the same way as we would treat a potential customer who is looking to book travel with us. 

The third working group will be focussing on volunteer retention; they will be looking at how we keep our current volunteers empowered, how we improve volunteers’ experiences, to ensure that people have a long and enjoyable time as part of the K&ESR family. 

Last, but by no means least, our fourth and final group will be working on social events - in my opinion a large part of volunteer retention. This group will be looking at planning social events for the not-too-distant future, ranging from quiet coffee mornings to late night parties ensuring there is something for everyone to enjoy. 

We are looking forward to sharing our progress on each workstream with everyone as soon as possible and always if anyone has any suggestions or questions, please feel free to get in touch. 

All the best, 

Sarah Tagart

Chair of Volunteering Committee

Email: stagart@kesr.org.uk

Permanent Way 

In order to improve the safety of walkers crossing the railway at Willows footpath crossing, the old time expired wooden stiles have been replaced with the new style metal “Kissing Gate” units.  These, together with an additional pair for Harvesters crossing, were provided by KCC Public Rights of Way and Access Service at heavily subsidised rates.  This reflects their policy of improving safe countryside access and recognising our charitable status and willingness to install them. Localised fencing repairs were carried out at the same time.

Paul Jessett

Permanent Way Volunteer 

Improving Our Appearance - Stock Relocation 

The stock in Ewhurst siding has been recovered, and the majority transported to Wittersham Road. 

In advance of this, there has been work to complete with relocating Permanent Way and on track plant from their base at Wittersham. They are now based in the vicinity of the carriage storage shed at Rolvenden. The relocation included the move of containers from Wittersham to the new container park - You may have seen photos last year of the K&ESR’s attempt at a ‘Tesco’ train.

These moves have allowed for the Wittersham plant siding (at the back of the site) to be extended. The Ewhurst stock will be stored there, where it can be kept under surveillance and will be easier to keep covered over. It is also accessible for transport by road if required.

A huge amount of prep work took place to make the shunt happen. This was a joint effort between Forestry and Conservation, Permanent Way, Carriage and Wagon and Operating. Thank you to everyone who played a part leading up to and during this event.

‍A mass shunting exercise was planned and orchestrated by Operating Department planner extraordinaire James Palk – probably the only person on the railway who could tell you exactly where a carriage (or wagon) is - without having to look it up first.

There is still more work to do, as the track to extend the ex-plant siding at Wittersham will be taken from Ewhurst. Once that is done, there will be a further move to organise stock, including the emptying of Tenterden headshunt. This will include the running of clearance trains to tidy up.

The future of the unrestored stock (some of which hasn’t been touched since it arrived 40 years ago) will depend on the priorities set by the management team in accordance with our new strategy. That review is currently taking place. We cannot keep everything, and not all of it will fit into the K&ESR’s future aspirations. We must (and we will) now follow this through to conclusion. The future of privately owned unrestored vehicles will be discussed as such – privately, with the owners. Detail of the approach to be taken will be shared once those discussions have taken place and decisions have been made.

Matt Hyner

Trustee - Volunteering and Projects

‍The now empty siding at Ewhurst.  A significantly improved view for our paying public.  

‍Locomotive department staff Liam and Dan examine the newest delivery of coal.  Image courtesy of Richard Stone.

‍Shunting at Rolvenden for service.  Image courtesy of Paul Jessett.

‍General Manager

‍An update on the Re-organisation.

First of all we have to say why does the KESR need a staff re-organisation? 

• A more flexible structure is essential to meet the futures strategic aims of the business.
• In many areas responsibilities are not clear and often out of date, as the way the railway conducts its business has changed over time and there are a number of ownership gaps.
• Responsibilities have generally been department-based in what could be called a “north south” structure, but this encourages different standards and confusion. We will therefore establish more of an “east west” bias where many responsibilities will be cross railway rather than purely departmental.
• Volunteer opportunities and roles need to be expanded in all departments.  
• The IT upgrade will come on-stream next month and will enable us to do many things differently and put technology at the heart of everything we do. As we have said so frequently before, we want to achieve “Heritage on the outside, state of the art on the inside.” 
• The Covid experience has also demonstrated how many things can be done differently.

What therefore are the main objectives:

• Flexibility, simplicity, and a “yes we can” culture.
• Encourage delegation wherever possible so all staff are engaged and managers have time to manage. 
• Build volunteer support teams across all areas of the business.
• Use technology wherever possible. Systems are easily scalable – reservation, operating, safety, competence, finance, comms.
• To build the business in accordance with the agreed strategies and values laid down by the Board.

The main areas of change involve Commercial, Sales & Marketing and Infrastructure all of whom will report to the General Manager.

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Commercial Manager Andre Freeman, will be responsible for commercial planning working closely with all departments to maximise both our products and heritage whilst building new income opportunities, and defining station standards, looking at new hospitality opportunities and developing 24/7 online retail.

With our imminent IT upgrade, cloud hosting and greater use of technology within our business, Commercial will look after the management of both the systems users and GDPR, as well as the future needs of the Membership Secretaries and Volunteer Recruitment.

Sales & Marketing Manager Helen Douglas, will be responsible for sales, marketing, communications and PR, maximising wherever possible digital comms, marketing and online bookings. It will oversee events, education and safeguarding and build a Customer Experience Team engaged supporting the above activities as the main point of contact for customers internal and external.

The role of Infrastructure Manager is a new formal position and will be filled with immediate effect by Brian Richards. He will be responsible for the HSE compliance, and maintenance of all buildings (fixed and temporary as landlord) on behalf of all users. Station Groups as well as First Aid, Fire Safety and Electrical Officers will report to him.  He will also be responsible for the coordination of approved projects across the railway and assist other departments with station and track surveys as required.  

C&W, Loco, Operating, Permanent Way and S&TE will continue to report directly to the General Manager. We are now in the process of updating and agreeing role descriptions for all positions and setting quarterly objectives for all staff.  

60th Anniversary Appeal - Update

‍I am pleased to advise that, as of 26 May, the 60th Anniversary Appeal has raised £62,443; only £37,557 to go.

As the Chairman and I have mentioned before, the normal pattern of donations to any appeal is beginning to appear for our 60th Anniversary Appeal: the initial surge of enthusiasm and generosity is slowing and new donations have dropped away markedly. This we must address in order to meet our – still very much needed – target of £100,000.

The other major factor to take into account is that we have now resumed public passenger services, and hence revenue income. That alters the psychological environment in which the appeal must work. When we were closed by Government diktat, it was self-evident that we were in financial difficulties. Now we are earning income from our visitors, that need still exists but is less obvious. So we must adapt our “ask”, the rationale we deploy to demonstrate a continuing reason to donate. The need continues: even now that we are running, it is at a much reduced level of capacity so although running costs are slightly down, the “profit” we make on each train is lower, whilst normal overheads continue virtually unabated.

Also, separately, and again as the Chairman and I have already mentioned, we need to demonstrate that we are an integrated, essential, part of the local community and that donating to us is not simply about “playing trains” but has positive external benefits.

All that said, we do have some good news to tell, especially in the light of views that some have expressed that we are only chasing our own members for money. We strongly encourage on-line booking, where additional donations are solicited at the point of purchase; given the start of passenger services on Saturday 22 May, we have resumed the use of on-train at-seat collection envelopes; and two of our projected four digital collection posts have already been installed where a visitor can donate using a cash card. 

Finally – and most significantly – we have received a grant of £25,000 for our Terrier appeal from The Garfield Weston Foundation Trust, organised by the Fundraising Working Party. This is a philanthropic trust, to whom we are enormously grateful. 

‍Newsletter Archive

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Tenterden Terrier Online

As a member of the K&ESR, you can access ‘The Tenterden Terrier’ magazine in electronic format by registering your details at https://kesr.org.uk/tenterden-terrier-online/

‍From all of us here at the K&ESR, our very best wishes

‍Kent & East Sussex Railway

Tenterden Town Station, Station Road,

Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HE

www.kesr.org.uk

Registered charity 262481

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