Kent & East Sussex Railway
Members e-newsletter No.67
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Welcome to the Yuletide 2022 edition of the e-newsletter. |
 Photo: Robin Coombes
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This has been a remarkable year for our Railway. We have successfully dealt with weather at both ends of the temperature gauge, we have surmounted a host of other challenges, and we have taken further steps to ensure that we are fit for the future. Not everything has gone right, and we are carrying a lot of risk going forward, but overall, we finish 2022 in a good position.
This is largely down to our people, and the sheer pride and professionalism that they show, not to mention the sense of family and community that is such a feature of the Kent and East Sussex Railway. You have only to look at the way in which we have delivered the 2022 Santa season for the proof of that.
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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 Tenterden Signalbox in the snow, 11th Dec 2022 Photo: Graham Bridge
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2023 will bring its own challenges, as it will for all other heritage railways, but in the meantime let’s simply enjoy the festive season, and have a short and well-earned break.
Thank you, to each and every one of you, and my very best wishes to you, your families and friends for a peaceful Christmas.
Simon Marsh
Chairman
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From our General Manager
This month the Gods have certainly tested the railway. I am sat writing this on Wednesday 21st December 2022. So far, we have run safely and successfully 45 Santa Trains 2 Yuletide Expresses and 3 Saturday Pullmans. Quite how we ran then all I am not quite sure. We have 23 more to run: 22nd; 23rd and Christmas Eve. So fingers, toes and everything else crossed that we can deliver a full service. The Gods have conspired to throw everything at us: deep snow; freezing temperatures down to -9 with ice, fog, bright sunshine and then heavy rains and then even more rain with balmy temperatures. We had snow in the points, frozen points, lineside telegraph wires down, frozen pipes everywhere, a burst water column, two failed locos, one repaired, power failures, serious electrical problems, cars stuck in the car park in snow, cars stuck in the car park in slush and mud, a medical emergency, broken carriage windows, lots of people having to cry off with colds and flu and a host of other problems.
We sometimes struggled but we got there in the end, every problem thrown at us we overcame. The conditions tested us all, physically, mentally and emotionally. Thank you all for your perseverance and professionalism in the face of such adversity and doing it with good grace and good humour.
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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There were so many heroes, and everyone played their part in a collective effort that everyone can be truly proud of. We proved we are a great heritage railway, perhaps the best there is.
Saying ‘thank you' just does not seem enough for the efforts of so many who worked tirelessly, often wet, cold and hungry due to the extreme weather conditions. Most importantly we ran every service safely and there were so many happy, smiling faces. For many children it was their first experience of snow, and for them we created real magic that they will always remember. That is perhaps the most important thanks we can have.
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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Everyone has become a Santa Star. Each weekend so far, more than 100 plus staff and volunteers made the magic happen and brought such joy to so many at Christmas.
It is one amazing team effort - steam raisers, loco cleaners, fitters, signalmen, drivers, firemen, guards, shunters, controllers, station masters and platform assistants, TTIs booking clerks, catering staff, chefs, permanent way, S&T, Santa helpers, elves, present packers, carriage cleaning, crossing keepers, car park attendants, roster clerks, Pullman Attendants, first aiders, hosts, shop assistants, marketeers, commercial, PR, social media, operations, infrastructure, carriage and wagon, volunteers who man the stands, volunteers who build and manage the Winter Wonderland, and so many more behind the scenes.
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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I apologise in advance if I missed anyone, because everyone was a vital part of our one KESR team. |
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I have now been in post for 4 months on what is rapidly becoming a roller coaster ride. In August I sat enjoying breakfast on the platform at Tenterden bathed in the rising heat of a glorious summer's day with temperatures later reaching into the 30's, in fact too hot and dry to run steam locomotives. In September it was tropical rainstorms and by December deep snow and a big freeze. I have no idea what January will bring but the Met Office forecast is 2023 will be hotter that 2022, which broke the UK’s hottest day record. Clearing snow and ice off the platform was not on my agenda. But with the climate behaving more erratically and with extremes of weather, we can therefore expect a stormy outlook over the coming winter.
However, it is not just the weather that is challenging us, we are in the middle of an energy and cost-of-living crisis and most of my time - when not helping with Santa Specials - I have been locked in my room with several others. We were developing next year’s budget, with gallons of tea, coffee and chocolate biscuits only emerging once all the numbers had been crunched.
This year it is even more challenging, as there is an even greater level of uncertainty than normal for next year. What factor do we allow for inflation? When will prices rise and by how much? How will the cost-of-living crisis impact on visitor numbers and our volunteers? Where and on what do we invest; sticking with the tried and tested or bold untried ideas? We will not really know many of the answers until next year, when we can see and count visitors and receive the invoices for our energy bills and supplies.
All we can do is expect the unexpected, plan for the worst and hope for the best and translate this into a line-by-line spreadsheet with numbers, which must all then balance out.
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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The good news we do appear to be in the forefront of tackling these issues and I was interviewed on KMTV and BBC Radio as well as features in all the heritage railway magazines.
So, thanks to the efforts of the Finance Committee; you can have confidence we are at least on top of all the issues, even if we do not, and cannot, know all the answers yet.
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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I promised I would tell you this month more about Rolvenden Locomotive Works: Liam Head has been promoted to Running Shed Foreman and is responsible for ensuring our fleet of locomotives are in good order and available for traffic as required by the 2023 timetable. There will be in future, as it once was, greater reliance on volunteer effort for restoration and overhaul work, indeed it was a delight to see the boiler of Yank Tank 65, reunited with its chassis and a fire lit in the firebox.
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It is not all just about steam, there is a plan for how work on diesels will be planned and undertaken and we are on the look out to hire in a class 5 diesel for summer services. An advert for additional workshop support and a traditional CME(E) Chief Mechanical and Electrical Engineer will shortly be published.
Although we finish public running on 2 January 2023, the next month is going to be very busy with planning and getting ready for the new season. Despite the challenges - which there undoubtably will be - the sheer determination, bravery and resilience shown by the Santa Specials season, shows we are in good heart and spirit and we can face the next year with heads held high, a spring in our step and a sparkle in our eye. We can say “we were there for the Santa season” now let’s say “we can make 2023 successful too”.
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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I would only finish by saying an enormous thanks to everyone this year for all your efforts, dedication, professionalism, goodwill and fellowship, please take a restful break and enjoy Christmas in whatever way you choose, to celebrate quietly or with friends and family. I am returning to the Land of Dragons for my break and I will see you all sometime around New Year.
A very Merry Christmas to you all
With peace and goodwill,
Robin Coombes
General Manager
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View from the Station Master’s Office |
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 Platform staff enjoy their new shelter. Photo by Pete Stone
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A photo from 3 Dec, the first day of use of the new shelter. Chris Garman, his companions and a group of happy and warm platform staff. The 300 club funds put to very good use, why not sign up now? Details can be found in your Tenterden Terrier magazine.
Geoff Colvin
Chief Station Master
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 Photo: Robin Coombes
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Photo: Robin Coombes
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 Ice and Snow at Wittersham Road Station at the end of the day 17th Dec. Photo: Col McLaughlin
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 Cranbrook Road in the snow. Image: Phil Edwards
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On behalf of the K&ESR, your Editorial Team wish you a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year .
With best wishes
Graham Bridge, Helen Douglas and Andre Freeman
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Newsletter Archive
Have you missed a newsletter? Have you recently joined us? Whatever the reason, you can browse recent editions of this newsletter at https://kesr.org.uk/members-e-newsletter-archive/
Tenterden Terrier Online
As a member of the K&ESR, you can receive notification when ‘The Tenterden Terrier’ magazine is published online by registering your details at
https://kesr.org.uk/tenterden-terrier-online/
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All editions of ‘The Tenterden Terrier’ are now available to view or download from our website: to access this fascinating archive, click on the image above or visit https://kesr.org.uk/terrier/ |
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Support the K&ESR when you shop!
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Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your holiday – you could be raising free donations for the Kent & East Sussex Railway with easyfundraising?
There are over 4,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation – including eBay, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S – and it won’t cost you a penny extra to help us raise funds.
All you need to do is:
1. Go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/kesr/?utm_campaign=raise-more and join for free.
2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.
3. After you’ve checked out, the retailer will make a donation to Kent & East Sussex Railway at no extra cost to you whatsoever!
There are no catches or hidden charges and we’re really grateful for your donations.
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If you’re an Amazon customer, you can support the K&ESR at no additional cost by using Amazon Smile 232 of you have helped us in this way, raising £1,000 for the K&ESR - at no cost to you or us!
Simply click the link below and setup the K&ESR as your selected charity.
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Kent & East Sussex Railway
Tenterden Town Station, Station Road,
Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HE
www.kesr.org.uk
Registered charity 262481
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