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‍Kent & East Sussex Railway

Members e-newsletter No.74

‍Welcome to the latest edition of the K&ESR's e-newsletter

‍‍From the Chairman

The publication of this newsletter has been delayed to coincide with the launch of an important appeal aimed at safeguarding the future of the historic buildings which give our Railway so much of its atmosphere. Thanks to some hard work by our fundraising team, which led to a generous donation from a charitable trust which specialises in helping other charities protect such heritage assets, we have a unique opportunity to catch up with arrears of maintenance going back for very many years.  Please support it generously – further details in next article.

‍As most of us will have spotted by now, this is a season of experimentation. It is clear that despite our best efforts, which include an extra £10k for the marketing budget this summer and the continuing high quality of our product, we will have to continue to work very hard to attract the number of paying visitors we would like while at the same time keeping our costs under control. We are keeping pace with our budget and with last year’s performance, but we are not seeing the surge that would make the difference to us. As I have stressed for a long time, we are financially sound at present, but we cannot take that for granted for ever. We simply have to keep looking for the winning formula.  

This is why we are already developing a strategy to take us to 2030 and beyond. You’ve read something about it already and you’ll be reading and hearing much more in the coming months. The strategy will have to go further than getting better at what we do already. We will need to identify and bring on new leaders; most of the existing ones, including your chairman, are at the upper end of the age spectrum and perhaps too used to doing things the old way.  We will need to continue to diversify what we offer; and we must do more than run trains. We will need to evolve our business model, including by placing more emphasis on the fact that we are a charity which needs ever-increasing amounts of money to get by. In short, we need to embrace change, and just as importantly find a way of making it happen. 

‍‍I know that not everyone will feel comfortable with this and would prefer the predictability of running a train service as we have been doing for many years, but that is no longer an option. 

As part of this shift we must ensure that we make the most of the opportunities the Robertsbridge extension will bring us, while minimising and mitigating the undoubted risks.  This will be a complex process, which we shall undertake in co-operation with our friends in the Rother Valley Railway which of course remains a separate entity.  Work so far has concentrated on getting the basics of the relationship right, and providing the governance framework that will enable the tactical decisions to be taken. More on this shortly. 

‍And finally, one piece of sad news. Christine Tibbatts, who with her husband Dave ran a very effective railway catering operation for very many years, passed away towards the end of July. She will be long remembered by those of us who knew her. Our condolences to Dave and the rest of the family. 

Let’s all pull together to make the 2023 season a successful one for Our Railway.  It’s what Christine would have wanted. 

Simon Marsh

Chairman

‍Heritage Buildings Fund launched for vital restoration work

We are pleased to announce that a grant of £21,000 has enabled us to establish a new Heritage Buildings Fund for the K&ESR. This will help us to safeguard our most precious and historic buildings – the ‘jewels in the crown of both the railway and the Weald’ - as we approach our 50th birthday next year.

The fund’s first priorities are vital restoration work for two historic landmarks in the Tenterden town conservation area: the brick and weatherboard Tenterden Town station building (housing the booking office, ticket hall and gift shop) and the former Chilham signal box (also situated at the station).

Built respectively in 1903 and 1895, these two iconic, mainly wooden, structures have so far withstood the ravages of both time and weather but are now showing signs of significant decay which could become irreversible if not tackled soon.

The initial generous £21,000 grant has been awarded to us by a charitable trust* which directs some of its grant making to charities protecting precious heritage assets. However, with early estimates indicating that the full restoration costs could easily exceed £40,000, we are seeking to raise a further £25,000 to ensure all necessary work can be undertaken within the next 12 months.

The Heritage Buildings Fund has attracted two prominent Tenterden figures as Patrons: former Mayor of Tenterden and Coronation-appointed Baron of the Cinque Ports, Tenterden, John Crawford, and current Mayor of Tenterden, Cllr Sue Ferguson, who is also a local business owner. Both believe the railway plays a vital role in drawing visitors – and therefore spending power – to the town.

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Some complex restoration work will have to be undertaken by specialist external contractors, but the conservation plan allows for some tasks to be undertaken by K&ESR volunteers. Anyone interested in offering their skills and time should email infrastructure@kesr.org.uk

Details of how to make a donation with a single or regular payment are available through the Donate page on the K&ESR website. Donations can also be made by texting HERITAGE to 70480 for a £20 donation (texts will be charged at your standard message rate). Copies of the fundraising leaflet are available at the station and were distributed with the latest edition of the Terrier.

A suite of donor packages – Bronze, Silver and Gold – has also been created to attract business support. These offer a range of benefits such as: sets of freedom passes (Bronze); VIP behind the scenes tours (Silver) and exclusive use of the luxurious Family Saloon carriage for a return trip on a scheduled service (Gold). To enquire about these special donation packages, please email: fundraising@kesr.org.uk

All donors – individuals and businesses – who donate £1,000 or more will be recognised on a donor wall outside one of the station buildings as a lasting reminder of their generosity and contribution to maintaining these historic structures. They will also be mentioned in publicity material about the progress of the Appeal.

Please help us spread the word to individuals and businesses who you think might wish to support the Fund. You will find further details in a leaflet enclosed within your latest edition of the Tenterden Terrier.

David Nibloe

K&ESR Trustee

‍KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY 300 CLUB

‍An incorrect list of the 300 Club winners, January to April 2023 was published in the latest Tenterden Terrier Journal.  The correct list is as follows. Our apologies for the error

‍General Manager

This month - following almost a full year in role - our General Manager has provided an article containing answers to questions, for your interest. 

In order to view this to its best advantage, it may be read as an article in full via the button below.

Your Editorial Team 

‍Railcar W20 Update

This month has seen further progress on a number of fronts.

One major item which had been concerning the project team for some time, was the state of the vacuum cylinders. These had been serviced and refurbished many years ago, but had not been operated since. Following some innovative thinking by Alan Brice, using another coach as a through pipe, full testing of both of the vacuum cylinders proved that they were fully operational and therefore do not need to be removed from the vehicle. This is one more major item that has been ticked off the list, on our way to completing the restoration.

In addition to the vacuum system, further progress has been made on the control wiring. The majority of this is in place but the Headcorn end cab and the underframe connection box were outstanding. The underframe work continues while the coupling header connectors have now been terminated, allowing for the future proposition of running coupled up with W22!

Rail-compliant heavy-duty cables for the starter motors and battery charging have finally been sourced and are now on order. With these cables now to hand, the completion of the re-wiring of the vehicle gets one step nearer.

In readiness for the re-cabling, the dynamos are being bench tested along with their control boxes (C.V.C.). So far one dynamo and both of the C.V.C’s have successfully passed their basic functionality tests. The other dynamo is yet to undergo its testing.

The ply panelling has been replaced inside the vehicle and some new sections have been cut and fitted for the vestibule and saloon cab-back, to allow the Rexine (leathercloth) to be more easily applied. The green and cream Rexine which has been purchased and applied to the panelling provides an accurate match to original GWR description and looks very smart.

Specialist fire-proof, sound-insulating board has been ordered as the next layer for the floor. This will be overlaid with carpet or lino (Vinyl) as a final finish.

Externally, sheets of zintec-coated steel have been ordered so that the cab end panels can be produced, this is the final area of sheet metalwork to be completed. A second-hand box and pan folding machine has been purchased which will make the formation of these complex panels somewhat easier. This machine will be a useful asset for C&W in the future too.

Meanwhile, more undercoat has been applied to the roof, ready for the final top coat to be applied.

As ever, extra hands would be welcome. If you think you can provide any assistance, especially in the electrical or mechanical area and don’t mind getting a little dirty, please get in touch.

Chris Mileman/Neil Edwards

W20 Group

Bodiam Group 

‍Routine work at Bodiam continues, working around scheduled train services as usual. The flower garden at the entrance to the station frequently attracts complimentary comments and visitors have expressed interest in walking round it. Consequently, we have installed a new gate to allow access for people to enter from the platform. The vegetable garden and the hop garden are being maintained to their usual high standard and these are much appreciated by visitors as well.

Several events involving the station have been planned for this year and we have been having discussions with Heather Packham about how best to accommodate these. The celebration of the hop harvest is possibly the most familiar. Lack of on-site parking for exhibitors and visitors does limit what can be practically offered, particularly when significant staff numbers have to be factored in as well when the grassed area needs to be available for attractions. However, we seem to be able to find solutions in most cases. As the group’s regular day is Tuesday additional assistance is often welcome for setting up weekend events.

The Bodiam team has a reputation for being a friendly and welcoming bunch but none of us is getting any younger so some tasks are becoming more challenging. New volunteers with slightly fewer years on the clock will be very welcome. Following the excellent news about the Transport Works Order for the Robertsbridge extension we look forward to learning what this will mean for our station.

Malcolm Burgess

Bodiam Group Volunteer

Sustainability Group

‍A special rural scene

On either side of them…the rich meadow-grass seemed

That morning of a freshness and a greenness unsurpassable.

Never had they noticed the roses so vivid, the willow-herb

So riotous, the meadow-sweet so odorous and pervading.

Imagine. Just imagine. A rural byway winds and unfolds between banks of flowers and the successive blossoms of blackthorn, hawthorn, elder and dog rose. Traffic is sparse. In winter it is almost deserted and even at the height of summer passing traffic rarely exceeds a dozen. Foot passengers are even rarer. Almost undisturbed, birds perch, call, rest between nesting or feeding. Clusters of blooming flowers attract swarms of butterflies or damsel flies. Can you picture it? It sounds like a scene from a bygone age, a scene from that quintessentially English idyll, The Wind in the Willows.

Have you recognised this scene? It is one of the richest remaining areas in south-east England. It is, of course, the Kent & East Sussex Railway line. When Colonel Stephens built the railway line, he inadvertently created a long nature corridor, and by deciding to preserve a railway, our early preservationists protected this rare, rich special place. That was not their primary urge, but the same motive – to preserve something precious from the past – we now know is of paramount importance in our ecologically threatened 21st century.

‍Since the 1970s, when preservation began, over 40 million farmland birds have been lost; nightingales and turtledoves have plummeted by 90+ %; and we now know that we live in the 198th most Nature-depleted country in the world. Can you remember when the skies teemed with swifts and swallows? But our railway gives passengers an opportunity, not only to see how things once were, but how they can be. They are curious about what they can see from the train. We can celebrate what we have and work with like-minded organisations along the line, such as the Tenterden Wildlife Trust and the Northiam Preservation Society. And, of course, the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Others in communities along the line are learning to appreciate what we have preserved.

Keith Barron

Sustainability Group

C‍ommercial Matters

‍Early bird train services from Bodiam

We are trialling an early train from Bodiam Station on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer holidays from Saturday 22nd July. This will leave Bodiam at 09.50 am and call at all stations to Tenterden arriving at 10.42 am. Local campsites have been provided with unique discount codes for their customers to book online. If successful, this will be expanded further next year.

August events for your calendars

• Wednesday 9th August Fish and Chip Train
• Sunday 13th August Annual Bus Rally
• Friday 18th August Real Ale Train

Real Ale Trains - changes to note

Following a decline in visitor numbers and more competition from local micro-breweries, we are making some format changes to our Real Ale Trains, including live music at Bodiam Station; an at seat refreshment trolley service (in addition to the main bar in Petros) and pre-booked meals direct to customers' tables. Pub games will also be available to play at Bodiam including Splat the Rat!. If you would like to help with any aspect of this, we would love to hear from you!

• Saturday 19th August – SteamPunk event

  This new event will take place at both Tenterden and Bodiam stations with a variety of different stalls, music, entertainment and displays.

• Wednesday 23rd August – Fish and Chip Train
• 26th – 28th August BH Weekend – Teddy Bears Picnic

  Following the success of last year’s event, we are working to grow this with stalls from local providers and additional props to dress the stations. If anyone has any old crockery, soft toys, picnic blankets or hampers they would be happy to donate to the event, please do get in touch. Equally if you are free on any of the days to help oversee family activities such as colouring, name the bear and badge making, please let us know as we can’t do this without you.

   

  Heather Packham

  Commercial Department

‍Wealden Pullman

‍With the entry into service of the new Kitchen Car in March of this year, 'Diana' moved across into our public service trains, where her kitchen has proven invaluable when catering for our Group traffic.

However, as 'Barbara' was found to have a broken bogie bolster spring and  therefore needed to be withdrawn for repair, we found ourselves short of capacity for a large charter train on 15th July.

With much midnight oil burnt 're-Pullmanising' the saloon area in 'Diana', including the rapid acquisition of a new set of dining chairs, our customer was able to enjoy their function as planned. For those who had only known Diana as a staff vehicle, complete with a motley collection of recycled sinks and worksufaces, it came as some surprise just how well she scrubs up!

A few tables remain available for dates later this year and bookings for 2024 are already coming in. If you'd like to join the team that delivers these services, and has some fun while doing so, we'd love to hear from you: mgooch@kesr.org.uk

Meg Gooch

Wealden Pullman Manager

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/

‍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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There are no catches or hidden charges and we’re really grateful for your donations.

‍Kent & East Sussex Railway

Tenterden Town Station, Station Road,

Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HE

www.kesr.org.uk

Registered charity 262481

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