K&ESR Members Newsletter - February 2025

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‍Kent & East Sussex Railway

Newsletter - February 2025

‍‍Welcome to our update on what's been happening around the railway in the last month.

‍K&ESR Award Success

‍We are delighted to share that our two submissions to the HRA Awards both received a Highly Commended Certificate! Mr Doodle proudly accepted a copy of the Award at Tenterden Town Station, and eighteen-year-old volunteer Aodhan Kavanagh attended the Awards Dinner to accept his certificate in the Young Volunteer of the Year category. Congratulations!

25th Anniversary of the

Reopening of Bodiam Station

Plans for 25th Anniversary celebrations at Bodiam Station are progressing well as the project team, led by Heather Packham, pulls together to recreate the occasion from the year 2000. The archives have been researched and original participants sought as we prepare to showcase the story of how we arrived at Bodiam – ribbon-cutting and all!

We look forward to being joined by visitors, participants, key stakeholders and VIPs on the weekend of 5th and 6th April – we hope to see you there!

‍Extension Update - Keep up with Progress at Robertsbridge

As we drive our plans forward for the 2028 opening of our extension to Robertsbridge, you can now keep up to date with progress - including the Robertsbridge Station Building and Austen’s Bridge - on the Rother Valley Railway website https://www.rvr.org.uk/news/ and also via their blog: https://rvrailway.blogspot.com/

Overhaul of Pullman Car 'Theodora'

At the end of October, Pullman Car ‘Theodora’ was withdrawn from service for an overhaul and repairs to her external timber cladding by our C&W team at Tenterden.

If you’d like to know what’s involved, read on for details from C&W volunteer John Wheller

The Tenterden Town platform side needed some serious attention, with the entire matchboarding and paneling needing to be removed to expose the structural timber framing. This was generally in excellent condition, with only a short section of the waist rail needing to be replaced. When the external cladding was removed, we found that the heavy steel angle crash pillars at each end were corroded and required replacing.

‍The waist rail has now been replaced, along with the heavy steel angle sections which are adjacent to the vestibule door frames. The hardwood drip moulding which separates the matchboarding from the windows and ply panelling has been entirely renewed, having been machined in house – many thanks to the K&ESR’s Electricians for the improvements to lighting in the woodworking machine shop which made this job easier and safer!

All the individual pieces of matchboarding (over three hundred of them!) have been machined, sanded and drilled, then sealed with an epoxy resin. The replacement ply panels have been cut to size, trial fitted and sealed ready for fitting. With the structural work finished, the internal panelling and new matchboarding has been fitted using stainless-steel fixings & sealed prior to preparing for the final painting. We use the epoxy resin as, unlike conventional fillers, it doesn’t shrink or crack and takes paint finishes well.

While the focus has been on the platform side, the other side has had its paint burnt off and checked for defects. This revealed some further rot at the Headcorn end adjacent to the vestibule. The steel crash pillar there has now also been replaced.

Work is progressing well, with the requirement to have Theodora back in service ready for a number of special charter functions, and a visit by the Pullman Society, in May."

‍Although 'Theodora' currently remains under repair, the Wealden Pullman 2025 season is already underway - the first service being a very popular Valentines Night train. If you'd like to be a part of the great team that delivers these important services, do get in touch with Meg Gooch - no previous experience is necessary as full training is provided. 

Electrical Dept Keeps the Lights On!

The Electrical Department of the K&ESR has been kept busy, with the focus for Richard Stone and Clive Dicker being the redevelopment of the car park at Tenterden. Brian Richards had undertaken landscaping works, making the space far more customer friendly. The associated electrical works were split into 2 phases:

Phase 1 required a completely new underground circuit to power eight new lampposts. As the cost of these lampposts was significant, we decided to get creative. An old photograph of Wittersham Road showed the original lampposts there to have been similar to those now at Bodiam Station. By re-locating the existing lampposts from Wittersham Road to Tenterden car park and replacing them with ones to better suit Wittersham Road, we could minimise the cost and restore the original appearance. The removal and re-siting of the Wittersham Road posts was ably carried out by the Wednesday Group.

Phase 2, when funds permit, will see the installation of a new, dedicated lighting feed

Other tasks have included new lights and dado trunking in the engineering office and workshop at Rolvenden; and new emergency lighting in the offices at Tenterden. Over the Christmas period, the lighting in the Carriage & Wagon woodwork shop was also upgraded to more energy efficient LED units.

Upgrades to the festoon lighting controls along the platform at Tenterden and the temporary Christmas lights supply were also completed, as well as other minor works such as damage repair, lamp replacement and the periodic testing of various installations.

Future plans include the replacement of the main electrical intake in the Tenterden station building, which has reached the end of its life, and the installation of a new distribution board in the Carriage Storage Shed at Rolvenden to serve the container park.

Clive Dicker 

K&ESR Electrical Dept

‍People Update - New Chief Booking Clerk

‍

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Kent and East Sussex Railway, and it’s a joy to hear from people who are embracing their volunteer roles – making new connections, joining new teams, and spreading their wings! 

Here is a diary account from Derek Strand. If you’d like to share your Diary of Volunteering at the K&ESR – in any capacity from Museum Curating to Catering, or from Trustee to Train Driver, we’d love to hear your story!

‍I joined K&ESR as a volunteer in April 2023 as a Platform Assistant – so still consider myself a ‘newbie’ - and got really hooked. Many a happy hour was spent helping people on and off trains and generally being an ambassador for K&ESR, hoping that my interaction in some small way encourages visitors to return.

In July 2023 trained as a Travelling Ticket Inspector. I was a little apprehensive on my first few trips, remembering to check tickets, charge the correct fares, and answer a multitude of questions that our travelling customers would ask. I learned to listen ‍very carefully during my training and to recall information when asked.

It’s fascinating who you meet and on one occasion had the pleasure to meet local resident Tom Baker (aka Dr Who). Christmas 2023 was my first Santa Special experience and the days all seemed to blur into one! It was however great to see all the happy customers which made the long days worthwhile.

At the 2024 pre-season Team Meeting I volunteered to help out in the Booking Office and have enjoyed many a happy hour in the warm and dry whilst my colleagues have been out in the wet! When Peter Morgan announced that he was standing down as Chief Booking Clerk, I volunteered and was duly appointed. With a further successful Santa Special event behind us, I now look forward to a busy 2025 season.

Being at the K&ESR has enabled me to meet and enjoy the company of many volunteers and paid staff who all work together with the one common goal of ensuring the future of our railway. So if you find yourself at a loose end and need something rewarding to keep you occupied, then do please come and join us, there’s a very wide range of roles available so there’s bound to be a slot where you can fit in!

Derek Strand, Chief Booking Clerk

dstrand@kesr.org.uk

Thank you to everyone for your contributions – please remember, you can submit news via newsletter@kesr.org.uk

‍Kent & East Sussex Railway

Tenterden Town Station, Station Road,

Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HE

www.kesr.org.uk

Registered charity 262481

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