Our blog post tonight is a teaser of something that will feature later in the month.  After being in touch with the Kent and East Sussex Railway, I’m very happy to report that all being well, I’ll be having a tour of the railways extensive facilities in Rolvenden.  Of course this will be reported on here at locoyard!

Rolvenden has long been the engineering headquarters and home of the locomotive fleet, but more recently has additionally become the location of a carriage storage shed that houses much of the railway’s remarkable collection of rolling stock.  The facility is pictured below whilst under construction in 2014.  After opening the four road 120 metre long shelter has won an award from the Institute of Civil Engineers, helped in no small part to its size in relation to its price tag – the relatively small sum of £500,000.  The carriage shed was paid for by the Rother Valley Railway, who are working to reconnect the light railway to Network Rail in Robertsbridge.

The K&ESR has come a long way from its origins as a loss making Colonel Stephens creation to a significant player in the UK’s heritage railway scene.  It will be great to see how the various locomotives are getting on, particularly the restoration of ex-GWR 42xx 4253.  This 2-8-0T beast may seem a little big for the railway, but it’s size meets the railways ambitions for running services from Robertsbridge and Tenterden.

I’ll leave you with a great video from 30742 Charters filmed by and compiled by Chris Eden Green of EG Media of USA Dock Tank no 30065 working a demonstration freight train.