Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
Encyclopedia
The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a gauge light railway
in Kent
, England
. The 13+1/2 mi line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe
via Dymchurch
, St. Mary's Bay
, New Romney
and Romney Sands to Dungeness, close to Dungeness nuclear power station and Dungeness lighthouse.
. Zborowski was killed in a motor racing accident at Monza
before the Romney Marsh site was chosen, and Howey continued the project alone.
Mountain Class
'Hercules' hauled the inaugural train from Hythe to New Romney with guests including the mayors of the two towns, and General Sir Ivor Maxse.
Howey was not happy with just 8 miles (12.9 km) from New Romney to Hythe and he extended 5+1/2 mi from New Romney to Dungeness. This section was originally double track, but is now single due to damage during World War II
, when the line was taken over by the military. A miniature armoured train
was used on the line. After the war the line re-opened between Hythe and New Romney in 1946, with the singled New Romney to Dungeness section reopened in 1947 by Laurel and Hardy
.
As well as being a tourist attraction, this railway is a public service between the small towns and villages between Hythe and Dungeness and is under contract to the local council to transport children to and from The Marsh Academy in New Romney. The railway is expanding its role as part of the public transport network; Warren Halt
re-opened in 2009 to provide a transport link to the Romney Marsh Visitor Centre, and discussions are taking place with local councils for the expansion of Burmarsh Road
and the provision of a new station at the gravel pits in West Hythe, both in connection with proposed extensive new housing construction, and the need to provide alternative transport to the A259
coast road.
All ten original locomotives remain in service, covering thousands of miles each year. The fleet, already one of the largest of any 15 inches (381 mm) railway in Britain, was expanded in 1976 with German-built locomotive no.11 'Black Prince' (formerly 'Fleißiges Lieschen' = 'Busy Lizzy'). The RH&DR is still the only user of the 4-8-2
"Mountain" locomotive in the UK, with No. 6 'Samson' and No. 5 'Hercules' in regular service. Two diesels, No. 12 'John Southland' and No. 14 (Nameless - later 'Captain Howey'), were constructed in the 1980s.
The line carries 100,000 passengers each year.
The railway celebrated its 80th birthday in 2007 with a week of celebrations including reconstructions of scenes on the railway over the previous eight decades.
in 1978 and regained from 1979, when the Réseau Guerlédan closed, until 1982, when the gauge Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
opened.
The railway was featured in an episode of the BBC
series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
.
Notes on locomotive names:
Notes on PW locomotives:
ALL were internal combustion locomotives.
Princess Coronation Class locomotive, commonly known as the 'Duchess' type (although of the 38 engines of this class, only 10 were named after duchesses). The replica was commissioned by the late Paul Riley, a Director of the railway, as a private project, and is currently stored in an engineers' depot. Following the unexpected death of Mr Riley on 4 June 2008 the future of this locomotive is currently unknown. It is understood that the machine is more than half complete.
School children are transported under contract to Kent County Council
to The Marsh Academy (known as Southland's Comprehensive School until 2007); this service is provided all year during term. Local residents are transported to shopping centres and the railway has operated 'shoppers specials'. Holiday camp trains have operated with camps at Romney Sands and St Mary's Bay. Charters are operated. During the Second World War
the railway was operated by Somerset Light Infantry as a military railway and there was extensive transport of soldiers on troop trains.
In addition to the main stock, the heritage set is made up of the preserved Clayton Pullman (the last remaining example of a set of 1930s vehicles of superior comfort and design), a preserved 1950s 12-seat coach named 'Ruth', the Royal Saloon (used by Queen Elizabeth II and members of her family), and the licensed bar car (an observation coach with a bar) named 'Gladys'. There are also the disabled access vehicles, 601 'Elsie', 602 'Winn', 603 'May' and combined driving trailer/disabled access vehicle 'Marjorie'.
), of which they are believed to be unique in British history, because this type despite lacking speed can haul heavy freight. In practice the freight services never arose, although freight service has featured in the railway's history.
's Dungeness line that year. The fish trade developed in a small way and was withdrawn. Parts of the fish branch line are still in place on Dungeness beach, in use by fishermen to transport fish many years after the service was withdrawn.
operations on the War Department Branch Line, the railway utilised the infrastructure to operate ballast trains. In 1937 a subsidiary ballast company was formed. Tipper wagons were loaded with shingle and transported along the branch line, and then up the main line to Hythe, often lying over in the sidings at Dymchurch to prevent delay to passenger trains using the same tracks. At Hythe the wagons were hauled mechanically up a ramp built on concrete pillars, and their contents tipped into lorries. In 1951, after 14 years, the subsidiary company switched to entirely road transport and the company closed both the branch and the freight incline at Hythe; the concrete pillars were still visible at Hythe until the early 1980s.
The railway operates its own engineering and permanent way trains, which form the majority of non-passenger services.
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(2 miles away) to meet mainline services at Sandling Junction
. It was with this idea that the 4-8-2
locomotives Hercules and Samson were ordered. The project, which involved steep inclines, was abandoned.
In the 1980s, the directors returned to the proposals and had detailed surveys drawn. Again, consideration was given to motive power, with new locomotives discussed. Although still called the "Sandling Extension", the 1980s plan was for a single-track line from the Willop, 2 miles short of Hythe, to provide a more gentle route to Sandling Park and on to Sandling Junction, and would therefore have been a branch line rather than an actual extension to the existing mainline. Once again, the project was abandoned.
In 2003, the small, unbraked, original Greenly tenders were withdrawn from mainline service due to concerns over safety and coal/water capacity. They were the only two of this design running. Both were pulled behind the two mountain locomotives, one of which was out of service after the Burmarsh Road level crossing incident; the other soon to be withdrawn from service for an intermediate overhaul. Once both locomotives were back in service, the railway was faced with a tender shortage. 'Samson' was kept from mainline service while 'Hercules' was kept in service with the tender from 'Green Goddess' during its storage for overhaul. During the 2007 season 'Samson' was in service using the tender from 'Hurricane' while she was being overhauled. As of 2009, both 'Hercules' and 'Samson' have been fitted with new tenders.
In 2008, the tender of 'Black Prince' was made redundant due to its low coal/water capacity and the fact that it was not braked. The new tender has extra capacity for coal and water and has kept the original bogies, now modified to accept vacuum brakes. The new tender was tested at New Romney on 27 September and on 4 October, Black Prince completed a 28-mile non-stop without the aid of another tender, a first for this Locomotive.
2009 was the last year that the tender tank on Green Goddess's tender would see active service. A new tender tank would be needed as her tender sprang a leak in the coal-shute. The frames, bogies and brake gear will be used from the old tender and will feature more storage space.
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Over the many years of operation there have been a number of serious accidents. Amongst the most recent, on 3 August 2003 a car and train were in collision at an ungated level crossing, protected by flashing warning lights. The train driver, 31-year-old Kevin Crouch, died; some passengers were treated for shock and minor injuries; locomotive number 5 (Hercules) was seriously damaged. The female car driver, whose baby was a passenger in the vehicle, had ignored or failed to see the warning lights. The woman and her baby were taken to hospital, but were not badly hurt. The railway and the Health and Safety Executive
instigated an investigation, and the woman was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Although acquitted, she was found guilty of the lesser charge of careless driving. On 10 July 2005 a car and train were in collision at another level crossing under similar circumstances. The driver of the train, Suzanne Martin, wife of the railway's general manager, Danny Martin, was killed; several passengers were treated for shock; locomotive number 8 (Hurricane) was seriously damaged. The car driver, a 20-year-old man, had ignored or failed to see warning lights; he was arrested at the scene, and later bailed by Kent Police.
Following the two incidents detailed above, the railway has begun a programme of level crossing refurbishment. There are a number of 'occupation crossings' where the railway meets farm tracks, with local control; but of the eighteen junctions of the railway with public highways, five are road bridges, and the other thirteen are level crossings. All level crossings have been protected since the 1970s by flashing warning lights (AOCL); the refurbishment programme will see the additional installation of lifting half-barriers, upgrading the crossing to ABCL status, each refurbishment costing around £90,000. Those already altered in this manner are Burmarsh Road (site of the 2003 accident), Battery Road (site of the 2005 accident), Botolph's Bridge Road, and St Mary's Road in Dymchurch. The next level crossing to be upgraded will be Jefferstone Lane, adjacent to St Mary’s Bay station.
is a subsidiary of the older parent company Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway Company. It is usual for the two companies to have the same Board of Directors. The day to day operation of the railway is in the hands of a small but dedicated full-time permanent staff of around 35 people. These include a General Manager, departmental managers (engineering, commercial, operations) and a large number of engineering staff (from locomotive fitters to permanent way gangers) and waitresses (the New Romney and Dungeness cafes are open all year round, even though some of the railway's other commercial outlets are more seasonal). In addition to this core staff, seasonal employees are taken on through the summer season, particularly to increase the staffing of shops and cafeterias, and to provide the required levels of staffing at stations. Finally, but importantly, the railway depends upon a dedicated team of fully trained, but totally volunteer (unpaid) staff members, who work on the railway in their own spare time. Volunteer staff work throughout the railway, in engineering posts, operating positions, commercial outlets, and manual roles concerned with maintenance and improvement.
Light railway
Light railway refers to a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail". This usually means the railway uses lighter weight track, and is more steeply graded and tightly curved to avoid civil engineering costs...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The 13+1/2 mi line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
via Dymchurch
Dymchurch
Dymchurch is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. The village is located on the coast five miles south-west of Hythe, and on the Romney Marsh. It is typical of this part of the coast, having been a village which became larger during the 1930s...
, St. Mary's Bay
St Mary's Bay, Kent
St Mary's Bay is a coastal village in Kent, England. On the coast, situated on Romney Marsh, St Mary's Bay has a long sandy beach which stretches north to Dymchurch and south to Littlestone-on-Sea. It has a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. Local website -History:During the...
, New Romney
New Romney
New Romney is a small town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to be silted up. New Romney was once a sea port, with the harbour adjacent to the church, but is now more than a mile from the sea...
and Romney Sands to Dungeness, close to Dungeness nuclear power station and Dungeness lighthouse.
Description
Constructed during the 1920s and opened on 16 July 1927, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway was the dream of millionaire racing drivers Captain J.E.P. Howey and Count Louis ZborowskiLouis Zborowski
Count Louis Zborowski was a racing driver and automobile engineer.-Biography:His father, Count William Eliot Morris Zborowski was also a racing driver, and died in a racing crash, in 1903 at La Turbie Hillclimb in France near Nice...
. Zborowski was killed in a motor racing accident at Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
before the Romney Marsh site was chosen, and Howey continued the project alone.
Mountain Class
4-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
'Hercules' hauled the inaugural train from Hythe to New Romney with guests including the mayors of the two towns, and General Sir Ivor Maxse.
Howey was not happy with just 8 miles (12.9 km) from New Romney to Hythe and he extended 5+1/2 mi from New Romney to Dungeness. This section was originally double track, but is now single due to damage during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when the line was taken over by the military. A miniature armoured train
Armoured train
An armoured train is a train protected with armour. They are usually equipped with railroad cars armed with artillery and machine guns. They were mostly used during the late 19th and early 20th century, when they offered an innovative way to quickly move large amounts of firepower...
was used on the line. After the war the line re-opened between Hythe and New Romney in 1946, with the singled New Romney to Dungeness section reopened in 1947 by Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
.
As well as being a tourist attraction, this railway is a public service between the small towns and villages between Hythe and Dungeness and is under contract to the local council to transport children to and from The Marsh Academy in New Romney. The railway is expanding its role as part of the public transport network; Warren Halt
Warren Halt railway station
Romney Warren Halt railway station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It has also been known as Warren Bridge Halt.-History:...
re-opened in 2009 to provide a transport link to the Romney Marsh Visitor Centre, and discussions are taking place with local councils for the expansion of Burmarsh Road
Burmarsh Road railway station
Burmarsh Road railway station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It is four miles south of Hythe.-History:...
and the provision of a new station at the gravel pits in West Hythe, both in connection with proposed extensive new housing construction, and the need to provide alternative transport to the A259
A259 road
The A259 is a busy road on the south coast of England passing through Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and part of Kent. Part of the road was named "the most dangerous road in South East England" in 2008.-Description:...
coast road.
All ten original locomotives remain in service, covering thousands of miles each year. The fleet, already one of the largest of any 15 inches (381 mm) railway in Britain, was expanded in 1976 with German-built locomotive no.11 'Black Prince' (formerly 'Fleißiges Lieschen' = 'Busy Lizzy'). The RH&DR is still the only user of the 4-8-2
4-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
"Mountain" locomotive in the UK, with No. 6 'Samson' and No. 5 'Hercules' in regular service. Two diesels, No. 12 'John Southland' and No. 14 (Nameless - later 'Captain Howey'), were constructed in the 1980s.
The line carries 100,000 passengers each year.
The railway celebrated its 80th birthday in 2007 with a week of celebrations including reconstructions of scenes on the railway over the previous eight decades.
Smallest public railway in the world
From 1926 to 1978, the RH&DR held the title of the "Smallest public railway in the world" (in terms of track gauge). The title was lost to the gauge Réseau Guerlédan in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1978 and regained from 1979, when the Réseau Guerlédan closed, until 1982, when the gauge Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway is a gauge heritage railway in Norfolk, England running between the coastal town of Wells and Walsingham which is further inland...
opened.
The railway was featured in an episode of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries is a series of BBC television programmes about Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, 8th Earl of Asherton of Scotland Yard and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers...
.
Stations currently open
Stations in full or limited use- HytheHythe railway station (RHDR)Hythe station is the northern terminus of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway and although smaller than New Romney, it is an impressive facility with curved platforms and overall roof, loco release road, former engine shed now an independent engineering works, signalbox with 16 lever frame, and...
- Burmarsh RoadBurmarsh Road railway stationBurmarsh Road railway station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It is four miles south of Hythe.-History:...
(Usually school shuttle trains only) - DymchurchDymchurch railway stationDymchurch railway station is on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It is five miles south of Hythe, and surrounded by flat countryside....
- St Mary's BaySt Mary's Bay railway stationSt. Mary's Bay railway station is a small station in St Mary's Bay, Kent, England, between the larger stations of New Romney and Dymchurch, on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway....
- Warren HaltWarren Halt railway stationRomney Warren Halt railway station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It has also been known as Warren Bridge Halt.-History:...
(Usually visitor centre shuttle trains only) - New RomneyNew Romney railway stationNew Romney railway station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in New Romney, Kent, England. It has always been the headquarters location of the railway.-Temporary terminus:...
- Romney SandsRomney Sands railway stationRomney Sands Railway Station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It is located on the bleakest part of the Romney Marsh, a shingle peninsula.-Station history:...
- DungenessDungeness railway stationDungeness railway station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway on Romney Marsh in Kent.-History:The line to Dungeness was opened on 24 May 1928, a year after the line reached New Romney...
Stations closed
Those shown as 'halt' never had a higher status; all stations below became halts prior to closure.- Prince of Wales HaltPrince of Wales Halt railway stationPrince of Wales Halt railway station was a short-lived station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England.About three quarters of a mile from the Hythe terminus, in an area known as Palmarsh, the railway line and the Royal Military Canal finally diverge, and the railway line...
(closed 1928) - Botolph's Bridge HaltBotolph's Bridge Halt railway stationBotolphs Bridge Halt railway station was a little-used station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England.Botolphs Bridge is a hamlet on the Romney Marsh, consisting of a small group of family homes and a public house...
(closed 1939) - Golden Sands HaltGolden Sands Halt railway stationGolden Sands Halt railway station was a private station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in St Mary's Bay, Kent, England.Trains ran past this location for some 21 years before the private Golden Sands Halt opened in the summer of 1948...
(closed 1990s) - Greatstone Greatstone Dunes railway stationGreatstone Dunes railway station was a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England.Opened on 24 May 1928, and bearing the attractive name 'Greatstone Dunes' this station served little obvious purpose, particularly as it was located only 1.3 miles south of the station at New...
(closed 1983) - War Department HaltWar Department Halt railway stationThe War Department halt was an informal railway station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England.In 1929 a branch line was constructed curving away inland from south of Romney Sands station. This line was constructed at the request of the War Office and provided a train service...
(closed 1945) - LadeLade railway stationLade railway station was a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England.In common with most stations on the Dungeness line of the railway , Lade station opened for business on 24 May 1928. Despite having full station status, it was never intended to be a major station...
(closed 1977) - The Pilot InnThe Pilot Inn railway stationThe Pilot Inn railway station was a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England.Opened on 24 May 1928, this station was a temporary terminus whilst construction of the remaining section of track to Dungeness continued...
(closed 1977) - Britannia Points HaltBritannia Points Halt railway stationBritannia Points Halt railway station was a conditional stop on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England.-Overview:As a 'conditional stop' it has historically been referred to as a 'station' merely for convenience, as conditional stops are not really stations at all in any formal...
(closed 1930)
Stations proposed
These stations have never existed but were at one time proposed by the directors, or are currently under proposal.- Sandling Junction - in the late 1920s and again in the late 1980s plans existed to meet with the main line at Sandling.
- Sandling Park - a proposal for a station to serve this estate at PedlingePedlingePedlinge is a hamlet on the edge of the village of Saltwood in Kent. It has its own church, though this is officially classified as a District Chapel-of-Ease since Pedlinge is part of the parish of Saltwood, and not a parish in its own right....
on the Sandling extension. - Nickolls Quarry - a proposal for a station to serve a new housing development at the West Hythe site of Nickolls Quarry has been formally included in the planning application to ShepwayShepwayShepway is a local government district in Kent, England. It includes the towns of Folkestone and Hythe and the Romney Marsh. It is named after the Jutish lathe of Shepway; the Royal Court of Shepway, which met near Lympne at a place called Shepway Cross, was the principal court of the Cinque Ports...
District Council.
Locomotives in service
Including engines serviceable, under overhaul, awaiting overhaul, or reserved to shunting or engineering duties.| No. | Name | Picture | Livery | Locomotive type | Wheel arr. |
Builder | Year built | Whistle | In Traffic? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green Goddess | LNER Apple Green London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain... |
Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Davey Paxman & Co. | 1925 | Small Chime | Yes | |
| 2 | Northern Chief | Brunswick Green | Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Davey Paxman & Co. | 1925 | Bulleid | Yes | |
| 3 | Southern Maid | RH&DR Green | Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Davey Paxman & Co. | 1926 | Ex Isle of Wight Hooter | Yes | |
| 4 | The Bug | LB&SCR London, Brighton and South Coast Railway The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey... 'Brighton Umber' |
Steam | 0-4-0 0-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven... |
Krauss Krauss-Maffei The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Munich, Germany... , Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
1926 | RHDR | Yes | |
| 5 | Hercules |  |
Midland Rly Maroon Midland Railway The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.... |
Steam | 4-8-2 4-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
Davey Paxman & Co. | 1927 | GWR Hall | Yes |
| 6 | Samson | Great Eastern Blue Great Eastern Railway The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia... |
Steam | 4-8-2 4-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... |
Davey Paxman & Co. | 1927 | US Crosby | Yes | |
| 7 | Typhoon |  |
British Racing Green | Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Davey Paxman & Co. | 1927 | BR Duke of Gloucester | Yes |
| 8 | Hurricane | LNER Garter Blue | Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Davey Paxman & Co. | 1927 | Chrome LNER A4 | Yes | |
| 9 | Winston Churchill | Maroon | Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Yorkshire Engine Company Yorkshire Engine Company The Yorkshire Engine Company was a small independent locomotive manufacturer in Sheffield, England. The Company was formed in 1865 and continued to produce locomotives and carry out general engineering work until 1965... |
1931 | Crosby | No - Under Overhaul | |
| 10 | Dr Syn | Black with Yellow lining | Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Yorkshire Engine Company Yorkshire Engine Company The Yorkshire Engine Company was a small independent locomotive manufacturer in Sheffield, England. The Company was formed in 1865 and continued to produce locomotives and carry out general engineering work until 1965... |
1931 | LNER A4 from Commonwealth of Australia | Yes | |
| 11 | Black Prince | DB Black/Red | Steam | 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics... |
Krupp Krupp The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th... , Essen Essen - Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of... |
1937 | South African Chime | Yes | |
| 12 | John Southland | Black/Yellow | Diesel-Mechanical | Bo-Bo Bo-Bo A Bo-Bo or Bo′Bo′ is a locomotive with two independent four-wheeled bogies with all axles powered by individual traction motors... |
TMA Engineering TMA Engineering TMA Engineering Ltd, 95-111 Tyburn Rd, Erdington, Birmingham, Great Britain. Their main business is supplying, maintaining, repairing and rebuilding power presses... |
1983 | 2-Tone Horn (AirChime, Ltd) | Yes | |
| 14 | Captain Howey | Blue/Silver | Diesel-Mechanical | Bo-Bo Bo-Bo A Bo-Bo or Bo′Bo′ is a locomotive with two independent four-wheeled bogies with all axles powered by individual traction motors... |
TMA Engineering TMA Engineering TMA Engineering Ltd, 95-111 Tyburn Rd, Erdington, Birmingham, Great Britain. Their main business is supplying, maintaining, repairing and rebuilding power presses... |
1989 | 2-Tone Horn (AirChime, Ltd) | Yes | |
| PW1 | Simplex | Green | Diesel-Mechanical | 0-4-0 | Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... Ltd. (Simplex Wks) |
1938 | None | Shunting | |
| PW2 | Scooter | WD Grey | Petrol-Mechanical | 0-4-0 0-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven... |
RHDR | 1949 | Ex Fire Engine | Shunting | |
| PW3 | Red Gauntlet | Red | Petrol-Mechanical | 0-4-0 0-4-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven... |
Jacot / Keef | 1975 | Halfords | Shunting | |
Notes on locomotive names:
- Nameplates are usually in upper case.
- No 1 was named 'Green Goddess' after the 1921 stage playThe Green Goddess (stage play)The Green Goddess was a popular stage play of 1921 by William Archer.In the three years after its publication, the play toured in both America and England....
by William ArcherWilliam ArcherWilliam Archer may refer to:* William S. Archer , U.S. Senator and Representative from Virginia* William Archer Irish naturalist and microscopist especially interested in Protozoa and Desmids...
, which Capt Howey had enjoyed. - Nos 2 & 3 were to be called 'Northern Chief' and 'Southern Chief' and these nameplates were fitted at the works; however No 3's name was changed to 'Southern Maid' before delivery.
- No 4 left the railway after construction and ran in Belfast with the new name "Jean". This engine regained its original name on return to the RHDR and restoration in the 1970s. It bears the colloquial name "Basil the Bug" in its role as mascot of the railway's children's supporter group.
- Nos 5 & 6 were to be called 'Man of Kent' and 'Maid of Kent', but due to their tractive power (having an extra driving wheel) the names 'HerculesHerculesHercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
' and 'SamsonSamsonSamson, Shimshon ; Shamshoun or Sampson is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Tanakh ....
' (for strength) were substituted during construction. Henry GreenlyHenry GreenlyHenry Greenly was amongst the foremost miniature railway engineers of the 20th century, remembered as a master of engineering design.-Miniature railways:...
, the designer, was involved in construction of a locomotive on the nearby Saltwood Miniature RailwaySaltwood Miniature RailwaySaltwood Miniature Railway was a gauge miniature railway which first opened in Sheffield, but subsequently relocated to Saltwood in Kent, England....
a decade later, and this engine took the 'Maid of Kent' name. A name change is once again on the cards after much deliberation in winter 2008/2009. - Nos 7 & 8 were constructed for express passenger services, and had an extra cylinder (3 instead of 2), hence their names 'Typhoon' and 'Hurricane' for speed. The third cylinder was removed from each due to unreliability. According to an original order, these locomotives were going to carry 'Samson' and 'Hercules' nameplates, however Howey gave the mountain classes these nameplates before the 3 cylinder locomotives had arrived.
- Following a mishap when Howey was at the controls, No 8 was renamed 'Bluebottle' between 1938 and 1946, apparently as a punishment.
- No 9 was originally 'Doctor SynDoctor SynThe Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th century Romney Marsh, where brandy and tobacco were brought in at night...
', but its name became 'Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
' in 1948 for its tour of Canada, and afterwards stuck. - No 10 was originally 'Black PrinceEdward, the Black PrinceEdward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
', but took the 'Doctor Syn' name in 1949 to maintain the link with local history and legend. - No 11 took over the redundant 'Black Prince' name upon transfer to the RH&DR in 1976, in place of its German name 'Fleißiges Lieschen', meaning 'Busy Lizzy' in English.
- No 12 is named after the founder of the local secondary school in New Romney.
- No 13 was never assigned. Although this was due to superstition, another engine of the same class as 12 and 14 was built between them and exported to the Shuzenji Romney RailwayShuzenji Romney RailwayThe Shuzenji Romney Railway is a gauge pleasure line located in Niji-no-Sato in Izu, Shizuoka, on the Izu Peninsula in Japan. It is based on the English Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway on the English Channel coast in Kent, which opened in 1925. The railway operates using a mixture of steam and...
in Japan; this locomotive carries the "John Southland II" name. - No 14 ran nameless for 12 years until it was named after the line's founder, Captain Howey.
Notes on PW locomotives:
- PW1 originally carried the fleet number "4" as a replacement for 'The Bug' which had been sold. The engine was renumbered PW1 shortly before the return of 'The Bug', meaning that the fleet number 4 was again available for its original holder.
- PW2 was constructed, as shown, in 1949. However, the bulk of this construction involved the rebuilding and re-use of the former War Department locomotive (see below), which had been in service since 1929.
Locomotives withdrawn from service
Including engines sold, scrapped, failed in trials, or otherwise withdrawn.ALL were internal combustion locomotives.
| 'Name' or designation | Wheel arrangement |
Builder | Year built | Year withdrawn | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theakston Fordson Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
Bo'2' | Theakston | 1928 | c1935 | Very early experiment with internal combustion. Large passenger locomotive with fully enclosed 2-seater cab. Operated on winter passenger services. Judged too slow, and ugly in appearance. |
| Super-Scooter (JAP JA Prestwich Industries Ltd JA Prestwich Industries, was an English engineering company named after founder John Alfred Prestwich, which produced cinematographic equipment, internal combustion engines , and other examples of precision engineering.-History:J. A... Scooter) |
Ultra-light 4-wheel scooter |
RHDR | c1929 | c1945 | Light, open-cabbed, track inspection scooter, powered by 6 hp JAP motorcycle engine. Capt Howey recorded New Romney to Hythe in 8 minutes, light engine. |
| War Department Locomotive | 4-wheel scooter | War Department War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence... |
1929 | 1949 | The only privately owned locomotive to have seen long-term service on the RHDR. Stabled at Hythe engine shed, worked the War Department branch line Romney Sands railway station Romney Sands Railway Station is a station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, England. It is located on the bleakest part of the Romney Marsh, a shingle peninsula.-Station history:... . Remained in RHDR service briefly after the branch line closed. Used extensively as the basis for construction of locomotive PW2 (still in service - see above). |
| Rolls Royce Rolls-Royce Limited Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904.... Locomotive |
Bo'2' | RHDR | c1932 | 1961 | Built out of Capt Howey's Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost refers both to a car model and to one specific car from that series.Originally named the "40/50 h.p." the chassis was originally produced at Royce's Manchester works, before moving to Derby in July 1908 and also, between 1921 and 1926, in Springfield, Massachusetts.... motor car. Large, fully enclosed cab, 2-seater, express passenger engine. Fully rebuilt in 1946 with sleek body-work. Re-engined (with Ford engine) in 1947. Tested at 60 mph with (possibly) empty coaches. |
| Firefly | 0-6-0 0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels... |
HCS Bullock RHDR) | 1936 1945) | 1947 | Although a gauge engine, Firefly was liveried and lettered as a RH&DR locomotive, and operated the post-war shuttle service when part of the line from New Romney to Warren Halt was temporarily re-gauged to gauge. From 1947 the engine formed part of Howey's alternative project which became the Hastings Miniature Railway Hastings Miniature Railway The Hastings Miniature Railway is a gauge miniature railway located on the seafront at Hastings, a seaside resort, town, and ancient cinque port, in East Sussex, England. Opened in 1948, it remains a popular tourist attraction to the present day... . |
| Motor Cycle Scooter | Ultra-light 4-wheel scooter |
RHDR | c1949 | c1952 | Light, open-cabbed, track inspection scooter, powered by motorcycle engine. The only RHDR locomotive ever built of which no known photograph exists. Its existence is attested by former railway staff. |
| 'Royal Anchor' | B-B | Charles Lane of Liphook Liphook Liphook is a large village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.1 miles west of Haslemere, on the A3 road, and lies on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.Liphook has its own railway station, on the Portsmouth Direct Line.... |
1956 | 1956 | Diesel Hydraulic double-ended (two cabs) locomotive, built for RHDR service (as the Rolls Royce locomotive was near withdrawal). Royal Anchor failed trials due to lack of power. The project was abandoned and the locomotive returned to Liphook. It operated on the R&ER Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District... 1960-1977, and then at Carnforth Carnforth - References :... 1977–2000. It is now operating privately in the USA. |
Locomotives on site
In addition to the railway's own 16 locomotives, one additional engine is currently housed at New Romney. This is a partially constructed third-scale reproduction of an LMSLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
Princess Coronation Class locomotive, commonly known as the 'Duchess' type (although of the 38 engines of this class, only 10 were named after duchesses). The replica was commissioned by the late Paul Riley, a Director of the railway, as a private project, and is currently stored in an engineers' depot. Following the unexpected death of Mr Riley on 4 June 2008 the future of this locomotive is currently unknown. It is understood that the machine is more than half complete.
Passenger services
The railway was conceived and constructed as a public service, not as a tourist attraction. The railway now relies on tourist trade, but it is not a 'tourist railway' or a 'preserved railway', in the sense that it was built to provide public transport and has continued to do so.School children are transported under contract to Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
to The Marsh Academy (known as Southland's Comprehensive School until 2007); this service is provided all year during term. Local residents are transported to shopping centres and the railway has operated 'shoppers specials'. Holiday camp trains have operated with camps at Romney Sands and St Mary's Bay. Charters are operated. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the railway was operated by Somerset Light Infantry as a military railway and there was extensive transport of soldiers on troop trains.
Passenger vehicles
The RH&DR operates 20-seat and 16-seat open and closed coaches. Over 80 years the coach livery changed from green and cream to brown and cream in the 1970s and 1980s, then red and cream in the late 1980s for 15 years. From 2000, a new policy has rakes of coaches (trains of around a dozen coaches) have been painted in individual liveries. Hence there are now green, blue, crimson and preserved teak coaches.In addition to the main stock, the heritage set is made up of the preserved Clayton Pullman (the last remaining example of a set of 1930s vehicles of superior comfort and design), a preserved 1950s 12-seat coach named 'Ruth', the Royal Saloon (used by Queen Elizabeth II and members of her family), and the licensed bar car (an observation coach with a bar) named 'Gladys'. There are also the disabled access vehicles, 601 'Elsie', 602 'Winn', 603 'May' and combined driving trailer/disabled access vehicle 'Marjorie'.
Freight services
From the outset, the railway's owners and designers envisaged freight services. Two of the original locomotives (No 5 'Hercules' and No 6 'Samson') were built to the 'mountain' wheel arrangement (4-8-24-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
), of which they are believed to be unique in British history, because this type despite lacking speed can haul heavy freight. In practice the freight services never arose, although freight service has featured in the railway's history.
Dungeness Beach fish trade
In 1937 a short branch line was laid to the east of the mainline near Dungeness, running for over a quarter of a mile to the beach. Platform 1 at Hythe was extended beside the station buildings and out to the front of the station. This joint provision was to allow transport of fish from Dungeness to Hythe and there to transfer it to road. The company had four-wheel fish wagons, stencilled "Fish Only", but the service was developed from 1937 following closure of the South Eastern RailwaySouth Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
's Dungeness line that year. The fish trade developed in a small way and was withdrawn. Parts of the fish branch line are still in place on Dungeness beach, in use by fishermen to transport fish many years after the service was withdrawn.
Uncrushed shingle transport
The most successful freight service was the uncrushed ballast service. Following withdrawal of War OfficeWar Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
operations on the War Department Branch Line, the railway utilised the infrastructure to operate ballast trains. In 1937 a subsidiary ballast company was formed. Tipper wagons were loaded with shingle and transported along the branch line, and then up the main line to Hythe, often lying over in the sidings at Dymchurch to prevent delay to passenger trains using the same tracks. At Hythe the wagons were hauled mechanically up a ramp built on concrete pillars, and their contents tipped into lorries. In 1951, after 14 years, the subsidiary company switched to entirely road transport and the company closed both the branch and the freight incline at Hythe; the concrete pillars were still visible at Hythe until the early 1980s.
Postal service
The railway is licensed by the Post Office for rail postal services, and is entitled to issue postage stamps. A number of first day covers have been issued. A four-wheel secure postage wagon was constructed.Parcels service
The railway operates a casual parcels service. Parcels handed in to one station will be delivered to another for collection. This is the only remnant of freight service, although from time to time the railway has a temporary freight contract, such as that in 1975 for transport of drainage pipesThe railway operates its own engineering and permanent way trains, which form the majority of non-passenger services.
Freight vehicles
The railway has permanent way stock, examples of which include the platelayers' mess coach, assorted tipper wagons (largely left over from ballast operations), secure tool trucks, and flat wagons. There are also four-wheel wagons, both box vans and open trucks, including vehicles surviving from the fish trains. There are also tank wagons, used primarily for spraying weed killer on tracks.Proposed extension to Sandling
In the late 1920s, shortly after the line opened, there were proposals for an extension from Hythe to SandlingSandling
Sandling is a small hamlet north of Saltwood in Kent. It has a railway station connected to Saltwood village by a bus service. It is also the location of Sandling Park, a large estate and house, which stretches around the village of Saltwood and ends at Saltwood's other satellite hamlet, Pedlinge...
(2 miles away) to meet mainline services at Sandling Junction
Sandling railway station
Sandling railway station serves Sandling in Kent, England. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern. The station is also 7 km west of Folkestone Central on the South Eastern Main Line...
. It was with this idea that the 4-8-2
4-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
locomotives Hercules and Samson were ordered. The project, which involved steep inclines, was abandoned.
In the 1980s, the directors returned to the proposals and had detailed surveys drawn. Again, consideration was given to motive power, with new locomotives discussed. Although still called the "Sandling Extension", the 1980s plan was for a single-track line from the Willop, 2 miles short of Hythe, to provide a more gentle route to Sandling Park and on to Sandling Junction, and would therefore have been a branch line rather than an actual extension to the existing mainline. Once again, the project was abandoned.
New tenders
In 2008, the tender of 'Black Prince' was made redundant due to its low coal/water capacity and the fact that it was not braked. The new tender has extra capacity for coal and water and has kept the original bogies, now modified to accept vacuum brakes. The new tender was tested at New Romney on 27 September and on 4 October, Black Prince completed a 28-mile non-stop without the aid of another tender, a first for this Locomotive.
2009 was the last year that the tender tank on Green Goddess's tender would see active service. A new tender tank would be needed as her tender sprang a leak in the coal-shute. The frames, bogies and brake gear will be used from the old tender and will feature more storage space.
Safety
Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland...
instigated an investigation, and the woman was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Although acquitted, she was found guilty of the lesser charge of careless driving. On 10 July 2005 a car and train were in collision at another level crossing under similar circumstances. The driver of the train, Suzanne Martin, wife of the railway's general manager, Danny Martin, was killed; several passengers were treated for shock; locomotive number 8 (Hurricane) was seriously damaged. The car driver, a 20-year-old man, had ignored or failed to see warning lights; he was arrested at the scene, and later bailed by Kent Police.
Following the two incidents detailed above, the railway has begun a programme of level crossing refurbishment. There are a number of 'occupation crossings' where the railway meets farm tracks, with local control; but of the eighteen junctions of the railway with public highways, five are road bridges, and the other thirteen are level crossings. All level crossings have been protected since the 1970s by flashing warning lights (AOCL); the refurbishment programme will see the additional installation of lifting half-barriers, upgrading the crossing to ABCL status, each refurbishment costing around £90,000. Those already altered in this manner are Burmarsh Road (site of the 2003 accident), Battery Road (site of the 2005 accident), Botolph's Bridge Road, and St Mary's Road in Dymchurch. The next level crossing to be upgraded will be Jefferstone Lane, adjacent to St Mary’s Bay station.
Ownership and operation
The railway is owned by the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway plc, whose shareholders (of whom there are several hundred) travel free of charge on trains, but elect annually to take no financial dividend on their shareholdings, but instead to re-invest all operating profit back into the company. The public limited companyPublic limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
is a subsidiary of the older parent company Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway Company. It is usual for the two companies to have the same Board of Directors. The day to day operation of the railway is in the hands of a small but dedicated full-time permanent staff of around 35 people. These include a General Manager, departmental managers (engineering, commercial, operations) and a large number of engineering staff (from locomotive fitters to permanent way gangers) and waitresses (the New Romney and Dungeness cafes are open all year round, even though some of the railway's other commercial outlets are more seasonal). In addition to this core staff, seasonal employees are taken on through the summer season, particularly to increase the staffing of shops and cafeterias, and to provide the required levels of staffing at stations. Finally, but importantly, the railway depends upon a dedicated team of fully trained, but totally volunteer (unpaid) staff members, who work on the railway in their own spare time. Volunteer staff work throughout the railway, in engineering posts, operating positions, commercial outlets, and manual roles concerned with maintenance and improvement.