Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway - 'Autumn Gala' 22/10/2023
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- Опубліковано 10 жов 2024
- As the winter months approach, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway rounded off their main operating season in style, hosting their 'Autumn Gala' over the weekend of October 21st-22nd. The event would see the RH&DR fronting every available resident steam locomotive for the weekend. Operating alongside the home-fleet would be "Siân", visiting from the Kirlees Light Railway at Whistlestop Valley. This would bring the number of locomotives in steam for the event up to 8.
The event showcased some of the RH&DR's much adored thetrics. Services were frequently double-headed with a number of non-stop runs included. To conclude the weekend, a spectacular multi-header was staged, featuring all 8 locomotives hauling a consist of 18 carriages from Dungeness to New Romney. No4 "The Bug" would be on display at New Romney, coupled to the restored RH&DR 4-wheel coach. The coach is thought to be the only surviving 4-wheeler from the early years of service on the RH&DR.
The engine shed at New Romney has become part of the iconic backdrop at the RH&DR. The current structure is the original, built for the railway and its fledgling fleet of locomotives in 1926-27. As the station and its facilities have changed and grown, the shed has acted as a constant in the history and heritage of the site; occasionally receiving modifications through the years. However, this gala is scheduled to be the last featuring the original shed, with the structure now deemed to be beyond economical repair and demolition scheduled. It's a nostalgic chapter coming to a close, with all the memories that those walls are sure to hold, bearing in mind just how many people have oiled, prepared, cleaned, lit, or driven locomotives out of that shed in the 96 years that the railway has been operating.
Locomotives:
RH&DR Pacific Class - No3 "Southern Maid"
RH&DR Mountain Class - No6 "Samson"
RH&DR Mountain Class - No5 "Hercules"
RH&DR Pacific Class - No1 "Green Goddess"
RH&DR Pacific Class - No2 "Northern Chief"
RH&DR Krupp Pacific Class - No11 "Black Prince"
KLR G&S Engineering - "Siân"
RH&DR 'North American' Pacific Class - No10 "Doctor Syn"
All footage filmed on Sunday the 22nd of October 2023.
It's wonderful to see "Sian" in action again, nearly 50 years since I last saw her, running on the Fairbourne Railway, with her sister engine "Katie".
Never heard of this before now I really want to go there!
The Cavalcade was fun. Being onboard was cool. Makes sense why I saw R.I.P drawn on the shed. Sad to see an iconic shed but it doesn’t matter massively, as long as the future stays bright.
When they’re at speed it always looks like they’re about to derail due to how bumpy the track is
I got a few short videos too - awesome gala weekend!
excellent video Matt, was nice to see you again.
Thanks very much, Jake! Hope the arm is healing well.
Brilliant video.
Thank you for sharing.
Best wishes
Dirk
Thank you
An excellent Gala and great to see Sian show up as the special guest this time round! Shame there was no diesel action
Hello - really super action with variety of Locos and convoys.
The ‘ rocking and rolling, however, is a concern, highlighted by
Speed. Thank you for sharing , most enjoyable video, professional
As ever
04:34 О, диспетчер по перевозкам курей!
Very nice video :)
Cheers
My friend went there as I was in hospital great video if I wasn’t I’ll I would of gone but I couldn’t 😔 ❤ great video and great shots!!!!
Were you all right?
@@Thebigfour1923 of course i
was all right 🤩
Definitely more than interesting to see these 2 foot gauge marvels in comparison to the much bigger standard gauge Alco diesels I work with over here on the American side.
Smaller than 2' gauge, RH&DR track is 15" gauge.
This railway has a special place in my heart unfortunately I've not made it down this year im hoping to get down a few times next year now I'm not at the mercy of public transport
I’m in the video 8:14 🎉
However did they fit that last train in the station at New Romney? 8 engines and .. 18 coaches?!
Doesn't even come close to the 1995 May Gala train of 4 engines and 60 coaches. Yes, I did say sixty, everything we had, totalling 996 seats! That train went the full round trip, from New Romney via Dungeness to Hythe, before being split. And the Guinness Book of Records were not interested..........
The condition of the track in some places is alarming 😮
They’re definitely working on it though - each year I return I notice more sections that have been relaid and improved. Notable this year were the tracks at Romney Sands having been relaid and the points at the throat of Dungeness’s balloon loop now having a completely new layout. They’ve also been gradually relaying sections of the double track section between New Romney and Hythe
It's incredible that these steam locomotives are around 100 years old, and they're still going strong!. Do they all still have their original boilers?
No, all 9 original locomotives were reboilered between 1956 and 1962. So the youngest boilers are now over 60 years old!
I suppose it’s the camera but it looks like the locomotives are going to derail on the fast sections of track .
Why don't these modern billionaires build similar railways like this one did back in the day??!! 😄🧐
The PW department have a lot of track to look after, but some - a lot of it - could really do with reballasting, or at the very least a good tamping. Is there such a thing as a 15" gauge tamper?
Yes, the 15 inch gauge tamper is a hand holding a shovel!
Cracking footage. Shame about the cretins waving their arms about out of coaches
Yeah not sure what the attraction of doing that is? 😂
Track looks very rough