Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway

Heritage Railway


caption = "Triumph" arriving at Sittingbourne with a train
name = Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway
locale = England
terminus = Sittingbourne
builtby = Edward Lloyd Ltd.
linename = Bowaters Paper Railway
originalgauge = RailGauge|30
preservedgauge = RailGauge|30
era =
owned =
operator = Locomotive Club of Great Britain
stations = 3
length = 2 miles
originalopen = 1908
closed = 1969
stageyears = 1970
stage = Opening of Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway

The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway in Kent is a RailGauge|30 gauge heritage railway that operates from Sittingbourne to the banks of The Swale. The line was formerly owned by Bowaters, the paper making firm, and was used to carry raw materials and finished products between Ridham Dock and the company's two mills, one at Sittingbourne and the other at Kemsley.

History

In 1905, the horse-drawn tramway operating around the paper mill was upgraded to steam operation with the purchase of two steam locomotives - Premier and Leader - which celebrated their 100th birthday in 2005. Other locomotives were bought for use on the railway as the network expanded.

In the 1960s a time and motion study was undertaken by the owners, Bowaters UK, and the railway was deemed to be more expensive than road transport and was closed. However, Bowaters UK offered the main line, some of the locos and rolling stock of the railway to the Locomotive Club of Great Britain for preservation as a tourist railway. Other locomotives and rolling stock were sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway and the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. The SKLR is now the longest continuous operator of the Railway.

In January 2007, the Railway entered another era as M-real closed Sittingbourne Paper Mill, however, as one door closes, another opens - Church Marshes Country Park now has a managing committee and will see the surrounding area between Milton Regis Halt and Kemsley Down being turned into a fully-fledged country park.

Preservation

The railway is now operated by the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway and operates over almost two miles of the original main line from Sittingbourne Viaduct station to Kemsley Down station. It crosses one of the first and longest reinforced concrete viaducts in the world between Sittingbourne Viaduct and Milton Regis Halt stations.

The main fleet of locomotives worked the railway before it was preserved. "Barton Hall" was the first new arrival on the railway in over 25 years on long term loan and was eventually purchased by the Railway to assist with railway operations.

In 2005, the Railway had its first ever visit of a steam loco - 'Chevallier' returned to the Railway after being sold to a new owner. She arrived at the Railway on a low loader days before the Centenary Celebrations and stayed on site until early 2006, when she was taken away for restoration. 'Chevallier' was originally built for the Admiralty's Chattenden & Upnor Railway before being sold to Bowaters for use on the Paper Railway, she then moved to the Great Whipsnade Railway.

Trains run every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from Easter to the end of September. There's an annual beer festival (with live music and a large selection of real ales), a model rail day, events at Easter, Story Time events with 'Jack the Station Cat' and 'Ivor the Engine', an end of season gala weekend and Santa Specials at Christmas.

Closure threat

It was announced on the Meridian Television local news on 22 August 2008 that the railway is expected to close at the end of the year. The last public train is scheduled to depart Sittingbourne Viaduct at 14:00 on 26 December 2008, although the operating company are hoping that negotiations to keep the railway open into the future might be successful.cite web|url=http://www.sklr.net/ |title=The very last train to run on Boxing Day ?? |publisher=Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway |accessdate=2008-08-22]

The railway is attempting to buy the land required for the railway and a bid has been submitted. English Heritage is considering whether or not to list the 118-span Milton Regis Viaduct. As well as the railway, the future of three feral cats that live under the café at Sittingbourne is also threatened. It was announced at the National Railway Museum on 4 September 2008 that the railway had won the 2008 Small Group award from the Heritage Railway Association.cite journal |last=Hopkins |first= Danny|authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2008 |month= September 19 - October 16 |title=HRA honours embattled S&K |journal= Steam Railway|volume= |issue= No354|pages= p12|id= |url= |accessdate=2008-09-19 |quote= ]

The Heritage Railway Association is supporting a bid to secure the railway, overseen by Julian Birley of the North Norfolk Railway. Swale District Council are also reported as backing the scheme.cite journal |last=Jones|first=Robin|title=Heritage Railway Opinion |journal=Heritage Railway |volume=Issue 116 |year=2008|month=2 October - 29 October|pages=p3] At a full meeting of Swale Borough Council on 17 September, General Manager Tony James's speech resulted in the council unanimously voting to support the railway in its fight to survive. Mr James accredited the Heritage Railway Association as influencing the decision of the council by their actions in giving the award. On 21 September, the railway was visited by Lord Richard Faulkner, chairman of the Railway Heritage Committee, a statutory body which oversees the preservation of railway artefacts in the United Kingdom. Lord Faulkner has asked that the railway write to the Secretary of State for Transport in a bid for powers to gain a Compulsory Purchase Order which will enable the railway to buy the trackbed.cite journal |last=Jones|first=Robin|title=Fighting fund launched to save Sittingbourne |journal=Heritage Railway |volume=Issue 116 |year=2008|month=2 October - 29 October|pages=p4]

Locomotives

ee also

* British narrow gauge railways
* Bowaters Paper Railway
* Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway
* Great Whipsnade Railway
* Phyllis Rampton Trust

References

External links

* [http://www.sklr.net/ The Railway website]