Railway under threat.

SillyBilly · Post by **SillyBilly** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:11 pm

Last train is destined to run boxing day and then they have 'till mid(?)-Janurary to clear everything they want to keep.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:17 pm

SKLR wrote:Unless circumstances dramatically change the last passenger service on a railway that has run for 102 years will steam out of Sittingbourne Viaduct at 14.00 on Friday 26th December, 2008, just nine months short of the 40th anniversary of the operation of the railway as a heritage line. One later train may run that day but only as a goodbye to the railway and exclusive to members of the railway.

The railways licence to operate on the land expires on 28 th January, 2009. By that date we are supposed to remove all the locomotives, coaches, wagons, buildings and all other paraphernalia. How can a charity that has struggled to survive for most of the 40 years it has operated afford to make such a move and where to?

Following on from an idea from one of the railways junior members a poster/car sticker campaign has been launched, you can download a SOS (Save Our Steam railway) poster here. Car stickers now available here. We are asking the public to display these in their windows, on their cars, everywhere.

We have launched a Fighting Fund to pay for this campaign and hopefully the purchase of the land. We have set up an account with www.justgiving.com/sklr . This is now available for donations and is a very efficient way of raising funds and automatically gives us the benefit of Gift Aid on your donation. If you would like to discuss your donation please contact us on info@sklr.net and we will get back to you. (Any surplus funds will be used for the benefit and improvement of the SKLR.)

Campaign T shirts are now available from the railway at £7.00 (£6.00 to members). These can be obtained from the shop at Kemsley or by post (cost of postage and packing £1.50 + 50p for each additional T shirt) by phoning 0871 222 1569. Please have your credit card details ready.

Please send letters of support to us, either by email to info@sklr.net or by post to SKLR, PO Box 300, Sittingbourne, ME10 2DZ .

Only public opinion can save what is South East England's only preserved former industrial narrow gauge railway. Your opinion counts.

SillyBilly · Post by **SillyBilly** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:26 pm

I've sent my e-mail.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:49 pm

Need to compose mine properly first.

I've been fortunate to visit the railway in the past just after they had the temporary station behind Asda built, after some viaduct repairs. It is now an on request halt, but was out of use during my visits. The downside of the railway is there is no public road access to Kemsley Down Station so you had to time your visit properly if you wanted to look at static stock, the shop, museum, etc. and not miss the last train home.

With only 2 other 2' 6" railways in the UK where would their locos, rolling stock, etc. go to if they have to leave?

mhlr · Post by **mhlr** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 11:50 pm

SillyBilly wrote:I've sent my e-mail.

Me too!

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:19 pm

CCairns wrote:With only 2 other 2' 6" railways in the UK where would their locos, rolling stock, etc. go to if they have to leave?

Well, I suppose there is still the hope that the SKLR might be able to re-locate to another site if it does close. Otherwise, I suppose there are a number of options...if it's sold off then I'd be very surprised if Graham Lee didn't end up buying at least some of it for Statfold, and it may be that Whipsnade Zoo take the opportunity to expand their fleet (though I think that's less likely, they probably already have enough steamers for their needs). I reckon Welshpool might provide a home for some stuff if it were purchased by third parties (or indeed retained by the current owners), but I'm not sure they actaully purchase anything themselves - I think the SKLR locos might be a little underpowered for the W&LLR, but I stand to be corrected on that.
Otherwise, there's no shortage of locations where the engines might be statically displayed - Bredgar springs to mind, I think they already have a couple of 2'6" engines there.
The final option - and the saddest for UK enthusiasts - is that some of the stock might go overseas, since there are more 2'6" lines out there.

But I don't want to see that happen, and I'll be sending the SKLR an email of support and a donation as soon as I can - and I just hope I'll have a chance to visit them before the end of the year as well.

Incidentally, does anyone know which of the SKLR engines are currently in working order?

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:15 pm

All very valid thoughts. I'd forgotten about multi-gauge Statfold Barn.

Problem with your comment where the engines might be statically displayed would probably mean out in the open.

Incidentally, does anyone know which of the SKLR engines are currently in working order?

Looking at the timetable for this coming weekend's Gala it is Triumph, Melior & Barton Hall.

Wonder if I can make it down for Boxing Day, but accommodation will be a nightmare then!!

Aizoon · Post by **Aizoon** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:22 am

IMHO, it's an absolute tragedy. Had it not been for the SKLR, I'd have gone on believing that NG was about twee little Welsh lines with ladies in silly hats, and Swiss rabbit-warrens. It was my introduction to industrial NG, for which I am profoundly grateful.

Swale Council's part in all this looks decidedly murky. Without the SKLR, I'd probably have never heard of Sittingbourne and certainly wouldn't have visited it, so what precisely do the Council hope to gain from killing it?

I detect the whiff of brown envelopes

andysleigh · Post by **andysleigh** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:01 pm

They shouldnt be alowd to build houses on the site anyway, as its all on marsh land and will flood

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:00 pm

Im a member of quite a few forums now and when I put this on 1 of them I was expecting outrage and passion but instead the general feel was well does it really matter and what you gonna do and well its not like we dont have many narrow gauge railways and the town doesnt need the railway its an industrial town

(they actually put a frowing smilie after it)

this was on a train forum

SillyBilly · Post by **SillyBilly** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:26 pm

Shocking Pauly. Perhaps you should remind them of how long this railway has been there?

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:43 pm

SillyBilly wrote:Shocking Pauly. Perhaps you should remind them of how long this railway has been there?

most of them knew alot about the railway but didnt give a rats bottom

alan2525 · Post by **alan2525** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:08 pm

Visited the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway today. It was their Gala day, with the upcoming closure there were tons of visitors and the railway had to drop their planned timetable and just put on as many trains as they could. There was supposed to be a mixed freight train too, hauled by their Hunslet - Barton Hall, unfortunately that had a slight problem and was withdrawn from service for sometime until they later got it running again.

Both "Triumph" and the Kerr Stuart "Melior" were in steam. It's a desperate shame if the railway is allowed to close. There's not much else in Sittingbourne, if the land becomes more B&Q warehouses, McDonalds restraunts and Domino Pizza delivery places it'll just mean something historic and unique will be lost forever.

I really hope something comes up, All being well I'm thinking of going down there on Boxing Day too.

SillyBilly · Post by **SillyBilly** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:13 pm

This is how you can look on the brightside, on Boxing Day if they're still closing I bet they'll have more people than they've got fishplate bolts.

Matt · Post by **Matt** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:20 pm

Just so you guys know, the last trains are pre-booked santa specials, so you'll have to get your tickets well in advance.

MTA · Post by **MTA** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:52 pm

I'm going to their gala tomorrow, and I will certainly be offering my support to them.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:43 pm

Matt wrote:the last trains are pre-booked santa specials, so you'll have to get your tickets well in advance.

Website originally said 'Details in September'. Now it says 'Please come back for further details'. Have you booked already?

Glad that some members are managing to get to this railway. Being at the other end of our country it is not possible for me at present, but I've been given my request for a change of location, which means more training this time in Farnborough at end of November, so I'm hoping I may get to the SKLR during that period for their Santa Trains.

Also considering joining the SKLR as the last train will be for members only, but my computer in Aberdeen does not have MS Word or a printer so I'll need to sneak a membership form out of a work computer this week.

MTA · Post by **MTA** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:59 pm

Well, I'm back.

I took plenty of pics, mainly of 'Triumph' and a handful of 'Melior'. I also had a footplate ride on 'Triumph' on the last trip before I went home

Talking to the driver of 'Triumph' (Michael) he said that if they are ousted from the site, they have earmarked a 3 mile stretch of former 3ft gauge trackbed in Faversham. So pretty much just down the road in some respects... Here's one pic for now (made to look like an early colour photo) of Melior at Milton Regis Halt:

made-in-england · Post by **made-in-england** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:07 pm

Oh exellent! they may have somwhere to go then.

pauly · Post by **pauly** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:21 pm

yeah until the council decides it could do with a couple of more houses

Garden Railway Forum

Railway under threat.

Who is online