THE COLONEL ISSN 0268-778X1 THE COLONEL Number 61 Winter 2000 CONTENTS 2 - Editorial 13 - Callington Branch 3 - News 17 - 4415 Renaissance 8 - Letters 18 - BP&GVR kits 9 - The Truth About The 19 - How Green Was East Sussex Light Railway My Colonel? THE JOURNAL OF THE COLONEL STEPHENS SOCIETY FOR THE ENTHUSIAST OF THE LIGHT AND NARROW GAUGE RAILWAYS OF COLONEL HOLMAN F. STEPHENS 2 THE COLONEL Editorial: reasons to be cheerful ell, what do you think? Assuming all I must emphasise here, though, that we W has gone to plan, you should be looking have to know in advance how many of you at a new, digitally printed Colonel, which will be turning up. And please don’t say you means that everyone gets an originally printed will, then fail to show. We don’t want a re- version instead of a photocopy. Above all, peat of the last time we had a trip on the line, this means clearer, sharper photos. As an when the society ended up paying fares for added bonus, we get staples too. people who weren’t there. We have archivist Stuart Marshall to We are also starting to see some results thank for this, as well as treasurer Nigel Bird from our donations to worthy causes, chiefly for volunteering to take over the stuffing of with the return to working order of Spitfire on envelopes and posting. Many thanks, also, to the East Kent. True, our contribution was Alan Garner for his tireless efforts since the fairly minor, but I think we are justified in society’s birth in photocopying and distrib- feeling some satisfaction in having helped to uting The Colonel. get this loco back on the rails. And there’s more to celebrate. For not Saving the worst till last, we still don’t only have membership levels picked up have a Website up and running yet, although again, they are close to breaking the all-time all the elements are ready to roll, if only our record. If membership secretary David Pow- Website host would answer our emails and ell’s hopes are fulfilled, we shall have gone tell us how to get the materials onto the site. from the doldrums to a record number of We shall persist, though, and hopefully will members in less than two years. have a result for the New Year. SH Furthermore, we can look forward to a superb AGM in March, when we will we be able to sample the delights of a trip on the K&ESR paid for by the society. Staff Officers CHAIRMAN Bryn Hir, Llanio Road, Llwyn-y-Groes, Derek Smith Tregaron, Dyfed SY25 6PY 30 Upper Road, Meole Brace, Tel: 01974 821281 Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 9SQ Email: [email protected] Tel: 01743 249088 ARCHIVIST EDITOR Stuart Marshall Stephen Hannington 53 Peasland Road, Saffron Walden, 131 Borstal Street, Rochester, Essex CB11 3ED Kent ME1 3JU Email: [email protected] Tel: 01634 830370 Email: [email protected] PUBLICITY OFFICER Julia Hastings MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY 4 Coronation Cottages, Robertsbridge, David Powell East Sussex TN32 5PE Gateways, Bledlow Road, Saunderton, Tel: 01580 881711 Princes Risborough, Bucks HP27 9NG Email: [email protected] Tel: 01844 343377 Email: [email protected] TREASURER Nigel Bird THE COLONEL 3 Society News AGM at Tenterden: will you be there? There’s a treat in store for members attending tion room of the Vine Inn at the top of Station the next AGM: a free train ride on the Kent & Road in Tenterden, a short walk from the East Sussex Railway. But in order to secure a K&ESR station, on Sunday April 29. seat, and to enable us to make appropriate For the train trip, we hope to book a bal- booking arrangements, please confirm your cony-ended, ex-LNWR saloon on the tail of a attendance by contacting the editor at the regular service train. But this only holds 20 address or email opposite right away. passengers, so book early to avoid disap- This information is also vital to the cater- pointment. We can book further seats else- ing arrangements: if you turn up without prior where on the train, but only if we know the notice, you might not get a sandwich, let correct numbers. Over to you… alone a seat on the train! The AGM itself will be held in the func- Website beset by Decline in mem- bership does a U- Due to technical problems, the society Web- site has yet to go live, despite the sterling efforts of member Dr Robert Kinghorn. He has created the site, but has been unable to Excellent news on the membership front: upload it to the server. Efforts are continuing. membership secretary David Powell re- Initially, the site will serve as a ‘shop ports that we currently have 212 members, front’ for the society, with the aim of attract- an increase of 25 on last year and a reverse ing new members via the Internet. It will of the decline of recent years. This brings comprise an introduction to the society and us close to our 1997 peak of 213: and we the Colonel, plus a summary list of his rail- may better even that. ways, and an application form that can be Said David: “The new members in- printed out for mailing in the usual way. clude nine signed up at the NEC at the Of more interest to existing members, an Warley National MRC Exhibition. In addi- updated index to The Colonel, including this tion, there are eight actioned requests for issue, will also be available. This should also information out there, of which I would serve as a ‘taster’ for potential members by hope at least four should firm up. giving them an indication of the range of infor- “Also, quite a few info packs and appli- mation available from the society. cation forms were given out at the NEC, of Once it’s up and running (fingers crossed) which at least one has subsequently con- the site will be further developed: a brief bi- verted as a new member.” ography of the Great Man is a must, the Colo- Special thanks, then, are due to Warley nel Index will be updated after every new stalwarts Les Spratt, Dave Greensall, Ned issue, plus links to other related sites. Williams and Mr Powell himself. 4 THE COLONEL News CSS joins other societies On the initiative of membership secretary The WHHG produces an eight-page A4, David Powell, the society has embarked on a glossy newsletter packed with interesting programme of ‘corporate membership’ of historical information. The December issue, other, related organisations. for example, includes an illustrated feature The aim is semi-formalise links with on WHR coaches, plus news on recently kindred societies, gain access to information unearthed original railway documents. about their activities through their newslet- Anyone interested in joining the WHHG ters, and also provide a small boost to their should contact John Keylock at Weathervane incomes through the membership fee. Cottage, Childswickham, Broadway, Worcs. To date, the Colonel Stephens Society is WR12 7HL. Tel: 01386 853428. now a member of the East Kent Light Rail- The membership secretary of the EKLRS way Society and the Welsh Highland Herit- is Brian Hancock, 33 Beauxfield, Whitfield, age Group (WHHG), which is dedicated to Dover CT16 3JW. Tel: 01304 821007. researching and recording the history of the Welsh Highland Railway. Terrier Trust aims to buy Popular demand brings winter The Terrier Trust, which owns and is restor- ing former K&ESR No. 3 Bodiam, has launched an appeal to buy another Terrier, Popular demand has led the Welsh Highland LB&SCR No. 2678 Knowle, for £80,000. Railway (Caernarfon) to introduce a special Knowle currently lives and works on the winter timetable between Caernarfon and its K&ESR, and the purchase from her present recently re-opened temporary terminus at owner is intended to keep her on the railway. Waunfawr. Two daily return trips, hauled by She helped haul the last passenger train on the 2-6-2T Mountaineer, will run every weekend line in January 1954. until the end of the year, plus daily workings Meanwhile, the frames of Bodiam are between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day still undergoing restoration by Ian Riley En- inclusive. gineering at Bury, Lancashire, while the Santa trains will not feature on the WHR, fabrication of new side tanks is ready to start. although the Ffestiniog Railway will be run- Our society donated £50 to help put Bodiam ning them on the weekends of 9/10 and back on the rails earlier this year. 16/17 December between Portmadog and Tan-y-Bwlch. Special events scheduled for the WHR next year include a St David’s weekend on 3 and 4 March. New Hawkhurst book out Rebuilding work on the next six miles of Brian Hart’s latest book on the Hawkhurst the WHR to be reinstated has already begun. branch in Kent, Colonel Stephens’ first in- Work on three bridges near Betws Garmon dependent commission, has just been pub- has started, while a £200,000 contract for lished by Wild Swan Publications. With 256 cutting repairs at the Aberglaslyn Pass has casebound pages, it costs £26.95 plus £2 been let. Track laying towards Ryd Ddu is p&p from the publisher. It will be reviewed expected to start next year. in the next issue of The Colonel. THE COLONEL 5 News On 21/22 October, the Kent & East Sussex Railway ran this special goods train, hauled by everybody’s favourite latterday K&ESR loco, Norwegian mogul Number 376.