railway

[claymore]

what was the Romney smythe and dimechurch railway and where was it?

[tubeway]

You must mean the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway. It still exists. More here

http://www.rhdr.org.uk/rhdr/home_flash.html

[Lonnie]

Spike Milligan used to drive one of the trains in his spare time.

[New Judge]

To give you a bit more background, the RHDR still thrives and advertises itself as �the world�s smallest public railway�. It runs for about 14 miles in Kent from Hythe, through Dymchurch, New Romney and across the shingle to Dungeness. The station there is a short stroll from the nuclear power station.

The railway was the brainchild of Captain J E P Howey and his friend Count Lois Zborowski. They were around in the 1920s and wanted to build the best miniature railway in the world. Zboroski was extremely rich and was one of the founders of the Aston Martin car company. Alas he was not to see the railway completed as he was killed whilst motor racing.

The railway runs of 15 inch gauge track (about one quarter of standard size) and currently has a fleet of eleven steam and two diesel locos. The steam locos are miniature replicas of British and American main line designs of the '20s and '30s.

The railway was requisitioned by the Army in WW2 as it ran along a strategically vital part of the Kent coast. It was used to transport troops and munitions. It was handed back to Capt Howey after the war, being reopened by film stars Laurel and Hardy.

The advent of package holidays in the �60s saw a decline in holidaymakers in the area, and Howey died in 1963. The railway almost closed in the early �70s but Sir William McAlpine came to the rescue in 1972 and funded much needed repairs and restoration.

The railway prospers today and brings in large numbers of visitors to the area. A daily �school train� (usually diesel hauled) runs to take pupils to school in New Romney. Unfortunately the railway has been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent years as there have been two serious accidents (each leading to the death of the loco driver) at two of the many ungated level crossings on the line.

Well worth a visit!

[Count_Emmup]

Lonnie Tue 20/11/07

20:26 Spike Milligan used to drive one of the trains in his spare time.

I find that dificult to believe - I'd like to see your sources, please!