Английская Википедия:Elham Valley Railway

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Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Good article Шаблон:Use British English Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox rail line The Elham Valley Railway was a line connecting Folkestone and Canterbury in Kent, England. It opened between 1887 and 1889 and closed in 1947.

The line was originally proposed by the independent Elham Valley Light Railway Company in the mid-19th century. After the project was cancelled owing to financial difficulties, it was revived by the South Eastern Railway who were competing with the rival London, Chatham and Dover Railway for railway traffic. The scheme was complicated by the imposing geography of the Elham Valley and the construction of two significant tunnels. The southern section from Cheriton to Barham opened in 1887, with the northern section to Canterbury opening two years later.

The Elham Valley Railway was never commercially successful as it passed through predominantly rural areas. During World War II it was appropriated by the War Department who used it for defence, including a large rail-mounted gun stationed on the line. After the conflict, the line passed back into civilian use, but the route now had competing bus traffic. A shuttle service from Folkestone to Шаблон:Rws was reinstated in 1946, but closed the following year; the remainder of the line never re-opened. Some of the railway has been demolished, including Elham railway station, but parts of the infrastructure including the two tunnels have survived. The history of the line is commemorated in a local museum.

Background

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The Elham Valley line

The South Eastern Railway opened the main line to Ashford in 1842. A connection to Folkestone opened the following year and to Canterbury in 1846. At the same time, the East Kent Railway was constructing a line from Canterbury to Dover. However, the imposing geography of the Elham Valley that connects Canterbury to Folkestone meant that unlike much of Kent, no railway line was proposed to run through it during the Railway Mania of this time.Шаблон:Sfn

The valley was poorly connected to the nearest market towns, Ashford and Canterbury, with the main road being little more than a dirt track.Шаблон:Sfn Landowners and residents saw that they were isolated in the absence of a railway, and proposed an independent scheme for a line.Шаблон:Sfn The first prospectus was presented to Parliament in 1865, outlining an "Elham Valley Light Railway Company" which would build a single-line railway starting at Hythe on the coast, running up through the Seabrook valley, through Newington and joining the existing SER and East Kent lines.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The line was planned as a light railway with a maximum speed of Шаблон:Convert. It was authorised by Parliament (as the Elham Valley Railway) on 6 August 1866,Шаблон:Sfn but serious financial difficulties plagued the scheme due to the national financial crisis, and the project was cancelled.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It was abandoned by a Board of Trade Order on 30 August 1873 because of to "failure to raise sufficient capital".Шаблон:Sfn

The East Kent Railway had since been renamed as the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR), and developed ideas for a new line from Folkestone to Canterbury.Шаблон:Sfn The LCDR's chairman James Staats Forbes argued this would provide better connections between Folkestone and Canterbury as passengers would not need to change trains.Шаблон:Sfn The route would compete with the coastal SER line via Dover that passed by unstable chalk cliffs. On 14 November 1875, a severe storm damaged the SER line towards Dover, and in January 1877, a series of storms flooded the track, culminating in the collapse of the Martello Tunnel on 12 January. The line was shut until 12 March and did not recover full operation until 30 May. During this outage, the LCDR billed the SER for temporary use of its lines.Шаблон:Sfn

To compete with the LCDR, the SER proposed a line from Cheriton to Canterbury in 1879.Шаблон:Sfn This project was rejected by Parliament the following year, but it was reintroduced in a modified form as the Elham Valley Light Railway Company, which received Royal Assent on 18 July 1881.Шаблон:Sfn Despite an authorised capital of £150,000 (£Шаблон:Inflation as of Шаблон:Inflation-year), no construction took place.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The rival SER and LCDR schemes were advocated locally, with posters displayed around Folkestone supporting both, while Forbes and the SER's Edward Watkin accused each other of sabotage.Шаблон:Sfn In order to strengthen their case, the SER agreed to take over the Elham Valley Railway, and construct it as a double-track line to standard gauge like the rest of its network.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The SER scheme was authorised on 28 July 1884 by the South Eastern Railway (Various Powers) Act 1884. It was nominally independent, with power adopted by the SER on completion.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Construction and opening

Construction formally started on 28 August 1884 with the "cutting of the first sod" by Sir George Russell at Peene near Folkestone.Шаблон:Sfn Work had started on the Шаблон:Convert Etchinghill Tunnel before any ground had been cut for the main track.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The entire line was undulating, including a stiff climb at 1 in 90 for Шаблон:Convert from Cheriton Junction. It approached Шаблон:Rws by a short climb at 1 in 86 from the south; running south from Harbledown Junction there was a mile-long climb at 1 in 70 followed by a mile and a half at 1 in 183.Шаблон:Sfn The work was engineered by Thomas A. Walker.Шаблон:Sfn Residents of Cheriton and Newington requested the SER to build a station for their villages, but were refused.Шаблон:Sfn

Construction was quick, and the line was ready from Cheriton Junction to Barham in 1887. A Board of Trade inspection took place on 1 July, conducted by Major-General Charles Scrope Hutchinson. It passed, and the line opened to passengers on 4 July. There was no formal ceremony but local villagers came out to celebrate the first service from Shorncliffe (now Folkestone West) at 8:05 am.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Continuing north, landowner Matthew Bell objected about the line passing through his land at Bourne Park, and following a dispute the company agreed to a Шаблон:Convert cut-and-cover tunnel.Шаблон:Sfn A station was built at Bishopsbourne because the land could be provided by Bell's family for free.Шаблон:Sfn Watkin was still keen to link the railway with the LCDR and proposed a junction where the two lines cross near Harbledown. It was rejected by the LCDR.Шаблон:Sfn

The northern section was complete by 1889 and opened on 1 July following a satisfactory inspection by Hutchinson.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn Harbledown Junction signal box had 15 levers.Шаблон:Sfn The construction of the Шаблон:Convert line had cost £361,776 (£Шаблон:Inflation as of Шаблон:Inflation-year), with land and associated charges amounting to £68,148 (£Шаблон:Inflation as of Шаблон:Inflation-year). The £12,000 per mile estimated in 1866 had risen to £27,000 per mile.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In addition to the stations, public sidings were provided at Wingmore, Шаблон:Convert south of Barham,Шаблон:Sfn and Ottinge, just over Шаблон:Convert south of Elham.Шаблон:Sfn The SER absorbed the Elham Valley Light Railway on 1 July 1891.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Post-opening

The passenger timetable had settled down by 1890, when every up train for the Elham valley started from Dover, stopping at every station to Canterbury. Alternate trains continued to Ramsgate and Margate. There were seven weekday trains and five Sunday trains each way.Шаблон:Sfn The South Eastern Railway and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway formed a working union known as the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR) in 1899.Шаблон:Sfn

In 1905 eight steam-powered railmotors were built for the SE&CR; these were self-contained coaches with a small steam engine, intended to enable low-cost passenger operation on lightly used branch lines. Two were allocated to Dover in 1911, when they operated between Folkestone Junction and Elham. The small power unit struggled to cope with gradients, and the 1 in 90 climb up to Etchinghill was challenging in the summer months when they conveyed a trailer car. They were not considered successful and were withdrawn in 1916.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn During World War I, the line was singled. Double track was reinstated shortly after the war ended.Шаблон:Sfn On 19 December 1915, a landslip at Шаблон:Rws resulted in the South Eastern Main Line being closed.Шаблон:Sfn The Elham Valley Railway was then the only way to travel between Folkestone and Dover by rail.Шаблон:Sfn

When the Elham Valley Railway was being built, local people had requested a station at Cheriton, but the SER refused.Шаблон:Sfn On 1 May 1908 a halt at Cheriton was opened to the public.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It was on the main line but used by the valley trains and staff trains only, except on rare occasions. It was closed seven years later for the duration of World War I, and was re-opened in June 1920 until World War II, when it was abandoned for five years.Шаблон:Sfn

Decline and military use

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The Boche Buster firing near Bishopsbourne on 7 May 1941

The Railways Act 1921 mandated that most railway companies in Great Britain would be "grouped" into one of four new companies. Consequently, the SE&CR became part of the Southern Railway (SR) at the beginning of 1923.Шаблон:Sfn By this time, revenue on the line had dropped because of competition from road transport. The line had only ever conveyed local, rural traffic,Шаблон:Sfn and in 1931 arrangements were made to single the line between Harbledown Junction and Lyminge as an economy measure. This was commissioned on 25 October 1931.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The signal box at Lyminge was closed on 1 May 1937 as a cost-cutting measure, a ground frame being provided in the station building.Шаблон:Sfn

The Kent coast area was considered to be vulnerable in the event of an anticipated attack by enemy forces during World War II. On 13 August 1940, a Dornier Do 17 crashed into the line just north of Barham station.Шаблон:Sfn The authorities took complete charge of the line for defence purposes and on 25 October, the passenger service between Lyminge and Canterbury was suspended.Шаблон:Sfn This was so that loop sidings could be installed at Canterbury South, Barham and Elham. Sidings were also added north of Lyminge and the line through Bourne Park tunnel was relaid as a passing loop. At Lyminge, two twelve-inch guns were mounted on the railway, but moved to Elham after an attack on 7 November.Шаблон:Sfn

On 2 December, the SR suspended the passenger service north of Lyminge and the line was handed over to the Railway Operating Department, Royal Engineers.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The remainder of the line continued to run, though Cheriton Halt was closed on 1 February 1941. Goods were transported by the War Department, but retained SR staff at all stations.Шаблон:Sfn

Three heavy rail-mounted guns were deployed on the Elham Valley line. The railway route followed a meandering course, enabling the guns to be trained by moving them along the line to a suitable location. The wooded landscape also gave cover. The heaviest gun was an Шаблон:Convert railway howitzer nicknamed the "Boche Buster". It was stationed at Bourne Park and could be stood down in the tunnel, avoiding enemy attack.Шаблон:Sfn The gun could fire a Шаблон:Convert Шаблон:Convert shell up to Шаблон:Convert and was capable of reaching Pegwell Bay near Ramsgate.Шаблон:Sfn The other two guns were deployed, to Elham and Adisham respectively.Шаблон:Sfn

The gun was first fired on the morning of 13 February 1941, when the equipment was towed to a stretch of track near Kingston for calibration tests. Several rounds were fired out into mid-channel; the results were sighted and marked by observation posts on the cliffs at Dover. In the Kingston and Barham area villagers were warned to open doors and windows, but the blasts were so severe that in many cases houses were damaged. The gun was fired on only two other occasions, shortly after the first; one at the World's Wonder bridge between Barham and Elham and the other at Lickpot bridge, Elham.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn On 31 October 1941, a fireman was killed on the footplate near Barham during an air raid.Шаблон:Sfn In 1944, all three guns were transported to Salisbury Plain in connection with preparations for the Normandy landings.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

On 3 May 1943, Lyminge and Hythe stations were closed to passengers. Goods traffic continued to be run by the War Department. The line was briefly used for military training purposes during this time.Шаблон:Sfn

Closure

In March 1944, the line was derequisitioned by the War Department, and normal goods operation was resumed on 19 February 1945.Шаблон:Sfn However, the railway was not in a suitable state to carry passengers; the signalling system needed to be restored and surplus sidings needed to be renewed. Station buildings had several broken glass planes and damaged locks, and the floor at Elham station had been saturated with oil, rendering it unusable.Шаблон:Sfn The War Department ground frames and points at Bishopbourne were decommissioned on 2 May 1946.Шаблон:Sfn

The Folkestone to Lyminge section of the line was reinstated as a shuttle passenger service on 7 October 1946.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn By then, bus routes were providing an alternative to passengers who couldn't use the line while it was under military control,Шаблон:Sfn and it became increasingly obvious that the passenger train service was not competitive. On 16 June 1947 the passenger service was withdrawn, and on 1 October 1947 the line closed completely to revenue traffic.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Track was still in situ at Elham and Lyminge in 1952, and at Harbledown Junction in 1953.Шаблон:Sfn The road bridge across Wincheap (the A28) south of Canterbury was removed in March 1955. The bridge across the River Stour was demolished on 26 April.Шаблон:Sfn The remaining steel bridges across the line were removed between 1958 and 1965.Шаблон:Sfn

Rolling stock

The line used several types of motive power, including Cudworth's 118 Class, Stirling's O and Q Class, Maunsell's N Class and Wainwright's C and H Class locomotives, and railmotors.Шаблон:Sfn During World War II, the War Department operated the Dean Goods locomotives on the line.Шаблон:Sfn

Locations

Шаблон:Elham Valley Railway

Legacy

Файл:Barham Signal Box.JPG
Barham Signal Box, preserved on the East Kent Railway

Both tunnels survive, as does some of the trackbed albeit largely covered by vegetation. Three stations still exist, Lyminge as a public library and those at Bishopsbourne and Bridge as private residences. Between Canterbury West and South only a short section of embankment survives curving away from the junction at Harbledown. Little remains of the route between Barham and Lyminge. After closure, Elham station was regularly occupied by squatters. It suffered increasing vandalism and was demolished in 1964.Шаблон:Sfn

The section between Peene and Cheriton Junction has been built over by the Channel Tunnel terminal building.[1] Canterbury South and Barham stations have been lost to housing developments. At Elham, a small section of brickwork from the "up" station platform has survived.Шаблон:Sfn

There is a museum at Peene, near the Channel Tunnel terminal, which contains many artifacts of railway history including a signal box, and a working model railway of the line as operated by the SER. It is housed in an early 18th-century barn that was previously sited on what is now the Channel Tunnel terminal.[1] Шаблон:-

Notes

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References

Citations Шаблон:Reflist

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External links

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  1. ↑ 1,0 1,1 Шаблон:Cite web
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