Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
| Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
'Northern Chief' at New Romney
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| Overview | |||
| Type | Light railway | ||
| Locale |
Kent South East England |
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| Termini |
Hythe Dungeness |
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| Stations | 8 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1927 | ||
| Operator(s) | Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway Co. | ||
| Depot(s) | New Romney | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 13 1⁄2 miles (21.7 km) | ||
| Track gauge | 15 in (381 mm) | ||
| Operating speed | 25 mph (40 km/h) | ||
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The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway (RH&DR) is a 15 in (381 mm) gauge light railway in Kent, England, operating steam and internal combustion locomotives. The 13 3⁄4-mile (22.1 km) line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St. Mary's Bay, New Romney and Romney Sands to Dungeness, close to Dungeness nuclear power station and Dungeness Lighthouse.
Construction began in late 1925 and the railway opened on 16 July 1927. It was the dream of millionaire racing drivers Captain John Edwards Presgrave ("Jack") Howey and Count Louis Zborowski. The latter had constructed a railway at Higham Park, his home at Bridge, Kent, and agreed to donate the rolling stock and infrastructure to the project. However, he was killed on 19 October 1924 in a motor racing accident at the Monza Grand Prix before the Romney Marsh site was chosen, and Howey continued the project alone.
After Howey had unsuccessfully attempted to buy the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and extend it, investigated a greenfield site between Burnham-on-Sea and Weston-super-Mare in Somerset and offered to buy the Hundred of Manhood & Selsey Tramway in Sussex, Henry Greenly drew Howey's attention to the potential for a 15-inch gauge line between New Romney and Hythe. Howey first visited New Romney on 8 September 1925 and decided there and then that it was an ideal location for his proposed railway
Because it involved crossing public highways and acquiring land from a number of different owners a Light Railway Order made under the Light Railways Act 1896 was necessary and application for this was made in November 1925. A Public Inquiry was held by the Light Railway Commissioners in the Assembly Rooms at New Romney on 15 and 16 January 1926. The Minister of Transport indicated his intention to approve the application on 19 February 1926 and The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway Order 1926 was made on 26 May. This incorporated the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway Company as a statutory public utility undertaking, gave it powers to construct and work the proposed railway and also included compulsory purchase powers over the land required (which ultimately had to be used to acquire six plots of land on the proposed route).
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Wikipedia