The very last train to run on Boxing Day ??
On a day when the national rail network is virtually shut down and there will certainly be no main line services through Sittingbourne it is likely that the very last train will run on the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway. 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.
Future trains are very unlikely unless the minds of officers and elected members of Swale Borough Council can be changed. The Council's officers have recently produced proposals (The Green Clusters Report') that totally exclude the Light Railway which is undoubtedly Sittingbourne's biggest tourist attraction. In the total shambles of a consultation on the future of the town which Swale Borough Council has carried out, heritage' has been completely ignored, be it ourselves, the Barge Museum, the town's Heritage Museum, or any other organisation.
As for the current land owners M-real, perhaps they were running Sittingbourne paper mill at a loss and did need to cease production but did this Finnish company have to have total disregard for the history that they were entrusted with? This history goes back nearly 150 years to the day when Edward Lloyd first started paper production in Sittingbourne and which carried on successfully via Bowater's and UK Paper.
Sittingbourne's Steam Railway was given notice to quit the land on which it operates at the beginning of 2008 when their landlords Messrs M-real decided to pull out of Sittingbourne including closing Sittingbourne paper mill, which is currently up for sale. 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 is being launched, you can download a SOS (Save Our Steam railway) poster here. We are asking the public to display these in their windows, on their cars, everywhere.
Details of how to contribute to the Fighting Fund to pay for legal fees, posters, advertisements etc will appear here soon, in the meantime, please send letters of support to us, either by email to
[email protected] or by post to SKLR, PO Box 300, Sittingbourne, ME10 2DZ .
The problem now is that the land owners M-real dont wanna talk to us or even Swale Borough Council.Its the head office in finland that are not talking the english side are talking but the Finns no luck .so who knows what will happen I hope it stays so that next year gala we could bring in an ex loco from Whipsnade Zoo.
Though in the picture there are some SKLR members but most off them are KESR members :-8
Hopefully someone will save it right at the very last minute. To be honest, I cant see it closing. There is too much support. Tis a lovely railway, and Sittingbourne will be losing over 100 years of its heritage. It simply cant happen.
) and go see the line before (if) it closes, might make a meet of it, if many people are interested.
? On friday we saw a lot of EWS wagons just before you get into sheerness station so there must be some freight:roll: .
hock:But I think more people are now knowing that its there now with the amount of press we are getting in the local papers. I if we are running next year I think when we have special events we should do what RH&DR do and put posters around the towns.
