Hidden London Hangouts S5E9 - Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway

[@InverhavonRailways]

We are fortunate enough to live adjacent to the RHDR, so this IS our local line, and we get to see visiting locos etc on a regular basis. It's a fascinating line and well worth a visit.

[@oxfamshop]

I had a trip on that railway many years ago . It is great.

[@Ben-Hollingbery]

One of my favourite facts about the railway is one of the trains has a confirmed aircraft kill from WW2. A luftwaffe pilot saw one of the trains and went to shoot it to bits and got confused by the scale and crashed

[@Quebecoisegal]

When I was in Europe I lived for awhile in Lydd, said to have the least rainfall in the UK, and loved the flatness and big skies, easy cycling terrain. The locomotive was built in Sheffield England but is a Canadian Pacific model and that whistle - so north American - the Flying Scotsman could do with that whistle. Very deep sea water and anglers travel a long way to fish off Dungeness.

[@liamkenny6747]

A beautiful episode. Steam, sea, little & large, with explanations of lots of historical bits and pieces. Thank you for putting this one together and it's a beautiful little part of Kent to go see too.

[@andrewmcm3751]

Thank you all for cheering me up through Covid & for all four of you being consistently enthusiastic & full of love & kindness. Hopefully the rest of the world will catch up with such kind and loving people as yourself. God bless..

[@alexgrundon2346]

❤️❤️❤️

[@bpb235]

Great episode, I live in Greatstone and the railway runs along the bottom of my garden, I ride the railway about 6 times a year, it's always great fun

[@Threelinkdave]

You mentioned power station spotting. Being in the industry you can do overhead line spotting. Each pylon has a numberr plate and with the appropriate map you cantell where the lines go

[@tedcopple101]

Thanks for the shout out Al! My pleasure to contribute 👍

[@alexgrundon2346]

😉

[@swiper1818]

Love this channel - superb group of presenters and lovely people - keep it up ladies and gentleman

[@alexgrundon2346]

Awwww thank you x

[@laurahilton3210]

Thankyou for your kind words 😊

[@sarahjoyholden7856]

Agreed wish I knew about it during lockdown but enjoying catching up on all the episodes now.

[@kevinreed9232]

Thank for another great episode. very interesting place to visit. keep safe You Four Wonderful People.

[@skyrules2007]

Interesting connection there between the railway and my old home town of Melbourne.

[@paulwheeler4283]

Who would have thought that there was so much history in such a small and unique railway everything from the locomotives to the carriages to the signals it's all so quaint everytime the driver blew the horn I felt like a kid again definitely visit the railway myself when I get chance it will definitely have to be a weekend trip thank you all for another amazing Laura and Chris look like they had such a lovely time I always look forward to every single episode thank you once again xx

[@srfurley]

You ought to do a video at Quainton Road, there’s not really anything left at Verne’s Junction or Brill, so Quainton Road is about as far as you can get on what used to be the Metropolitian.

[@georgedavson9655]

It's got a beautifully restored version of Oxford's Rewley Road station, the LMS site that was dismantled to make room for the Said Business School.

[@damiagunbiade]

I love this. Chris and Laura did awesome. Absolutely wonderful to hear about this fabulous railway. Its insane that there's not many of these left. It's beautiful.

[@Blade_Daddy]

Great side trip down to the area where I lived as child.

[@jacksugden8190]

Love the way you all lived life to the full, living the dream 💭, think I had seen a similar doc on the railroad before, it’s nice to see the route through your eyes 👀 MUST VISIT!.

[@craiglogistics2092]

Great episode guys, I would love to see you guys visit some preserved railways like the Epping & Ongar Railway and the Buckinghamshire Railway at the ex-Metropolitan line Quainton Road Station because the Metropolitan Railway used to go all the way to Verney Junction

[@alexgrundon2346]

Coming! Summertime specials I reckon

[@unittaskforce]

You should go back sometime and explore the Dungeness beach. The abandoned fishing boats are fascinating and make it feel very atmospheric. Another great episode, great to learn the history of that fascinating railway.

[@ianmcclavin]

I've been to the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway several times. Great to see you covering it. St Mary's Bay Station, between Dymchurch and New Romney, was known as "Jefferstone Lane" for a number of years in the 70's and 80's, but reverted to the "Bay" more recently. The railway was requistioned by the Army during WW2 {like Imber village}, but released after the War, they got Laurel and Hardy to take part in the reopening ceremony!! The Bure Valley Railway in Norfolk, between Wroxham and Aylsham, is the same gauge, and they have temporarily swapped some locos in the past. New Romney to Dungeness was once double track, but one was lifted to provide some metal for the War Effort. Just some liitle interesting facts for you, one more, green's my favourite colour too Siddy!!

[@andymiller4971]

What a cracking episode, thoroughly enjoyable.

[@Faithdenelzen]

Have fun guys looks like fun. Here in Victoria Australia we have the preserved railway called the Puffing Billy Railway which I've been on many times

[@jamescorr9383]

Hi, great episode as ever. Would you consider a day trip vid to Southend on sea on the new pier train. Lots of history about the line traveling hear, great art deco posters, get off at Leigh for Old Leigh by the station. Then travel the longest pier by train in new stock with deco feel & chips down the end.

[@alexgrundon2346]

YAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!!!

[@andrewwakldnz]

Agreed! As a kid the pier railway when visiting grandparents, or the RH&DR near to home were two of the best treats! We're talking back in the 1960's 😱

[@Kandlelite]

Loved this so many memories as a kid

[@alan-freeman]

Personally, I prefer rear facing. My logic is that any transport only has a certain acceleration, but stopping can be quite sudden - especially if a solid impact. I would prefer to be pushed into the seat, rather than flung out of it!

[@suecj8770]

Brilliant episode as usual

[@paulgiffen6836]

Hellooooo team, what a amazing episode today, love this line i didn't realise these trains went that fast, i must visit sometime, what a superb railway, cheers team 💖

[@bpb235]

Top speed is around 35mph between Dymchurch and Hythe

[@TimHall42]

@@bpb235 No. 25mph legally. In practice 20mph is their self imposed speed limit (I checked frequently by GPS during their recent 95th Anniversary Gala).

[@Hyberus]

I went on La'al Ratty in Cumbria last week, which runs on the same gauge (might be worth a road-trip sometime). Sadly I read earlier today that heritage steam railways are having trouble getting the right coal to run the engines, owing to the last UK supplier closing down and the current situation in Ukraine.

[@stephensaines7100]

Rail gauge is roughly a quarter of standard. What's impressive, beyond that the carriages appear to be half standard gauge, is the stability. Tracks and trackbed must be very well kept. Speed is also substantial, again, considering how the track is roughly a quarter the gauge of standard.

[@Puckoon2002]

If I remember it correctly, the track gauge is approximately one quarter scale, but the locomotives are one third scale.

[@AlfaRomeo128]

Very generous camera time on the host, instead of the railway elements itself

[@Hannahtheredhead2454]

A quick KZbin search leads to a vast number of videos on this railway, at least one of which lacked a host altogether, nothing but visuals of the train. The great charm of this particular show is, I believe, in the inviting nature of the hosts, especially when they take the audience along on field trips such as this. This was my very first exposure to this line, made all the more special by the hosts’ obvious delight in the experience and their time together.

[@damiagunbiade]

Do one with the hate. They showed a lot in the video. What's wrong with people like you. Take that hate elsewhere and go away. They showed everything they talked about. Don't bring accusations when there's no merit to them.

[@AlfaRomeo128]

@@damiagunbiade do I really hete the host? No, and take ur first impressions somewhere else and by the way it is supposed to be a railway video not human video

[@AlfaRomeo128]

@@damiagunbiade they could have do the frame in frame editing if cares about human so much, but sadly, they probably would never do such editing

[@martxw]

Coincidentally, just yesterday I booked to visit the RH&D in a few months. At 15" it's less than Mail Rail. A bit more headroom in the carriages though, and roughly the same elbow room? Sturdy looking engines. Looking forward to getting down there.

[@alisonjperry6291]

Great episode, team! My one and only trip to that part of the country (including several trips on the RHDR) was a school trip to St Mary's Bay for a week back in 1970. My parents were ringers, and my dad, in particular, often featured in the peals recorded in "The Drinking World" as he used to call it. Btw, Mr Nix, did you get the old books I dropped off at the museum for you?

[@stevenmccolm1531]

Wow I would love to visit the miniature railway, it reminds me of the one at Ruislip Lido. Maybe you could visit this?

[@Blade_Daddy]

Thought of Peter Davison in the Darrowby Bell Ringers...

[@richardvoogd705]

Who's he? 😊

[@Dave58282]

Try bell ringing at the next Imberbus rally in the village church.

[@chrisnix6352]

I rang there three or four years ago when a visiting band was there during Imberbus. They are a very light reverse five with a long draft to ground level so not the best for learners.

[@markburgess6801]

Nice review but drivers head remains in the cab though

[@laurahilton3210]

Thanks Mark. I stand corrected 👍🏻

[@ganlin1]

the underground gauge is the same as national railways, four foot eight and a half inches

[@srfurley]

15 inches is 381 mm. standard gauge is 1435 mm Some years ago I was taken to Dungeness, did not ride on the railway, but did see it, and had a snack in the cafe. Noticed that one of the trains was driven by a woman. I think it’s quite likely that she was the driver who was sadlykilled in the second level crossing accident, not long afterwards.

[@Beatlefan67]

Read the book 'One Man's Railway'. Highly recommended.

[@TERRYBARTLETTRAILMAN28]

I love this Railway I am a volunteer Coordinator for a Charity called Generate and we would love for LTM to come for a chat if possible

[@Beatlefan67]

I'm staggered that Siddy didn't know the gauge of the U/G...

[@kineticrail]

Could do the Epping ongar railway being a former central line branch

[@alexgrundon2346]

Would absolutely love to. Quite fancy a mooch round the heritage 59 stock. Still there?

[@kineticrail]

@@alexgrundon2346 i fairly sure it is still there. Im sure they would love to have you guys visit

[@sarahjoyholden7856]

32:40 35:19 The ladies in the background cracked me up, and I'm assuming the lady at 35:18 knew one of you. True journalism carry on don't pay them any attention. 😅

[@Blade_Daddy]

And those old biddy-bodies! 😁

[@johnmarch5871]

Why does Chris have a pillar drill in his kitchen?!

[@alexgrundon2346]

It’s his workshop!

[@chrisnix7981]

How else would one put holes in doughnuts?

[@raybisbey42]

Shame the Laurel and Hardy connection wasn't mentioned.

[@danielconnor9018]

Wouldn't it be lovely if the Hidden London team did some research before visiting a location and deeming themselves qualified to talk about it.

[@Hannahtheredhead2454]

You know what would be even lovelier? Civil public discourse. Rude comments are uncalled for. If you don’t like the channel, there are many others to choose from. The HLH team have held fast to their mission of entertainment and edification from the jump, and have gathered a loyal audience of people who look forward to their offerings each week, appreciative of their charm and good nature-you must have missed that part. It’s called Hangouts, not dry boring lecture.

[@danielconnor9018]

@@Hannahtheredhead2454 I don't disagree with you about entertainment. My issue is that so much is spoken about by the team which is simply wrong. Having the background knowledge to inject into a program does not make it a boring lecture, it simply adds an extra important layer to the production.

[@Hannahtheredhead2454]

@@danielconnor9018 I found the sweeping nature of your accusation to be troublesome and unjust. If you have specific points to raise, concrete examples of inaccurate commentary, I believe-from past experience with them-that your issues would be respectfully and willingly addressed by the team of hosts. I have watched every episode, and participate in the Patreon chats with one or two of the team members each week who respond in real time to our questions and comments, as do two of more of the hosts in the KZbin live chat. And they read and respond to the questions posted after the live premiere-indeed, many are read and addressed on subsequent episodes. They welcome a conversation; meaningful engagement with the audience has always been a tent pole of this program. Three of them are employees of the London Transit Museum, a repository of historical artifact and authenticated documentation, so it is a huge and unworthy slight to say, in broad strokes, that they don’t do research and they get so much wrong. To be human is to be imperfect, of course, but they get more right than most people, and the hill I will die on is that their intentions are pure.

[@danielconnor9018]

@Jennifer Flannery. My first issue would be that a member of LTM staff who has appeared not only on 'hangouts', but also as resident expert on TV with Tim Dunn does not know the track gauge of the London Underground. Stating that they railway came into being on the 26th May 1926 is misleading. This is the date on which the light railway order was granted following public enquiries and settlements with some recalcitrant landowners. The first 'passenger' train ran on 5th August 1926 coinciding with a royal visit from the Duke of York to the holiday camp which bore his name at Jesson. The public opening was not until the 16th July 1927 The comments about the original building budget are totally unfounded. The line was designed and built for a specific purpose, and a specific life span, a brief which Henry Greenly, the engineer in charge (who doesn't even appear to merit mention in the program) managed to achieve exceptionally well. Ironically, given the comments about "bridges being smaller" when the line was built, it was the large trussed bridge near Duke of York's camp which was the first to require renewal, and which almost caused the financial collapse of the railway in the 60s. Locomotives were certainly not built "on the cheap" as their longevity attests. Only two major issues were found with the original design, one was the original experimental boiler design including a form of superheater which was not particularly effective and led to maintenance problems. The other being the springing, particularly the trailing wheels under the cab. The discussion about removal of beach shingle by rail does not mention that the RH&D built locos specifically for this traffic and invested in second hand hopper wagons from Cumbria as well. The Romney Marsh Ballast Co. was connected to the railway, and shingle was carried, admittedly with limited success, initially to Hythe, and later to a crushing and loading plant between New Romney and Greatstone. While on that subject, I would have thought that the Hidden London team might have been more keen to highlight and explore some of the less well known and abandoned sections of line and stations on the RH&DR, none of which are even referred to. On arrival at Dungeness, the team comment on the nomenclature of the railway, which would have been a good opportunity to talk about the original line running from New Romney to Hythe, and the Dungeness line being a later addition, which at some points in the railway's history has been run very much as a separate entity, particularly before New Romney Station was remodelled in the 1970s Later comments about the position of the driver's head in relation to the "roundy bit at the top", presumably this refers to the cab roof, are misleading, although thankfully addressed later in the episode. This is all from the first 15 minutes or so, and yes, I am aware I sound like a grumpy old man. That's not the intention. I just feel that so many of the sites visited by the team deserve far better treatment considering the rich history and heritage involved, especially as the team all work for the LT museum, you would expect that thorough research would be at the heart of what they present.

[@alexgrundon2346]

A tad harsh, Charlie. With the best will in the world, these Hangouts were originally created to provide company, education and smiles during very isolating lockdowns. We achieved that. None of us would profess to be experts on this particular railway but Chris and Laura did a great job learning as much as you can squeeze into an episode. To add your lot in would take it over the hour and that’s not what we want to do. And to be fair to Siddy, I sprang the LT gauge question on Siddy for entertainment purposes, certainly not to put her on the spot. We could edit in answers but it would look contrived and we don’t do that because they are personality-driven features. The Aston showed the correct detail and the smile on her face showed Siddy instinctively knew my sense of humour. If this was a fact-based, short TV package, it would be done in a very different way. But these are currently free content, with deeper Patreon material for paying supporters of the museum. Information and entertainment are equally weighted in all we do. But we are not and would not say we are experts on this type of railway... It has very little to do with London. We merely accepted a very kind invitation to visit. But thank you for taking the time and trouble to add detail in your comment that the public can read if they wish.