The glorious sights, sounds and smells of steam

VISITORS to Robertsbridge station were transported back to a bygone era last weekend as the re-opening of the Rother Valley Railway between Robertsbridge and Bodiam took a major step forward.

By The Newsroom

Published 29th Sep 2013, 12:00 BST

21/9/13- Historic Steam Gala at Robertsbridge Station. Conductor Graham Bridge with Driver Ian Scarlett and Lesley Lee

Saturday and Sunday saw the first public team-hauled passenger service to serve the station since 1961 and an appearance by one of the locomotives that worked the very last train.

141 year-old locomotive No.32670, along with three Victorian carriages, worked a special shuttle services from a brand new RVR platform along around half-a-mile of newly re-laid line from Robertsbridge Station to Northbridge Street.

Ultimately the RVR will reinstate a total of three miles of line and link to the Kent & East Sussex Railway at Bodiam.

Passengers will then be able to travel from Tenterden to Robertsbridge by train.

In addition to the shuttles at Robertsbridge, K&ESR operated trains over the 10-and-a-half miles between Tenterden and Bodiam over the weekend.

Robertsbridge Victorian