{"id":140,"date":"2014-12-15T16:11:54","date_gmt":"2014-12-15T16:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.control-g.co.uk\/sciencetourist\/?p=140"},"modified":"2022-08-22T15:02:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T14:02:24","slug":"and-yet-more-steam-engines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.control-g.co.uk\/sciencetourist\/2014\/12\/15\/and-yet-more-steam-engines\/","title":{"rendered":"And Yet More Steam Engines"},"content":{"rendered":"

If a visit to the Giants of Brede<\/a> isn’t enough to slake your thirst for 19th and early 20th century engineering, then the Kent and East Sussex Light Railway runs through nearby Northiam, where you can watch the antique locomotives take on water at the restored station which, with the rest of the railway, frequently appears in period dramas on film and television.<\/p>\n

\"Kent<\/a>

Kent & East Sussex Railway – Locomotive at Level Crossing, Northiam Station<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

East Sussex and Kent are well supplied with heritage and recreational railways [See “A Bit of A Thing About Railways”<\/a>] run by enthusiasts, but I only had time enough for this one, and only for a short visit to the station at that. \u00a0Still, I watched several small locomotives, hauling a variety of rolling stock, call at the station as they run between Tenterden and Bodiam; a distance of about 11 miles.\u00a0 Tenterden is a small town with plenty of historic buildings including a fair number of quaint old pubs, while Bodiam has its fairy tale castle.<\/p>\n

You can get a ‘hop-on, hop-off’ ticket allowing you to explore along the route, which runs through some fine countryside. \u00a0An excellent trip on a sunny day. \u00a0Along the way you could stop at Northiam and perhaps visit the Whispering Giants of Brede<\/a>, and the historic village of Rolvenden, although the latter is a little far (about 2 \u00bd miles) for a detour.<\/p>\n

As so often when I’m touring, I’m already making plans for a return trip to explore something off my main itinerary.<\/p>\n

Some of these engines are well over a hundred years old, and a few of the enthusiasts, volunteers, and passengers seemed not far off. \u00a0But there’s a convivial atmosphere and everyone seems friendly – it’s a good way to meet the English, with the added reassurance that escape can be achieved easily and tactfully at the next station, if necessary.<\/p>\n

It’s a hackneyed clich\u00e9 to say steam engines are like living creatures, but it felt like there was something animate about the way the locos hissed and spat and blew out clouds of steamy breath. \u00a0They suddenly surprise you with clanking noises and a gout of superheated boiling water, and some subroutine deep in my monkey brain says, ‘alive!’ \u00a0And when the whistle blows and the rhythmic chugging gathers pace, well, it’s hard not to be fascinated and feel a surge of excitement. \u00a0It was like watching some great creature slowly rouse itself and get to its feet, its obvious weight and solidity, its inertia, is gradually overcome as it builds up an unstoppable momentum. \u00a0I wanted to urge it on. \u00a0I wanted to cheer its efforts, take joy in its strength and wave to the passengers and engineers, who will always wave back.\u00a0 Great fun!<\/p>\n

\"Loco<\/a>

Loco under steam, Kent & East Sussex Railway<\/p><\/div>\n

As I said before, Kent and East Sussex has ‘A Bit of a Thing About Railways<\/a>‘ and I’m planning more visits soon.<\/p>\n

Practical<\/h2>\n

Best reached by car, but buses from Hastings<\/a> (340\/1\/2 approx 55 minutes, hourly, or 344 via Rye 1\u00bd hours, hourly.)
\nBrede to Northiam (340\/1\/2 approx 15 minutes, hourly.)
\nSee Stagecoach website stagecoachbus.com<\/a> for timetables.<\/p>\n

Kent and East Sussex Light Railway Website
\n<\/a>
\nEntry to station and exhibitions, by Platform Ticket \u00a30.50p (donations appreciated.)
\nTicket for train, various up to \u00a316.00p.<\/p>\n

\"Steam<\/a>

Steam at Bodiam. Excursion passing Bodiam Castle, Kent & East Sussex Railway<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If a visit to the Giants of Brede isn’t enough to slake your thirst for 19th and early 20th century engineering, then the Kent and East Sussex Light Railway runs through nearby Northiam, where you can watch the antique locomotives take on water at the restored station which, with the rest of the railway, frequently appears in period dramas on film and television.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,36,13,9,7],"tags":[31,12,33,32,30],"class_list":["post-140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hastings","category-history-of-technology","category-railways","category-steam","category-technology","tag-history","tag-history-of-technology","tag-railways","tag-steam","tag-technology"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6XHo8-2g","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":147,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.control-g.co.uk\/sciencetourist\/2014\/12\/12\/a-bit-of-a-thing-about-railways\/","url_meta":{"origin":140,"position":0},"title":"A Bit of a Thing About Railways","author":"ablockhead","date":"12th December 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're a railway enthusiast, then you could hardly do better than to pick Hastings as a base. 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