This might be a quiet time for customers, but it’s a very busy time for the team at the Romney, both paid and volunteer. At our January Board meeting we reviewed the good progress on our winter projects – all fifty of them – getting ready for the new running season. A significant project has been improvements to our system of fastening the rails to the sleepers. Jointed track brings its own particular challenges and we are carrying out a significant trial to improve our management of rail creep. We will be monitoring its effectiveness as the railway resumes its normal running pattern.
On the signalling front, the long and careful process of taking our innovative Electric Token Block equipment through its safety validation is close to completion. It will improve protection on the New Romney to Romney Sands single line section. We confidently expect it to be commissioned before we start daily running on March 31st.
Our continuing programme of loco overhaul will see Dr Syn return to traffic in early summer. Her space in the workshop will be taken by No 8 Hurricane, while No 7 Typhoon will move from display at the Severn Valley Railway to Old Hall Engineering for overhaul. When those two overhauls are complete our long-term overhaul programme will be back on track, much to everyone’s relief.
We have also been successful in our latest bid for a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage (Round 3). This round of grant funding enables us to catch up on work that had to be deferred when we were in the midst of the pandemic. At that time we were understandably cautious about the future and very careful with spending. We will now be able to plan forward with confidence, eliminating most of the backlog that has accumulated over the last two, very difficult, years.
As the country moves from pandemic to endemic, we are seeing strong customer confidence. Our Valentine’s Day Special sold out very quickly. The only downside is being unable to find space for everyone who would like to come. Our restaurant at Dungeness is big, but we have to manage capacity carefully to ensure that we deliver the premium product that our customers expect and deserve. We are also preparing for an exciting Children’s week from February 14th – 18th. It’s half term holiday and both parents and children are keen to get out after a long and dreary winter. We could have anything from sunshine to snow, but a great day out is guaranteed. The year turns and I’m sure that everyone is hoping that the worst is now firmly behind us. Our team has stuck at it through very difficult times, both personally and for the railway. Here’s to a bright and cheerful Spring season.