Links
These website links are provided in good faith. This website cannot, however, be held responsible for the content of these sites, nor can it be held responsible for outdated links or websites.
AbRail Rail Databases: The website consists of a vast database which tracks the movements of locomotives, multiple units, and locomotive-hauled carriage stock. TOPS codes for railway depots and works can be found here, in addition to lists detailing the official abbreviations of train operators, locomotive pools, and rolling stock owners. Furthermore, for the many who are interested in steam motive power depots, information concerning ''The Engine Shed Society'' can be found here.
Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway: This interesting 2 foot narrow gauge railway was founded in the early 1970s and gives a short ride through some delightful countryside in the village of Bredgar, a few miles to the south of Sittingbourne.
Charing.Info: Rural Charing received its first rail connection in 1884, when LC&DR services were extended from Maidstone to Ashford. Charing.Info is a community website for the village, incorporating information ranging from the Parish Council, through to the ''Charing Rail Users Group'' (CRUG).
Chatham & District Model Railway Club: The club currently has one operational 0 Gauge layout based on the rails of Chatham Historic Dockyard, appropriately named ''Chatham Dock''. An 00 Gauge layout is currently in the process of construction and the club is actively seeking new members to join the ranks and help pursue this worthwhile hobby. If one is looking for a model railway exhibition to attend this year, it is worth taking a look at http://www.chathamshow.co.uk, which will provide the date of the next major event held by the Chatham & District Model Railway Club.
Class 56 Locomotive Group: The group was established in 1992 to promote interest in the Class 56, with the ultimate ambition of finally preserving one. Indeed, the type was not under threat of extinction at this time, but post-privatisation events soon reversed this. The Class 56 Locomotive Group now owns No. 56040, which can be seen on the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
The Colonel Stephens Museum: The definitive guide to the life and times of renowned Light Railway engineer Colonel Stephens. The museum is based alongside the preserved station at Tenterden and is open every afternoon on those days which the railway is in operation. For further information on the Colonel's endeavours on Sheppey, in East Kent, or at Hawkhurst, the museum is a must visit.
Dartford Model Railway Group: The group is based at Stone in Dartford, along the same road which terminates at the seemingly rural Stone Crossing station. The fifteen-strong membership meets every Thursday night to work on layouts in the thick of construction, and also for model locomotive running. Members have a close affiliation with the Spa Valley Railway at Tunbridge Wells and a couple are active members of the North Downs Steam Railway Company, which also used to have a site at Stone, this time at Cotton Lane.
The EPB Preservation Group: This group has preserved two Motor Luggage Vans (MLV), a 4 Cep formation and a 2 EPB unit, all these classes of which have plied the rails of the South Eastern Division. The society is based at the East Kent Railway in Shepherdswell, where the stock can be seen. Repainting of the MLVs is an on-going process.
East Kent Railway: The East Kent Light Railway is an interesting one, for it traverses two miles of line formerly used by freight services ferrying coal from the Kent Collieries (traffic for Tilmanstone being the last to use the route). Running between Shepherdswell and Eythorne, the railway is open 362 days a year, at least for viewing. It is one of very few places where a range of ex-SR EMU stock can be seen in preservation and in action.
East Malling: Past & Present: It was the SE&CR which provided the settlement of East Malling with its own set of platforms, the company establishing an economical timber affair beside the running lines in 1913. ''East Malling: Past & Present'' aims to record historical data concerning this Kentish village, in addition to reporting on current events, and encourages website visitors to share and contribute their knowledge of the area.
End of the Line: If one is looking for the locations of withdrawn and stored locomotives, this is the first port of call. All former British Rail diesel and electric locomotive classes are catered for, as are those of post-privatisation.
Erith Model Railway Society: This society has been in existence for nearly five decades, and is notable for holding South East England's largest model railway exhibition each year, in Dartford, Kent. In addition, the society is also responsible for organising three more similar events at Bexleyheath, Wilmington, and Woolwich.
Freightmaster: The website offers yearly subscriptions for access to online freight timetables - regularly updated - and the option to purchase the information in traditional book form. Timings for hundreds, if not thousands, of different freight workings are published in these tables, including details of the freight operator and type of traction used.
The Gravesend Historical Society: Formed in 1924 and with over 200 members, this organisation aims to promote interest in this borough's illustrious past. It is worth noting that Gravesend was once Queen Victoria's favourite alighting point from train to boat, until Port Victoria on the Isle of Grain superseded it in this function.
Gravesend Model Marine & Engineering Society: The club was founded as the ''Thames Group Model Marine Society'' in 1953 and since this date, has grown to have a membership of 60, complete with its own 1218 foot long raised track, catering for 3½" and 5" gauge locomotives. The society is a friendly one, and is always actively seeking new members to become involved.
Gravesend Railway Enthusiasts' Society: I first became aware of this society in October 2005 by means of a leaflet advertising their model railway exhibition. An interesting exhibition it transpired to be over the weekend of 5th and 6th November 2005 at North West Kent College (Gravesend Campus), with layouts and pictures on display, the latter including some riveting scenes from the 1980s concerning the railways of Grain and the former Empire Paper Mills network at Greenhithe. The website mainly appears to act as the society's programme calendar.
Higham Village History Group: The Higham Village History Group was formed in May 1997 by those villagers interested in their local history. The group has interest in all aspects of the village's past, whether it be the advent of the railway, or the heyday of the earlier conceived Thames & Medway Canal.
Historic Kent: As the name suggests, this website deals with the history of the county in general, looking at individual towns and villages, and also indicating places of interest to visit. The Medway towns are also included, despite becoming part of a separate unitary authority in April 1998.
Historic Medway: The website recounts the histories of those towns which constitute the April 1998-established Medway unitary authority: Rochester, Chatham, and Gillingham.
The Ingressor: This is a privately-run community website for the Dartford Parishes of Greenhithe and Swanscombe, areas which have an illustrious cement industry past. The website's name derives from the 1833-built Ingress Abbey, a Mock Tudor-styled masterpiece, and within the site's pages can be found pictures - bygone and recent - of the aforementioned areas.
InterCity Railway Society: The society was established in 1973 and since this date, has been catering for the needs of Britain's railway enthusiasts, providing a 28-page magazine every month and access to content exclusive to members on the ICRS web site. The ICRS also produces a range of highly-regarded publications covering UK and European railways, which are available at a discount to members.
Thejunction.org.uk: This comprehensive website contains fleet lists - locomotive and multiple unit - in addition to rolling stock operating diagrams and an extensive photographic gallery. 2007 marked the website's tenth year online.
Kent & East Sussex Railway: Preserves the Tenterden to Bodiam section of Lieutenant Colonel Stephens Headcorn to Robertsbridge line. It first opened in 1900 from Robertsbridge to Rolvenden and was subsequently extended to Tenterden in 1903 and Headcorn in 1905. The route avoided being absorbed by the South Eastern Railway and was not included in the 1923 Grouping, only to have its total independence withdrawn as a result of 1948 Nationalisation.
Maunsell Locomotive Society: Based at the Bluebell Railway in East Sussex, this group owns five steam locomotives built under the auspices of the Southern Railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer Richard Maunsell. Two ''U'' Class engines, a Q Class, a ''Schools'' Class and finally, an ''S15'' Class make up the fleet.
Mick's Field Source Guide to Magazine Entries for the Southern Railway: A personal collection of magazine entries covering the Southern Railway, its predecessors and successors. Comprehensive links page to Southern Railway-related websites.
TheRailwayCentre.Com: The website provides a comprehensive encyclopedia of technical information for British locomotives and multiple units. For those well acquainted with the sea wall at Dawlish – arguably the country's most photographed length of railway line – the website features a section dedicated to this distinctive route along Devon's southern coastline.
Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway: This 13½ mile long narrow gauge line runs between Hythe and Dungeness on the South Kent Coast. First opened on 16th July 1927 as a private enterprise, it initially ran for just eight miles, until the extension to Dungeness opened the following year. Never part of the Grouping companies or British Rail, this railway still operates for its full length today in its original function: a private railway giving pleasure trips to the public.
Romney Marsh Model Engineering Society: Formed in 1969, the society is based in New Romney and caters for all modelling interests, ranging from trains and planes, to automobiles. The group's main specialities concern model railways in the ''live steam'' capacity, and an operational track circuit is available.
Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway: I have not yet visited this narrow-gauge railway myself, but from what I read in various pieces of literature, it is certainly worth seeing. The 3½ mile long line was originally built in 1867 to serve the paper mills in the vicinity of Sittingbourne; a considerable part of it is elevated. The line was finally decommissioned from service in 1969, by which time it had passed into the ownership of the Bowater Corporation.
Six Bells Junction: Another invaluable source of information for rail tours, this website includes steam, diesel and electric charters, with all start / end and passing place timings. All past rail tour information has been archived on the website, with the oldest records going back to 1841! If one requires the identity of a previous rail tour, this is an ideal place to find that information.
South Eastern & Chatham Railway Society: The society was founded in 1973 to promote interest in the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, its two constituent railways, the LC&DR and SER, and their successors, the Southern Railway, and British Railways' Southern Region.
South Eastern & Chatham Railway Preservation Society: The group has in its possession no less than 20,000 railway artefacts of considerable importance, several dating back to the early 19th Century. Currently, the society is searching for a permanent base to house its historic collection, unfortunately having been unable to secure the proposed site of Addiscombe station. However, sights have been set on the now disused buildings of the former Ashford works - hopefully, the proposed museum dedicated to the SE&CR will become a reality.
Southern E-Group: The SEmG has an extensive website, which covers the whole of the former Southern Railway area. The site features illustrated and informed sections concerning infrastructure, motive power, and rolling stock of this company's former rail network. Furthermore, the group runs an email subscription list, where questions concerning the SR – including its predecessors and successors – can be asked and answered.
Southern Electric Group: The SEG was founded in May 1970 with the aim of preserving a sample of the then fast disappearing heritage third rail rolling stock. The group eventually expanded to become a source of information for all things concerning the Southern Region's third rail system, and now has a membership of over 800.
Spa Valley Railway: Preserves the former Tunbridge Wells West line which was closed by British Rail in 1985. The ''Tunbridge Wells and Eridge Railway Preservation Society'' was formed in an attempt to preserve at least part of the former branch from the West station. This it achieved by amalgamating with the North Downs Railway in 1996 (the latter which was based at Dartford), acquiring both stock and track, the first train running in August of that month.
Steam Train Galleries: The website presents a picture gallery of British steam, covering all Standard Gauge preserved railways, in addition to displaying a number of historical steam shots from all of the former British Railways regions. Independent picture galleries dedicated to particular locomotives or trains are also a feature.
Steve's Railway Pages: With an emphasis on modelling, these pages also include interesting articles relating to the development of the South Eastern Division from its earliest years, with the rival SER and LC&DR companies developing duplicate routes to win traffic from each other.
Stratford Class 47 Group: The society are owners of Class 47s Nos. 47367 & 47596, both of which are based in East Anglia. If one would like further details on past Class 47 working diagrams on the South Eastern Division or, indeed, nationally, this is the group to consult.
Suburban Electric Railway Associaton: Formed in 1996 as the ''Mersey & Tyneside Electric Preservationists'', the group has no less than five EMUs in its care, including EPB and 4 SUB classes. Based at the Coventry Electric Railway Centre, there are also nine additional carriages on site, and four locomotives.
Thames & Medway Canal Association: Formed in 1976, this society aims to restore and preserve the remnants of the former Thames & Medway Military Canal. This was originally excavated to allow vessels to avoid circumnavigating the Hoo Peninsula, providing a safer and shorter passage for military traffic between Woolwich and Chatham Dockyards.
UK Heritage Railways: I have found this website to be of great use in the past. It contains an online preserved locomotive and carriage database which holds details of surviving locomotives and rolling stock. Locations, build dates and current status are just a few of the criteria included within individual locomotive / stock reviews. Multiple unit formations are not catered for, however.
UK-Railways: The website aims to provide a whole host of information relating to today's railway network, ranging from timetable data to details of stock movements. A railway forum is also a feature of this website, which has been provided for ''The Enthusiast, The Train Spotter, The Photographer, and the Film Maker''.
UK Steam Info: This website is a goldmine of information concerning dates of steam-hauled rail tours and their associated start / end and passing place timings, nationwide. All such workings on the South Eastern Division can be found in advance, including empty stock and light engine movements.
Watercress Line: Also known as the ''Mid-Hants Railway'', this preserved line runs between Alresford and Alton in Hampshire and is home to a number of types which have frequented the South Eastern Division. The original Alton station opened on an extension from Farnham in July 1852, but when the Mid-Hants was taken through to Winchester in October 1865, the platforms were re-sited to their present position. The Mid-Hants completed closed on 5th February 1973, Alton thus becoming a terminus, but a preservation movement began and reopening of the line between Alresford and Ropley occurred during 1977.
Welling (UK): When the Bexleyheath line opened in 1895, Welling was in Kentish territory. Indeed, the gates of Danson Park still display the Invicta badge. However, the formation of the Greater London Council saw Welling, Bexleyheath, and Crayford all absorbed into the sprawling capital in 1964. Welling (UK) aims to recount the history of this London suburb, and provide a pictorial glance of what the area has to offer.
Yeovil Railway Centre: The Yeovil Railway Centre came into being in 1993 when the Civil Mechanical & Electrical Engineer's department (CM&EE) relinquished their responsibilities on the ''down'' side at Yeovil Junction. By this time, the Western Region was history and the services and infrastructure were the responsibility of Network SouthEast, which subcontracted permanent way tasks to groups such as the CM&EE. It was also NSE's manager of the Salisbury area who, in 1988, organised the return of steam traction to Yeovil Junction, an occurrence which the Yeovil Railway Centre has been successful in preserving. This link relates directly to the Yeovil Junction ''guest'' pages.
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