The manufacture of paper at Sittingbourne dates back to the seventeenth century. The paper mill was originally supplied with raw materials by barges that sailed to wharves at the head of Milton Creek. A short horse-hauled tramway moved pulp to the mill. Two steam locomotives were introduced in 1908.
In 1913, as Milton Creek began to silt up, the paper making company began work on the construction of Ridham Dock, a deepwater facility on the Swale estuary, where seagoing ships could unload raw materials and load finished paper products. At the start of the First World War the railway and the dock was taken over by the Admiralty and the railway was extended to connect the dock. After the end of the war the railway was returned to the paper company. In 1924 a second paper mill opened at Kemsley Down, and further extended in 1936. By this time, the railway reached its maximum length of 10 miles (16 km). There was also a Standard gauge system around Kemsley and Ridham Dock that was connected to the Sheerness line near Swale.
Closure, preservation and uncertain futureEdit
In 1969, a time and motion study by the then owners, The Bowater Paper Corporation (Bowater), resulted in the closure of the railway. By this time the railway was the last industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain operating steam locomotives and, until withdrawn from 30 September 1969, had operated a scheduled passenger service for its employees between the Sittingbourne mill and Ridham Dock.[1] Bowaters had a "handing over" ceremony to the news lessees, the Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB),[2] on 4 October 1969 but continued running its goods trains until the final one on 25 October 1969. The LCGB was granted a lease of the southern portion of the railway between Sittingbourne and Kemsley Down in 1970. Much of the rest of the equipment went to form the Great Whipsnade Railway. The LCGB formed the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway Company to operate the railway. The company operates the railway under the name Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway (S&KLR).
bowaters, paper, railway, narrow, gauge, industrial, railway, running, from, sittingbourne, ridham, dock, swale, county, kent, distinction, being, last, steam, operated, industrial, narrow, gauge, railway, britain, when, closed, 1969, part, system, still, oper. The Bowaters Paper Railway was a 2 ft 6 in 762 mm narrow gauge industrial railway running from Sittingbourne to Ridham Dock on The Swale in the county of Kent It had the distinction of being the last steam operated industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain when it closed in 1969 Part of the system still operates as the Sittingbourne amp Kemsley Light Railway Bowaters Paper RailwayOverviewHeadquartersSittingbourneLocaleEnglandDates of operation1906 1969TechnicalTrack gauge2 ft 6 in 762 mm Length10 miles 16 1 km vteSittingbourne amp Kemsley Light Railway Bowaters Paper RailwayLegendRidham DockKemsley Paper MillKemsley DownBurley s WharfMilton Regis HaltMilton Regis ViaductSittingbourne ViaductSittingbourne Paper Mill Contents 1 History 2 Closure preservation and uncertain future 3 Locomotives 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory Edit nbsp C1910 mapThe manufacture of paper at Sittingbourne dates back to the seventeenth century The paper mill was originally supplied with raw materials by barges that sailed to wharves at the head of Milton Creek A short horse hauled tramway moved pulp to the mill Two steam locomotives were introduced in 1908 In 1913 as Milton Creek began to silt up the paper making company began work on the construction of Ridham Dock a deepwater facility on the Swale estuary where seagoing ships could unload raw materials and load finished paper products At the start of the First World War the railway and the dock was taken over by the Admiralty and the railway was extended to connect the dock After the end of the war the railway was returned to the paper company In 1924 a second paper mill opened at Kemsley Down and further extended in 1936 By this time the railway reached its maximum length of 10 miles 16 km There was also a Standard gauge system around Kemsley and Ridham Dock that was connected to the Sheerness line near Swale Closure preservation and uncertain future EditIn 1969 a time and motion study by the then owners The Bowater Paper Corporation Bowater resulted in the closure of the railway By this time the railway was the last industrial narrow gauge railway in Britain operating steam locomotives and until withdrawn from 30 September 1969 had operated a scheduled passenger service for its employees between the Sittingbourne mill and Ridham Dock 1 Bowaters had a handing over ceremony to the news lessees the Locomotive Club of Great Britain LCGB 2 on 4 October 1969 but continued running its goods trains until the final one on 25 October 1969 The LCGB was granted a lease of the southern portion of the railway between Sittingbourne and Kemsley Down in 1970 Much of the rest of the equipment went to form the Great Whipsnade Railway The LCGB formed the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway Company to operate the railway The company operates the railway under the name Sittingbourne amp Kemsley Light Railway S amp KLR Locomotives EditName Builder Wheel arrangement Gauge Works Number Built Notes PhotographAlpha W G Bagnall 0 6 2T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 2472 1932 Undergoing cosmetic overhaul at the SKLR nbsp Chevalier Manning Wardle 0 6 2T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 1877 1915 Acquired from the Chattenden and Upnor Railway in 1950 Sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway later resold to Bill Parker Conqueror W G Bagnall 0 6 2T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 2192 1922 Sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway now part of the Vale of Rheidol Railway Museum Collection Excelsior Kerr Stuart 0 4 2ST 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 1049 1908 Sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway in 1968 1970 nbsp Jubilee W G Bagnall 0 4 0ST 4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm 2542 1936 Now at the East Anglian Railway Museum Leader Kerr Stuart 0 4 2ST 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 926 1905 Under overhaul on the SKLR 3 nbsp Melior Kerr Stuart 0 4 2ST 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 4219 1924 Operational on the SKLR nbsp Monarch W G Bagnall 0 4 4 0T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 3024 1953 Sold to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway in 1966 nbsp Pioneer Manning Wardle 0 4 0T 4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm 942 1885 Acquired from Smith Patterson amp Co Ltd Blaydon in 1943 Scrapped in 1954 Pioneer II Ashford 0 6 0T 4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm 1910 SECR P class no 178 Acquired from BR in 1958 Sold to the Bluebell Railway in 1969 nbsp Premier Kerr Stuart 0 4 2ST 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 886 1905 Operational on the SKLR 3 nbsp Superb W G Bagnall 0 6 2T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 2624 1940 Under overhaul on the SKLR nbsp Superior Kerr Stuart 0 6 2T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 4043 1920 Sold to the Great Whipsnade Railway in 1968 1970 nbsp Triumph W G Bagnall 0 6 2T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 2511 1934 On display at the SKLR nbsp Unique W G Bagnall 2 4 0F 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 2216 1924 A rare narrow gauge fireless locomotive On display at the SKLR nbsp Victor W G Bagnall 0 4 0F 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 2366 1929 A rare narrow gauge fireless locomotive Scrapped in 1967 Rattler W G Bagnall 0 4 0T 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 1978 1913 Acquired from the Cape Copper Company Swansea in 1942 Loco was in poor condition and did little work Scrapped in 1950 4 Hudson Hunslet 4wDM 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 4182 1953 Operational on the S amp KLR with the name Victor nbsp The Tank English Electric 4wBE 2 ft 6 in 762 mm 515 1921 Scrapped in 1969 Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns 6wDM 4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm 2603 7889 1957 Class 04 D2259 acquired from BR in 1968 Scrapped in 1978 Vulcan Foundry 6wDM 4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm 2551 D277 1955 Class 04 D2228 acquired from BR in 1969 Scrapped in 1979 See also EditBritish narrow gauge railways Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light RailwayReferences Edit Journal of the Stephenson Locomotive Society Dec 1968 p 380 Home lcgb org uk a b This week 16th 22nd May www sklr net 18 May 2022 Archived from the original on 18 May 2022 Retrieved 18 May 2022 Neale Andrew 2 October 2008 Must we let this be swept away Heritage Railway 116 42 46 Thomas C S 1995 The Whipsnade amp Umfolozi Railway and the Great Whipsnade Railway The Oakwood Press ISBN 0 85361 478 4 Mitchell Vic amp Smith Keith 2000 Kent Narrow Gauge Middleton Press ISBN 978 1 901706 45 1 Narrow Gauge Railway Museum article on Bowaters Paper Railway External links EditSittingbourne s Steam Railway Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway Limited official website51 21 01 N 0 44 27 E 51 35018 N 0 74071 E 51 35018 0 74071 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bowaters Paper Railway amp oldid 1103071620, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
