119-610: The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway ( RH&DR ) is a 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge light railway in Kent , England, operating steam and internal combustion locomotives. The 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (21.7 km) line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch , St. Mary's Bay , New Romney and Romney Sands to Dungeness , close to the Dungeness nuclear power stations and Dungeness Lighthouse . The line
238-659: A Neutrality Pact in April 1941, and Japan adopted the doctrine of Nanshin-ron , promoted by the Navy, which took its focus southward and eventually led to war with the United States and the Western Allies. In Europe, Germany and Italy were becoming more aggressive. In March 1938, Germany annexed Austria , again provoking little response from other European powers. Encouraged, Hitler began pressing German claims on
357-578: A cautious French probe into the Saarland . The Western Allies also began a naval blockade of Germany , which aimed to damage the country's economy and war effort. Germany responded by ordering U-boat warfare against Allied merchant and warships, which would later escalate into the Battle of the Atlantic . On 8 September, German troops reached the suburbs of Warsaw . The Polish counter-offensive to
476-636: A formal opening by Laurel and Hardy on 21 March 1947. Regular services started on 29 March 1947. In June 1947 the Duke of Westminster's railway from Eaton Hall, Cheshire was transported by the Great Western Railway and Southern Railway from Balderton, Cheshire to New Romney in Kent. It comprised an engine, nine coaches and trucks, and track totalling 222 tons. In 1949, Captain Howey bought
595-512: A higher status; all stations below became halts prior to their closure. Stations which never existed but were at one time proposed by the directors or are currently under consideration: The line was originally laid using second-hand First World War surplus rail. Most was 25 lb/yd (12 kg/m) material rolled in the US, the rest was 12 kg/m (25 lb/yd) rolled in Belgium when the country
714-524: A pretext to initiate the invasion. The first German attack of the war came against the Polish defences at Westerplatte . The United Kingdom responded with an ultimatum for Germany to cease military operations, and on 3 September, after the ultimatum was ignored, Britain and France declared war on Germany. During the Phoney War period, the alliance provided no direct military support to Poland, outside of
833-781: A pretext to worsen relations. On 29 August, Hitler demanded that a Polish plenipotentiary immediately travel to Berlin to negotiate the handover of Danzig , and to allow a plebiscite in the Polish Corridor in which the German minority would vote on secession. The Poles refused to comply with the German demands, and on the night of 30–31 August in a confrontational meeting with the British ambassador Nevile Henderson , Ribbentrop declared that Germany considered its claims rejected. On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland after having staged several false flag border incidents as
952-475: A secret protocol that defined German and Soviet "spheres of influence" (western Poland and Lithuania for Germany; eastern Poland , Finland, Estonia , Latvia and Bessarabia for the Soviet Union), and raised the question of continuing Polish independence. The pact neutralised the possibility of Soviet opposition to a campaign against Poland and assured that Germany would not have to face the prospect of
1071-774: A similar pact and rejected ceding part of its territory to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, and was subsequently expelled from the League of Nations for this crime of aggression. Despite overwhelming numerical superiority, Soviet military success during the Winter War was modest, and the Finno-Soviet war ended in March 1940 with some Finnish concessions of territory . In June 1940,
1190-531: A supporters association, and regarded with some suspicion by the railway's management of the time, the association has become a significant contributor to the railway's continuance and refurbishment. It is now the largest single shareholder in the railway and its members provide a significant input of voluntary labour on both operating and maintenance work. It became a registered charity on 23 January 2009. At 31 December 2015 its membership stood at 3,355. Stations in full or limited use: Those shown as 'halt' never had
1309-531: A two-front war, as it had in World War I. Immediately afterwards, Hitler ordered the attack to proceed on 26 August, but upon hearing that the United Kingdom had concluded a formal mutual assistance pact with Poland and that Italy would maintain neutrality, he decided to delay it. In response to British requests for direct negotiations to avoid war, Germany made demands on Poland, which served as
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#17327939664821428-519: Is currently stored in an engineers' depot. Following the unexpected death of Mr Riley on 4 June 2008 the future of this locomotive is currently unknown. It is understood that the machine is more than half complete. This Locomotive was removed from the railway earlier this year and is currently (Summer 2023) up for sale with the Denver Light Railway From the outset, the railway's owners and designers envisaged freight services. Two of
1547-480: Is different from Wikidata Pages with broken anchors All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021 World War II Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945)
1666-477: Is double track north of New Romney and single track south. The railway was the dream of millionaire racing drivers Captain John Edwards Presgrave ("Jack") Howey and Count Louis Zborowski . The latter had constructed a railway at Higham Park , his home at Bridge, Kent , and agreed to donate the rolling stock and infrastructure to the project. However, he was killed in a motor racing accident at
1785-434: Is marked on the plans accompanying a combined conveyance/lease concluded by the railway with that company and is shown as measuring 12 by 6 ft (3.7 by 1.8 m). Some rather poor quality photographic evidence of the existence of this box also exists. There is uncertainty as to whether it was ever brought into use though and if so how many levers it contained. New Romney – 17 levers controlling points and signals within
1904-429: Is uncertain how many levers this box actually contained. Arrangements for working the temporary turning wye at The Pilot are not known. Including engines serviceable, under overhaul, awaiting overhaul, or reserved to shunting or engineering duties. This list includes engines sold, scrapped, failed in trials, or otherwise withdrawn. All engines were internal combustion locomotives. 4-wheel scooter In addition to
2023-603: The A259 coast road. The railway, which carries over 150,000 passengers each year, celebrated its 95th birthday in 2022 with a 2-day steam and diesel gala. From 1926 to 1978, the RH&;DR held the title of the "Smallest public railway in the world" (in terms of track gauge). The title was lost to the 12 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 311 mm ) gauge Réseau Guerlédan in France in 1978 and regained in 1979 when that line closed. It
2142-604: The Anglo-German Naval Agreement and the German–Polish declaration of non-aggression . The situation became a crisis in late August as German troops continued to mobilise against the Polish border. On 23 August the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Germany, after tripartite negotiations for a military alliance between France, the United Kingdom, and Soviet Union had stalled. This pact had
2261-689: The British Empire , with fighting in the Balkans , Mediterranean, and Middle East , the aerial Battle of Britain and the Blitz , and naval Battle of the Atlantic . Through a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany took control of much of continental Europe and formed the Axis alliance with Italy , Japan , and other countries. In June 1941, Germany led the European Axis in an invasion of
2380-581: The German Revolution of 1918–1919 , and a democratic government, later known as the Weimar Republic , was created. The interwar period saw strife between supporters of the new republic and hardline opponents on both the political right and left. Italy, as an Entente ally, had made some post-war territorial gains; however, Italian nationalists were angered that the promises made by the United Kingdom and France to secure Italian entrance into
2499-853: The German invasion of Poland and the United Kingdom and France 's declaration of war on Germany two days later on 3 September 1939. Dates for the beginning of the Pacific War include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or the earlier Japanese invasion of Manchuria , on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor , who stated that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously, and
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#17327939664822618-576: The Italian mainland , and Allied offensives in the Pacific—cost the Axis powers their initiative and forced them into strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France at Normandy , while the Soviet Union regained its territorial losses and pushed Germany and its allies westward. At the same time, Japan suffered reversals in mainland Asia, while the Allies crippled
2737-553: The Japanese Navy and captured key islands . The war in Europe concluded with the liberation of German-occupied territories ; the invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, culminating in the fall of Berlin to Soviet troops; Hitler's suicide ; and the German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 . Following the refusal of Japan to surrender on the terms of the Potsdam Declaration ,
2856-695: The League of Nations as a force to preserve peace. Both Italy and Ethiopia were member nations, but the League did little when the former clearly violated Article X of the League's Covenant . The United Kingdom and France supported imposing sanctions on Italy for the invasion, but the sanctions were not fully enforced and failed to end the Italian invasion. Italy subsequently dropped its objections to Germany's goal of absorbing Austria . When civil war broke out in Spain, Hitler and Mussolini lent military support to
2975-731: The Nationalist rebels , led by General Francisco Franco . Italy supported the Nationalists to a greater extent than the Nazis: Mussolini sent more than 70,000 ground troops, 6,000 aviation personnel, and 720 aircraft to Spain. The Soviet Union supported the existing government of the Spanish Republic . More than 30,000 foreign volunteers, known as the International Brigades , also fought against
3094-690: The Rome–Berlin Axis . A month later, Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact , which Italy joined the following year. The Kuomintang (KMT) party in China launched a unification campaign against regional warlords and nominally unified China in the mid-1920s, but was soon embroiled in a civil war against its former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allies and new regional warlords . In 1931, an increasingly militaristic Empire of Japan , which had long sought influence in China as
3213-590: The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in April 1941. By contrast, the Germans were steadily making preparations for an attack on the Soviet Union, massing forces on the Soviet border. Hitler believed that the United Kingdom's refusal to end the war was based on the hope that the United States and the Soviet Union would enter the war against Germany sooner or later. On 31 July 1940, Hitler decided that
3332-598: The Stresa Front in April 1935 in order to contain Germany, a key step towards military globalisation ; however, that June, the United Kingdom made an independent naval agreement with Germany, easing prior restrictions. The Soviet Union, concerned by Germany's goals of capturing vast areas of Eastern Europe , drafted a treaty of mutual assistance with France. Before taking effect, though, the Franco-Soviet pact
3451-709: The Sudetenland , an area of Czechoslovakia with a predominantly ethnic German population. Soon the United Kingdom and France followed the appeasement policy of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and conceded this territory to Germany in the Munich Agreement , which was made against the wishes of the Czechoslovak government, in exchange for a promise of no further territorial demands. Soon afterwards, Germany and Italy forced Czechoslovakia to cede additional territory to Hungary, and Poland annexed
3570-707: The Tanggu Truce was signed in 1933. Thereafter, Chinese volunteer forces continued the resistance to Japanese aggression in Manchuria , and Chahar and Suiyuan . After the 1936 Xi'an Incident , the Kuomintang and CCP forces agreed on a ceasefire to present a united front to oppose Japan. The Second Italo-Ethiopian War was a brief colonial war that began in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war began with
3689-579: The Trans-Olza region of Czechoslovakia. Although all of Germany's stated demands had been satisfied by the agreement, privately Hitler was furious that British interference had prevented him from seizing all of Czechoslovakia in one operation. In subsequent speeches Hitler attacked British and Jewish "war-mongers" and in January 1939 secretly ordered a major build-up of the German navy to challenge British naval supremacy. In March 1939, Germany invaded
Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-558: The Treaty of Craiova . The loss of one-third of Romania's 1939 territory caused a coup against King Carol II, turning Romania into a fascist dictatorship under Marshal Ion Antonescu , with a course set towards the Axis in the hopes of a German guarantee. Meanwhile, German-Soviet political relations and economic co-operation gradually stalled, and both states began preparations for war. In April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway to protect shipments of iron ore from Sweden , which
3927-749: The United Kingdom and France to declare war on Germany. Poland was divided between Germany and the Soviet Union under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact , in which they had agreed on " spheres of influence " in Eastern Europe. In 1940, the Soviets annexed the Baltic states and parts of Finland and Romania . After the fall of France in June 1940, the war continued mainly between Germany and
4046-654: The Wehrmacht rapidly advanced to the Channel and cut off the Allied forces in Belgium, trapping the bulk of the Allied armies in a cauldron on the Franco-Belgian border near Lille. The United Kingdom was able to evacuate a significant number of Allied troops from the continent by early June, although they had to abandon almost all their equipment. On 10 June, Italy invaded France , declaring war on both France and
4165-630: The aftermath of World War I and the rise of fascism in Europe and militarism in Japan . Key events leading up to the war included Japan's invasion of Manchuria , the Spanish Civil War , the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War , and Germany's annexations of Austria and the Sudetenland . World War II is generally considered to have begun on 1 September 1939, when Nazi Germany , under Adolf Hitler , invaded Poland , prompting
4284-479: The reunification of East and West Germany to take place and resolved most post–World War II issues. No formal peace treaty between Japan and the Soviet Union was ever signed, although the state of war between the two countries was terminated by the Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956 , which also restored full diplomatic relations between them. World War I had radically altered
4403-662: The strategic bombing of population centres and delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in 70 to 85 million deaths , more than half being civilians. Millions died in genocides , including the Holocaust of European Jews, as well as from massacres, starvation, and disease. Following the Allied powers' victory, Germany , Austria , Japan , and Korea were occupied, and war crimes tribunals were conducted against German and Japanese leaders . The causes of World War II included unresolved tensions in
4522-428: The Allied forces after the D-Day Normandy landings. During the latter stages of the construction of PLUTO considerable damage was caused to the track on the extension when, to speed up the work, lengths of pipe were dragged along the trackbed by bulldozers, resulting in its reduction to a single track after the war. The line re-opened between Hythe and New Romney in 1946, the New Romney to Dungeness section following with
4641-409: The Allies were attempting to cut off . Denmark capitulated after six hours , and despite Allied support , Norway was conquered within two months. British discontent over the Norwegian campaign led to the resignation of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain , who was replaced by Winston Churchill on 10 May 1940. On the same day, Germany launched an offensive against France . To circumvent
4760-400: The Axis war against the Soviet Union, in Romania's case partially to recapture territory ceded to the Soviet Union . In early June 1940, the Italian Regia Aeronautica attacked and besieged Malta , a British possession. From late summer to early autumn, Italy conquered British Somaliland and made an incursion into British-held Egypt . In October, Italy attacked Greece , but the attack
4879-421: The Blitz , but largely ended in May 1941 after failing to significantly disrupt the British war effort. Using newly captured French ports, the German Navy enjoyed success against an over-extended Royal Navy , using U-boats against British shipping in the Atlantic . The British Home Fleet scored a significant victory on 27 May 1941 by sinking the German battleship Bismarck . In November 1939,
Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-429: The Duke of Sutherland's private train including engine Dunrobin and 60 feet (18 m) coach for the museum at New Romney. It was transported there in 1950 and displayed until sold in 1963. From 7 September 1977 until 24 July 2015, the railway provided school trains to transport children to and from the Marsh Academy in New Romney. The service was finally withdrawn due to falling usage. The railway's role as part of
5117-405: The European Axis declaring war on the US. Japan conquered much of coastal China and Southeast Asia , but its advances in the Pacific were halted in mid-1942 after its defeat in the naval Battle of Midway ; Germany and Italy were defeated in North Africa and at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union. Key setbacks in 1943—including German defeats on the Eastern Front, the Allied invasions of Sicily and
5236-9080: The Flower Farmer and Phoenix & Holly Railroad" . Flowerfamrer.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Pint-Sized Pufferbelly" . Archived from the original on 2019-03-27 . Retrieved 2020-05-18 . ^ "Redwood Valley Railway" . Redwoodvalleyrailway.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "TrainTown Website" . Traintown.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Sullivan Railroad in Horseheads NY - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms" . ^ "waterman & western railroad - Home" . Petestrain.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . v t e Track gauge ( list ) Minimum-gauge Minimum-gauge railways 15 in ( 381 mm ) 400 mm ( 15 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) 16 in ( 406 mm ) 18 in ( 457 mm ) 19 in ( 483 mm ) 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) 20 in ( 508 mm ) 21 in ( 533 mm ) 1 ft 10 in ( 559 mm ) Narrow gauge 2 foot and 600 mm 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ) 750 mm ( 2 ft 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) 760 mm ( 2 ft 5 + 15 ⁄ 16 in ) 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) 800 mm ( 2 ft 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) 891 mm ( 2 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 32 in ) Swedish three foot 900 mm ( 2 ft 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 in ) 3 ft ( 914 mm ) 950 mm ( 3 ft 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) Italian metre gauge 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge 1,050 mm ( 3 ft 5 + 11 ⁄ 32 in ), 1,055 mm ( 3 ft 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ), 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) 1,093 mm ( 3 ft 7 in ), 1,100 mm ( 3 ft 7 + 5 ⁄ 16 in ), 1,200 mm ( 3 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ) 4 ft ( 1,219 mm ) 4 ft 1 in ( 1,245 mm ), Middleton Railway 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ), Scotch gauge 4 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,384 mm ), Scotch gauge 4 ft 7 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ( 1,416 mm ) 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ), almost standard gauge 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 1,429 mm ) 1,432 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) Standard gauge 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in / 1,435 mm , Stephenson gauge Broad gauge 1,440 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 11 ⁄ 16 in ) 1,445 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 7 ⁄ 8 in ) 1,450 mm ( 4 ft 9 + 3 ⁄ 32 in ) 4 ft 9 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ( 1,457 mm ) 1,458 mm ( 4 ft 9 + 13 ⁄ 32 in ) 4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in ( 1,495 mm ), Toronto gauge 5 ft / 1,524 mm and 1,520 mm ( 4 ft 11 + 27 ⁄ 32 in ), Russian gauge. 5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in / 1,581 mm and 5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 in / 1,588 mm , Pennsylvania gauge 5 ft 3 in ( 1,600 mm ), Irish gauge 5 ft 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,638 mm ), Baltimore gauge 1,668 mm ( 5 ft 5 + 21 ⁄ 32 in ), Iberian gauge 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ), Indian gauge 1,945 mm ( 6 ft 4 + 9 ⁄ 16 in ), De Arend 7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 2,140 mm ), Brunel gauge 3,000 mm ( 9 ft 10 + 1 ⁄ 8 in ), Breitspurbahn 8,200 mm ( 26 ft 10 + 27 ⁄ 32 in ), Lärchwandschrägaufzug 9,000 mm ( 29 ft 6 + 5 ⁄ 16 in ), Krasnoyarsk ship lift List of track gauge articles List of track gauges List of tram track gauges Miniature railways Minimum-gauge railways Large amusement railways Gauge differences Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Gauge conversion list Variable gauge Transport mode Tram and light rail Rapid transit Miniature Scale model Categories by country by imperial units by metric units by name lists of track gauges v t e Railways and tramways of 15-inch (381 mm) gauge Asia Bal Bahran Park (Delhi, India) Sakuradani (Japan) Shuzenji Romney (Japan) Europe Anse (France) Donaupark (Austria) Dresdner Park (Germany) Killesberg Park (Germany) Park Auensee (Germany) Prater Park (Austria) United King- dom Alton Towers (defunct) Bellevue Park Blackpool Zoo Blenheim Park Bure Valley Cleethorpes Coast Conwy Valley Combe Martin Wildlife Park Craigtoun Duffield Bank Eaton Hall Evesham Vale Gulliver's Land Gulliver's World Haigh Country Park Heatherslaw Knowsley Safari Park Lakeside (Southport) Lappa Valley Lightwater Valley Liverpool Garden Festival Longleat Markeaton Park (defunct) Marwell Zoo (defunct) Oakwood Park Paradise Park Paultons Park Perrygrove Ravenglass & Eskdale Rhiw Valley Rhyl Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Saltburn Sand and Hutton Sherwood Forest Waveney Valley Whistlestop Valley Windmill Farm Wotton North America Bear Creek Park (Canada) Pindal Electric (Canada) Springbank Express (Canada) United States American Heritage B.A.D. Great Northern Gage Park Glenwood South Park Hillcrest & Wahtoke Joshua Tree & Southern GSD Laurel Run Little Toot Look Park Milwaukee County Zoo Safari Nickel Plate Northwest Ohio Orland, Newville and Pacific Paradise and Pacific Phoenix & Holly Redwood Valley Riverside and Great Northern Riverview & Twin Lakes Sonoma TrainTown Tiny Town Waterman & Western Oceania Bush Mill (Australia) Driving Creek (New Zealand) Whangaparaoa (New Zealand) Arlesdale (fictional) · Fairbourne (now re-gauged) · Far Tottering and Oyster Creek (temporary exhibition line) v t e Rail infrastructure Tracks (history) Axe ties Ballast Baulk road Breather switch Cant Clip and scotch Date nail Fastening system Fishplate Ladder track Minimum radius Profile Tie/Sleeper Transition curve Trackwork Balloon loop Classification yard Headshunt Pocket track Junction Gauntlet track Guide bar Passing loop Track gauge dual gauge Rail track tramway track Rail yard Railway electrification overhead lines third rail ground-level power supply Railway turntable Transfer table (traverser) Roll way Siding refuge siding Switch Track geometry Water crane Water trough Wye Signalling and safety Anti-trespass panels Block post Buffer stop Catch points Defect detector Derailer Guard rail Interlocking Level crossing Loading gauge Platform screen doors Railway signal Signalling control Structure gauge Signal bridge Tell-tale Train stop Wayside horn Structures Coaling tower Motive power depot / Railway workshop Platform Roundhouse Shed for trains for goods Station building clock ghost list Water stop Types Industrial Military Private station list Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fifteen-inch_gauge_railway&oldid=1227200193 " Categories : 15 in gauge railways Minimum gauge railways Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
5355-410: The French possessions of Syria and Lebanon , assisted by the Free French . With the situation in Europe and Asia relatively stable, Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union made preparations for war. With the Soviets wary of mounting tensions with Germany, and the Japanese planning to take advantage of the European War by seizing resource-rich European possessions in Southeast Asia , the two powers signed
5474-426: The Germans, and the last large operational unit of the Polish Army surrendered on 6 October . Despite the military defeat, Poland never surrendered; instead, it formed the Polish government-in-exile and a clandestine state apparatus remained in occupied Poland. A significant part of Polish military personnel evacuated to Romania and Latvia; many of them later fought against the Axis in other theatres of
5593-399: The Littlestone Road Tunnels. The tightest curve measures 6.8 chains (450 ft; 140 m) radius and is at the Hythe end of 'The Deviation', a dogleg section of track at Pennypot on the outskirts of Hythe. The ruling gradient and tightest curve are the results of post-1972 reconstruction work. Pre-1990 references to these give out-of-date figures. Statements in a number of books claiming
5712-429: The Monza Grand Prix on 19 October 1924 before the Romney Marsh site was chosen, and Howey continued the project alone. After Howey had unsuccessfully attempted to buy the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and extend it, he investigated a greenfield site between Burnham-on-Sea and Weston-super-Mare in Somerset and offered to buy the Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Tramway in Sussex, Henry Greenly drew Howey's attention to
5831-450: The Nationalists. Both Germany and the Soviet Union used this proxy war as an opportunity to test in combat their most advanced weapons and tactics. The Nationalists won the civil war in April 1939; Franco, now dictator, remained officially neutral during World War II but generally favoured the Axis . His greatest collaboration with Germany was the sending of volunteers to fight on the Eastern Front . In July 1937, Japan captured
5950-420: The RHDR main line (the course of which can still be traced today [2016]) and the WD constructed their own locomotive to work their trains. From time to time, the railway has had short term ad hoc freight contracts, for example one in 1975 to transport drainage pipes. The most recent freight workings involved delivering gas mains from New Romney to Greatstone in 1989. As a publicity stunt the first gas main train
6069-452: The Royal Navy putting three Italian battleships out of commission after a carrier attack at Taranto , and neutralising several more warships at the Battle of Cape Matapan . Italian defeats prompted Germany to deploy an expeditionary force to North Africa; at the end of March 1941, Rommel 's Afrika Korps launched an offensive which drove back Commonwealth forces. In less than a month, Axis forces advanced to western Egypt and besieged
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#17327939664826188-423: The Soviet Union occupied the entire territories of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as the Romanian regions of Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, and the Hertsa region . In August 1940, Hitler imposed the Second Vienna Award on Romania which led to the transfer of Northern Transylvania to Hungary. In September 1940, Bulgaria demanded Southern Dobruja from Romania with German and Italian support, leading to
6307-421: The Soviet Union , opening the Eastern Front and initially making large territorial gains. Japan aimed to dominate East Asia and the Asia-Pacific , and by 1937 was at war with the Republic of China . In December 1941, Japan attacked American and British territories in Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific , including Pearl Harbor in Hawaii , which resulted in the US and the UK declaring war against Japan, and
6426-418: The Soviet Union and Mongolia . The Japanese doctrine of Hokushin-ron , which emphasised Japan's expansion northward, was favoured by the Imperial Army during this time. This policy would prove difficult to maintain in light of the Japanese defeat at Khalkin Gol in 1939, the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War and ally Nazi Germany pursuing neutrality with the Soviets. Japan and the Soviet Union eventually signed
6545-575: The Soviet Union should be eliminated and aimed for the conquest of Ukraine , the Baltic states and Byelorussia . However, other senior German officials like Ribbentrop saw an opportunity to create a Euro-Asian bloc against the British Empire by inviting the Soviet Union into the Tripartite Pact. In November 1940, negotiations took place to determine if the Soviet Union would join the pact. The Soviets showed some interest but asked for concessions from Finland, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Japan that Germany considered unacceptable. On 18 December 1940, Hitler issued
6664-402: The US dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August. Faced with an imminent invasion of the Japanese archipelago , the possibility of further atomic bombings, and the Soviet declaration of war against Japan and its invasion of Manchuria , Japan announced its unconditional surrender on 15 August and signed a surrender document on 2 September 1945 , marking
6783-424: The United Kingdom and France guaranteed their support for Polish independence ; when Italy conquered Albania in April 1939, the same guarantee was extended to the Kingdoms of Romania and Greece . Shortly after the Franco - British pledge to Poland, Germany and Italy formalised their own alliance with the Pact of Steel . Hitler accused the United Kingdom and Poland of trying to "encircle" Germany and renounced
6902-489: The United Kingdom attacked on 3 July in an attempt to prevent its seizure by Germany. The air Battle of Britain began in early July with Luftwaffe attacks on shipping and harbours . The German campaign for air superiority started in August but its failure to defeat RAF Fighter Command forced the indefinite postponement of the proposed German invasion of Britain . The German strategic bombing offensive intensified with night attacks on London and other cities in
7021-401: The United Kingdom. The Germans turned south against the weakened French army, and Paris fell to them on 14 June. Eight days later France signed an armistice with Germany ; it was divided into German and Italian occupation zones , and an unoccupied rump state under the Vichy Regime , which, though officially neutral, was generally aligned with Germany. France kept its fleet, which
7140-473: The United States was assisting China and the Western Allies, and had amended the Neutrality Act to allow "cash and carry" purchases by the Allies. In 1940, following the German capture of Paris, the size of the United States Navy was significantly increased . In September the United States further agreed to a trade of American destroyers for British bases . Still, a large majority of the American public continued to oppose any direct military intervention in
7259-434: The Yellow River ; this manoeuvre bought time for the Chinese to prepare their defences at Wuhan , but the city was taken by October. Japanese military victories did not bring about the collapse of Chinese resistance that Japan had hoped to achieve; instead, the Chinese government relocated inland to Chongqing and continued the war. In the mid-to-late 1930s, Japanese forces in Manchukuo had sporadic border clashes with
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#17327939664827378-414: The branch line and then up the main line to Hythe, often lying over in the sidings at Dymchurch to prevent delay to passenger trains using the same tracks. At Hythe the wagons were originally pushed by the locomotive up a concrete ramp and the wagons tipped into a large concrete holding bin or directly into waiting lorries, a precarious practice which was later replaced by mechanical haulage up the ramp. After
7497-405: The capital Nanking in December 1937. After the fall of Nanking, tens or hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed combatants were murdered by the Japanese . In March 1938, Nationalist Chinese forces won their first major victory at Taierzhuang , but then the city of Xuzhou was taken by the Japanese in May. In June 1938, Chinese forces stalled the Japanese advance by flooding
7616-446: The company closed the branch and the freight incline. At Hythe, the concrete pillars were still visible until the early 1980s when they were demolished to allow access to the car park extension along the former platform 4 and engine release siding. The railway is licensed by the Post Office for rail postal services, and is entitled to issue postage stamps. A number of first day covers have been issued. A four-wheel secure postage wagon
7735-403: The conflict well into 1941. In December 1940, Roosevelt accused Hitler of planning world conquest and ruled out any negotiations as useless, calling for the United States to become an " arsenal of democracy " and promoting Lend-Lease programmes of military and humanitarian aid to support the British war effort; Lend-Lease was later extended to the other Allies, including the Soviet Union after it
7854-410: The creation of a " New Roman Empire ". Adolf Hitler , after an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the German government in 1923, eventually became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933 when Paul von Hindenburg and the Reichstag appointed him. Following Hindenburg's death in 1934, Hitler proclaimed himself Führer of Germany and abolished democracy, espousing a radical, racially motivated revision of
7973-616: The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires. To prevent a future world war, the League of Nations was established in 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference . The organisation's primary goals were to prevent armed conflict through collective security, military, and naval disarmament , as well as settling international disputes through peaceful negotiations and arbitration. Despite strong pacifist sentiment after World War I , irredentist and revanchist nationalism had emerged in several European states. These sentiments were especially marked in Germany because of
8092-421: The end of May completed the German conquest of the Balkans. Partisan warfare subsequently broke out against the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia , which continued until the end of the war. In the Middle East in May, Commonwealth forces quashed an uprising in Iraq which had been supported by German aircraft from bases within Vichy-controlled Syria . Between June and July, British-led forces invaded and occupied
8211-409: The end of the war. World War II changed the political alignment and social structure of the world, and it set the foundation of international relations for the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century. The United Nations was established to foster international cooperation and prevent conflicts, with the victorious great powers—China, France, the Soviet Union, the UK, and the US—becoming
8330-400: The eucalyptus family). The railway has a permanent way team, with a full-time staff of platelayers . It forms part of the larger Engineering Department. Some platelayers work all year round, whilst others are diverted to other seasonal employment within the engineering department, for example as summer drivers, when more drivers are required than during the out of season periods. Additionally,
8449-468: The first step of what its government saw as the country's right to rule Asia , staged the Mukden incident as a pretext to invade Manchuria and establish the puppet state of Manchukuo . China appealed to the League of Nations to stop the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Japan withdrew from the League of Nations after being condemned for its incursion into Manchuria. The two nations then fought several battles, in Shanghai , Rehe and Hebei , until
8568-920: The former Chinese imperial capital of Peking after instigating the Marco Polo Bridge incident , which culminated in the Japanese campaign to invade all of China. The Soviets quickly signed a non-aggression pact with China to lend materiel support, effectively ending China's prior cooperation with Germany . From September to November, the Japanese attacked Taiyuan , engaged the Kuomintang Army around Xinkou , and fought Communist forces in Pingxingguan . Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek deployed his best army to defend Shanghai , but after three months of fighting, Shanghai fell. The Japanese continued to push Chinese forces back, capturing
8687-525: The invasion of the Ethiopian Empire (also known as Abyssinia ) by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy ( Regno d'Italia ), which was launched from Italian Somaliland and Eritrea . The war resulted in the military occupation of Ethiopia and its annexation into the newly created colony of Italian East Africa ( Africa Orientale Italiana , or AOI); in addition it exposed the weakness of
8806-524: The line ^ "The Blakesley Miniature Railway" . The SMJ Society . Retrieved 30 March 2022 . ^ "Home" . Evlr.co.uk . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Home" . Kirklesslightrailway.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Sadness as last remnants of Markeaton Park Railway to be demolished" . Derbytelegraph . Derbyshire Live. 2018-11-02 . Retrieved 3 November 2018 . ^ "American Heritage Railroad" . Americanfarmheritagemuseum.org . Archived from
8925-571: The local public transport network was extended when Warren Halt re-opened in 2009, providing a link to the Romney Marsh Visitor Centre. Further discussions with local councils took place regarding the possible expansion of Burmarsh Road and the provision of a new station at the gravel pits in West Hythe, in connection with both the proposed extensive new housing construction and the need to provide alternative transport to
9044-416: The mayors of the two towns and General Sir Ivor Maxse . Howey was not satisfied with just 8 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (13.3 km) of track from Hythe to New Romney and plans were in hand for an extension even before the original section had opened. The line was to be extended 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (9 km) from New Romney to Dungeness, double-tracked throughout apart from a balloon loop on which
9163-448: The mid-1950s. Dymchurch - confusion surrounds the number of levers in this box, with different sources quoting 10, 12 and 16. The box had vanished by 1963 and signalling is controlled here today by a push button electronic panel in the booking office and a 2 lever ground frame released by an Annett's key normally held in the signal panel. Holiday Camp – this building is known to have been erected on land owned by Allnatt Ltd since it
9282-9446: The minimum that he felt was practical. Railways [ edit ] 15 inch gauge railway installations Name Country Location Notes Bush Mill Railway [REDACTED] Australia Port Arthur Closed Donauparkbahn [ de ] [REDACTED] Austria Vienna Prater Liliputbahn [REDACTED] Austria Vienna Bear Creek Park Train [REDACTED] Canada Surrey, British Columbia Pindal Electric Tramway [REDACTED] Canada London, Ontario Formerly in Montreal Springbank Express [REDACTED] Canada London, Ontario Chemin de fer Touristique d'Anse [REDACTED] France Anse, Rhône Dresden Park Railway [REDACTED] Germany Dresden Killesberg Park Railway [REDACTED] Germany Stuttgart Leipziger Parkeisenbahn [REDACTED] Germany Leipzig Difflin Lake Railway [REDACTED] Ireland Cygnus wood-land Railway [REDACTED] Japan Osaka Sakuradani Light Railway [REDACTED] Japan Toyono District of Osaka Prefecture Shuzenji Romney Railway [REDACTED] Japan Niji-no-Sato (Rainbow Park) in Izu, Shizuoka Driving Creek Railway [REDACTED] New Zealand Whangaparaoa Narrow Gauge Railway [REDACTED] New Zealand Closed Adventure Railway [REDACTED] UK Alton Towers (defunct, 1982–1992 - park still operating) Bellevue Park Railway [REDACTED] UK Belfast, Northern Ireland Closed 1950 Blackpool Zoo miniature railway [REDACTED] UK Lancashire Blakesley Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Blakesley Hall , Northamptonshire Opened 1903, closed c.1944. Blenheim Park Railway [REDACTED] UK Oxfordshire Brocklands Adventure Park [REDACTED] UK Cornwall Closed 2007 Bure Valley Railway [REDACTED] UK Norfolk Standard gauge line closed 1982. 15-inch gauge line opened 1990. Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Lincolnshire Conwy Valley Railway Museum [REDACTED] UK Betws-y-Coed , North Wales (short tramway) Craigtoun Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Craigtoun Park , St. Andrews Duffield Bank Railway [REDACTED] UK Closed 1916 Eaton Hall Railway [REDACTED] UK Closed 1946 Evesham Vale Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Evesham Country Park , Twyford, Worcestershire Fairbourne Railway [REDACTED] UK Wales (now converted to 12 + 1 ⁄ 4 in or 311 mm gauge) Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway [REDACTED] UK Battersea Park , London Closed 1975 Gulliver's Land [REDACTED] UK Milton Keynes Gulliver's World [REDACTED] UK Warrington, Cheshire Haigh Hall Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Greater Manchester Heatherslaw Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Northumberland International Garden Festival Railway [REDACTED] UK 1984 Whistlestop Valley (Formerly Kirklees Light Railway) [REDACTED] UK Clayton West, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire Knowsley Safari Park ( The Lakeside Railway ) [REDACTED] UK Prescot, Merseyside Lakeside Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Southport, Merseyside Lappa Valley Steam Railway [REDACTED] UK Cornwall Lightwater Express Rio Grande [REDACTED] UK Ripon, North Yorkshire Theme Park Longleat Railway [REDACTED] UK Markeaton Park Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Derby Closed September 2016 Marwell Zoo [REDACTED] UK Colden Common, Hampshire Oakwood Theme Park [REDACTED] UK Narberth, Pembrokeshire Paradise Park [REDACTED] UK Hayle, Cornwall Paultons Park [REDACTED] UK Ower, Romsey, Hampshire Perrygrove Railway [REDACTED] UK Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway [REDACTED] UK Cumbria Rhiw Valley Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Manafon, Powys, Wales Closed 2022 Rhyl Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Clwyd, Wales Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway [REDACTED] UK Kent Saltburn Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Cat Nab, Cleveland Sand Hutton Miniature Railway [REDACTED] UK Yorkshire Closed 1922 Sherwood Forest Railway [REDACTED] UK Nottinghamshire Waveney Valley Railway [REDACTED] UK Bressingham Steam and Gardens Norfolk West Midlands Safari Park [REDACTED] UK Worcestershire Closed 2014 Windmill Farm Railway [REDACTED] UK Burscough, Lancashire Wildlife Park Cricket St Thomas [REDACTED] UK Chard, Somerset Wotton Light Railway [REDACTED] UK Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire American Heritage Railroad [REDACTED] USA Illinois Amusement Rides [REDACTED] USA City Park , Iowa City B.A.D. Great Northern Railroad [REDACTED] USA California Eden Springs Park Railroad ) [REDACTED] USA Benton Harbor, Michigan Gage Park Railroad [REDACTED] USA Gage Park, Topeka , Kansas Glenwood, South Park & Pacific Railroad [REDACTED] USA California Hillcrest & Wahtoke Steam Railroad [REDACTED] USA Reedley, California Joshua Tree & Southern GSD [REDACTED] USA California Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad [REDACTED] USA Kansas City, Missouri Laurel Run Railroad [REDACTED] USA Pennsylvania Little Toot Railroad [REDACTED] USA Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Association , Pennsylvania Look Park [REDACTED] USA Northampton, Massachusetts Miniature Railway at Silver Lake, Ohio [REDACTED] USA Silver Lake, Ohio Defunct Miniature Train at Monarch Park [REDACTED] USA Oil City, Pennsylvania Defunct Nickel Plate Railroad [REDACTED] USA California Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation [REDACTED] USA Ohio Orland, Newville and Pacific Railroad [REDACTED] USA California (operating) Paradise & Pacific Railroad [REDACTED] USA McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park , Scottsdale, Arizona (separate 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 in or 190.5 mm railway named Scottsdale Live Steamers also present) (operating) Phoenix & Holly Railroad [REDACTED] USA Oregon Pint-Sized Pufferbelly [REDACTED] USA Strasburg Rail Road , Strasburg Township, Pennsylvania (operating) Redwood Valley Railway [REDACTED] USA Tilden Regional Park , California (operating) Riverside and Great Northern Railway [REDACTED] USA Wisconsin Riverview & Twin Lakes Railroad [REDACTED] USA Wyoming Safari Train [REDACTED] USA Milwaukee County Zoo , Milwaukee , Wisconsin (operating) Sonoma TrainTown Railroad [REDACTED] USA California (operating) Sullivan Railroad [REDACTED] USA Horseheads, New York Tiny Town Railroad [REDACTED] USA Colorado Waterman & Western Railroad [REDACTED] USA Illinois See also [ edit ] [REDACTED] Trains portal Bassett-Lowke British narrow-gauge railways Heritage railway List of British heritage and private railways List of track gauges Minimum-gauge railway References [ edit ] ^ Heywood, A.P. (1974) [1881, Derby: Bemrose]. Minimum Gauge Railways . Turntable Enterprises. ISBN 0-902844-26-1 . ^ Donaupark ^ Bear Creek Park ^ "CEC: Closed Canadian Parks - Springbank Park" . Cec.chebucto.org . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ Going again ^ "シグナス森林鉄道" . Nose Electric Railway . Retrieved 10 June 2017 . ^ Tripadvisor ^ End of
9401-466: The original on 12 August 2013 . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "City Park" . City of Iowa City . Retrieved 7 June 2017 . ^ "City Park (Iowa City)" (PDF) . Uni.edu . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Eden Springs Park Benton Harbor Michigan Formerly The House of David" . Edenspringspark.org . Retrieved 18 November 2017 . ^ "Glenwood, South Park & Pacific Railroad" . Traill.us . Archived from
9520-655: The original on 21 May 2014 . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Hillcrest" . Hillcrestreedley.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Joshua Tree & Southern GSD" . Home.easrthlink.net . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad" . kcparks.org/places/kansas-city-northern-railroad . ^ "Reading Society of Model Engineers" . Rsme.org . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ Sayre, Dave. "McCormick - Stillman Railroad Park" . Arizonaandpacificrr.com . Retrieved 1 June 2016 . ^ "Flower Farmer and Phoenix & Holly Railroad - Welcome to
9639-458: The original locomotives (No 5 Hercules and No 6 Samson ) were built to the 'mountain' wheel arrangement ( 4-8-2 ), unique on any British railway and giving the ability to haul heavy freight with only a small loss of speed when used on passenger work. In the early years the railway carried a limited amount of freight (mainly shingle and fish traffic). A goods shed was built at New Romney and featured dual gauge track allowing easy transfer between
9758-502: The permanent members of its security council . The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers , setting the stage for the Cold War . In the wake of European devastation, the influence of its great powers waned, triggering the decolonisation of Africa and Asia . Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery and expansion . World War II began in Europe on 1 September 1939 with
9877-490: The permanent way team is strengthened on many days of the year, especially in the winter months, by volunteer workers. The longest underline bridge is Collins Bridge, with a span of approximately 60 feet (18 m). The summit of the line is 20 ft (6.1 m) above Ordnance Datum, located between Hull Road and Taylor Road, Lydd-on–Sea. The ruling gradient is 1 in 75 at the Dungeness end of New Romney Station rising from
9996-589: The political European map with the defeat of the Central Powers —including Austria-Hungary , Germany , Bulgaria , and the Ottoman Empire —and the 1917 Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia , which led to the founding of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the victorious Allies of World War I , such as France, Belgium, Italy, Romania, and Greece, gained territory, and new nation-states were created out of
10115-599: The port of Tobruk . By late March 1941, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia signed the Tripartite Pact ; however, the Yugoslav government was overthrown two days later by pro-British nationalists. Germany and Italy responded with simultaneous invasions of both Yugoslavia and Greece , commencing on 6 April 1941; both nations were forced to surrender within the month. The airborne invasion of the Greek island of Crete at
10234-512: The potential for a 15-inch gauge line between New Romney and Hythe. Howey first visited New Romney on 8 September 1925 and decided there and then that it was an ideal location for his proposed railway. The railway would cross public highways, and would need to acquire land from a number of different owners. Thus a Light Railway Order under the Light Railways Act 1896 was necessary and was applied for in November 1925. A Public Inquiry
10353-452: The proposed railway and also included compulsory purchase powers over the land required (which ultimately had to be used to acquire six plots of land on the proposed route). During construction, the Duke of York (later King George VI ) visited the railway on 5 August 1926 and drove Northern Chief , hauling a train with about 100 passengers from Jesson Halt to New Romney and back. The railway
10472-414: The railway's own 16 locomotives, one additional engine is currently housed at New Romney. This is a partially constructed third-scale reproduction of an LMS Princess Coronation Class locomotive, commonly known as the 'Duchess' type (although of the 38 engines of this class, only 10 were named after duchesses ). The replica was commissioned by Paul Riley, a director of the railway, as a private project and
10591-722: The remainder of Czechoslovakia and subsequently split it into the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and a pro-German client state , the Slovak Republic . Hitler also delivered an ultimatum to Lithuania on 20 March 1939, forcing the concession of the Klaipėda Region , formerly the German Memelland . Greatly alarmed and with Hitler making further demands on the Free City of Danzig ,
10710-407: The same from South Africa. The present standard rail for relaying work is 35 lb/yd (17 kg/m) obtained from a manufacturer in Spain. The original sleepers were creosoted Baltic fir spaced at 22-inch (560 mm) centres. These have now been entirely replaced by second-hand standard gauge sleepers cut into thirds, creosoted douglas fir , or jarrah and karri (Australian hardwoods from
10829-410: The significant territorial, colonial, and financial losses imposed by the Treaty of Versailles . Under the treaty, Germany lost around 13 percent of its home territory and all its overseas possessions , while German annexation of other states was prohibited, reparations were imposed, and limits were placed on the size and capability of the country's armed forces . The German Empire was dissolved in
10948-506: The standard and 15-inch gauges. This was seldom used and was demolished in about 1934. The greater part of the railway's freight traffic in the early years was carried for the War Department, who made extensive use of the line to convey materials and equipment for the construction of the reinforced concrete sound ranging detectors they were experimenting with near Greatstone. A special siding was laid in joining their working site with
11067-498: The start or prelude to World War II. The exact date of the war's end also is not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 15 August 1945 ( V-J Day ), rather than with the formal surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945, which officially ended the war in Asia . A peace treaty between Japan and the Allies was signed in 1951. A 1990 treaty regarding Germany's future allowed
11186-474: The station area. Now the only original Jackson Rigby lever frame in existence. Palmarsh - although this building is known to have existed there is doubt about whether the 8 lever Jackson Rigby frame it contained was ever fully connected up. The frame was later transferred to Greatstone (see below). The box itself had vanished by the late-1940s. Burmarsh Road - 2 levers located in the booking office and controlling signals. The station building had vanished by
11305-422: The station area. The lever frame was enlarged to the present 24 levers when the line was extended to Dungeness in 1928. The extension to Dungeness led to the enlargement of the lever frame at New Romney (as mentioned above) and also the opening of two new signal boxes: Greatstone - the 8 lever frame originally at Palmarsh was transferred here and installed in the booking office. Dungeness - like Dymchurch it
11424-461: The station at Dungeness was sited. A Light Railway Order for this extension was applied for and, following a Public Inquiry on 18 April 1928, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway (Extension) Order was granted on 12 July 1928. Ahead of this the line between New Romney and The Pilot had actually opened on 24 May 1928 and the rest of the line through to Dungeness opened on 3 August 1928. Since it
11543-593: The strong Maginot Line fortifications on the Franco-German border, Germany directed its attack at the neutral nations of Belgium , the Netherlands , and Luxembourg . The Germans carried out a flanking manoeuvre through the Ardennes region, which was mistakenly perceived by the Allies as an impenetrable natural barrier against armoured vehicles. By successfully implementing new Blitzkrieg tactics,
11662-548: The summit of the line is at Star Dyke (a point approximately midway between Burmarsh Road level crossing and Willop Sewer) are only partly correct; whilst it is the highest point between Hythe and New Romney it is not the highest on the entire line. There were originally six signal boxes on the first section of the line to open (Hythe to New Romney). All were equipped with Greenly designed fully interlocked lever frames constructed by Jackson Rigby Ltd at New Romney. These were: Hythe - 16 levers controlling points and signals within
11781-430: The track serving Platform 1 there extended into the car park for some years. The most successful freight service was the uncrushed ballast service. Following withdrawal of War Department operations over their siding near Maddieson's Camp, the railway utilised the infrastructure to operate ballast trains. In 1937 a subsidiary ballast company was formed. Tipper wagons (skips) were loaded with shingle and transported along
11900-518: The two wars became World War II in 1941. Other proposed starting dates for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939. Others view the Spanish Civil War as
12019-495: The war the Hythe workings were cut back and the wagons were unloaded in a siding (in what is now New Romney station car park), the remnant of which is now used for loading coal into loco tenders. This practice did not last long and a purpose built siding and ramp was installed south of New Romney on the Dungeness line. The fence line can still be seen. In 1951, after 14 years, the subsidiary company switched to entirely road transport and
12138-513: The war were not fulfilled in the peace settlement. From 1922 to 1925, the Fascist movement led by Benito Mussolini seized power in Italy with a nationalist, totalitarian , and class collaborationist agenda that abolished representative democracy, repressed socialist, left-wing, and liberal forces, and pursued an aggressive expansionist foreign policy aimed at making Italy a world power, promising
12257-475: The war. Germany annexed western Poland and occupied central Poland ; the Soviet Union annexed eastern Poland ; small shares of Polish territory were transferred to Lithuania and Slovakia . On 6 October, Hitler made a public peace overture to the United Kingdom and France but said that the future of Poland was to be determined exclusively by Germany and the Soviet Union. The proposal was rejected and Hitler ordered an immediate offensive against France, which
12376-512: The west halted the German advance for several days, but it was outflanked and encircled by the Wehrmacht . Remnants of the Polish army broke through to besieged Warsaw . On 17 September 1939, two days after signing a cease-fire with Japan , the Soviet Union invaded Poland under the supposed pretext that the Polish state had ceased to exist. On 27 September, the Warsaw garrison surrendered to
12495-707: The world order , and soon began a massive rearmament campaign . France, seeking to secure its alliance with Italy, allowed Italy a free hand in Ethiopia , which Italy desired as a colonial possession. The situation was aggravated in early 1935 when the Territory of the Saar Basin was legally reunited with Germany, and Hitler repudiated the Treaty of Versailles, accelerated his rearmament programme, and introduced conscription. The United Kingdom, France and Italy formed
12614-664: Was invaded by Germany. The United States started strategic planning to prepare for a full-scale offensive against Germany. At the end of September 1940, the Tripartite Pact formally united Japan, Italy, and Germany as the Axis powers . The Tripartite Pact stipulated that any country—with the exception of the Soviet Union—that attacked any Axis Power would be forced to go to war against all three. The Axis expanded in November 1940 when Hungary , Slovakia , and Romania joined. Romania and Hungary later made major contributions to
12733-462: Was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers . Nearly all the world's countries —including all the great powers —participated, with many investing all available economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities in pursuit of total war , blurring the distinction between military and civilian resources. Tanks and aircraft played major roles , with the latter enabling
12852-3199: Was constructed. Fifteen-inch gauge railway Railway track gauge (381 mm) [REDACTED] Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway [REDACTED] Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway [REDACTED] One of the Chemin de fer Touristique d'Anse 's X131 when passing through the hills Track gauge By transport mode Rapid transit Tram Miniature Scale model By size ( list ) [REDACTED] Minimum Fifteen inch 381 mm (15 in) Narrow 600 mm 600 mm (1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in) Two foot 610 mm (2 ft) Two foot three inch 686 mm (2 ft 3 in) 750 mm 750 mm (2 ft 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) Bosnian gauge 760 mm (2 ft 5 + 15 ⁄ 16 in) Two foot six inch 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) Swedish three foot 891 mm (2 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 32 in) 900 mm 900 mm (2 ft 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 in) Three foot 914 mm (3 ft) Italian metre 950 mm (3 ft 1 + 13 ⁄ 32 in) Metre 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in) Three foot six inch 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Four foot 1,219 mm (4 ft) Four foot six inch 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in) 1432 mm 1,432 mm (4 ft 8 + 3 ⁄ 8 in) Standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) Broad Italian broad gauge 1,445 mm (4 ft 8 + 7 ⁄ 8 in) Dresden gauge 1,450 mm (4 ft 9 + 3 ⁄ 32 in) Leipzig gauge 1,458 mm (4 ft 9 + 13 ⁄ 32 in) Toronto gauge 1,495 mm (4 ft 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 in) 1520 mm 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 + 27 ⁄ 32 in) Five foot 1,524 mm (5 ft) Pennsylvania gauge 1,581 mm (5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in) Pennsylvania gauge 1,588 mm (5 ft 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) Five foot three inch 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Baltimore gauge 1,638 mm (5 ft 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) Iberian gauge 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 + 21 ⁄ 32 in) Five foot six inch 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Six foot 1,829 mm (6 ft) Brunel 2,140 mm (7 ft 1 ⁄ 4 in) Breitspurbahn 3,000 mm (9 ft 10 1 ⁄ 8 in) Change of gauge Bogie exchange Break of gauge Dual gauge Conversion list Variable gauge By location North America South America Europe Australia [REDACTED] Fifteen-inch gauge railways were pioneered by Sir Arthur Percival Heywood who
12971-531: Was developed from 1937 following closure of the South Eastern Railway 's Dungeness line that year. The fish trade developed in a small way and was withdrawn. Two such sidings are still in place but are both in a very poor state of repair although they were used by fishermen to transport fish across the beach for many years after the main railway service was withdrawn. To facilitate the transfer of this traffic from rail to road on its arrival at Hythe
13090-585: Was held by the Light Railway Commissioners in the Assembly Rooms at New Romney on 15 and 16 January 1926. The Minister of Transport indicated his intention to approve the application on 19 February 1926 and The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway Order 1926 was made on 26 May. This incorporated the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway Company as a statutory public utility undertaking, gave it powers to construct and work
13209-406: Was interested in what he termed a minimum gauge railway for use as estate railways or to be easy to lay on, for instance, a battlefield. In 1874, he described the principle behind it as used for his Duffield Bank Railway , distinguishing it from a "narrow-gauge" railway. Having previously built a small railway of 9 in ( 229 mm ) gauge, he settled on 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge as
13328-496: Was laid directly onto the shingle forming the Dungeness peninsula it has been suggested that the extension was the most cheaply constructed railway in the world. In 1940 the railway was taken over by the military during World War II , and a miniature armoured train was used on the line. It was also used by the Department of Petroleum Warfare in the construction of PLUTO ("Pipe Line Under The Ocean") intended to supply fuel to
13447-537: Was lost again in 1982 when the 10 + 1 ⁄ 4 in ( 260 mm ) gauge Wells and Walsingham Light Railway opened. The railway has featured in several television and radio shows including an episode of the BBC series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries in 2006, Harry Secombe's Highway on 8 September 1991, Michael Bentine 's It's a Square World in 1964, BBC's Multicoloured Swapshop (filmed on 20 February 1978) and children's show Rainbow . Formed in 1967 as
13566-546: Was opened on 16 July 1927 by Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports , William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp . The locomotives were designed by Henry Greenly who was commissioned by Howey to work on the construction of the entire railway and became the railway's first chief engineer until his abrupt resignation in March 1929. Mountain Class Hercules hauled the inaugural train from Hythe to New Romney, with guests including
13685-456: Was postponed until the spring of 1940 due to bad weather. After the outbreak of war in Poland, Stalin threatened Estonia , Latvia , and Lithuania with military invasion, forcing the three Baltic countries to sign pacts allowing the creation of Soviet military bases in these countries; in October 1939, significant Soviet military contingents were moved there. Finland refused to sign
13804-827: Was repulsed with heavy Italian casualties; the campaign ended within months with minor territorial changes. To assist Italy and prevent Britain from gaining a foothold, Germany prepared to invade the Balkans, which would threaten Romanian oil fields and strike against British dominance of the Mediterranean. In December 1940, British Empire forces began counter-offensives against Italian forces in Egypt and Italian East Africa . The offensives were successful; by early February 1941, Italy had lost control of eastern Libya, and large numbers of Italian troops had been taken prisoner. The Italian Navy also suffered significant defeats, with
13923-673: Was required to go through the bureaucracy of the League of Nations, which rendered it essentially toothless. The United States, concerned with events in Europe and Asia, passed the Neutrality Act in August of the same year. Hitler defied the Versailles and Locarno Treaties by remilitarising the Rhineland in March 1936, encountering little opposition due to the policy of appeasement . In October 1936, Germany and Italy formed
14042-541: Was steam hauled using No 4 The Bug , which appeared on the local TV news that evening. The railway operates its own engineering and permanent way trains, which now form the majority of its non-passenger workings. There are several disused sidings on the beach at Dungeness. These were used by fishermen to help move their hauls across the shingle. This joint provision was to allow transport of fish from Dungeness to Hythe and there to transfer it to road. The company had four-wheel fish wagons, stencilled "Fish Only". The service
14161-664: Was under German occupation. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the railway managed to obtain supplies of good second-hand 30 lb/yd (15 kg/m) rail on the closure of the Sierra Leone Government Railway ; these are the oldest rails on the line, some of which date from the 1890s. During the mid-1980s the company began obtaining brand new 25 lb/yd rail from Luxembourg before switching to 30 lb/yd material produced British Steel Track Products in Scunthorpe and later obtained further supplies of
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