'Ghost Train' uncovered by housing developers...

[alexl92]

Not sure of the entire accuracy but from KentOnline...

A housing development has revealed a spooky secret dating back to the 1950s.

What lurks beneath the ground at the former Ryarsh brickworks in the village is a train which used to serve the site.

Buried under concrete, the ghost train was on the verge of being forgotten about - until a property developer moved in and began digging.

A 'ghost train' has been discovered under the development

The former Ryarsh Brickworks was demolished by developer Redrow at the end of last year to make way for 91 homes, but now workers have dug into the concrete foundations and uncovered some reminders of the past.

Train carriages, boilers and tracks have been dug up at the old factory; the remnants of what was once a steam railway used for transporting materials.

One resident said: “Six months ago, I stumbled upon an old boy who used to work at the brickworks peering through the fence.

“He told me he was looking to see if any of the things they buried had turned up yet.

The Red Row development site in Old School Lane, Ryarsh

“Apparently when the railway turned electric in the 1950s all the redundant machinery and vehicles were buried on site as they were too heavy to move.

“I think Redrow was anticipating about 6in of concrete, instead at points it goes down 6ft.

“I think the company was planning to be here for two weeks and be finished by the end of summer but it looks like this is delaying the process.”

The Roughetts Road facility was built in the 1930s and expanded in the 60 years that followed until it closed in the mid 1990s.

A steam train similar to the one used at Ryarsh for transporting material from the sand caves

The railway ran for half a mile from the quarry behind The Street, under a tunnel – part of which remains standing – and on to the brickworks.

The site in the middle of the village has been unoccupied since the closure and was bought by a number of construction companies who kept it in use.

Last year it was acquired by the housing developer.

As well as houses, the development will include more than 8,000 sq ft of commercial floorspace.

The new buildings of the Ryarsh Brickworks beside the M20, Ryarsh

Ryarsh Parish Council chairman David Storey said: “It’s great to see the land being put to good use.

“I remember talking about it when an application first went in 10 years ago.

“People will be pleased to see something happening at last.”

The site has been a source of controversy in the past, with the decision in 2012 to grant trucks access between 6am and 10pm being met with disdain by residents.

Redrow was unavailable for comment on the situation.

Anyone know anything about the stuff they've found? Presumably the boilers won't be useable, but could some of the carriages be restored?

 

[Redonian]

The story is the usual useless under researched local newspaper waffle. The picture with it of a similar locomotive to that allegedly used there shows a 9F!!
This was obviously a very short industrial railway (probably narrow gauge) that ran from a pit to a brickworks. The chances of there being carriages are nil. I suspect the person who wrote the piece knows not the difference betweeen carriages and wagons.
In fact the report makes no mention of a locomotive being found. Just some boilers , which may have no railway connection at all.
And was this tiny railway electrified in the 1950's? I suspect someone has become confused with The Kent Coast Electrification.

 

[341o2]

what does this mean?

quote
The site in the middle of the village has been unoccupied since the closure and was bought by a number of construction companies who kept it in use.

probably 2 ft I/C locomotives and skips. track not worth reclaiming. Unless this garden has recently been developed, I kow a garden in Buckler's Hard near Beaulieu New forest which once had a railway, presumably to carry materials around what might be called an estate, probably no rolling stock has survived, but some lengths of track visible if you know where to look (and have access since it is private land)

 

[yorksrob]

To be fair to the press, they have to spice it up a bit for public consumption. "Ghost Train" sounds a lot more interesting than "some squashed wagons".