Kent Past
The History of Kent
Copyright Kent Past 2010
History of Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
he Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a 15 in gauge light railway. The 13.5 miles
line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St. Mary's Bay, New Romney
and Romney Sands to Dungeness.
Constructed during the 1920s and opened on 16 July
1927, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway was the dream of millionaire racing drivers
Captain J.E.P. Howey and Count Louis Zborowski. Zborowski was killed in a motor racing
accident at Monza in the Italian Grand Prix. Before his death, he had ordered two
locomotives to be built by Davy Paxman & Co, despite a site for the line not having
been found. Howey asked Henry Greenly, the designer of the new locomotives, to help
with the task of finding a site. It was Greenly who first suggested the Romney Marsh
area.
Mountain Class 'Hercules' hauled the inaugural train, the eight miles of double
track, from Hythe to New Romney, with guests including the mayors of the two towns,
and General Sir Ivor Maxse. Howey was not happy with just 8 miles from New Romney
to Hythe and in 1928; he extended the line 5.5 miles from New Romney to Dungeness
of double track.
Although built as a public service, not a tourist attraction, the
Railway became famous, and people flocked to ride on the smallest railway in the
world -
At the outbreak of World War II, the line was requisitioned and
played a major role in the building of
Following
cessation of hostilities the line re-
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