17 April 2025 – Colonel Stephens and the Economical Railway by Chris Jackson, Colonel Stephens Society and honorary editor of The Colonel
Many have heard of Colonel Stephens but not many know exactly how much work he did on railways. Our speaker Chris began with an outline of what would be covered in the presentation, dividing it into four sections beginning with the Colonel’s vision of an economic railway. It is hard to realise today how economically important railways have been over the years as we take them so much for granted today. A map of 1898 showed the mainlines and the gaps where the villages and towns in between campaigned to be connected to the railway network.
The reason for considering light railways was largely because legislation was increasing and profits were reducing, and the Light Railways Act of 1896 allowed for this more economic option and more clearly defined what was meant by a light railway. There were a number of light railway pioneers who used innovative ideas and with whom Colonel Stephens worked after achieving academic success and travelling abroad to improve his language skills. He spent time at Neasden Works discovering which areas of work he preferred whilst at the same time gaining experience and building up opportunities and useful connections.
One of his key colleagues at this time was only 14 years old but they worked together from then on. As an engineer, Stephens developed the concept of economical railways receiving many enquiries from interested parties from all over England and Wales. The Rother Valley – later known as the Kent and East Sussex Light Railway – is probably one of the most famous of his many projects. The period of 1908 to 1914 was almost certainly his busiest time – drafting plans, applying for works orders, setting up construction etc. He took up a military career at around this time working on home defence but was eventually given the ultimatum to either become full-time military or go back to railways. He went back to the territorials and carried on with his railway projects based at his HQ in Salford Terrace, Tonbridge. As road transport was increasing, there was less justification for building more railways so he moved his focus to managing and running railways rather than building them and argued early on for light railways to be excluded from the grouping into the Big Four although a number were already run by the Big Four companies. The statement provided says they did not make a lot of money but you do get a lot of fun. Stephens was an innovator who focused on running his railways economically buying locomotives either new at a good price or much cheaper second hand including several Terrier Tank engines. He also developed internal combustion rail motors which might not have been considered a great success but they kept services going at a much cheaper price. He never threw things away so built up quite a collection, with much sold for scrap after his death. His art collection went to the Tate Gallery whilst his railway estate was left to four of his colleagues who worked to keep his railways going.
His very varied railway empire consisted of a mix of standard gauge and light railways, some he built and some he managed. The first was the Cranbrook and Paddock Wood Railway which did not quite go according to plan and Stephens had no further involvement there after it opened although the line continued until its final closure in 1961.
Chris provided details of a number of the railways that Stephens was involved with, how they progressed, his innovations and his principles of economy using distinctive buildings often made from corrugated iron as a cheaper way of providing what was needed. Also included were details of proposed lines that never moved off the drawing board. Of particular interest was the Kent & East Sussex Railway which is now a preserved line and the base for the Colonel Stephens Society with its Railway Museum at Tenterden on that line. Some of the railways did not have the requisite permissions such as when Burryport & Gwendraeth Railway, being converted from a canal to a railway company, was prevailed upon to take passengers which was fine until there was an accident, when they had to amend their working practices. Stephens was brough in, in 1908, to get the correct order and make the necessary improvements. When he left the company it became very profitable mainly due to coal traffic and dock operations. It could have remained independent at grouping but was bought out by the GWR. Now there is the possibility of a heritage restoration of the line.
Each line that Stephens worked on had varying requirements and he used his experience to get the correct orders and generally to see the projects through to completion. However, not everything went according to plan and some projects never got past the planning stage, some simply because the required funding could not be raised.
Today there are a number of survivors with 2 still working with others now in preservation. The Colonel Stephens Society was set up in 1986 to encourage historic research and to provide information for modellers. There are approximately 320 members in the UK with a few overseas, a quarterly magazine is produced, and there are regular zoom meetings to help keep members in touch with what is going on. The Society is deliberately run as economically as possible as per Stephens’ own principles with low subscriptions and has a museum based at Tenterden.
Questions and answers included the railway in the Welsh borders that served the bomb stores with all its loops and spurs, what remains now and how much is accessible; further developments on the Kent & East Sussex Railway with full completion of restoration anticipated for 2028. There are still one or two issues of land purchase but these are not insurmountable so it is looking very positive.
The vote of thanks highlighted that although Colonel Stephens may be well known, few people actually know just how many railways he was involved with in one way or another. This was an enlightening and very interesting presentation.