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On my way to exhibit at the Folkestone model railway exhibition I called in on 'The Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway' a famous 15" gauge line that used to claim to be the smallest public railway in the world. It was opened in 1927 as a result of two millionaire racing drivers Captain Jack Howey and Count Louis Zborowski's idea after they had failed to buy a couple of already existing narrow gauge railways. The chief engineer was Henry Greenly who was responsible for the design of the permanent way and the rolling stock and loco design. It is situated on the Kent Coast near Dover and Folkestone with France clearly visible across the English channel The line connects the 'Cinque port' of Hythe in the with new Romney passing through Dymchurch. After new Romney it heads out onto the Romney marshes to the desolate coastal area around Dungeness, a distance of 13 1/4 miles On the day I called passenger services were in the Hands of 'Green Goddess', a 1925 Davey Paxman built 4-6-2 and 'Samson' also a Davey Paxman product, this time a 4-8-2 delivered in 1926. 'Green Goddess' was getting attention to its mechanical lubricator at New Romney station 'Samson' waits to head down to Dungeness. its elegant lines evident in this shot A line drawing of 'Hercules' Bizarely the RH&DR remain the only user of a 4-8-2 design in the U.K none of the full size railways ever having acquired one. more soon Kev