Let's take a ride on the train

Having climbed aboard the carriages of our steam hauled train at the newly rebuilt Stopham Road Station, we buy our tickets from the Station Master and when our newly acquired tickets have been punched, the Guard blows the whistle and waves the green flag. Now the fun really starts as the engine whistles in response and we're off on our journey in a cloud of steam as the driver opens the regulator on the engine.

Soon after getting underway, the train passes the twin signal gantry where the right hand dolly (signal) is "Off" (up) to indicate that the line ahead is clear. As our driver whistles a warning to anyone near the Pool Crossing, we sweep around the left hand curve to pass along the long straight by the side of the main road. Here we wave to the people in the passing cars, who are always surprised to see a real steam train so close to the road.

Shortly after we turn left away from the road, our driver again sounds the whistle as we approach the signal that protects the crossing where our two tracks pass each other. With the signal "Off" to show that the way ahead is clear we speed on a recently laid route through the trees and past the diminuative Hardham Crossing signalbox where “Ted” is on duty. We then go over the crossing with a “clicity clack” from the wheels before passing Stopham Road Signalbox with its real miniature levers that control all the signals on the railway, before once again passing through the station where we slow for our second passing of the Pool Crossing.

As the left hand signal on the gantry is also "Off" we are clear to go and we bear left onto an embankment and then a bridge that takes us high off the ground before we again reach level ground. We continue to bear left through the Trellis Arch before passing over the rail crossing for the second time.

As we pass the signal we see that the top one is Red (which means it's a stop signal) and the lower one is Yellow this is called a Distant & tells our driver that he must Stop at the next signal unless this too is in the “off” position.

Next we pass through a line of high trees and as the driver opens the regulator our locomotive works hard to pull our train up the incline past the Carriage Shed, Station Jim's Cabin (from the BBC film) and the loco shed where all the engines are kept clean & shiny and ready for their next turn on the train.

Having steamed past the Turntable, where the engines can be turned round, we can either join the route of the new extension which sweeps away to the right, or enter a shallow cutting that takes us past lots of sheds & conservatories before we approach Codmore Hill Crossing.

However all being well our train will take to right hand line & as soon as the train is clear of the points our driver will open the regulator as full as he can (but not too much or the loco will “loose its feet” & slip to a halt) for the long 1 in 45, almost straight, climb up Knibbs Rise. Soon after the line swings round to the left, we enter the 14 feet deep cutting that is the most striking feature of the extension, after passing the “summit” the driver shuts the regulator, puts on both injectors (to replenish the water in the boiler) & starts to apply the brakes ready to stop at the signal that protects the new level crossing with its ex BR lifting barrier.

After coming to a compulsorary halt our driver moves the train forward to the new Codmore Hill Halt before easing over the crossing to re-enter the grounds of the garden centre & Codmore Hill Crossing where once again our driver slows down and after checking that there's no one waiting to cross the track at the crossing & the signal is "Off", the regulator is opened and our train chuffs forward on to the last leg of our journey.

All too soon we come to another double signal near Stopham Road Station, if the upper signal is off, our driver can continue into the station. If it is down, meaning Stop, he has to stop & wait until the signalman operates the lower "Calling On" signal to let him pull into the station which sadly is the end of our ride on the South Downs Light Railway.

Following the rebuilding of the “Train Shed” at Stopham Road Station, work will shortly get underway on the construction of the adjacent Waiting Room & Ticket Office, it is hoped that construction of this new building will take place during the early part of the new season. However this is very dependant on both available volunteers & finance and may well be delayed if sufficient people and/or funds are not available.