Jim Goss was instrumental in establishing the Merstham Valley Railway after he left the Moors Valley Railway in Dorset looking for a new home (handy how the initials were the same!).

At this time, Colin Gregory was deputy headmaster of St. Nicholas School and a keen promoter of live steam. He also ran railway-themed activities for the boys at the school, and the East Surrey group of The Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers is also based out the school.

I am not sure how Jim and Colin first made contact, but after negotiations, Surrey County Council agreed to the construction of a 7Ľ" line around the perimeter of the school's playing fields. It was about this time that I got involved along with a few of the other 16mm members.

The Merstham Model Steam Show is put on at the school every May, and the Merstham Valley Railway operated for the first time on 13th & 14th May 1989. For this show the track was simply laid on the grass with no ballasting and little preparation.

After some initial efforts to dig out the trackbed by hand, we decided the only way to make any appreciable progress was to hire a digger. For the sum of Ł70 per day (if my memory serves me) we got virtually all of the digging done in 2 days.

With a cutting 2' deep and close on ˝ a mile of track this was a real time saver.

On the 16th Nov 1989 we made it in to two local papers. (The one on the left is not "THE" Independent, but a local one).

This is me driving "DIPPY" a petrol-hydraulic loco bought by the school. I am propelling a ballast train down to the end of the line

And here is Chris (Colin's son) dumping one of many dozens of barrow loads of ballast. In total there was approx. 200 tons moved this way.

Unfortunately, I have forgotten the name of the boy driving DIPPY.

After all the hard work, time to reap the rewards. Boxing Day 1989 was the first time we carried passengers - invited guests and those who had been involved with the construction.

That is me trying to peer out of the cab of "Sir Goss".

"Sir Goss" is Jim Goss' loco.

Jim Goss is in the middle on the right wearing the grease-top cap, Dave Smallbone is this side of the train wearing a donkey-jacket and blue-jeans.

Colin Gregory can be seen in the photo above as the first person on the train looking towards the camera.

Around 1990 I moved and worked in Germany for 15 months and lost touch with the MVR. I do however still attend their annual exhibition in May. In this time, Jim has moved on and the railway has doubled in length. It now continues on down the edge of the field (i.e. straight on from the loop in the view above) and around a pond at the end of the field to form a half-dogbone with a total run of close on 1 mile. Chris Gregory is still involved with the line, as is Jim Greenfield.

See how the line has matured in these views taken at the exhibition in 2001 which is held every year at the school in May.

Note: Sir Goss is now based on the Swanley New Barn Railway.

[ author: - last updated 26th Jan 2003 ] [ HOME ]