Several weeks ago Folkestone based RLA members had rather a scare when contractors turned up at the station and started stripping all the timber panelling, purlins and facias from the up and down canopies. Many thought time was up and the hour of doom had arrived. The workmen were approached by several members and it seemed our fears were premature. Apparently over the years the salt air had rotted the fixings which held all the canopy timber work in position. In fact much of it had already become detached,evidenced by timber debris laying on the track formation and platforms. South Eastern Trains, even though the branch is still very much in mothballs, are still responsible for the station. In these days of health and safety risks, blame and litigation they had become increasingly concerned about wooden parts of the canopies falling onto and injuring unsuspecting members of the public-trespassers or otherwise! So they consulted with their colleagues at Network Rail and it was decided to remove the problem by removing all the timber. A call to Network Rail by our chairman confirmed that this was indeed the case, but definitely NOT part of a demolition programme!

Everything was going into strategically placed skips and carted off. Thankfully we managed to obtain permission to remove a trailer load of material to use as patterns to assist us in our future endeavours. This is now in store at our engineering base at Sellindge

Ruth Parkinsons photo depicts a somewhat skeletal scenario. Still it could well be saving us a job in the future-and in the meantime Folkestone Harbour Station lives on!

Richard Moffatt -Nov 2009