Since reopening its doors in 1974, the Kent & East Sussex Railway has come leaps and bounds since it reopening especially with recent work in rail carrying infrastructure allowing larger guests to work the line down to Bodium, soon to be extending to Robertsbridge!
Four visiting locos would be ultised across the event rubbing shoulders with three members of the kesr’s homestock. The first visitor we see is 31806 doubling heading with 76017. 31806 is usually a resident at the Swanage Railway over on the isle of Purbeck in Dorest being seen last time on the channel during Swanage’s Victorian weekend. This would mark the first time a U class was present on the line since 1977 when 1618 left the line for the Bluebell Railway due to it being too heavy at the time.
76017 is currently on a long term loan to the railway to cover locomotive shortages but recently has been out of the headlines as some work needed to be done in any hopes in getting it running for this gala however the great engineering team prevailed and 76017 was a last minute addition to the line up.
Returning from a swift overhaul we see No 15 ‘Hastings’ and 2678 ‘Knowle. These two double headed most the gala and made for an excellent return back into service on the railway! Knowle even carried the same headboard she carried when she reopened the line back in 1974.
Last but not least we have the duo 70000 ‘Britannia’ and GB Railfreight 66718, now freshly renamed to ‘The Kent & East Sussex Railway’. Coming down the Hastings mainline on Friday, this pairing would work shuttle runs between Northbridge Street to Robertsbridge Junction station. This was to celebrate the railway’s next major target of returning to Robertsbridge within the next few years as following a public enquiry in 2021, the Government granted the Railway permission to cross the A21 and onwards to Bodium.
The weather across the weekend couldn’t have been more different on both days, this meant editing the video was quite challenging to make it all flow nice but I feel this has come out quite good in the end.
All footage used was filmed on the 1 & 2nd of June 2024 and is in no particular order in the video.
Locomotives Featured:
BR Standard 4 76017
Hunslet Austerity No25 'Northiam'
A1X Terrier 2678 'Knowle'
Hunslet No.15 'Hastings'
GB Railfreight Class 73 66718 ‘Kent & East Sussex Railway
BR Standard 7 70000 ‘Britannia’
SR U class no. 31806
Timestamps:
0:00 31806 & 76017 - West Cross Gardens Crossing
1:18 25 - West Cross Gardens Crossing
2:28 2678 & 15 - Cranbrook Crossing
3:40 31806 - Cranbrook Crossing
4:39 2678 & 15 - Isemonger Farm Crossing
5:56 76017 - Isemonger Farm Crossing
7:23 25 - Isemonger Farm Crossing
8:24 76017 - River Rother Bridge
9:38 31806 - River Rother Bridge
10:39 15 & 2678 - River Rother Bridge
11:29 70000 - Robertsbridge Junction Station
11:59 73128 - Robertsbridge Junction Station
13:49 66718 - Hither Green Turntable
14:10 70000 - Hither Green Turntable
16:15 31806 & 76017 - Coach House Farm
17:48 76017 - Castle Hill Foot Crossing
6 авг 2024
