SE&CR lines & locos, Ashford & SECR locos, Set BW1 of 13 BW Photos

The South Eastern & Chatham was the successful 1899 fusion of two bitter rivals. South Eastern Railway Stirling O class 060 goods No 391 with original tall chimney and domeless boiler coals at Bricklayers Arms shed prior to rebuild as an O1 in 1907. No 375 received one of the 1896 pattern deep firebox boilers in 1901 giving it a more chunky appearance, as we see. Domeless Stirling F class 440 No 89, with SECR numberplate, for many years a Dover engine, was from the premier Stirling passenger class and is seen prior to rebuild as class F1 in 1906. Sister engine No 94 has a domed boiler and Wainwright cab of its 1905 rebuild to F1. Wainright D class 440 No 92 is in the full glory of Wainwright livery with raised brass numerals at Charing Cross. The scaffolding suggests it is shortly after the 1905 collapse of the train shed roof! Some of the oddest Stirling engines were the R class 060Ts with cut down chimneys for the Canterbury & Whitstable line. We see how low the engine is outside the old Ashford shed next to a normal height engine. 1155, at Ashford new shed on 21-5-39 is sadly rather grimy. This is a convenient point to see Invicta in 1935, the Stephenson 040 of 1830 built for the line and saved by the SER as a relic as plinthed at Canterbury. The sidings outside Ashford old shed hold Manning Wardle 060ST No 353 of 1890, used as works shunter at Ashford until 1928. It was broken up in 1932. H class 044T 31307 was Ashford station pilot in 1959. Some Brighton engines were drafted into the Eastern section including D3 044T No 2388, at Ashford on 21-5-39. Another Brighton engine, B4X 440 No 2073 passes Ashford D signal box on 10-4-39. Bulleid pacific 34016 Bodmin makes a spirited departure from Ashford with a Dover trainin the late 1950s, with the SECR D box visible before the Kent resignalling. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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SE&CR lines & locos, Ramsgate in Southern Days, Set BW2 of 20 BW Photos

The vicious competition between the South Eastern Railway and the London Chatham & Dover resulted in two terminal stations both of which were closed by the SR in 1926 when a new chord joined the lines with a new station for the town with a new loco shed as well. We look from Canterbury with the new 1926 carriage shed on the left and Edwin Fry’s ‘New Classical’ building to the right of the canopy. Stirling O class 060 goods No 98 was withdrawn in 1929 and parked on a short spur on the north side of the carriage shed as a stationery boiler, surviving until 1953 with a painted ‘1098’ number plate. Drummond L12 LSWR 440 No 430 received a 6w tender and was moved to the Eastern section due to shortages of locos for the Dover expresses, but was replaced by Maunsell engines later. A 10 compartment suburban coach shows the high carrying capacity the Southern needed, with the new 1926 signal box beyond it. A portly driver studies No 430. Stirling R class 060T No 127 had been rebuilt to R1 by Wainwright in 1914 and is at the back of the carriage shed. SECR class O1 060 No 425 stands outside the 1926 coal plant at Ramsgate. With the carriage shed behind, Sharp Stewart O1 class No 425 is at the head of freight stock. O class No 436 is still pure Sterling, with domeless boiler. The fireman struggles to turn LSWR T9 440 No 301. Another portrait of 435 shows this Stirling design to perfection. A broadside of No 338 at Ramsgate captures the last T9 built in October 1901. Stirling/Wainwright F1 No 140 is on coaching stock in the sidings near the shed. SR 6w luggage van No 94 is between the loco and carriage sheds. SR 25T Pillbox brake van 55954 would have looked smart in brown with red ends. A rake of 4w and 6w ex LCDR brakes was based at Ramsgate loco. We see 0609S an LCDR 4-wheeler of 1861. 154S, a 6-w birdcage brake had been LCDR carriage 516. Modellers will welcome the details of the buffing gear. 0611S and 0612S show how non-standard the lettering is. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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SE&CR SR, Folkestone Harbour & Junction & Dover Marine & Priory, Set BW3 of 23 BW Photos

Folkestone and Dover were the competing ports for the cross channel traffic. R1 tank 31069 with Stirling round cab and tall chimney banks a boat train over the swing bridge across Folkestone harbour. Most R1 rebuilds had Wainwright cabs; the leading loco has a tall dome and the second loco a short dome. In 1958-59 ex-GWR 57xx panniers replaced the R tanks, and 4610 and 3633 pass the yard at Folkestone Junction with a further pannier banking. Unrebuilt R tank No 338 is at Folkestone Junction in 1930 with the Martello Tower on the skyline, and Martello tunnel visible. We look east from Folkestone Junction as ‘Nelson’ No 856 Lord St Vincent runs light through Folkestone Junction station in 1930. SR 6-w brake third 3644 has a London board hung below the roof. Unrebuilt Stirling R tank No A125 is on the 3-road banking engine shed at Folkestone Junction in 1930 with No 338 to the right. Another view shows 125, 338 and 155 on the far right. We see 336 in the middle road. During the Southern era, the P tanks congregated at Folkestone and Dover, and No A27 is in lined green passenger livery, as is A323. King Arthur 30798 Sir Hectimere carried a headcode for a Dover/Folkestone- London Bridge service. R1 tank 1107 carried the small post-war SOUTHERN title at Folkestone Junction shed. Britannia pacific 70004 William Shakeseare was specially allocated to the Southern Region for the Golden Arrow service and is light at Folkestone Junction. The Golden Arrow was a Dover working, but in October 1952 the outbound Golden Arrow was briefly moved to Folkestone, but the return was from Dover, so 70004 is probably signalled to run light to Dover. Class N 260 No 31401 approaches Folkestone Warren staff halt with the Martello Tower visible on the left. We look towards the old Hawkesbury Lane Junction SB and Dover Priory tunnel with one of the connections from Dover Marine on the right. Dover Marine was famed for the Lord Warden hotel which was next to the tracks. R tank A107 poses with the Lord Warden as the backdrop. To the right of the boundary wall for Dover Marine station was a 4 track carriage shed which in 1930 also had rail gas tanks present. A new Dover locoshed opened in 1928 allowing the old station with its two track wooden train shed to be modernised. We look north with the old train shed on the left, the signal box and Charlton Tunnel. Another view shows the train shed still in use and a third view looks across the now demolished carriage shed to the loco yard. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.