Kent & East Sussex Railway

News from Norfolk. Progress with Poplar!

Re-wheeled 26.3.21

Photo: K.Ashford

https://www.terriertrust.org.uk/new...turn-as-no-70-poplar-in-improved-engine-green

 

Privileged to be the K&ESR Director involved with this:

https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/national-lottery-grant-puts-terrier-on-the-curriculum/

 

Well done to all concerned, the school pupils of today will be our supporters in the future.

 

Super project and a little bit quirky. It's unusual to focus on a loco rather than 'the railway' but this has a lot of potential.

Strengthening links with schools and engaging with youngsters is so important nowadays. Schools are often keen to embrace low cost opportunities to broaden their students' experiences, I've often thought that heritage railways are somewhat patchy in their approach to closer educational ties. Some are brilliant and some don't do anything!

From my employer's perspective we've found that funding is available to support educational initiatives and provide staff but you need somebody (or a team) with tenacity and imagination to make a good pitch to myriad funding bodies and to keep the momentum going. Well done to all involved at the K&ESR!

 

Will the project explain why the LBSCR had a locomotive named Poplar? Some of us would love to know. Wapping, Rotherhithe, yes, it was part-owner of the East London Railway. But Poplar? (and, now I think about it, Fenchurch and Stepney...)

 

Not a definitive answer, but an observation. The LB&SCR's choice of names for its locos included a tendency to creep out slightly beyond its territory. Its loco names included Effingham, Bookham, Farncombe and Godalming, which were served by the L&SWR but were quite close to Brighton territory. The inhabitants of station-less Ashburnham were more likely to go to Battle on the South Eastern's Hastings line if they wanted to catch a train, rather than travel much further to any LB&SCR station, but Stroudley's D Tank No. 284 was nonetheless named after the village. Kidbrooke, served by the South Eastern's London-Dartford via Bexleyheath line but not the LB&SCR, also was commemorated by a D class tank.

 

The Brighton went big on using names of locations all over the system, which does not explain e.g.: Haslemere, Geneva, Calbourne, Godalming. All proof that numbers are what matters, not names. Except that the Brighton was a world class renumberer, as well!
Pat

 

That probably a bit existentialist for the school children we have in mind to connect with who are likely to be pleased the loco has a 'local' name for them.

AIUI, it was all about promoting commuting from what were then (in the 1870's) outer London suburbs.

 

Geneva? Pah! Downright unambitious when seen next to La France!

 

La France was the only LBSCR loco newly named in the Marsh era - I believe due to an impending visit by the president of France; Marsh himself generally disapproving of names.

Thou shouldst remove that Gooch/Beattie-shaped mote from thine own eye before complaining of the Stroudley-esque beam in thy neighbour's!

Tom

 

Success!

https://kesr.org.uk/help-keep-us-on...qMLPX-OZHEjbfzC2EcpiPcyM_IPNd91iN52Wt6n3VhdBo

 

T'was indeed a state visit. According to Hamilton-Ellis, by Pres. Raymond Poincaré. White cab roof, white coal, the full works (there's an official photo).

On names, I'm unsure whether LBSC J class No.325, completed Dec 1910, carried the name Abergavenny from new. The name was apparently derived from a director's residence, rather than delusions of grandeur. Sibling No.326 Bessborough didn't land until March 1912, Lawson Billinton's reign having commenced in July 1911.

Pity the Bluebell arrived on the scene a few years too late to save one of that duo. I'd imagine 326 would've been preferred, with rather more fitter-friendly outside Walshaerts gear than the neat, but less accessible, inside Stephenson motion of 325. In either case suspect the (BR power class 4P) grunt of a J class would've been jolly useful to have on today's trains. Ho-hum.

 

Denmark is a bit misleading. And if they had gone further round towards Reading they could have had a Normandy to rival the LSWR's Normandy.

Place names are good. I am sure that there are more than a few model WC that are named after childhood holiday locations.

I did wonder about why the LBSCR decided to name an engine after a Welsh town.

 

Did you ever notice that in Chigley, the locomotive was called "Bessie"?

Tom

 

Some Peeks around the K&ESR Carriage and Wagon shed this afternoon.

Mk1 CK 15927 (K&ESR 86) where work is focused on rebuilding the near end and refitting the copper toilet roof water tank.

SE&CR Family Saloon (wheelchair accessible vintage coach)

TRAMM track machine under rebuild

 

It’s very ‘Swindon’ at Rolvenden on the K&ESR today. 4253 and 6619.

 

Nice to see a shot of a yellow thing for a change.

 

The TRAMM has been a very useful workhorse and was in sore need of a little TLC. It amazes me how so many of the p/w volunteers have purchased and maintained so much useful plant out of their own pockets. It does help to have on-track-plant operators from 'the big railway' as the nucleus of the p/w gang.
Railways who always have to hire-in tampers, regulators and other OTM (together with qualified operators) must spend a substantial part of their p/w budget on hire fees.

 

K&ESR and Terrier Trust roving ambassador 2678 is spending a few days with the cousins at Didcot. Do drop in and say ‘hello’ if you are passing.



Photo: Robert Wickham