Knowle, with two Maunsell coaches at Bodiam

A memorable day on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, despite the November like gales, with the first public services since last year. We’ve had two weeks of shakedown services where we’ve run empty trains to test all the kit and systems and enable staff to regain their competencies.

Today’s trains were run as members specials, three trains in all, each in the charge of Terrier 2678 Knowle pulling a couple of Southern Railway Maunsell Coaches from 1928 and 1933.

We travelled on the first train of the day, the 10.40 from Tenterden which was doubly momentous as it was the first run in public service of Knowle since a two year overhaul in the Rolvenden works. We have a second Terrier, No 3, Bodiam which is away being restored by an external contractor and is due to be back in service in 2022.

These amazing diminutive locomotives have a significant birthday next year - both will be 150 years old, so hopefully there will be a memorable event to mark the occasion. The Terriers are what makes our railway. Both engines have worked the line for decades in Southern days, British Railways days and in preservation.

Today’s blip is of Knowle at Bodiam with the two Maunsell coaches waiting to return to Tenterden. The extra is at Tenterden Town as Knowle runs around the carriages ready for the 1.15pm departure.

To read more about the Terrier class read here: http://haylingbillyheritage.org/engines/stroudley-terrier/brief-histories-of-the-surviving-stroudley-a1a1x-locomotives-by-ian-edwards/

To read more about more about the coaches read here, scrolling down til you get to the Maunsells: https://kesr.org.uk/our-heritage/carriages/

To read about the Terrier Trust read here: https://www.terriertrust.org.uk