Whilst many are familiar with the apocryphal Little-Dutch-Boy-Finger-In-The Dyke, it is a fact that throughout their long history, the Brighton Terriers have habitually fulfilled similar roles from the very first day “Fenchurch” entered service.

So once again a gallant old engine was rostered in K&ESR service, not only help out with the February Thomas © event, but also to provide the steam function on half-term trains.

The Blue timetable has been modified still further to bring the actual times almost in line with the standard five train service but without the fifth departure, or, if you like, relative to GMT, roughly in line last four standard departures with the first deleted.

“Bodiam” worked the first and third service trains with the DMMU filling in on the second and third.  Weight restrictions, rigidly enforced due to its sleeved cylinders, meant that the engine had to haul an extraordinary formation of TSO No.64 and the vital Buffet car with the low-capacity Woolwich coach providing the brake function.  It was a pity that the weight of the “birdcage” with double the seating capacity precluded its use but this vehicle should be seen in service on more conventional Vintage and mixed trains throughout the season.

Promoted with free child seats, loadings both behind No.3 and on the DMMU appear to have been good.  In spite of the generally overcast conditions, every cloud had at least one silver lining for passengers on the Down DMMU workings at Wittersham Road were treated to a grandstand view of the driver on the Terrier exchanging tokens with the signaller, then the locomotive building up to line-speed on the Through Road.

Both “Bodiam” and P-class 753 – which has spent February on the Bluebell – are scheduled to be in service for Branch Line Weekend, launching the season proper on 21st/22nd March.  Both are lined-up for RXD turns the preceding week.

HN-23/02/2009