Bodiam Observed by Stephen Garrett

First published in issue 49 of The Tenterden Terrier Summer 1989
Reproduced with permission of present editor Mr P D Shaw

One of the difficulties faced in researching the history of individual locomotives is that of tracing their movements. Shed allocations, where available, are useful in plotting their likely duties though locomotives could wander from their allocated home or could be sub-shedded without the fact appearing on the official allocation lists. Equally, the records of the various locomotive works, again where available, are a useful record of repairs and repaints but these necessarily give only a very partial record of a locomotive’s career. The Railway Observer published by the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society (RCTS) is therefore a very useful means of filling in the gaps in the official records since it consists of the collected observations of members of that society. It is particularly useful when a locomotive is of special interest. The Brighton Terriers appear to have been of special interest to the contributors to the Railway Observer and as a result it has been possible to compile the following record of the travels of Kent & East Sussex No.3 ‘Bodiam’ during its period in the ownership of British Railways as Southern Region No.32670.

Unfortunately the series of Railway Observer to which I have access starts in 1951 with the result that the first reference to 32670 that I have traced is in February 1951 when a visitor to the Kent & East Sussex in January found 32670 shedded at Rolvenden along with fellow Terriers 2640 (sic – ex-LB&SCR No.40 ‘Brighton’) and 32644 (ex-LB&SCR No.44 ‘Fulham’) and ‘01’ (Class) 0-6-0 31370 which had recently been in collision with a lorry at Biddenden. 32670 was still on the Kent & East Sussex in May but was keeping company with Terriers 32659 (ex-LB&SCR No.59 ‘Cheam’) and 32678 (Knowle) and ‘01’ 31048.

The same quartet were present in March 1952 but 32678 was recorded as spare engine and 32670 was awaiting transfer to Ashford Works for attention.

In October 1952 32670 had returned from Ashford and was working the line with ‘01’ 31065. 32670 had previously faced towards Headcorn but had been returned facing towards Robertsbridge. It was also reported that the previous practice of moving pairs of locomotives along the line with a carriage between them as a spacer to prevent excessive weight on bridges had been abandoned in favour of dispatching locomotives at intervals. I believe that the previous practice was subsequently resumed but the Railway Observer makes no further reference on this. On 27 November 1952 the embankment near Robertsbridge was badly damaged by flooding with the result that 32670 was cut off at Robertsbridge and had to be shedded at St Leonard’s until the line was repaired.

A visitor to Rolvenden in May 1953 noted that 32670 was still carrying its Kent & East Sussex Railway green livery but without any lettering to indicate ownership. The late Donald Bradley actually recorded 32670 had having had its side tanks overpainted black at Ashford as early as September 1949 but presumably the rest of its green livery survived until its full repainting in British Railways lined black at Brighton in March 1954, a matter that went unreported in the Railway Observer but has been recorded by Bradley. It was presumably on account of these attentions that 32670 missed the last day of regular passenger service on the Kent & East Sussex on 02 January 1954 when services were entrusted to Terriers 32655 (Stepney) and 32678 and ‘01’s 31064 and 31065 (This is not correct. 32670 was present at Rolvenden on the Last Day and the reader should cross-reference the two articles by Peter Davis on this subject).

The end of passenger services and the closure of the line between Tenterden and Headcorn also saw the closure of Rolvenden Shed. ‘01’ engines from Ashford continued to frequent the line to clear stock and to carry out the demolition of the Headcorn section but Terriers working the freight services and the hop-pickers specials were now based at St Leonard’s. In September 1954, 32670 was recorded as allocated here in company with 32655, 32662(Martello) and 32678. This appears to have remained 32670’s base until April 1956 when it was recorded as having been sent earlier in the year to Ridham Dock near Sittingbourne to substitute for ‘P’ class 31078. The exact date of this move was not recorded but by February 32670 had moved to Dover to rescue B4 0-4-0 30084 which was being tried out on the Dock line and had failed in heavy snow. 32670 was retained to work the Dock line for an unspecified period but by 19 May had moved to Faversham, presumably for further work at Ridham. By September 32670 had returned to St Leonard’s for use on the Kent & East Sussex where it was employed on ballasting duties while 32636 (Fenchurch) and 32678 handled the hop-picking traffic.

32670 remained on the Kent & East Sussex and handled the 1957 hop-picking traffic with 32678 between 31 August and 22 September but moved to pastures new in 1958 when it was reported in February as having been seen shunting at Brighton and at Newhaven. In June that year diesels replaced Terriers on the Kent & East Sussex and St Leonard’s closed as a shed although remaining a stabling point for the diesel shunter.