"Bodiam" Furnishes
Festive Cheer

No. 3 “Bodiam” has managed to inject a little festive cheer into the Christmas/New Year period on the K&ESR; helping to raise spirits during some awful winter weather just as 32678 did on the Sentimental Journeys November Charter.

For the last two seasons, “Bodiam” had seen use on service trains with the Vintage set between Christmas and New Year, but in 2009 these workings were replaced in the timetable by the DMMU, raising fears of yet another cutback in small engine use.

But this was partly compensated by some interesting workings instead.  For example on December 9th – not exactly the brightest and warmest day on record – the little engine was busily employed on another Advanced Railway Experience Day, which has the merit of using the whole length of line.  Famous for their long history of service in niche and specialist markets, this duty is just the latest in an ever-growing list, and being particularly suited to Terrier work.

Perhaps not quite so ideal are banking duties from Rolvenden to Tenterden Town on the Santa Specials, a task fulfilled on Christmas Eve and the preceding weekend.  To dismiss this task as trivial would be most unfair.  From a commercial point of view, and with the engine facing south, it was an ideal opportunity to do a bit of flag-waving with the iconic locomotive, especially as many of the customers would have had to walk past when leaving or joining their train.  The main value, however, was for the Operating staff, providing opportunity to refresh or learn new skills rarely utilised other than on Gala days.

With 32678 sidelined for washout and boiler inspection, “Bodiam” substituted on a TTT Charter to help raise some cash to help offset the cost of the pattern and casting of the new chimney.  The intended stock of the ‘birdcage’ was also augmented by the SECR brake van and ‘Tilmanstone’ wagon to convert the formation into a minimalistic mixed train.

Off the back of a record wet November, the ice and snows from mid-December caught everyone on the hop; the special event was scheduled for Saturday January 2nd, being 56 years exactly to the day since closure to passenger traffic and the first conscious opportunity to mark the occasion actually on the Saturday with a Terrier available.

The weather naturally threw in a few challenges, but, as it turned out, conditions proved to be relatively benign with only a little cloud in the afternoon; some of New Year’s Day snowfall was still hanging around with a bigger challenge presented by some icy patches.  Support from TTT members was woeful; indeed there were probably more working on the railway than actually travelling.  But in a way this made the enterprise even more perfect; a very short, sparsely loaded mixed train attracting curious glances from other passengers and onlookers, that totally and utterly entered into the spirit of the old Kent & East Sussex. And for dear old No. 3 the ghosts of its minimal employment on that very sad day back in 1954 were very much laid to rest.