Halley's Comet

Back in 1986, Halley’s Comet made its once-in-a-lifetime to our part of the solar system.  It proved to be nowhere near as spectacular as was recorded on its previous return in 1910 but I can remember getting a glimpse eventually one evening close to the western horizon.  Certainly not many people who witnessed it then are likely to be around to see it next time

The same may well prove to be the case with regard to the format of the2010 Branch Line Weekend last weekend

Four small engines, the P-class 753, Terriers 32678 and No.3 “Bodiam”, and the charming Manning Wardle “Charwelton” provided the steam element.  The latter was returning to service after nine years on the sidelines; no-one has yet confirmed whether the latter and No.3 have ever been seriously steamed together on the same day on the railway; certainly it has never happened in the preservation era since the line reopened to passenger traffic in 1974

But the event, augmented by welcome use of the Class 03 diesel D2023 failed to capture the imagination of both the enthusiasts’ market and the general public

It is true there is a long tail of possible reasons and mitigating circumstances, though at the end of the day no-one could criticise the railway for drawing stumps on such an event in the future, even though it was the only the first proper weekend operation of 2010

Whilst more interesting and attractive than the hum-drum facility of an Austerity hauling a rake of Mk1s augmented by the DMMU, curtailed disabled facilities, lack of toilets and no on-train catering facility is not to everyone’s taste and convenience

On the flip side the railway is undoubtedly visually at its best running small engines on short trains; the eternal question that has been unanswered for decades is how to make them pay..?

The obvious candidates for criticism internally are no specific publicity for the event and the timetable was only available online less than a fortnight in advance, but download levels of the latter are reported to have been good, and being the first proper public activity for a month means one cannot say it was lost in a raft of other activities, as, say, happened to an extent with ATGAS in 2006 between the Bank Holiday and the Country Music weekend

A major influence, other than the poor weather, must have been the free opening at National Trust properties over the weekend – so why did so few take advantage of the intense service from Bodiam to Tenterden Town?  Doubtless the receipt of record fuel bills and the ongoing 50th anniversary events over on Bluebell may have similarly impacted, and possibly the following two days of charters for enthusiasts’ trade, but ultimately there were simply very few people about

Although “Charwelton”, the recipient of much restoration effort by the youngsters of the Saturday gang at Rolvenden, was undoubtedly the star, looking particularly attractive when coupled to the newly-repainted Woolwich coach on the Vintage set, there were also other interesting operating highlights to note

On Saturday, the two freights started the wrong way round so “Bodiam” ran light engine from Rolvenden to Wittersham Road; this was delayed by a complete domestic power failure at Rolvenden; later to be followed by track circuit failures at both Wittersham Road and Northiam. 

This was the first time I have seen the Shell Mex tanker in a freight train – it was formed at the Bodiam end of the set, in front of ‘Tilmanstone’

The late departure of this train from Wittersham Road meant that the BR freight behind 32678 started from Rolvenden, passed by the first passenger train worked by “Charwelton” and the Vintage set on the 10.30am from Tenterden Town.  P-class 753 hauled the SECR set, coupled next to the ‘birdcage’; on the 11.15am whilst 32678 formed the noon departure with the BR liveried light-green Mk1s – at the Gala in 2009 she had hauled a slightly longer train in the same direction but masquerading as 32655

With locomotives changing at Bodiam station, No.3 worked the first Up passenger from Bodiam; the arrival of this train then saw D2023 work the BR-freight on the first of its two trips to Wittersham Road

Thankfully the rain held off long enough for a little lineside photography for the next couple of hours or so – the highlight being “Charwelton” returning, this time with the SECR coaches, but once 32678 left at 3pm, the light really started to fail in advance of the rain

Perhaps the length of the timetable operated was also a little too ambitious, bearing in mind the time of year and still being on GMT, with the last Tenterden Town departure at 4.30pm

Sunday flowed much better with trains running more or less to time.  32678 had some early shunting to do at Wittersham Road; once she had drawn the BR freight out of the siding and run round, she had to wait for 753 to pass on the Through Road with the Early freight from Rolvenden; not exactly a common sight.  Conditions remained generally poor for the rest of the morning although it did brighten briefly when 32678 and the SECR coaches departed Tenterden Town on the 11.15am before starting to clamp down again around noon for “Charwelton” with the Vintage set at noon

As highlighted in the preview, whichever set an engine worked from Bodiam it would return, and perhaps the most incongruous combination resulting from this ensuing mishmash was 753 with the two Mk1s on the 12.45pm departure

Between this train and “Bodiam” on the 1.30pm, there was time for lunch in the buffet where I ran into Phyllis Oliveria and former TTT Trustee David Wills.  They had already had a round trip on the first train and were discussing their options for the afternoon.  The penny didn’t drop until somewhat later regarding their decision – by riding down behind 32678 on the 2.15pm, they could then return behind “Bodiam”

Where else could one possibly have a scheduled round trip on a heritage railway in 2010 behind two different Terriers?  And if I’d thought about it quickly enough I could have driven down to Rolvenden to do the same, but purely over the surviving part of the Rother Valley section!

Heavy cloud and the disadvantage of the facings working in pairs for successive departures encouraged relocation to Northiam where it was actually quite sunny for a change.  The passing of the P-class on the SECR train and 32678 with the Mark1s was duly noted about 4.15pm, after two successive bunker-first passing moves (in itself a unique experience)

Back at Rolvenden, and with the sun now sinking and competing with horizon cloud, there was some doubt whether it would be worth waiting at to see 32678 again on the Mk1s; it proved not to be the case for “Bodiam” on the 4.30pm from Tenterden Town.  But patience was rewarded, and what a unique sight she made rounding the newly-relaid Orpin’s Curve.  Not only that, for the light held sufficiently, not only for 32678 returning the BR freight to Rolvenden but also for “Charwelton” and 753 topping and tailing the 4.50pm ex-Bodiam out of Rolvenden

But the weekend didn’t quite end there for I was delayed long enough to see No.3 climb the hill three-quarters of an hour later in the twilight; a magical sight that will remain long in the memory

It will be a great pity if even a variance on the 2010 Branch Line Weekend is not repeated again in the future.  There were several rare combinations to be seen and experienced, some of which I have outlined above; some of which are not necessarily possible or practical to incorporate in a full-blown Gala.  It was a pleasure to experience most of it, even though the best light and formations in combination did not fall until the evening of second day

HN-25/03/2010