Last Train through Salehurst?
by John Humphrey

First published in issue 55 of The Tenterden Terrier Summer 1991
Reproduced with permission of present editor Mr P D Shaw

A welcome development in recent months has been the decision of the Tenterden Railway Company to proceed with plans to reinstate the section of line from Bodiam, through Salehurst to Robertsbridge, in order to provide a connection with Network Southeast. I am reminded that 30 years ago, on 11 June 1961, I witnessed the arrival at Robertsbridge of the final British Railways train over the K&ESR line. At the time I was in the second form at Judd School, Tonbridge, and fortunately I wrote about the occasion some three months later in a school essay. Hence I am able to recall the event in rather more detail than would otherwise be the case.

The train concerned, a Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB) special entitled “The South Eastern Limited” had worked down from Victoria to Paddock Wood via Lewisham, Dartford and Maidstone West. It had then traversed the Hawkhurst branch before running via Tonbridge to Robertsbridge for the run over the K&ESR. This was in fact the last train on the Hawkhurst branch in addition to being the final BR train to Tenterden Town. The train also marked the demise of steam from most of Kent, as the following day saw the introduction of electric working on most of the lines included in Phase 2 of the Kent Coast electrification.

I somehow managed to persuade my father to try and ‘chase’ the special by car. Shortly after lunch on that Sunday we set off from Sevenoaks and made for Paddock Wood, only to be told that the special had departed towards Tonbridge some considerable time previously. So we made our way to Robertsbridge, where we were told that the train was on the K&ESR line. Two coaches had been left behind in a siding, as the train had been loaded to nine coaches instead of the advertised seven. The complete train would have overtaxed the pair of Brighton Terrier locomotives on the climb to Tenterden Town; even with seven coaches, this was by far the heaviest train ever worked over the line.

I strolled out to the level crossing. Before long, the single member of the station staff came out to discuss with the signalman in Robertsbridge ‘B’, the main-line signal box, how they would perform the operation of first shunting the two coaches back on to the main-line train, and then dispatching the complete train back to London. For some time they did not agree, higher authority having apparently decreed that the only crossover in sight was out of use!

“Well,” said the porter eventually, “I’d better do it his way and keep him happy.” It subsequently came to light that the porter was responsible for the operating of Robertsbridge ‘A’ box. This was little more than a ground frame, controlling the entrance to the goods yard and the junction with the K&ESR.

“You’ll have to,” replied the signalman. “Ring Rolvenden and see if its left there yet.”

“How many rings is it for Rolvenden?” asked the porter. “I’ve never rung through to there before!”

A short while afterwards, by which time the porter had gone back indoors, the signalman picked up the telephone. “It’s three rings for Rolvenden” he said. A lengthy conversation followed, in which the signalman’s words were clearly audible, as also was the porter’s voice, albeit in his case not the words. It turned out that the special had not yet reached Rolvenden.

Some time later, ‘L1’ 4-4-0 No.31786 arrived light engine from Hastings, and ‘D1’ 4-4-0 No.31749 arrived tender-first from Tonbridge. Both were duly shunted into the bay platform. By this time a number of interested onlookers had gathered on the platform. Eventually, the porter walked along the platform announcing, “It’s just left Bodiam!” A few minutes later, the leading Terrier, No.32670, appeared on the curve connecting the K&ESR line. One could not help noticing how this diminutive locomotive was dwarfed by the two main-line engines.

The arrangement finally worked out, was that the train was halted outside the station while No.32670 collected the two coaches from the siding and shunted them back onto the train, before drawing forward into the down platform for the main-line engines to take over for the run back to London.