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Hirelings for Firings…and a Hiring

December 2005 must surely go down in K&ESR history as one of the finest and most notable on record. Packed Santa Specials coupled with possibly the best weather anyone could wish for in the shortest month of the year combined with a marvellous coupling of old hire engines were followed by snow and a post-New Year dessert to savour.

Due to the railway being reduced to just two Class-5 locos, P-class 753 joined 32678 Knowle to double-head several Santa Specials – the combination being personally witnessed on three successive Sundays, 04, 11 and 18.

A particular point of interest of this combination in the circumstances is that the P – as Southern Railway 1556 was the first loco to be hired by the old K&ER in the last two months of 1936 followed by a further nine months in 1938. 2678 arrived later, in February 1940, to stay until after nationalisation.

Then on 04 January, 32678 was hired for filming by the producers of the series British Steam Railways. The date is significant being the anniversary of the commencement of freight-only working between Robertsbridge and Tenterden Town; hop-pickers specials and excursions excepted.

Although the days started very cold and dull following the recent cold snap, the weather broke later in the day resulting in hopefully some fine sequences in brilliant mid-winter sunshine. Hopefully the publishers will advise K&ESR/TTT the date of publication of the magazine/DVD so we may include details on this website.

My personal recollections on the 2005 Santa season and the filming contract are the subject of two articles on the website. Pictures of 04 December have already been posted to the Gallery and others will be added in due course.

HN-16/01/2006