Preservation Plans – 65 Years Ago
by Tom Burnham

First published in issue 60 of The Tenterden Terrier Spring 1993
Reproduced with permission of present editor Mr P D Shaw

Of the two Brighton Terriers once owned by the K&ESR, we tend to think of No.3 “Bodiam” as a survivor, rebuilt twice by the old company, seeing much service with British Railways and now enjoying an honourable old age in the preservation era. No.5 “Rolvenden”, on the other hand, was laid aside by 1932 and gradually stripped of useful parts, before the remains were cut up for scrap in 1938. However, if proposals aired in the Railway Magazine of 1928 had come to fruition, the situation of the two Terriers might have been reversed.

At that time, and indeed for several years longer, the Railway Magazine had no Letters to the Editor column as such. Instead, correspondence from readers was included with short news items in the Pertinent Paragraphs section. Many names well known to railway enthusiasts appeared in Pertinent Paragraphs, amongst them C. R.Clinkler, R.W. Kidner, Charlie E.Lee, G.T.Moody and P.Ransome-Wallis. Another frequent write was O.J.Morris of Beulah Hill, Norwood, who took excellent photographs, particularly of London, Brighton & South Coast Railway subjects, and regularly advertised his “burnished sepia tone cards” for sale in the Railway Magazine.

It was in the April 1928 issue that a Pertinent Paragraph invited the views of readers in regard to the preservation of a Stroudley Terrier, in response to a suggestion by O.J.Morris, who had written “I am now stimulated to action by a recent renewal of acquaintance with the most noteworthy of all these engines, old No.71 ‘Wapping’, at present spending its old age on the Kent & East Sussex Railway as No.5 ‘Rolvenden’. This engine, built for working the South London line, but, at first, drafted to the East London line then just opened, was the first of the class, and, happily to relate, the one nearest in condition to original. She was built in October 1872. I should now like to appeal to all ‘Brighton’ enthusiasts, and, indeed, to all who are interested in the preservation of old engines, to consider whether this famous ‘Terrier’ should not be saved from an ultimate scrap-heap. To save some of the other engines of the class would mean an extensive re-conditioning, as they have undergone a considerable amount of rebuilding; moreover, they lack the interest that ‘Rolvenden’ possesses.”

More recent investigations, particularly by the late Donald Bradley, have shown that O.J.Morris was not strictly correct in claiming “Wapping” as the first Terrier. Both “Wapping” and No.72, “Fenchurch”, left the erecting shop at Brighton Works on the same day, 28 August 1872, and “Wapping” was the first to make a trial journey, on 02 September. However, this revealed a fault in the cylinders, and while these were being replaced, “Fenchurch” entered revenue-earning service, on 07 September.

Considerable interest was aroused by O.J.Morris’s proposal, and several letters are mentioned in the following issue of Railway Magazine, for May 1928. Amongst them is one from C.Hamilton Ellis, who, according to his essay, “The Steel Byway”, has a particular affection for the Kent & East Sussex as one of its regular passengers, six times a year. He wrote “I fully realise that it is impossible to preserve every locomotive that recalls memories of one-time fame; indeed, there are many that have claims in this respect, such as Johnson’s ‘Single’, Beattie’s well-tank, Drummond’s old single on the late Caledonian Railway, formerly No.123, to say nothing of many ‘fine old gentlemen’ that have now joined the ranks of the scrapped. Surely, however, something might be done to save a Terrier from the great majority…The Kent & East Sussex Railway still possesses what is probably the oldest passenger carriage in service in Great Britain, so, perhaps a place may yet be found for the old ‘Rolvenden’.” It is interesting that example of each of the three other classes mentioned by Hamilton Ellis have also been preserved.

Further comments followed over succeeding months. In June, Mr Malcolm N.Niven pointed out that “Brighton” (ex-LB&SCR No.40) was a gold medal engine at Paris in 1878, and the first engine to demonstrate the Westinghouse brake in France, and reported seeing a Terrier in its original form shunting at Littlehampton the previous year. Which locomotive he saw is an interesting question. The regular Littlehampton Wharf shunter at this period was B653, later sold to the Weston Clevedon & Portishead Railway where it became No.4, but this had been rebuilt as class A1X with an extended smokebox in 1912.

In July, L.E.Brailsford wrote “it will be fresh in the memories of your readers that the Stephenson Locomotive Society was largely responsible for salving the equally famous ‘Gladstone’ last year, and perhaps the time is hardly right for them to embark on a similar venture. Moreover, they cannot confine their efforts in this direction to one railway alone. To offer a few suggestions, I would propose Mr Morris gets in touch with the railway, as to the likelihood of their making a gift of old 71 to the nation, or alternatively, their most favourable terms, the cost of any small amount of restorations required, and as to the willingness of the authorities of the Science Museum, Kensington or of the Crystal Palace to find her a permanent home. On account of her small size this would not be difficult.