Bodiam as 32670 pilots a train at Newmill Bridge in October 1985 picture copyright H.Nightingale
 
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Terrier Kept in Kennel - early season - and by The Birds


Recent visitors to the K&ESR hoping to see Knowle, or those looking for updates on this web site, will have been disappointed to find little activity. Why is this?

The period mid-March to mid-May is often regarded as the heritage railway peak photographic season. Lengthening days and increased activity after winter slumbers are two factors, but there are others. Temperatures are generally cool – aiding dramatic effects, colour saturation is excellent and the full tonal dramas of the British spring from snowdrops and daffodils through to early summer light greens with colourful candles on the horse-chestnuts are there to be enjoyed. It is very much the time of year to be out and about rather than in front of a computer screen.

Outside of special events, and Easter excepted, there are relatively few day visitors to heritage lines in comparison to the peak school holidays. For the middle/small lines which mainly or totally rely on volunteers, the level of service is very much tailored for the limited numbers of punters. The same logic does not necessarily apply so rigidly to the Big Four, two of which may be found in tourist honeypots not too far removed from major built-up areas and two of which are very close to our biggest cities.

Hence the series of the med weekends on the K&ESR just recently in an effort to boost passenger numbers, or more precisely, loadings per train. But the structure of the 2005 timetable is the major reason 32678 has hardly been seen out this spring.

Generally speaking, two steam-train service is not viable early in the season, hence the use of the DMU on the second slot on most operating days to date. Perhaps as part to the trend towards anti-social working hours, 24/7 shopping, fuller employment as well as overseas breaks, Bank Holiday operations have been cut from three to two trains and from nine to five return trips with the Vic-set being cut. The second working has been formed of Mark I stock and Diana featuring excellent all-day breakfasts(witnessed) or cream teas.

More specifically, Knowle has been unable to run just recently as a consequence of being trapped in the shed due to the enforced holiday for Norwegian caused by a family of blackbirds. This story was reported extensively in the local press and featured on local television.
Charity No. 1050480

There is another factor that curtails use of small engines on the K&ESR that is neither unique nor rocket science. Most passengers who wish to combine a ride with a visit to Bodiam Castle will travel on the first or second train of the day and require to return on the last two trains of the day, adding to those just having an afternoon train ride. So the capacity of the second returning Vic-set can be under some pressure.

Hopefully two serviceable Terriers in 2006, for the first time in 21 years, should enable limited promotion of specials along similar lines to that advertised by Bluebell, and both shuttles and off-season use as alternative options. However it is not always just a question of an additional or even sponsored train as extra staff may be required in addition to the train crew. For example, two train operation requires signallers at Tenterden Town, Rolvenden and Wittersham Road with Northiam only being switched in when the Sunday Lunch Pullman runs.

Perhaps therefore, it is not so much a matter of which engine, but identifying the most productive and profitable use of the Vic-set which may not always be over the whole length of line. After all, both the K&ESR and Terrier Trust are Educational Charities and proper use must be found for our older coaches and smaller engines. It may be construed that only a tiny fraction of our visitors are enthusiasts and the vast majority don’t care what hauls the train as long as it is steam on an advertised steam service. But all the K&ESR engines have some interesting history both on and off the line and ways must be found of communicating this to our visitors. The internet helps enormously, of course, in this respect.

Footnote:- Vic-set is not strictly speaking correct these days due to the presence of the Woolwich coach but anything is better than the horrible over-use and generalisation of the word vintage.


HN-19/05/2005

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