Branch Line Weekend features
Terrier Locomotives

It is now necessary to put on record some of the activities surrounding our two Terriers following on from atgas06 up to the Bluebell event 10-13 November 2006.

For the rest of May 32678 continued to perform with the vintage train on diagrammed workings; its last day seen in service prior to wash-out being Wednesday 31 May.

Sunday 04 June was not a particularly auspicious day.  08-diesel “DoverCastle” had to be pressed into service on the Wealden Pullman and although No.3 “Bodiam” was scheduled to work the vintage train, the engine unfortunately failed at the north end of Tenterden Station when the catch that secures the reverser unfortunately snapped.  It is possible this was one of the last original smaller components on the engine.  This was duly replaced and for the earlier part of the main summer season, both engines worked on the vintage train and saw service on RXD.

For the Branch Line Weekend 08-09 July it had been hoped that P-class No.753 would be back following repairs to its braking system, affected by the April trip to the Baie de Somme pour le Fete de Vapeur.  With “Norwegian” out of ticket, the engine was also urgently needed to substitute for RXD.  The intention had been to run it on a mixed train with “Bodiam” on the vintage train.  Sadly this proved not to be the case, so 32678 substituted and what a splendid working this proved with CK No.56 providing the passenger accommodation.  It was regrettable that K&ESR, and hence by extension TTT, were unable to publicise this fact; the event itself was not terribly successful but yet a further indication that such events do not really work in the June-July-August period.

32678 saw further work to mid-August, being seen sharing the timetable with visiting No.29 Lambton tank from the NYMR.  This engine came as a reciprocal trip for 32678 in October 2003.  Such visits in high summer can be seen as taking some of the pressure off the home fleet, and perhaps importantly giving the crews some variation.  With 5-coach trains now the norm and increasingly needed for the busy August period, the opportunity to run the smaller locos at this time is further diminished.

Due to dodgy tubes, it had been intended to reserve a few steaming days on 32678 for the Bluebell venture; for this reason intended photo-charters on Bluebell were cancelled.  However, in the end the boiler was washed out prior to departure on 02 November; a picture of it arriving by low-loader may be found on the Bluebell website.