The Third Terrier by Neil Rose

First published in issue 48 of The Tenterden Terrier Spring 1989
Reproduced with permission of present editor Mr P D Shaw

Last year ex-LB&SCR No.78 “Knowle” returned to the K&ESR after a thirty year absence. Having worked through the 1940s and much of the 1950s, it is a case of coming home to Rolvenden to join former running companion No.3 “Bodiam” (32670).
After several years in store and having undergone some restoration, it arrived as a kit of Terrier parts. Repair and rebuilding work has started and it is not an idle dream to think there will be three of William Stroudley’s delightful little engines working along the Rother Valley in the 1990s.

This article chronicles what is known about the history of our latest arrival; technical information about Terriers is readily available elsewhere so will not be detailed here.

“Knowle”, now in its 109-th year, has had a long and eventful history. Twice it has been close to the cutter’s torch but has survived. It came out from Brighton Works in July 1880, a part of the last batch of fifty 0-6-0 tank locomotives within the LB&SCR’s A (later A1) class. Detail differences from earlier batches included the fitting of Westinghouse air brakes from new and iron instead of wooden brake blocks. When new it performed on London suburban lines but by the mid-1890s had migrated to Portsmouth, working the Hayling Island and East Southsea branches.

In 1907 it was renumbered 678 in the LB&SCR’s duplicate list and, in the same year, converted to push-pull motor train working. November 1911 saw a Marsh design boiler fitted, the total mileage run at this time being 763993. Now classified as A1X class, No.678 was allocated to Horsham in 1912, moving to Littlehampton four years later. It subsequently returned to the London area where duties included the Crystal Palace motor trains; by the end of 1922 it was back in the country at Horsham.

In the ownership of the Southern Railway it is believed to have been stored out of use at Preston Park from 1926 until 1929 when it (was) shipped across the Solent in May of that year to become Isle of Wight W4 (W14 in 1932) “Bembridge”. Prior to departure for the Island it was overhauled, fitted with an extended bunker and its push-pull gear removed. Its Island duties came to an end in May 1936 when it returned to the Mainland, only to be condemned at Eastleigh seven months later. Fate intervened, for before scrapping started a reprieve was granted and, after overhaul, it returned to traffic in May 1937 as No.2678, going to Fratton for duty on the Hayling Island services. A year later it was tried as shed pilot at Guildford but was found unsuitable.

1940 saw No.2678 hired to the K&ESR to alleviate a chronic motive power shortage. Some sources suggest that it was loaned by the SR in 1941 but the K&ESR mileage register indicates that it arrived at Rolvenden the previous year. No.2678 remained on loan to the K&ESR until nationalisation in 1948 and was retained by BR for further service on the branch for another ten years, thus becoming the longest serving non-K&ESR purchased locomotive to work the line.

Drama occurred on 29 March 1949 when, as a result of track subsidence, No.2678 was derailed near Wittersham becoming well buried in the light soil, thereby creating recovery problems. By end-1949 the locomotive was turned out in lined BR black, renumbered to 32678, and allocated to Ashford although still sub-shedded at Rolvenden.

The final passenger train on the K&ESR ran on Saturday 02 January 1954, leaving Robertsbridge at 5.50pm in the care of 32678 and sister Terrier 32655 (Stepney), one at each end. Afterwards they ran from Rolvenden to Hastings, where 32678 remained for a further four years, shedded at St Leonards, for the daily Tenterden freight duties. During this period it also worked the seasonal hop-pickers’ trains.

Replaced by diesels in 1958, 32678 returned to Fratton for the Hayling Island branch again, this branch being the final Terrier stronghold. In September 1959 it received its final general repairs and repainting at Eastleigh.