A Tale of Three Terriers
by Gerald Siviour and Tim Stanger

First published in issue 68 of The Tenterden Terrier Winter 1995
Reproduced with permission of the then-editor Mr P D Shaw

September 16th 1995 saw the inaugural meeting of the Terrier Trust, formed by members determined to ensure that Terriers will once again run on the K&ESR. The draft constitution, already submitted to the Charity Commissioners for their approval, was agreed and Charitable status should be forthcoming by the time this magazine appears.

The first objectives are to purchase our most historic locomotive No.3 “Bodiam” in its present state from Ron and Vic Wheele, the present owners, and then to raise the necessary funds to restore it to its former glory, complete with a new boiler. The longer term aims are much wider, giving support and help in any way it can to the other Terriers on our railway. A recent history of these three engines follows and it is hoped that, having read the article, you will respond to the Trust’s advertisement in this magazine.

Originally built in the 1870s and 1880s [1872 to 1880] to William Stroudley’s design [as Class A; later A1] for work on London suburban trains, many Terriers, including ours, were taken out of main line service in the early years of this century [20th] as trains became too heavy for these diminutive 27-ton engines. Some found a ready second-hand market, including No.70 “Poplar”, which was sold to [the later] Colonel Stephens to become No.3 “Bodiam” of the Rother Valley Railway.

Others, including Nos. 50 “Whitechapel” and 78 “Knowle”, were fitted in 1907 for push-pull motor train working on secondary services and later [rebuilt] with Marsh designed boilers with extended smokeboxes [being reclassified A1X]. Both saw service in the 1930s on the Isle of Wight; extended bunkers which both still retain, being fitted at Eastleigh before leaving the mainland [see footnotes]. Both received new numbers and names, becoming W9 “Fishbourne” and W4, later W14, “Bembridge” respectively.

By the 1940s they were back on the mainland. “Fishbourne” having become a Lancing Works carriage shunter numbered 515S while “Bembridge” became SR No.2678. It was sent on hire to the K&ESR in 1940, beginning an association with the line that was to last until 1958.

The early years of the British Railways era were something of an Indian Summer for the surviving Terriers. 15 remained in service on the Southern Region in 1949, 14 rebuilt as A1X class and one [“Boxhill”] retaining its original smokebox and still classified as A1. Their duties included working the Robertsbridge end of the K&ESR [but sometimes the northern extension to Headcorn], pilot duties at Brighton Works, dock shunting at Newhaven, carriage shunting at Lancing, and the Havant-Hayling Island branch, where, because of weight restrictions on Langston Harbour bridge, they monopolised the service. Usually some of the class were in store, especially during the winter months when traffic on the Hayling Island branch was light.

the last train from Robertsbridge with 32655, the present “Stepney” of the Bluebell Railway. They were then transferred to St Leonards for the Tenterden freight duty and seasonal hop pickers’ specials. When diesels took over in 1958 the pair went to Fratton for use on the Hayling Island branch, meeting up again with the former 515S, which had rejoined the general service fleet as 32650.

In 1963 the Terriers lost their regular duties as first the Newhaven West Quay lines (where 32678 worked the last trains) and then the Hayling Island branch closed, both 32650 and 32670 sharing in the final working there during the first weekend in November. Following these closures, the remaining A1X class were sent to Eastleigh to await scrapping or disposal.

By this time the fledgling K&ESR preservation scheme had come into being and the purchase of the surviving Terrier from the old company was obviously a priority. A deal was completed and 32670 ran light [engine] under its own steam from Eastleigh to Robertsbridge, arriving on 10th April 1964. 32650 followed in September, having been bought by the Borough of Sutton and Cheam for eventual display at their new Civic Centre. 32678, meanwhile was one of a number of Terriers [three] purchased by Butlins for display in the playgrounds at their holiday camps. It went to Minehead, where it stood for several years in the company of [LMS] Stanier Pacific [4-6-2] No.6229 “Duchess of Hamilton”.

During the ten years between their delivery to the K&ESR and the restoration of services, the Terriers slumbered for most of the time in the company of other stock at Rolvenden, where they were repainted in [K&ESR] green livery and sometimes steamed for open days and shunting duties. To [K&ESR] No.10 “Sutton”, as 32650had become, fell the honour of working the first [steam] passenger train of the restored service between Tenterden [Town] and Rolvenden on 3rd February 1974 in the company of the Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST [No.17] “Arthur”. “Bodiam”, the identity to which 32670 had reverted, re-entered service a few weeks later and for the following six years [i.e. six seasons in total], at least one Terrier was available for the railway’s expanding and extending service. However, both were becoming in need in need of a thorough overhaul, particularly to their boilers. “Bodiam” was withdrawn in September 1977 and “Sutton” on 1st January 1980.

Both boilers eventually went to the Resco works at Erith for attention whilst the chassis were overhauled at Rolvenden. The return of the boilers on the same low-loader in November 1983 set the scene for the restoration of both engines to steam in 1984. After much sweat and toil (see Tenterden Terrier No.35 pages 27-30) [and reproduced in this section “A Tale of Two Terriers] “Sutton” re-entered service on 28th May and “Bodiam” a few weeks later [August]. This was the golden age of the K&ESR Terriers. In their immaculate liveries (“Sutton” in the 1930s green and 32670 in BR lined black) they were a beautiful sight especially when coupled together.

Sadly, it was to be only a brief heyday. After running nearly 3000 miles, 32670 had to be taken out of service in January 1986. The boiler was removed, originally for attention for the ring rivets, after which it was hoped that the engine could return to steam. Unfortunately this was not to be and the discovery of badly wasted in the boiler brought the realisation that it was beyond repair. Thus our most historic engine, having an association with the K&ESR going back to the railway’s earliest days, has stood for ten years as a derelict chassis – this cannot be allowed to continue