Custodians of locomotives No 3 "Bodiam" and No 2678

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2678 Returns to Service and Heads to Isle of Wight for Galas

2678 21 May 21 crop

2678 re-entered service on 21 May at the head of celebratory "members' specials" as the line re-opened following the easing of Covid restrictions.

The event and the charming locomotive's journey back to the Isle of Wight after a gap of 85 years were covered by ITV Meridian - click the links below to watch the reports.

Victorian engine returns to service - Wed 26 May

Trustee David Nibloe talk live on 2678's long lasting appeal - Wed 26 May

2678 Heads to the Isle of Wight - Thu 27 May

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See more in overhaul blog

2678 Outshopped and Ready for Testing

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2678’s return to service took a big step forward on 17 November when the 140 year old locomotive was moved from the Locomotive Shed to the yard at Rolvenden and a warming fire lit in readiness for testing.

See more in overhaul blog

Richard Maxwell - An Appreciation

Richard Maxwell (right) deep in conversation with TTT Chairman, Tom White, in 2008.  Photograph Hugh Nightingale

I am very sorry to have to report that long-serving trustee Richard Maxwell died suddenly on March 21 2020.
 
Richard joined The Terrier Trust in the early "noughties" and became a Trustee in 2007. His lifelong interest in railways was rekindled when he was made redundant from the motor trade in the late 1980s. He became a volunteer at the Bluebell Railway before working as Carriage & Wagon Manager until retirement in 2012. He was a member of the Kent & East Sussex Railway and several other heritage railways and loco-owning groups and was also interested in American prototype model railways, attending model shows throughout the year. His other passion was classic cars and he enjoyed showing his own cars at classic car events, driving to and from the shows in them.
 
Richard was a friendly and engaging colleague and had a depth of knowledge and insight that we valued. He brought his experience at the Bluebell Railway (which has two Terriers of its own) and the wider heritage movement to the trustee team, providing a different perspective that helped our deliberations. Through his wider railway interests, Richard was also able to suggest a contact who supplied some very helpful advice about drafting some key wording in the constitution for the new CIO.
 
Last year, Richard had told me that he intended to step down at the 2020 AGM. I had been looking forward to making a thank you speech to recognise his retirement and present him with a memento of our appreciation for his contribution to the Trust, rather than this obituary.

Tom White
Chairman

Richard

Bodiam to return as No 70 Poplar in Improved Engine Green!

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Terrier No. 3 “Bodiam” is set to return to her original guise as LB&SCR No 70 “Poplar” in Stroudley’s striking ‘improved engine green’ livery when she returns to service in time for her 150th birthday in 2022. The bold move is part of the Terrier 150 programme launched jointly by co-owners The Terrier Trust and Kent & East Sussex Railway early last year.

Over £55,000 of the £150,000 target has been raised with Trust spokesman, Graham Hukins, commenting “We need to maintain the momentum with fund raising and ideally slightly accelerate it, so the overhaul isn’t delayed. That way, we can ensure the first Terrier built is in steam to lead the celebrations.” Donations can be made via TerrierTrust.org.uk.

Read more: Bodiam to return as No 70 Poplar in Improved Engine Green!

2678 on Schedule for Spring Return to Steam

 

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Shed staff and volunteers at the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Rolvenden Loco Works are making good progress with the overhaul of locomotive 2678 in readiness for the popular “Terrier” Class engine to make a return to traffic this spring – 80 years after the 1880-built veteran first arrived on the line. At that time she was on loan from the Southern Railway to help cover a temporary shortage of motive power and ended up staying for over 18 years!

The restoration is part of the Terrier 150 project – a decade-long series of activities around the 150th Anniversary of the pioneering Terrier Class locomotives – contributions are needed to ensure the restoration continues apace, as with sufficient resources 2678 should return to service around Easter.

Read more: 2678 on Schedule for Spring Return to Steam

2678 to Regain IOW Bunker

2678 largely dismantled at Rolvenden on 11 May 2019  © Graham Hukins

The Trust's 1880-built “Terrier” locomotive, 2678, is to be fitted with an “Isle of Wight-style” bunker as part of the overhaul that is currently underway at Rolvenden Locomotive Works.

The work is part of Terrier 150 – the programme recently-launched by the two organisations that will encompass overhauls of 2678 and sister Terrier No. 3 Bodiam in readiness for decade-long series of activities to celebrate the 150th Birthday of the extremely popular class of tank-engines and to tell the story of the versatile and diminutive locos.

Amongst the first events marked as part of the progamme, will be the 80th anniversary of 2678 arriving on the K&ESR which falls early next year. 2678 was hired from the Southern Railway and pressed into K&ESR service on 15 February 1940 to cover a “temporary” locomotive shortage. The dearth of operational engines was in fact so severe that 2678 was based at the K&ESR for 6,821 days - eventually leaving in October 1958 when 03 Class diesels took over duties on the line. During her time on the K&ESR, traffic levels had soared during WWII, the line became part of British Railway with Nationalisation in 1948 and passenger services were withdrawn in 1954!

Read more: 2678 to Regain IOW Bunker

Bodiam heads to Norfolk as Terrier 150 project gets underway

No 3 passes through Tenterden High Street en-route for overhaul © Graham Hukins

CAF Donate buttonThe Kent & East Sussex Railway and The Terrier Trust have launched a £150,000 appeal to ensure the line’s two Terrier Class locomotives Nos. 3 Bodiam and 2678 are returned to action for a decade-long series of activities to celebrate Bodiam’s 150th birthday in 2022 and to tell the story of the once 50-strong class of diminutive locos, whose longevity and usefulness is legendary.

Money is needed to fund twin-track overhauls of both locomotives which are the oldest in the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s fleet and, almost uniquely in preservation, have spent much of their working lives on the line on which they are preserved.              

Bodiam, as L&BSCR No. 70 Poplar, was the first of the Terrier Class constructed in 1872 and one of the first batch to enter service. She arrived at the K&ESR in 1901 having been purchased second-hand by the fledgling light railway for just £650. She was a regular performer until the line closed to passengers in the 1950s, before a brief spell in the company of other class members on the Hayling Island Branch after which she was saved for preservation, returning to the K&ESR in 1964.

She has proved a popular locomotive with crews and visitors in the subsequent decades, having worked on and off throughout the preservation era and was withdrawn from service in January 2017 when her latest boiler certificate expired. The Trust, which owns 75% of the loco, and K&ESR, who have a 25% share, have invested heavily in her upkeep in recent decades including fitting a brand-new boiler in the 1990s, so both charities are determined to see her in action for her 150th Birthday.

Work to achieve that commenced on 10 April when No. 3 was moved from the K&ESR to the Weybourne workshops of the North Norfolk Railway for initial dismantling and thorough assessment.

Read more: Bodiam heads to Norfolk as Terrier 150 project gets underway

Terrier 150 Work Starts as 2678's Overhaul Commences

32678 with cab fittings removed ready for the start of her overhaul © David Brenchley - 20 Mar 19

CAF Donate buttonStaff and volunteers at the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Rolvenden locomotive works have made a start on the overhaul of Trust's locomotive No. 32678 which should see the 1880-built Terrier return to service towards the end of this year - the first element of the exciting Terrier 150 initiative.

The locomotive was nearing the end of her current "10 year ticket" but is in relatively good condition having benefitted from extensive refurbishment of her motionDownload T150 Leaflet Download T150 Donationsduring the last overhaul a decade ago and significant boiler work, including a full retube, in early 2017. This, coupled with a suitable window in the K&ESR’s overhaul schedule, has allowed the work to be programmed now.

Work on the loco, will see her re-enter service in her 1940s colour scheme of plain Southern Railway black with sunshine lettering as No. 2678. This was guise she wore when she was first hired by the K&ESR in 1940 to cover a temporary locomotive shortage – she ended up being a mainstay of the line’s motive power until 1958!

Read more: Terrier 150 Work Starts as 2678's Overhaul Commences

Trust and K&ESR Signal Start of £150,000 Fundraising Effort for Terrier 150

CAF Donate buttonTerrier 150– a £150,000 programme being compiled jointly by The Terrier Trust and K&ESR to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Terrier Class and tell the story of the diminutive yet versatile locomotives has been previewed to Terrier Trust Members and K&ESR staff & volunteers.

 

Download T150 LeafletDownload T150 DonationsThe decade-long programme of activities will see Terriers No. 3 “Bodiam” and 2678 overhauled and returned to service. The plucky pair are the oldest in the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s fleet and representatives of a type that has been synonymous with the line for over a century. They are owned by The Terrier Trust CIO* and cared for by the K&ESR.

Cheque

 

Ahead of Terrier 150 being publicly announced next month, Terrier Trust Chairman, Tom White, presented K&ESR Chairman, Simon Marsh, with a cheque for £15,000 as fundraising efforts were outlined at the K&ESR’s annual staff and volunteers meeting on Saturday 16 March. The K&ESR has contributed a similar sum to Terrier 150 to enable work to start in earnest ahead of the public launch of the appeal.

For further details of Terrier 150 and to help click here.

 

* Ownership of No. 3 Bodiam is split, with The Terrier Trust CIO owning 75% and the K&ESR 25%. 2678 is wholly-owned by TTT

Terrier bows out (for now) with fantastic photocharter finale

 

Glorious weather, a terrific Terrier and two beautifully restored Southern Railway "Maunsell" coaches dating from the 1930s, were the ingredients that combined to serve up a tasty treat to photographers taking part in a special photocharter with 32678 on Friday 22 February. 

The photocharter was on the eve of the loco's final weekend in regular passenger service before withdrawal for a fast track overhaul expected to take around 6 - 8 months. 

Photos © Andrew Hardy

Read more: Terrier bows out (for now) with fantastic photocharter finale

32678 stars alongside Michael Portillo in Great British Railway Journeys

Michael Portillo with 32678 at Tenterden Town Station - 10-10-18 Photograph © Andre Freeman

One of the Trust's two "Terriers", No 32678, has a starring role in the latest episode of the popular BBC 2 series Great British Railway Journeys. The show airs on BBC2 at 6.30pm on 22 February and is then available on iPlayer.

The episode sees Portillo head from East Malling to Rye, taking in the Kent & East Sussex Railway en-route.  Terriers have been synonymous with the line since its earliest days so it's no surprise that 32678 was chosen to haul the special train for the filming which took place in October 2018.  The dimuntive stalwart was paired with SECR "birdcage" coach No 1100 and two wagons to form a mixed train evocative of those that ran on the line in the middle of the last century.  32678 is no stranger to the "the mixed" having frequently been employed on similar workings during her extended stay on the K&ESR from 1940 until 1954, initially on hire from the Southern and later under the auspices of British Railways.

32678 is scheduled to be in action on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on 23 and 24 February working her last trips prior to withdrawal for overhaul.

Read more: 32678 stars alongside Michael Portillo in Great British Railway Journeys