By Martin Creese
A SOUND synonymous with a little corner of England will fall silent for a while during March, as former LBSCR ‘Terrier’ No. 32678 is being withdrawn from traffic for its 10-yearly overhaul.
That corner of England is the Kent & East Sussex Railway, a line which has featured locomotives of the class since 1901 when, for the sum of £650, LBSCR No.70 Poplar was bought, becoming KESR No.3 and named Bodiam.
Finally withdrawn as BR No. 32670, it also has a home at the KESR today. ‘Terriers’ working on the KESR are true time warp moments, where history is brought back to life.
Built in 1880 at Brighton and designed by William Stroudley, ‘Terrier’ No. 78 was named Knowle.
From 1929-36 it ran on the Isle of Wight, where it became W14 Bembridge. Surviving being condemned on its return to the mainland, it was overhauled and from 1940 it was hired to the KESR until Nationalisation in 1948, when it was renumbered 32678.
In January 1954, the 0-6-0T hauled the last passenger train and until 1958, operated KESR goods workings and Hop Pickers specials.
Read more and view more images in Issue 252 of HR – on sale now!
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