.gif)
East Kent Railway (heritage)
Encyclopedia
The East Kent Railway (EKR) is a short heritage railway
in Kent
, England
. It is located at Shepherdswell
station on the London to Dover Priory direct mainline
. The line was constructed from 1911 to 1917 to serve a local colliery at Tilmanstone. See East Kent Light Railway
for details of the original lines.
The line is operated by heritage diesel locomotive
s designed for the Southern Region. It is also home to a growing collection of heritage diesel and electric multiple unit
s, many of which were used in service in Kent.
There is also a wide variety of coaches and wagons at Shepherdswell.
was also the name of the main constituent part of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
, formed in 1859.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located at Shepherdswell
Shepherdswell
Shepherdswell is a village in Kent, England, UK. It is notable for the East Kent Railway, whose terminus is sited there.This was originally one of Colonel Stephens' lines & ran to Wingham.The section as far as Eythorne is now run by a preservation society.The village social life centres around the...
station on the London to Dover Priory direct mainline
Chatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...
. The line was constructed from 1911 to 1917 to serve a local colliery at Tilmanstone. See East Kent Light Railway
East Kent Light Railway
The East Kent Light Railway was part of the Colonel Stephens group of cheaply built rural light railways in England. Holman Fred Stephens was engineer from its inception, subsequently becoming director and manager...
for details of the original lines.
The line is operated by heritage diesel locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s designed for the Southern Region. It is also home to a growing collection of heritage diesel and electric multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
s, many of which were used in service in Kent.
Steam Locomotives
- AvonsideAvonside Engine CompanyThe Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
0-6-0ST No. 2004 'St. Dunstan'. Previously Located at British Coal Snowdown. Awaiting a major restoration.
Diesel Locomotives
- BRBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
0-6-0 Class 09British Rail Class 09The British Rail Class 09 is a class of 0-6-0 diesel locomotive designed primarily for shunting and also short distance freight trips along branch lines....
No. 09025. Previously located at Selhurst Depot. In service and sometimes used on passenger trains. Being repainted into BR Green as D4113. - FowlerJohn Fowler & Co.thumb|right|John Fowler & Co. [[steam roller]] of 1923John Fowler & Co Engineers of Leathley Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England produced traction engines and ploughing implements and equipment, as well as railway equipment. Fowler also produced the Track Marshall tractor which was a...
0-4-0DM No. 416002 'Snowdown'. Previously located at British Coal Snowdown. In use for shunting duties but not on passenger trains. - English ElectricEnglish ElectricEnglish Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
0-6-0DH No. D1197 'Richborough Castle'. In use as the standby Loco on passenger trains. - RustonRuston (engine builder)Ruston & Hornsby, later known as Ruston, was an industrial equipment manufacturer in Lincoln, England, the company's history going back to 1840. The company is best known as a manufacturer of narrow and standard gauge diesel locomotives and also of steam shovels. Other products included cars, steam...
0-6-0DH LSSH No. AD427 'The Buffs' and 'The Royal Engineers 9th Field Squadron'. Works No. 466616. Out of service, pending a minor overhaul. {Privately owned}
Diesel Multiple Units
- BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
nos. 53256 and 54343 (set no. 101660). In use on passenger services. - BR 3HBritish Rail Class 205The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
no. 205001 AKA 1101. Out of service, undergoing cosmetic restoration to BR Blue livery.
Electric stock
- 4BEPBritish Rail Class 411The British Rail Class 411 electrical multiple units were built at Eastleigh works from 1956-63 for the newly electrified main lines in Kent. These units were based on the earlier Southern Railway 4Cor design, built in 1937. They were replaced by Juniper units.-Description:A total of 133 units...
2325, remunbered 7105 - 2 EPBBritish Rail Class 416British Rail Class 416 electric multiple units were built between 1953 and 1956. They were intended for inner suburban passenger services on London's Southern Electric network...
6259, renumbered 5759 - MLVsBritish Rail Class 419The British Rail Class 419 Motor Luggage Vans were built from 1951-61 by BR at Eastleigh Works.-Description:Ten of these units were built for the boat trains from London Victoria to Dover and Folkestone...
9001, 9002, 9008 and 9009
There is also a wide variety of coaches and wagons at Shepherdswell.
The original EKR
The East Kent RailwayEast Kent Railway
The East Kent Railway was an early railway operating between Strood and the town of Faversham in Kent England, during 1858 and 1859. In the latter year it changed its name to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway to reflect its ambitions to build a rival line from London to Dover via Chatham and...
was also the name of the main constituent part of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
, formed in 1859.
External links
- EPB Preservation group website.
- East Kent Railway website.
- East Kent Railway photos by volunteer Damon Cox.
- Colonel Stephens Railway Museum page on the East Kent Light Railway
- Informative website containing videos photos & reports on what's left of the railway set up by two of the railway volunteers