Tenterden Town

Tenterden Town

19th January 1992

Stock of three separate companies is witnessed in this 1992 scene: motive power is in the form of ex-SE&CR

''P'' Class 0-6-0 Tank Engine (wearing Southern Railway black livery); the first carriage is Stratford-built

No. 197, formerly of the Great Eastern Railway and ultimately donated to the K&ESR in 1983; the final

vehicle is a Metropolitan District carriage of about 1864 vintage. Mike Glasspool

26th July 2008

The water tower in the distance, at the end of the platform, was once in use at Hoo Junction, on the North

Kent Line. For the duration of its independent life prior to 1948, the K&ESR made extensive use of wind

pumps, which involved using a rotary blade upon a tall strut to power a mechanism for extracting water

through the ground. Thus, with its own supply of water, the railway could avoid paying a third party to

provide this necessity. A wind pump formerly resided at the northern end of this layout. A derelict example

still exists just outside of Rolvenden, among the disused fish farms west of the line. The siding behind

the platform has now been dedicated to the carriage stock of the ''Wealden Pullman''. The points in the

foreground have also been moved closer to the level crossing, since those views captured in 1989.

David Glasspool

26th July 2008

A northward view from the end of the platform shows the sidings converging onto the headshunt, which

disappears behind the trees, alongside a grounded BR Mk 1 departmental body. The track bed to Headcorn

is still in existence for just under a mile beyond this point, skirting the peripheral of new residential areas

until it finally plunges into a recent housing estate. On the left is Class 03 shunter No. D2023, which was

built at Swindon in 1958. David Glasspool

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