UPDATE; THIS TOUR HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO OPERATIONAL REASONS
By John Horton
“Margate, this is Margate – The train approaching Platform 3 is the Kentish Belle to Faversham from London Victoria.”
The Kentish Belle will steam through the Isle of Thanet on August 7 as The Railway Touring Company operate a service from London, travelling the long way round to Faversham.
Hauled by Stanier Black 5 loco 44871, by no means a stranger to the Kent Coast, its first appearance in 2009 and another earlier this year on the Great Britain Railtour, hauling the train from Margate around Britain.
It was engaged on over 97% of the entire journey, down to the South West, up to Preston and Carlisle, even taking in the Scottish highlands, before heading back to the capital.
This loco is a firm favourite with enthusiasts, known for her reliability and impressive haulage capability, the sound of her stanier whistle announcing her passage, as she ploughs ever onwards.
Now here lays a bit of a mystery, as the tour was advertised earlier in the year to be hauled by a Jubilee Class Locomotive, “Bahamas” it too having visited Thanet before, yet the tour is advertised on Railtours UK as being either 34067 Battle of Britain Class loco “Tangmere” -itself once based at Ramsgate in the early 1950s – or Black 5 44781. I guess we shall have to wait and see, please don’t shoot the messenger!
The loco will be detached at Faversham and replenished with coal and water, whilst the coaching stock is booked to be diesel hauled back to Margate. Upon arrival, the diesel will “run round” the train, coming off the front end, and following a few moves within the station confines, re-coupled at the opposite end, before heading back to Faversham, to be reunited once more with 44781.
It is envisaged that this diesel loco will be one of West Coast Train Operating Company’s fleet of class 47 Diesel Electrics. If we narrow it down even further, it could be a class 47/8, these locos being able to supply a steady electrical feed to the coaches for the Kitchen Cars.
The train, running as 1Z42 the 08:45 from London Victoria, travels down the Catford Loop to Shortlands Jcn, before rejoining the Mainline, where it heads down through Bromley South on the slow lines to Swanley. It then veers right and takes the line to Otford Junc, once more it changes route, swinging left and heading towards Maidstone East via East and West Malling. Making its way through Maidstone it heads for Charing, where it is booked to arrive at 10:52am, stopping in the loop to take on water from a Bowser.
Departing at 11.17am it will head for Ashford, weaving through the complex, speeding towards Canterbury West “down the branch” and arriving at 11.49 to be held to permit a down service train to clear.
At 11.56am it is booked to pass over St Stephens Level Crossing at Canterbury and onto Ramsgate, due to arrive at 12.22 for a three minute “pathway” for a departure of a service to St Pancras ahead of it.
Leaving at 12.25pm she will head for Broadstairs, 12.21pm, and at 12.34pm she heads for Margate, Platform 3 arriving at 12.38pm.
At 12.41pm the train is scheduled to depart for Herne Bay, arriving 12.54pm and leaving at 12.57pm.
The train will then gently run to Faversham where she is due to detrain passengers at 1.09pm at platform 2.
The times are:
(Italics show the time the train is due to pass through.)
Arr Pass Dep
Canterbury West (Plat 2) 1149 1156
Minster 1214
Ramsgate (Plat 3) 1222 1225
Broadstairs 1231 1234
Margate (Plat 3) 1238 1241
Westgate-on-Sea 1243
Birchington-on-Sea 1246
Herne Bay 1254 1257
Chestfield & Swalecliffe 1300
Whitstable 1302
Faversham (Plat 2) 1307
The train is serviced here and the loco will go forward to Sittingbourne, where it will be turned, that is be run over the Triangular Juncs of Eastern and Western Junction, so it faces the right way for its return trip, and then head back to Faversham.
Its return trip is advertised on the national system as 1Z84, 4.21pm from Whitstable. The timings are shown below for this return trip back to London Victoria via Margate, Ramsgate, Sandwich, Deal, Dover Priory, Folkestone Central, Ashford, Headcorn, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Orpington, Petts Wood, Chislehurst, Hither Green, Parks Bridge Jcn, Lewisham, Denmark Hill, Factory Jcn and London Victoria:
Arr Pass Dep
Whitstable 1615 1621
Chestfield and Swalecliffe 1623
Herne Bay 1625 1626
Birchington-on-Sea 1632
Westgate-on-Sea 1634
Margate 1636 1638
Broadstairs 1643
Ramsgate 1651
Minster South Jcn 1703
Sandwich 1709
Deal 1719
Walmer 1722
Martin Mill 1724
Dover Priory 1731 1741
Folkestone Central 1754
If you are going out to see the train please remember to be safety conscious at all times.
- Do not trespass on the railway
- Listen to any directives from station staff
- Keep behind the yellow line
- Don’t let your children run on the platforms, it is extremely dangerous
- Keep dogs on a firm lead
Enjoy your day and hope to see your pictures.