1st September 2007

Shepherd Neame
The Spitfire
(Hop Pickers Steam Trains for the Faversham Hop Festival)

Locos Used 37248 & steam : 34067 'Tangmere'
Stock Used 35518+5237+5249+5236+13440+9392+5216+1840+5222+5200

Route:
1Z82 : London Victoria to Faversham
1Z91 : Faversham to Ramsgate
1Z92 : Ramsgate to Faversham
1Z83 : Faversham to London Victoria

Loco(s) Route
34067 (1) London Victoria - Down Chatham Main - Shepherds Lane (3) - Brixton - Catford - Bromley South - Swanley - Otford - Maidstone East - Ashford International - Canterbury West - Ramsgate - Margate - Herne Bay - Faversham
37248 (2) Faversham - Herne Bay - Margate - Ramsgate
34067 (1) Ramsgate - (reverse of outward route) - Faversham
37248 (2) Faversham - Sittingbourne - Gillingham - Sole Street - Swanley - Bromley South - Catford - Peckham Rye - Atlantic Line - Stewarts Lane - London Victoria

This was the first of two trips on this weekend run by Shepherd Neame to Faversham for their Hop Festival.

Notes :
(1) 37248 on rear.
(2) 34067 on rear.
(3) booked route was Victoria - Stewarts Lane - Atlantic Line - Shepherds Lane (cross to down Chatham Main).

Source : John Clifford (on the train throughout)

Tour Review
(by John Clifford)

The organisers wanted the engine to be renumbered 34066 & named "Spitfire" as this is the name of their best selling beer. However, the engine had to do a VSOE on the previous Wed & there was not enough time for it to cool down for the change to be made. Personally, I was glad of this as 34066 was the engine involved in the Lewisham accident in 1957 so it has bad connotations on the South Eastern.

When the tour was first advertised it was to start from London Bridge, pick up at Chislehurst & run to Faversham via Sole Street. 2 return trips were to be made to Ramsgate & back then it was to return to Victoria via Canterbury (not clear if it was East or West), Dover, Ashford & Tonbridge. By the time I booked the London Bridge start had become Victoria but still with a stop at Chislehurst. This would have meant passing over the bridge near St Johns which was brought down by the accident, not a good idea for an engine named "Spitfire". Eventually the tour ran the other way round with only one return trip to Ramsgate.

On the day, our departure platform (no 2) at Victoria was occupied by the 09.03 Victoria - Ramsgate & there was a VSOE which should have left at 08.55. The stock for this arrived at 09.15 & the train left at 09.25. Our stock arrived at 09.37 so we had a late start. Some of the lateness was made up by not going via Stewarts Lane. There was a short stop at Beckenham Hill, I think due to a brake problem. Once underway an attempt to recover some of the delay was made. To allow following trains to pass we went in Borough Green down loop (10.57-11.06). Some good running for the rest of the day made this an enjoyable tour. A punctual arrival at Victoria enabled me to catch a fast train to Brighton for the next day's trip.

John Clifford
Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from John Clifford)

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
London Victoria 09.29d 09.46   20.27a 20.25
Battersea Pier Jn 09/33 09/50   20/24 20/20
Stewarts Lane Jn 09/37 DIV   20/21 20/18
Factory Jn 09/39 09/51   20/19 20/17
Voltaire Road Jn 09/40 09/52   20/16 20/16
Shepherds Lane Jn 09/42 09/54   ? ?
Brixton 09/43 09/55  
Cambria Jn 09/45 09/57  
Denmark Hill 09/46 09/58   20/11 20/11
Crofton Road Jn 09/53 09/59   20/09 20/09
Nunhead 09/55 10/00   20/06 20/07
Shortlands Jn 10/03 10/17   19/59 19/59
Bromley South 10.05a ~ 10.10d 10.21 ~ 10.23   19.52a ~ 19.59d 19.54 ~ 19.56
Bickley Jn 10/12 10/29   19/48 19/48
St. Mary Cray Jn 10/14 10/30   19/43 19/44
Swanley 10/20 10/35   19/37 19/38

 

Location Booked Actual
Otford Jn 10/29 10/45
Borough Green DPL DIV 10.57 ~ 11.06
Maidstone East 10/54 11/21
Lenham DPL 11w06 ~ 11w43 11.41 ~ 11.59
Charing 11/52 12/05
Ashford International 12.04a ~ 12.06d 12.17 ~ 12.22
Wye 12/17 12/29
Canterbury West 12/31 12/42
Minster 12/44 12/56
Minster East Jn 12/45 12/57
Ramsgate 12/51 13/07
Margate 13/01 13/17
Herne Bay 13/14 13/30
Faversham 13.28a ~ 14.29d 13.46 ~ 14.29
Herne Bay 14/48 14/50
Margate 15/08 15/10
Ramsgate 15.21a ~ 15.30d 15.24 ~ 15.31
Margate 15/41 15/41
Herne Bay 15/55 15/54
Faversham 16.12a ~ 18.28d 16.16 ~ 18.28
Sittingbourne 18/40 18/39
Gillingham 18*54 ~ 19*01 18.54 ~ 19.05
Rochester 19/09 19/13
Rochester Bridge Jn 19/11 19/14
Sole Street 19/24 19/25
Fawkham Jn 19/31 19/30

Timings continue in first table.
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