Disused Stations: Crowhurst Station

Two 'Terriers' are seen at Crowhurst station on 19 October 1958. Brighton works shunter DS377 and 32678 from the Hayling Island branch await the return of the Rother Valley Limited railtour from its trip to Bexhill West and back behind E1 4-4-0 No 31019, before they continue with the special to Hastings. Earlier the pair had taken the train over the Kent & East Sussex line from Robertsbridge to Tenterden. The E1 and its train started from Paddington. 32678 was built to a Marsh design in July 1880 and classified A1 for the LBSC, and was then rebuilt to an A1X in 1911. It had a service life of over 83 years when it was withdrawn by BR during October 1963 and sold on for preservation, first at Butlin’s Holiday Camp in Minehead then on to the West Somerset Railway, and it is currently on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. DS377, from the famous Brighton works A1X, entered service on 1 June 1878 numbered 35 and named 'Morden'. Rebuilt from an A1 design in 1922, it passed to the Southern Railway and was transferred to Brighton works as their shunter, numbered S377, later DS377 under BR – ‘DS’ standing for Departmental Southern Region). Although it lasted until 31 January 1963, this loco was not preserved and was broken up at Eastleigh in September of the same year.
Photo from Mike Pannell's collection