Dunton Green Station Gallery 4: Last Day - April 1974 green_old25.jpg) Dunton Green branch platform on the final day of the Westerham branch service, 28 October 1961, with Class H No.31518 and Maunsell set 610 about to operate the 11:50 service to Westerham. This train was to make two further trips on the branch before being replaced by the main line set. Just beyond the rear of the train the new, but not yet commissioned, colour-light signal can be made out. It bears an X-shaped device to tell drivers and guards that it is not in use. The year 1961 saw not only the end of the Westerham branch but also the introduction of electric trains beyond Sevenoaks to the Kent coast.
Photo by Ian Nolan from his Flickr photostream green_old23.jpg) Dunton Green branch platform on the final day of the Westerham branch service, 28 October 1961. Train-less views such as this offer a chance to see other details such as the fire buckets hanging on the end of the shelter and, just inside the goods sidings, the loading gauge which has been moved from its previous, conspicuous position. Being a Saturday a number of children are present at all stations and halts on the branch including the boy seen on the left. Perhaps he is with his parents or grandparents who have brought him along to witness the last day of the Westerham branch. The housing estate in the background was built just prior to WWII. No doubt the residents used Dunton Green station to reach London and other places but few probably had any need to use the Westerham branch.
Photo
by Ian Nolan from his Flickr photostream
green_old14.jpg) Another last day, 28 October 1961, view of No.31518 and green liveried Maunsell set. Having taken over from No.31324, No.31518 has already made at least one trip to Westerham and back as the smokebox and tank inscriptions have now appeared. These are believed to have been applied at Westerham. On the platform, some examples of the fashions of the time can be observed. In push-and-pull days a shift on the Westerham branch must have been an easy job for the locomotive crews if not, perhaps, a little monotonous. The service ran basically hourly and journey time was eleven minutes each way with ample dwell time at each end. With the London Congestion Charge, expensive parking (if one can find anywhere to park) and motoring being generally no longer the dream so beloved of 1960s pro-road propagandists, if it ever was, one wonders what the situation with the Westerham branch would be today had it not closed.
Copyright photo from Colour Rail 340068 green_old44.jpg) Class D1 4-4-0 No.31729 and Waterloo - Weymouth set 277, reduced from 10-car to 7-car formation but still with a brake at each end, stands in Dunton Green's down main platform on 28 October 1961. This train would take over the Westerham branch service, the locomotive alternating with Bulleid Q1 No.33029, from Class H No.31518 and push-and-pull set 610 at 14:50. The train is in immaculate condition but the locomotive is rather grubby, as was the Bulleid Q1. This was rather unusual for BR as locomotives used on such irregular workings were generally smartened up. However, it should be remembered that this train was not a railtour but a normal service train and the two locomotives would have been rostered as such and probably at fairly short notice. The train will have originated in London, running as empty stock to Dunton Green (the headcode is that for the Tonbridge line) but the precise arrangements are unclear. The locomotive was allocated to Bricklayers Arms but the stock, being normally allocated to the Southern Region's South Western Division, had possibly come from Clapham Junction. Having arrived at Dunton Green to gain the Westerham branch the train would reverse, via the crossover at the north end of the station, onto the up main line and then draw forward onto the branch. This move would have been smartly performed under the control of shunt signals as the main line was busy with the half-hourly electric service to and from Sevenoaks, steam services to Tonbridge and beyond plus freight and parcels traffic. No.31739 and train would not have shunted onto the branch until the push-and-pull train had returned from Westerham and, having alighted its passengers, shunted onto the loop opposite the branch platform. Armed with this information, the above photograph would have been taken at around 14:20 - 14:25. The curtains were about to be drawn for No.31739 too, for she was withdrawn from service the following month.
Photo from Jim Lake collection green_old27.jpg) On the final day of the Westerham branch service, 28 October 1961, Class D1 No.31739 runs off the main line at Dunton Green onto the Westerham branch with main line set 277. The push-and-pull train, No.31518 and set 610, will have cleared the branch platform and will be waiting in the loop until the train seen above has departed with the 14:50 to Westerham. No.31739 and train ran to Dunton Green as empty stock but the headcode does not tell us where it originated and this is further complicated by set 277 normally working on the South Western Division's Waterloo - Weymouth services. Clutter can be seen above in connection with re-signalling ahead of the extension of electrification from Sevenoaks to Dover which commenced operation in 1962. The two routes to Sevenoaks from London had been electrified in 1935. The white device partly visible on the colour-light signal informs staff that the signal is not yet in use.
Photo by John Cramp from 30937 Transport Photograph Database Flickr photostream green_old28.jpg) On the final day of service on the Westerham branch, 28 October 1961, Class H No.31518 and Maunsell set 610 waits in the loop opposite the branch platform at Dunton Green as the D1 No.31739 and shortened main line set 277 takes over the branch service. The push-and-pull train will have disgorged its passengers at the platform before reversing and shunting into the loop. Following departure of the D1 and train it would have proceeded off the branch and returned to Tonbridge. The reason for this procedure would have been the rear coaches of the 7-car main line set (reduced from 10-car for the occasion) fouling the points at the north end of the loop. The Union Flag which had adorned the front of No.31518 was presumably removed as soon as the train arrived at Dunton Green but the bunting which also adorned the locomotive is thought to have dropped off along the way if the sequence of photographs is anything to go by. Ahead of the camera can be seen the Southern style branch down starting signal; this was the last of several signals which had stood at this spot throughout the life of the Westerham branch. On the far right the track leading into the goods yard is seen. This 'yard' comprised just three dead-end sidings and as such was rather a poor excuse for a goods yard. What facilities existed were somewhat remote from the sidings; the wooden building seen on the right, for example, was the goods shed. Dunton Green stationmaster's house stood just beyond the end of the sidings and adjacent to the west side of the station approach road.
Photo by John Cramp from 30937 Transport Photograph Database Flickr photostream green_old29.jpg) One of Dunton Green's BR running-in boards photographed on the last day of service. Compare this with the earlier view showing the pre-1955 running-in board without 'Halt' suffixed to Brasted. One may wonder if the expense of a new board to reflect Brasted's downgraded status was justified but 'Brasted Halt' appeared on the halt itself, in timetables, on tickets and so forth so it was sensible to avoid any possible confusion to update the information at Dunton Green accordingly. Information such as that above was once a common sight across the railway network and in some cases was much more elaborate, but the practice largely died out with the introduction of BR's black and white 'Corporate Identity' signage which first appeared in the mid 1960s. Passengers on the ostensibly privatised rail network of today are to a large degree expected to know where to change trains if necessary although the information is given when buying tickets online. But despite such information on station signage being now all-but history, it has been found necessary to introduce the rather patronising practice of adding 'London' to the name of every terminal in that city. Thankfully, however, we have been spared the insult of 'London London Bridge'. Back at Dunton Green, the construction of these enamel boards in two sections is clear in the above view. This was normal practice for boards displaying anything but the shorter station names.
Photo by John Cramp from 30937 Transport Photograph Database Flickr photostream green_old35.jpg) Dunton Green on the final day of the Westerham branch service, 28 October 1961. On the left, No.31518 and Maunsell set waits on the loop having operated of the final push-and-pull journey. On the right, the D1 No.31739 waits at the platform to operate the 2.50pm to Westerham among a throng of period-attired enthusiasts. The push-and-pull train had offloaded its passengers, drawn forward and reversed into the loop. It would soon afterwards return to Tonbridge. Note the trap points, foreground, have been correctly reset. Without doing this, the road could not be set for the D1 to depart for Westerham. The use of the shortened main line set 277 is believed to have been the only occasion when BR Mk1 stock worked ordinary timetabled services on the branch.
Photo by David Pearson green_old43.jpg) On the final day of the Westerham branch service, 28 October 1961, Class D1 4-4-0 No.31739 prepares to depart Dunton Green with the 2.50pm service to Westerham as the push-and-pull train it replaced waits on the loop. Following departure of the D1, the push-and-pull train with Class H No.31518 will proceed to the main line and return to Tonbridge. On this occasion it is good to note that most enthusiasts are standing behind the sidings on the right and thus well clear of the running line. The branch area at Dunton Green had become, photographs suggest, something of a base for the permanent way department during the period when the main line was being resignalled and electrification was undergoing extension beyond Sevenoaks. On the left are two of the lightweight trolleys used by the PW men. They are standing not on track but on the ground, a common practice. They were designed to be lifted on and off the tracks manually; a task easily undertaken by a couple of reasonably fit men. These trolleys would be pushed manually along the tracks at the work site or, sometimes, coupled to a petrol trolley such as those manufactured by D Wickham & Co. The trolley nearest the camera has larger wheels and appears to be of a somewhat older design than the other.
Photo by Chris-Knowles-Thomas from Southern E Group web site green_old15.jpg) On the final day of service on the Westerham branch, 28 October 1961, Class H No.31518 and Maunsell set 610 either waits in, or is passing through, Dunton Green's main line platforms. Possibly this shows the end of the push-and-pull service with the train returning to Tonbridge, the branch services having been taken over by the shortened main line set 277 and D1 and Q1 locomotives. Visible on the locomotive's tank is the 'Flyer' inscription which appeared only on this side. Conspicuous by their absence in all period Dunton Green images shown in these pages and taken post-electrification are electric multiple units. These mundane trains were largely ignored by photographers and enthusiasts but today such images, especially those showing the older pre-BR units, would provide much interest.
Photo by Chris-Knowles-Thomas from Southern E Group web site green_old40.jpg)
The north end of Dunton Green station looking north on 28 October 1961, the final day of service on the Westerham branch. The branch platform is on the left. The short-posted and slightly comical-looking up main starting signal is 'off' for a train to proceed towards Polhill Tunnel and Knockholt. Between the two semaphore signals the new but not yet commissioned colour-light signal with its 'car stop' sign can be seen. The white diamond on the shorter signal post indicates track circuiting. No such indication is provided on the taller signal, the branch up starter. Visible to the immediate right of the platform ramp is one of the ground signals controlling the reverse crossover between up and down main lines. The neck of the gas lamp bears two smart BR totems. Quite when these were installed at Dunton Green is unclear but photographic evidence suggests the 1959 - 60 period if not early 1961. It is strange to think that by this time other stations, notably on the Eastern Region, had already lost their totems in favour of names on fluorescent lamp casings. Such were the many regional variations to be found across the BR network. To the right of the gas lamp, and doing a good job of camouflaging itself against the trees in the background, is a banner repeater signal. These comprised a white disc with black bar and gave train drivers advanced warning of signal indications ahead which had a restricted view. At Dunton Green the restricted view would have been caused mainly by the footbridge and its piers as trains approached the station on the curve to the north. It should be remembered that train drivers, especially those in charge of trains not stopping, require a clear view of signals ahead from a considerable distance. Guards and certain station staff also need to see signal aspects and for this reason repeaters can also be found part-way along station platforms, usually suspended beneath the canopy. The BR totems at Dunton Green which faced the branch platform were arguably the only ones to be installed on the Westerham branch. Of particular note in this view is the absence of the new colour-light signal which had been installed as the Up Starter for the branch. It had been removed sometime between September and closure.
Photo by Chris-Knowles-Thomas from Southern E Group web site green_old42.jpg) The Bulleid Q1 No.33029 is seen here in the branch platform at Dunton Green. The tail lamp and the direction the driver is facing suggest that the Q1 has just arrived from Tonbridge and is reversing onto the branch. On the right a BR totem can be seen and, foreground, two of the Southern style ground shunt signals which had been supplied by Westinghouse. The Q1 will probably pass through the branch platform and perform another reversal onto the loop where it will await the arrival of the train from Westerham. One may wonder why the Q1 did not simply enter the loop, visible on the left, direct from the main line. The answer appears to be that although such a move was possible in theory, the signalling did not permit it.
Photo by Chris-Knowles-Thomas from Southern E Group web site green_old41.jpg)
The Bulleid Q1 No.33029, used on certain last day Westerham branch services, is seen here in the branch platform at Dunton Green. The inscription on the smokebox suggests that she has already made at least one trip down the branch. What has probably happened is that the Q1 had arrived from Westerham and the train, main line set 277, has returned to Westerham behind D1 No.31739 and the Q1 is reversing through the platform to position itself on the loop ready to take over the next service along the branch. When the train returns from Westerham the D1 will repeat the same procedure. By the time of closure the Saturday service on the branch still ran more-or-less hourly. This photograph offers a good view of the Q1 design, with its Bulleid-profile boiler casing (the boiler itself was of the normal cylindrical pattern) and the Bulleid Firth Brown wheels. Usually associated with steam locomotives, this type of wheel also appeared on the Southern's diesel shunters which were to become BR Class 12.
Photo by Chris-Knowles-Thomas from Southern E Group web site green_old26.jpg) An atmospheric night time view of a gas-lit Dunton Green station on 28 October 1961. The train is the 8.19pm arrival. Under normal circumstances the final branch passenger train of the day would be the 7.50pm from Dunton Green, with the locomotive returning to Dunton Green with the branch goods. However, on the final day the use of the main line train dictated that it return complete to Dunton Green. This it did, in service. Note that the locomotive is beyond the up branch to up main starting signal. This is an example of when a train would be signalled away from a station by the Advanced Starting signal and it is possibly this signal which can be seen in the right background although the light which is visible does appear to be rather too close to the station, the relevant signal at Dunton Green being located 330yd from the signal box. Once the train had left the branch and a locomotive sent down the line to collect wagons, the end had come for the Westerham branch - with the exception of the Railmobile. This view is useful because it tells us that coaching stock set 277 retained a brake at each end. It had been reduced from 10 to 7-car length for use on the branch so the reduction involved the removal of three intermediate vehicles, probably including the buffet and adjacent first plus one other. Set 277 comprised mainly Mk1 stock but is known to have included a Bulleid vehicle at various times. Visible above are the two semaphore starting signals, the taller one being for branch-to-main and the shorter being the up main starter. The colour-light signal, not yet in use, can also be seen. Two of the gas lamps visible are sporting BR totems. There are a number of people standing on the track adjacent to the platform ramp. One would hope that they are railway staff but if members of the public they are being extremely stupid, not least because they could trip in the darkness and fall onto the conductor rail just feet away from them.
Photo by Ian Nolan from his Flickr photostream green1.jpg) The site of the Westerham branch platform and loop in April 1974. The footbridge serves as a reference point. The building on the right is on the up main line platform and survived until the mid-1990s. In later years the booking office was open only at peak times. The covered stairs down to the subway under the branch line embankment are seen in front of the car. This subway, which leads to a footpath to London Road, is still in use today. The south end of the branch platform was level with the north end of the covered stairway.
Photo by Nick Catford Click here for Dunton Green Station Gallery 5:
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