Westerham Station Gallery 5: 1950s - 1959 old40.jpg) This view from the 1950s shows one of the push-and-pull sets converted from steam rail-motors. This one is either set 481 or 482. Conspicuous by their absence are the stacks of sleepers. The goods shed, right, is yet again showing little sign of activity. The advertisement on the left headed 'Reserve' was for a beer promotional campaign that was to last until 1970. It was, and still is, normal practice for advertisements promoting a given commodity to change their design from time to time in order to continue attracting attention.
Photo from Mike Morant collection old43.jpg) In the mid 1950s Class H tank No.31177 propels away from Westerham. Her train is one of the push-and-pull sets converted from the carriage portions of the former SE&CR steam rai-lmotors. Four sets were created from the eight rail-motors and became Nos.481/2 and 513/4. That seen above is either 481 or 482, other two sets being articulated. Both 481 and 482, plus the Class H tanks, could also be seen on the Hawkhurst branch. Steam operated push-and-pull trains presented a rather odd sight when propelling until, that is, one became used to seeing them.
Photo
from Mike Morant collection
old41.jpg) A 1950s, probably 1958, view of one of the ex-rail-motor push-and-pull sets at Westerham, on this occasion No.482. It was possibly taken at the same time as the other 1950s view taken from the west. The eight SE&CR rail-motors were converted into 4 x 2-car push-and-pull sets in the 1920s. Sets 481 and 482 were non-articulated, the other pair, 513 and 514 being articulated. The latter pair are not known to have ever operated on the Westerham branch. Apart from the obvious removal of the engine portion and addition of a bogie, the carriages seen above were little changed from their rail-motor form. The slightly narrower outer ends were originally the trailing ends of the rail-motors while the inner ends with single door originally butted directly to the rail-motor engine portion and had a slight roof end overhang which projected part way over the footplate. It could not form a solid, continuous roof over the footplate due to articulation between engine and carriage portions. In the converted form seen above, the carriages enjoyed a life almost thrice that of when in rail-motor form. Dates, especially when only an approximate year is given, of photographs showing these and the replacement Maunsell sets on the Westerham branch can be a little confusing as, it would seem, the two types worked turn and turn about until the full complement of 20 Maunsell sets had been converted.
Photo from Mike Morant collection old42.jpg) Another view of set No.482 at Westerham, taken at the same time as the picture above, probably in 1958. The angle gives a slightly better idea of the driving trailer cab and its slightly narrower profile. Both vehicles were virtually identical externally, the major difference being the vehicle coupled to the locomotive not having a driving cab. A box van can be seen in the distance standing alongside the dock which was unusually sited at the end of the running line.
Photo from Mike Morant collection old49.jpg) Class H 0-4-4T No.31239 works Tonbridge duty 306 at Westerham. The date of the image is not known but as the push-and-pull set is one of those converted from steam rail-motor carriage portions it will likely be during the second half of the 1950s. Certainly it was after May 1953 when No.31239 was push-and-pull fitted and before January 1960 when she was withdrawn. In any event, by January 1960 the regular branch push-and-pull set was Maunsell No.610. One of the two gas lamps suspended beneath the platform canopy is visible above while part of the goods shed is visible on the right.
Photo by Keith Vassell old119.jpg) Westerham station looking towards the buffers with the goods shed on the left. The photograph is dated 1958. Maunsell push-and-pull set No.610 is present, no doubt with the usual H class locomotive at the rear. Taken from the signal box, the starter signal post is partly visible on the left and an idea of its construction can be gained. As was usual by this time, the goods shed is seeing little use and much of the goods traffic to Westerham would have been coal. The sheds visible behind the goods shed have no railway direct connection.
Photo from Bill Curtis collection old125.jpg) A general view of Westerham station in May 1958, looking towards the buffers. On the lamp post at the near end of the platform a Southern Railway 'target' nameboard can be seen. Painted green and white (or cream), these 'targets' resembled a stretched version of the London Transport 'bar and circle'. Quite how many 'targets' were installed at Westerham is unclear. In the left background the goods shed has several wagons present on the shed road.
Photo from John Mann collection old28.jpg) On 26 October 1958 Class H 0-4-4T No.31177 waits at Westerham. This locomotive, being Tonbridge-based at the time, was one of the branch regulars and one of those most often photographed. The push-and-pull set is not accurately identifiable from this angle but could be set 723 which had been converted from stock of LB&SCR origin and is known to have worked on the Westerham branch around this time. Alternatively it might be one of sets converted using 1 x ex-SE&CR plus 1 x ex L&SWR vehicle and given set number in the 652 - 658 series.
Photo
by David Pearson
old149.jpg) On 26 October 1958 push-and-pull set 663 waits at Westerham behind the by-then-usual Class H 0-4-4T. Set 663 was one of an interesting batch made up from a mixed bag of vehicles. Some comprised 1 x ex-SE&CR + 1 x L&SWR vehicles while others comprised 2 x ex-SE&CR vehicles, set 663 being of the latter composition (the National Railway Museum notes 663 as being ex-SER but this is somewhat academic). Set 663 was one of a batch which began life as 3-car 'birdcage' sets of, of course, normal configuration. The driving trailer, facing the camera, was originally a 60ft 'birdcage' brake third lavatory while the other vehicle was a 50ft lavatory composite. The lavatories occupied the third compartment and can be seen further along the driving trailer, the equivalent in the composite being obscured by the open door. These ex-'birdcage' conversions seem to have appeared relatively late, being converted during WW2 with identical sets 660 and 661 known to have been converted in 1942. They survived until the end of 1961, being ousted partly by the Maunsell sets converted during the 1950s, line closures and to a perhaps lesser degree by the introduction of diesel-electric multiple units. Of note on the front of the driving trailer at Westerham are the various data plates, left and below the windscreen, and the cumbersome air-operated windscreen wiper which was typical Southern Railway and also appeared on the earlier types of electric multiple unit. These wipers gave a characteristic 'thump hiss thump hiss' sound in operation. On the left the church of St Mary the Virgin is seen.
Photo
by David Pearson
old45.jpg) Sometime in 1959 the by-then-usual Class H tank and push-and-pull set waits at Westerham. Traffic at the goods shed is conspicuous by its absence. Through the open doors of the shed the loading gauge can be seen. As the name implies, the purpose of these simple but effective devices was to check that flat and open wagons had been loaded only to the point where they could safely pass beneath bridges, through tunnels and clear other structures such as platform canopies and signal gantries. Every goods yard once had such a gauge and they could also be found at other wayside locations where a goods siding was required.
Photo from Jim Lake collection old64.jpg) Sometimes one gets feelings about certain things and the group of people loitering on the platform, plus an individual peering into the carriage, are suspected of being a group of railway enthusiasts. This in turn suggests the image was taken shortly before closure. Certainly it is after 1959, the year from which Maunsell push-and-pull-pull stock began to replace older stock such as the ex-railmotor sets 481/2. The Maunsell stock began life as main line locomotive-hauled stock and a large number were converted for push-and-pull operation having been ousted by newer stock and the Kent Coast Electrification scheme. Despite the plated-over former gangway connection being obvious, the conversions were quite neat and included an air-operated windscreen wiper of the type fitted to older Southern EMU stock. Others, however, were converted with a single windscreen in the upper centre and looked quite odd. Set 610 comprised cars S6679S, the Driving Brake Composite, and S1317S, the all-third. Subsequent to life on the Westerham branch, set 610 went initially to the Hawkhurst branch and then to the Tonbridge - Paddock Wood - Maidstone West service. By June 1964 it could be found on the Reading (South) - Ash - Guildford service and this appears to have been its final use. The number, which appears to be 238, on the white disc is the duty number and presumably applies to Tonbridge shed. In BR days, if not earlier, passenger stock was left overnight at Westerham while the locomotive returned to Dunton Green with a goods train. The operation to return the locomotive to Westerham was rather peculiar; during the early hours the locomotive worked a goods train down from Dunton Green to Westerham non-stop, then tripped wagons, including the brake van, back to Brasted. Business at Brasted concluded, anybody up and about early enough beheld the sight of the locomotive pushing the brake van back to Westerham. The goods guard then travelled back to Dunton Green by passenger train until evening when he returned to Westerham by the same means. Note the gas lamps with their barley-sugar twist standards. The lamps seen above replaced Suggs 'Windsor' casement types sometime after 1935 and appear to have been of the relatively-little-known Suggs 'Littleton' type. Like the more familiar 'Rochester' lamp, the Littleton was designed to cast shadowless light downwards. The Littleton is known to have been around as early as 1937, if not earlier. Some sources suggest the Littleton was designed for railway use although it is known to have been used elsewhere, for example for illuminating road and other non-railway signage. The correct name of the manufacture is William Sugg & Co Ltd but the firm is commonly referred to as Suggs or Sugg's. The company is still with us today and 'By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen' oversee the gas lighting at Buckingham Palace. One of the Littleton lamps believed to be from Westerham station survived, albeit not with its barley-sugar twist standard, and can be seen at the bottom of this page on the Kent Rail website. Westerham station was presumably supplied with gas from the local gasworks which was situated on Croydon Road. Photo from John Mann collection old115.jpg) This view looking along Westerham's platform towards the buffers is from the summer of 1959. Beyond the Maunsell push-and-pull set, the locomotive is a Class H tank and its Westinghouse pump is prominent. Beneath the canopy a gas lamp is visible while on the end of the canopy is a telephone bell. Directly ahead of the camera is one of the station's Littleton gas lamps with ornate barley-sugar twist standard. The photograph was taken during the off-peak period as business does not appear brisk. Bill Curtis and his father were the only passengers boarding the empty train at Dunton Green and they were invited by the driver to accompany him and his fireman in the cab for the journey. Suffice it to say that no-one else joined the train at Chevening Halt or Brasted, and on their return journey that evening, there was only one other passenger for the train out of Westerham.
Photo from Bill Curtis collection Click here for Westerham Station Gallery 6:
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