Westerham goods yard's hand-operated 5-ton crane seen here on the final day of the Westerham branch service. Unlike the goods shed crane, this one was of steel construction and rather more 'the business'. A few discarded rails and other items are neatly laid out beneath the crane's jib, possibly used as a makeshift unloading platform. The car is a rather nice example of the Rover P4 series and appears to be the early version of the Rover 90 with smaller boot. The one drawback with all the P4 series was the rear passenger doors which were hinged at the rear and had a tendency, if not closed properly, to fly open at speed. This type of door was found on numerous makes of car and was a throwover from pre-war days. Their tendency to fly open earned them the dubious nickname 'Suicide Doors'. The advantage of these doors, which could also be found, fitted to the front of certain makes of car, was that they made entry and exit much easier. Thus when getting in or out of a Rover P4 one just glided gracefully on and off the seat with none of the contorsionistic skills needed with most modern cars in which the traveller’s backside is a mere six inches from the road surface and a hard hat is advisable to prevent a fractured skull, courtesy of the top of the door apertures, when attempting to get in and out.
Photo by Chris-Knowles-Thomas from Southern E Group web site