Westerham Station Gallery 6: May 1960 - September 1961 old63.jpg) In May 1960 two cheerful-looking members of staff pose beside the driving cab of push-and-pull set No.482. At first glance there appears to be nothing out of the ordinary about this set until you notice the rather odd bodyside layout. Referring to the image of steam rail-motor No.3, set 482 was that formed from the carriage portions of two railmotors as was a second non-articulated set No.481. Sets 481/2 were formed from the carriage portions of railmotors 4, 5, 6 and 7 although, unlike the articulated conversions, it is unclear which portions were used for which sets. When originally converted from rail-motors, sets 481/2 were intended for the Isle of Wight Railway and were indeed shipped over but were apparently not push-and-pull fitted at this stage. They are known to have operated to Freshwater and Bembridge from 1925 to 1927, in which latter year they returned to the mainland. Quite why they returned to the mainland is not entirely clear as they were to spend the next two years in store until 1929 when they were dusted down and fitted with push-and-pull equipment. In this form the sets worked the Gravesend West branch until 1934, presumably one in service with the other spare, but they were occasionally used between Swanley and Sevenoaks. From 1934 both sets were sent to work the Westerham branch where they remained until sometime shortly before the branch closed. Set 481 and probably also 482 then spent a brief period on the Allhallows branch until that closed in December 1961. The sets were presumably then withdrawn as no record of any further use has come to light.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection
old67.jpg) Dated May 1960, this view presumably taken from the signal box steps shows a push-and-pull set waiting to depart for Dunton Green. Although the goods shed, left, was a little rickety and had settled somewhat out-of-square, it would appear this photograph rather exaggerates the situation. The push-and-pull set is of interest. Set 723, comprising driving trailer brake third S3855S and composite S6520S, began life as London Brighton & South Coast Railway conventional stock and, as converted for push-and-pull, spent a decade or so on the Seaton branch in Devon before returning east in early BR days. May 1960 would seem a little late for the continued existence of this set, so the date should be treated with a degree of caution.
Photo by Chris Gammell old17.jpg) Westerham station on 8 May 1960 with the usual Class H and push-and-pull set in attendance. The set appears to be 723, the ex-LB&SCR set described elsewhere. The track is neatly maintained but the grass is a little untidy. On the left, another version of poster for the beer campaign has appeared, also described elsewhere, and this pictorial poster is rather appealing showing as it does a fairly young married couple in a relaxed setting. Public houses of bygone days were more of a place for social gathering than are many of today's establishments with their blaring music and
gargantuan television sets. Copyright photo from Colour Rail 314393 old68.jpg) Sometime in 1960 one of the branch regulars, No.31518, waits at Westerham. The Maunsell set is probably another regular, No.610. Assuming the push-and-pull set is No.610 this was the train destined to work the final push-and-pull services on the branch the following year. The locomotive appears to have had new air pipes fitted at its front end.
Photo
from Jim Lake collection
old69.jpg) Westerhamstation from the buffers circa 1960. A push-and-pull train which appears to be arriving, owing to the lack of exhaust that can be seen, and it is some way back from the usual stopping point. On the right an open wagon and a ventilated van are seen, with further wagons in the distance. At the extreme left a Green Line RF stands at the bus stop. Green Line single-deckers of the period wore a quite distinctive livery, with a different colour destination display and, as can just be seen above, roof-mounted route-boards. London Transport routes serving Westerham are described
elsewhere in another caption. Photo by JL Smith old70.jpg) The Stevens signal box and Southern style starting signal seen here circa 1960. The tops of the levers can be seen through the windows of the box. In BR days, the signal seen above was known as the 'Up Main Starting' and was controlled by lever 13. Its position was given as being 15yd from the centre of the signal box. In the view above, this distance appears rather less than 15yd so whether the signalling diagram was inaccurate or if the signal had been moved at some point, perhaps when the original signal was replaced by that seen above, is not clear. Westerham once also had an 'Up Advanced Starting' signal, controlled by lever 7, but its precise location is unrecorded. It was likely to have stood in the vicinity of the water crane or slightly beyond. This Advanced signal was abolished at an unknown date and lever 7 subsequently controlled the points to the back siding. In Southern Railway days locking was both electric and mechanical but in BR days it appears to have been exclusively mechanical. Advanced signals were provided for occasions when a train had to draw forward for any reason beyond the Main Starting signal or was too long to be controlled by the Main Starting signall'
Photo from Jim Lake collection old78.jpg) On Saturday 11 March 1961 an unidentified Class H tank is seen at Westerham with Maunsell set No.610. Despite the disc on the front of the driving trailer, the direction of the plume of steam from the locomotive's safety valves, plus that drifting over the carriages, suggests the train is arriving rather than departing. On the left the goods shed, empty again is seen, and the yard's 5-ton crane.
Photo by Graham Hoare old79.jpg) In March 1961 Class H No.31551 takes on water at Westerham. An advantage of push-and-pull trains is clear from this image; it was not necessary at Westerham and many other locations to uncouple the locomotive from the train and run round the loop to reach the water crane. The push-and-pull set is probably No.610, this being the usual Maunsell set seen on the branch. The set appears nice and clean but the pleasantness, or otherwise, of the unlined Southern green livery was a matter of opinion. The Southern Railway and British Railways used several different shades of green and which shade was which remains a complex issue to this day. In the foreground is the site of the one-time engine shed and to the right the well-known ringed shunt signal; the brick wall is the base of the shed. Note the washing hanging out to dry on the left; in the days of steam locomotives and belching factory chimneys smuts were always a problem. Housewives grumbled but by and large the risk of washing being soiled by smoke and smuts was accepted as part of life. 'Smuts' means particles of soot or ash and is a word seldom heard nowadays.
Photo
by Graham Hoare
old32.jpg) A general view dating from 1961 of Westerham station, goods shed and yard taken from the dock area. The by-then-usual Class H tank and Maunsell push-and-pull set is present as is yet another version of the beer campaign advertisements.
Photo by Lamberhurst; reproduced from Wikimedia Commons under creative commons licence old3.jpg) On 27 May 1961 push-and-pull set 610 is propelled out of Westerham. The locomotive is the usual Class H 0-4-4T and on this occasion is No.31324. The goods shed is on the left. Note the large nameboard on the front of the signal box. The Maunsell push-and-pull sets such as 610 were as good as it got on the Westerham branch, plans for electrification never reaching fruition. In 1903 the SE&CR obtained powers for electrification including generation. Nothing happened until after WW1 when plans were drawn up for electrification of certain lines in Kent, including the Westerham branch. However, despite having obtained powers to generate electricity, permission to build the power station, believed to have been sited at Charlton, was refused and the scheme was shelved. The electrification would have used a system rather peculiar to modern eyes of 1500v DC fourth rail. Whether this would have involved a centre negative rail or a both current rails outside the running rails is not known. In any event, the Southern Railway, formed in 1923, decided to standardise on the L&SWR third rail system (that still in use today) and the Westerham branch, possibly because of WWII and the subsequent growth of road transport, was destined to remain steam operated to the end .
Photo from Jim Lake collection old50.jpg) Class H 0-4-4T No.31530 waits at Westerham sometime after March 1961 with a Maunsell set. This is a rather pleasing view, being taken from a different angle and showing details of the Class H locomotives rather better. The overhang of the cab roof, for example, was a typical feature of the Wainwright era. It will have been noticed from these pages that the BR numbering system for the class suggested several hundred examples when in fact the class comprised just 66. The reason was the Southern Region jumbled-up several classes inherited at nationalisation; for example Class H No.31177 was flanked by Class E No.31176 and Class P No.31178. The final member of the class, numerically, was No.31554. Above the number can be seen the code '1P'. This was power classification and in this case meant 'Class 1 Passenger' with '1' representing the lightest of trains. Numbers increased according to train weight and locomotive brake force, the latter being equally, if not more, important than haulage capability. Freight locomotives saw the 'P' replaced by an 'F' and there were combinations for mixed-traffic locomotives. The dot visible beneath the number signified Route Availability, commonly abbreviated to 'RA'. This was determined by the Civil Engineer, based upon locomotive axle loading and the system is still in use today but in alpha-numeric form from RA1 to RA10 with RA10 being the heaviest and quoted by Network Rail in 2015 as being 25.4 tonnes per axle. The dot system used colours to denote Route Availability but the system was complicated and also used triangles and double dots. It remained in use well into the BR diesel and electric era when all such data began to be applied on the familiar blue and white vinyl stickers. The building in the left background was a school. It still stands today but is now in commercial use. Photo by Derek Potton old55.jpg) In September 1961, a few weeks before closure, the usual Class H tank and push-and-pull set waits at Westerham with tail lamp in position ready for the short run back to Dunton Green. No goods wagons are present on this occasion. Some re-sleepering work must have been ongoing as stacks of sleepers, complete with chairs, can be seen in a number of views from this per.
Photo from John Mann collection
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