A day out begins at a gateway - you need to look hard for this one. The entrance to the S&K is under this redundant bridge at the back of Pizza Hut. And then a hard right up what look like allotment steps. This ain't your usual preserved railway.
Our engine for the day was Kerr Stuart
Leader, one of the smaller of the original 2'6" locos, here running round at Sittingbourne.
Ex-paper carrying bogies at \Sittingbourne. As I'm in the middle of laying track for the O-16.5 project with copper-clad sleepers, I'm pleased to spot that the sleepers here are far from the same lengths.
The main railway area is at the t'other-end at Kemsley Down where they are blessed with a huge amount of redundant stock, most of which will never run again unless millions are pumped in. Here Unique a 2-4-0 fireless sits rotting on the display line.
Happier Hudson is still running along with a Brian Clarke look-alike. It's the hat.
Coaching stock is basic and built on ex-paper bogies. Note the end stanchions still in place.
Modern Hunslet shuffling stock around in the yard. most were photographing the front end - here the rear view with the reservoir cylinders.
Below: the first mile or so of the line runs on this concrete viaduct. This makes the line unique, but is also it's downfall as the expense of inspection and constant repairs drains the resources.
Even though there are 4mm kits available I've never seen a model based around the S&K with the viaduct as the centrepiece. Shame, as it would make a great and different watching-the-trains-go-by scene.
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