H class tank No 31308 brings an empty stock train possibly from Bricklayers Arms on the through road.
“The variety of engine classes at Tonbridge as late as 1961 is remarkable”
U1 class 31893 leaves Tonbridge on an afternoon train for Redhill.
This was one of a number of visits to Tonbridge using a half day excursion ticket from Bromley South, on this occasion just three weeks before the end of steam on the South Eastern main line. Even after that event, Tonbridge would still see quite a lot of steam hauled trains, as those to Oxted, Brighton and Redhill would last a few more years, with the latter being the last to succumb to dieselisation in January 1965. Tonbridge team (73J) shed also closed in 1965.
The pictures tell the tale of a long afternoon and early evening photographing the various comings and goings. My record-keeping then wasn’t very good, but I have pieced together the captions from my brief notes and a copy of the winter 1960/196 Southern timetable. Train headcodes and knowledge of which engines tended to work on the various lines have enabled me to produce an almost complete story of the trains we saw. At that time most main line trains from Charing Cross to Ashford and Dover and Ramsgate at 10 minutes past alternate hours were hauled by class 33 diesels and the 20 minutes past each hour trains from Charing Cross to Hastings had been operated by the new diesel electric multiple units since 1957. Continental Boat Trains to and from Victoria and Folkestone or Dover were still almost entirely worked by Bulleid light Pacifics and would be until 11 June 1961. These always caused a wave of excitement amongst the many ‘spotters’ on the platform that afternoon, as can be seen in the shot of 34089 on the 2.20 pm from Folkestone Harbour. Redhill trains arrived generally at around ten minutes to each hour returning at various times, but roughly hourly intervals.
Schools class No 30936 Cranleigh arrives at Tonbridge with a train from Redhill.
34089 602 Squadron brings the 2.20 pm Folkestone Harbour to Victoria through Tonbridge past 80153.
Schools class 30928 Stowe backs to Jubilee sidings to collect the stock for an afternoon train to Brighton.
Schools class 30936 Cranleigh awaits departure from Tonbridge with an unknown working.
‘H’ class 0-4-4 tanks had charge of the shuttles to and from Oxted which were infrequent so we can be fairly sure that 31544 was working the 4.38 pm to Oxted and 31005 had arrived at 4.55 pm on the 4.04 pm from Oxted. Trains from Brighton arrived at 27 minutes past each hour returning at ten past. These were hauled by BR class ‘4’ 2-6-4 tanks or Maunsell Moguls, as were the Redhill trains. There were also infrequent trains to Maidstone West, some of which worked through from Redhill.
The identity of the trains in two of the pictures is uncertain. First the shot of ‘H’ class No 31308 according to the headcode discs should show a train from Bricklayers Arms and it is certainly an empty stock working as it is running on the down through road. Possibly more likely though it has come from Jubilee sidings just to the west of the station and may be bound for Paddock Wood to work to Maidstone West or Hawkhurst. Secondly the shot of Schools class No 30936 Cranleigh appears to show it on a train to Redhill as it appeared from there earlier as shown in another shot. However the headcode discs indicate something else and I suspect that this train may be the 2.41 pm through train from Margate to London Bridge which No 30936 had just taken over, possibly from a class 33 diesel loco. This train ran via Redhill and eventually got to its destination at 6.47pm.
The variety of engine classes still at Tonbridge as late as 1961 is remarkable. The Schools class had all gone by the end of 1962, but the Wainwright ‘H’s, dating from 1904 lasted incredibly another two years.
H class 31544 on the stock of an Oxted train entering Tonbridge.
H Class No 31005 shunts the empty stock of a push-pull train from Oxted.
34004 Yeovil passes slowly through Tonbridge with the 3.30 pm Victoria to Folkestone Harbour boat train.
BR class 4 tank 80064 in an afternoon train to Maidstone West.
34077 603 Squadron brings the 2.25 pm Dover Marine to Victoria boat train through Tonbridge with 31893 on the left.
Schools class 30928 Stowe brings the empty stock of an afternoon train to Brighton into Tonbridge.