Historic locomotive on its way

An historic locomotive engine looks on track to head back to Whitstable after years in a Canterbury museum.

And it seems likely to find a new home in the town’s harbour – derailing hopes of nearby museum chiefs who hoped it would prove the centrepiece of a major £300,000 revamp.

The Invicta engine has a special place in rail heritage. Built by the pioneering father and son team of George and Robert Stephenson, it was the sister engine of the world famous Rocket and dates back to 1829.

It served on the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway when it first opened.

For decades it was on display in Canterbury – first in Dane John Gardens and then the Heritage Museum in Stour Street. When the decision was made to close that last year, the hunt began to find it a new home.

Options included the Beaney, Whitstable Museum, Whitstable Harbour and its existing site at Poor Priests’ Hospital.

At a meeting of the Canterbury Area Members’ Panel on Monday night, it was revealed the preferred option was the harbour - and there was widespread approval the locomotive would be returning to the seaside town.

The Whitstable Area Members’ Panel was due to discuss the issue last night (Wednesday).

But Brian Hitchen, a representative from Whitstable Museum, said he feared the harbour was not the best place.

He said: “The minutes from the latest harbour board meeting suggest that it is more likely the engine will be used as decor in a food hall or event area,” he said.

“On questions of sustainability, the harbour is not the right location – it must be more than a sideshow.”

Picture: Rick Walsh A 12-foot scale model of the Invicta locomotive was restored by volunteers at the Whitstable Museum