Second Tenterden ‘Terrier’ is all set for June relaunch

LBSCR ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T No. 70 Poplar (Bodiam), which is being restored North Norfolk Railway Engineering’s Weybourne works for service on the Kent & East Sussex Railway (KESR), has continued steadily over the winter.

The frames and motion have now been overhauled and tested in readiness for the refitting of the boiler.

New coupling rods are being manufactured and are due for delivery shortly.

The boiler passed its hydraulic test on March 10, followed by an out of frames steam test on March 17. A new chimney is being manufactured at the KESR’s Rolvenden works.

With the final reassembly of the loco now imminent, volunteers Matt Green, Richard Stone, and Robin White spent a week in mid-March at Weybourne to commence the painting, concentrating on the parts that will be difficult to reach once the loco is back in one piece. No. 70 now sports the distinctive ‘Improved Engine Green’ colour it carried when built in 1872 – a livery not seen on the locomotive for well over a century.

The weekend of June 2-5 is set to see two ‘Terriers’ in action on the KESR for the first time in many years, when No 70 will perform alongside sister No. 2678 as part of the ‘Best of British’ celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The first public train to be hauled by Poplar is booked to be the 11.30 from Tenterden on June 2, which will be available for pre-booking shortly.

KEITH ASHFORD/TT No. 70 Poplar passed its out of frames steam test on March 17.

ROBIN MOIRA WHITE/TT Terrier Trust volunteer Richard Stone applies the first coat of Stroudley ‘Improved Engine Green’ to the steam dome of No. 70 at Weybourne in March.