The first SKLR run of 2022

Sunday 3rd April saw the first running this year of the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway (SKLR) in Kent and We Are Railfans was there! Below we take a look at the narrow gauge line, that runs through an industrialised part of the Swale area and across some impressive pieces of railway infrastructure, as well as some of the locomotives at their Kemsley Down yard.

The origins of the SKLR lie in the paper mill once located at Sittingbourne and Ridham Dock situated at the coast where a body of water known as The Swale separates mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey. The mill required a way of transporting pulp from the dock, to the mill and so from 1905 the railway ran to do exactly that. Part of the line was abandoned after 1970, though trains ran on the remaining part when operated by a group who came forward and when the entire line was threatened afterwards in around 2008, it thankfully managed to survive.

After that, issues with the complex, elevated infrastructure meant that trains finally ran into Sittingbourne Viaduct in 2012 and today the railway continues to operate from each April on selected days, bringing visitors to their Kemsley Down depot, where most of their rolling stock is kept.

Information obtained from volunteers / staff on the day, but further details can be found at the SKLR website: https://www.sklr.net/

April 2022 marks the final time that Kerr Stuart 0-4-2 'Leader' will run before a major overhaul is scheduled in May. Despite this, the locomotive was seen glistening in the sun ready for the first train of the day at 1pm from Sittingbourne Viaduct Station. The 'Brazil' Class locomotive, supposedly named for the nationality of its first overseas customer, was originally built in 1905. Here it is seen arriving with the Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) from Kemsley Down, ready for the first train.

Getting to the railway is made incredibly easy by the proximity of Sittingbourne's main line station, just a five minute walk away. Class 377 no. 377520 had come in from London Victoria. In the background a Class 375 prepares to take some passengers onwards to the Isle of Sheppey.

The carriages used by the SKLR have diverse histories of their own. These two, previously of 'toast-rack' design, were originally run on the narrow gauge railway on the other side of the River Medway, where a munitions store existed near Chattenden and Upnor. Today, the separate compartments are a legacy of the need to socially distance passengers in 2020.

'Leader' rises the notable gradient, leading to the series of winding concrete viaducts, in order to run round the train and haul the first passenger service of the year.

The first half of the line is more reminiscent of an overhead mass transit line than a whimsical steam railway, but this makes the journey all the more intriguing. For passengers used to wide open vistas or rural countryside, the view over and into industrial yards and onwards to the marshes of The Swale can make for a pleasant change.

The second half of the line is at ground level and eventually ends up, after about 15-20 mins, at Kemsley Down where an eclectic selection of rolling stock can be viewed, along with a shop and cafe. Diesel locomotive 'Victor' can be seen sitting amongst the network of points and sidings.

'Melior' is also a Kerr Stuart locomotive, built later than 'Leader' in 1924. The restoration of this locomotive in the 1990s won accolades for the railway. Here it is seen stabled at Kemsley Down.

Few people will have come across the idea of a fireless steam locomotive, but indeed such units existed where there was the danger of flammable or hazardous materials coming into proximity of a coal fire. 'Unique' is one such loco, being required at the paper mill where fire was a very real threat. The boiler was pressurised from an external source, and the locomotive could run for up to 8 hours on a 'charge'.

A standard gauge segment of rail operations also existed on site that connected to the Sheerness Line which is still in operation for passenger traffic. Remnants of this industrial network can be seen in and around the expanse of farmland nearby. Though this locomotive 'Bear' is of standard gauge, it actually came from Scotland and is the oldest standard gauge Peckett locomotive.

Time to wander at Kemsley Down is well spent and with a cafe on site, refreshments are available before the journey back to Sittingbourne, by which time 'Leader' has run round ready to haul 'smokebox first'.

A calendar of special events and running dates for 2022 are published on the SKLR website. 'Leader' will soon give way to another locomotive so that it can be overhauled but visitors will still be able to enjoy this interesting and unique heritage railway.