The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway held their 'Steam and Diesel Gala' over the weekend of May 13th-14th, featuring 9 locomotives in action on the 13 & 1/2 mile railway between Hythe and Dungeness. Alongside every serviceable member of their home-fleet, the event featured two visiting locomotives, with significant connections to the RH&DR.
From the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, No7 "River Esk" paid a visit to the Kent coast, as part of its centenary celebrations. Built in 1923, No7 "River Esk" was designed by Henry Greenly, the person responsible for designing the RH&DR's original fleet of 7 mainline steam locomotives. As such, "River Esk" served as a forerunner to his RH&DR designs. The other visiting engine came in the shape of Bassett-Lowke Class 30 - No32 "Count Louis", making a return to the Romney Marsh for the first time in over 40 years. The Class 30 atlantic was built in 1924, to an order placed by Count Louis Zborowski, for use on his garden railway at his home, Higham Park. It was Count Louis, who with Captain J.E.P. Howey, dreamt up the notion of owning and operating their own 15" gauge railway; this would become the RH&DR. Unfortunately, the Count was killed at the Monza Grand Prix on the 19th of October 1924, not living to see the dream realised under Howey. After his death, the atlantic moved on to the Fairbourne Railway. The Class 30 was another Henry Greenly design.
Greenly based the original RH&DR pacifics off of the GNR A1 Class, with subsequent developments producing the LNER A3 Class, of which sole survivor "Flying Scotsman" also celebrates its centenary this year. To mark the ocassion, No1 "Green Goddess" was renamed for the event as "Flying Scotsman" to pay homage to the anniversary and the engineering connection.
The event featured an intensive timetable of passenger services, along with a demonstration freight set making sporadic appearences. Unfortunately, due to its limited speed and haulage capacity, "Count Louis" was confined to hauling a shuttle service around New Romney station. The highlight came at the conclusion of the weekend, as a spectacular multi-header was staged with 7 steam locomotives, travelling non-stop from New Romney to Dungeness and back. "River Esk" would lead, with the serviceable RH&DR locomotives appearing line-asten behind in numerical order, hauling a mega consist of 22 carriages.
Locomotives:
RH&DR Pacific Class - No2 "Northern Chief"
RE&R - No7 "River Esk"
RH&DR Pacific Class - No1 "Flying Scotsman" ("Green Goddess")
RH&DR Mountain Class - No6 "Samson"
RH&DR 'North American' Pacific Class - No10 "Doctor Syn"
R&ER Diesel Class - "Shelagh of Eskdale"
RH&DR Mountain Class - No5 "Hercules"
RH&DR Pacific Class - No3 "Southern Maid"
Bassett-Lowke Class 30 - No32 "Count Louis"
All footage filmed on Sunday the 14th of May 2023.