|
The
Westerham Valley Line was a 4 1/2 mile branch from
Dunton Green (on the South Eastern Main Line) to
Westerham in Kent which opened in 1881 and closed as a
result of fierce competition from buses in 1961. An
early preservation attempt failed, and much of the
trackbed is now buried under the M25 London Orbital
road. This film was made in the summer of 1961, shortly
before closure. Here we see an ex-South Eastern &
Chatham Railway H Class 0-4-4T No. 31533 propelling an
ex-London Brighton & South Coast Railway push-pull set
along the branch, then call at Brasted Halt, Chevening
Halt (now Junction 5 of the M25) and back for another
view of Dunton Green as a rebuilt Bulleid Pacific storms
past. We now switch to another film of the line. At
Dunton Green on the penultimate day, we see a rare
visitor to the line, ex-SECR L1 (31739) 4-4-0 on an
enthusiast's special. The follwing day we witness the
end of operations, as the "Westerham Flyer" takes it's
final bow, propelled by an H Class 0-4-4T bedecked with
a Union Flag on the smokebox door. |