45606 'Falkland Islands' | 'The Kentish Belle Armistice Day' – Friday 11th November 2022

#Bahamas #steam #45596

Friday 11th November, Armistice Day, would see the Railway Touring Company run a special ‘Kentish Belle’ circular trip around Kent. The route would be London Victoria to Margate, for a half hour break, and the straight back to London Victoria running via Bromley South-Sole Street-Faversham on the outward leg and Dover-Ashford-Maidstone-Bromley South on the return. To mark Armistice Day the trip would be hauled by Jubilee no.45596 ‘Bahamas’ running as scrapped classmate no.45606 ‘Falkland Islands’. The (sort of) figure of eight route, most the tour being in the middle of the day and decent locations available near the major roads made it ideal for a chase around Kent and five locations were planned.

So to the day, thankfully ‘Just stop Oil’ have paused their M25 protests and I made my first location, Longfield and the east bound climb of Sole Street in good time. Two cameras see ‘Falkland Islands’ shut off as she drifts through the station at speed, a theme that would unfortunatly be repeated throughout the day. Next its Faversham, a late change of times meant a booked half hour stop at Faversham was reduced to 15 minutes and water to be taken at Whitstable, this still allowed me time to get to the footbridge by the former Faversham Motive Power Depot 73E – which lies abandoned amongst the undergrowth – and we see ‘Falkland Islands’ depart the station and take the curve towards Whitstable. The extra stop then allowed me one more chance for the outward leg to get ahead and its Chestfield & Swalecliffe, for what I had hoped would be a hard working climb away from the Whitstable water stop but was alas a slow plod through with the diesel at the rear doing most the work.

For the return leg we start at Sandling, a favourite shot of mine of locos bursting out the station and taking the curve through the station at speed. Two cameras see ‘Falkland Islands’ do just that, however still with the diesel at the rear doing most the work. Finally its Otford, and what I had hoped would be a climb through the station away from the junction but alas again two cameras show the diesel at the rear doing most the work. One of those days! Thanks as always to everyone involved in running the trip.

Photos …

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/52495074710/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/52495158683/in/dateposted-public/
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/52494601971/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/52494888914/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/52494123252/in/dateposted-public/

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