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1:76 micro commissions depicting a preserved Sussex branch, 1961-

Gallery

The Nuthatch Line in preservation, 1961-

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The 'Atlantic Coast Express' passes Butterbox Bridge with Battle of Britain Class No 34053 'Sir Keith Park' in command.

Conveying through coaches from London to seaside resorts on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, the 'ACE' (as it was known to enthusiasts and staff alike) was arguably one of the most famous of all the SR's named trains and certainly one of the most long-established - it was introduced in 1926 and concluded in September 1964 with only a brief interlude during the Second World War.

The continued efforts of the preservation movement ensure that the SR's best-known and most celebrated named trains do not fade into history

LB&SCR A1X Class No 32655 works a short pick-up goods from Bramblehurst

SR Bulleid Brake Third Semi-Open No S4005 heads south through Great Coles Wood from Bramblehurst.

Upon withdrawal in July 1967, No S4005 was largely gutted for use as a mobile office but has since undergone extensive restoration to her original condition

Under the admiring eye of a footplate inspector, LB&SCR A1X Class No 9 'Fishbourne' awaits her next working on the Nuthatch Line

Resplendent in malachite green, USA Class No 30064 heads a van train through Great Coles Wood.

No 30064 survived to the bitter end of Southern Region steam having recorded 301,093 miles at withdrawal in July 1967 - the highest of the class

God Save the King. 06 May 2023

Seven-plank open goods wagon No 16227 stands before Butterbox Bridge.

Diagram 1355 consisted of 2,121 examples making it the most numerous SECR wagon during the post-Grouping period

Unkempt and grimy, SE&CR P Class No 31556 typifies the run-down of steam on BR in the 1960s. A quayside backdrop would perhaps be more befitting to replicate a scene from yesteryear

A familiar working for L&SWR B4 Class No 30096 as she shuffles stock.

No 30096 is more commonly referred to as 'Normandy' having been named in accordance with an old tradition of the Southampton Dock Co, the names of whose locomotives were of continental origin

The standard Maunsell-era covered goods wagon was very different to what had been seen previously using a standardised steel underframe with SE&CR either-side (or litt-link) brake gear, self-contained buffers and running gear to RCH standards. A popular choice for departmental conversion, many became BR stock owing to their more modern construction. Several passed to preservation societies in the 1970s, including the Nuthatch Line, which is the custodian of three in varying liveries.

No 45784 in SR brown is pictured in the open at Great Coles Wood

A truly rural scene as LB&SCR A1X Class No 32655 heads a short mixed train for Bramblehurst.

Similar formations were occasionally seen on the Hayling Island branch with the covered goods wagon accommodating the luggage and prams of holidaymakers heading down to the south coast

Begrimed SR V Class No 921 'Shrewsbury' - running as No 917 'Ardingly' - nears Butterbox Bridge.

Some locomotive classes became known merely by letters or nicknames; the 'Schools' have always been spoken of as such. Forty members of the class were built between 1930 and 1935 which contrasted to the number of public schools which at the time ran into three figures.

Upon withdrawal in November 1962, BR donated one 'Ardingly' nameplate to the West Sussex school. The other is now on display at the Bluebell Railway Museum having been purchased at auction in October 2020

In this undated view of Great Coles Wood, a guard is caught deep in conversation

During the Second World War the isolated nature of the siding at Great Coles Wood meant that unused passenger stock and trainloads of military equipment could be stored in safer surroundings. In preservation the siding continues to serve a similar purpose.

USA Class No 30064 is seen easing toward 'New Van' No S55040 in an often-photographed location on the Nuthatch Line

A recreation of a down local clanks through the Sussex countryside.

The covered goods wagon, No 15750, was built in 1919 and eventually withdrawn from traffic by BR in May 1958. She was purchased from Streatham Common in September 1973 having been used for static storage

Restored to her final BR condition and livery, L&SWR B4 Class No 30096 stands at Great Coles Wood between shunting duties

LB&SCR A1X Class No 9 'Fishbourne' ambles through the shallow cutting at Great Coles Wood with a short goods train.

Goods traffic was once considerable on the Nuthatch Line though declined rapidly in the years following the First World War as local farmers and producers switched to the convenience of mechanised road transport

To accurately portray a period goods train the Nuthatch Line has always sought a geographically diverse collection of rolling stock. An example of this is gunpowder van No 105777 which is of GWR origin and dates back to 1939.

This particular van does however have an affiliation with the region, having latterly seen use at the gypsum mines in Mountfield, East Sussex, before being withdrawn at Tonbridge

The 50T 'Warwells' were amongst the strongest wagons ever constructed in Britain. At the height of the Second World War US-built Sherman tanks were planned to be shipped to Britain and stored pending Operation Overlord, the invasion of Europe, however they proved to be too high to be carried on regular flat wagons. The Ministry of Supply therefore commissioned the 'Warwells' which were built by three companies, including the SR.

Despite the forlorn appearance, No 76 is a useful asset to the Nuthatch Line, occasionally conveying locomotive boilers or tracked excavators for civil engineering projects on the railway

Great Coles Wood sees LB&SCR A1X Class No 32655 shunting BR liveried stock. The subject and rural surroundings lend themselves to Hodson’s Mill, Robertsbridge, which was once served by the Kent & East Sussex Railway and specifically No 32655 in the early 1950s

Evoking memories of the Bluebell Railway in the 1970s, USA Class No 30064 starts the descent to Bramblehurst.

No 30064, colloquially known as the 'Yankee Tank', was the seventh of the class to enter service with the SR following initial modifications in June 1947

Although the SE&CR two-plank ballast wagon failed to be preserved, the Nuthatch Line can boast two examples which have been painstakingly recreated using the standard SE&CR underframe. Originating from neglected seven-plank open goods wagons, both underframes were substantially rebuilt and had new bodies made using original works drawings.

The first, No 567, poses with Great Coles Wood Farm in the distance

Last Updated: 06 June 2023

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