Southern Steam - The Westerham Branch [1 of 3]

SouthernRailwayFilms 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.