A much-loved steam locomotive, one of the original icons of the Victorian railway era, has returned to the rails following major restoration, in time to lead the Kent and East Sussex Railway’s (K&ESR) Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Tenterden Town station.
London Brighton and South Coast Railway Terrier No. 70, ‘Poplar’, has been restored to the full glory of her heyday through a £150,000 project, including the revival of her original ornate livery which she carried when constructed in 1872.
The restoration was made possible by a successful fundraising appeal launched in 2019 which included securing a major donation of £25,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, a family-founded, grant-making charity, as well as generous gifts from steam enthusiasts, the general public, and members of the Terrier Trust, supporters of these small, but mighty steam engines.
Steam legend with a key educational role
At 150 years old, ‘Poplar’ is one of only a handful of working Victorian steam locomotives and has a major role to play in helping bring history to life, telling the story of Britain’s industrial and transport past.
‘Poplar’ was one of the first of this class of engines to enter service and is named after one of the areas served by the railway so, as part of the celebrations, ‘Poplar’ will be revisiting her London roots in June to spearhead an outreach event for primary schools and the local community.
Unveiling the newly-restored ‘Poplar’ earlier this week at Tenterden Town station, in advance of its first passenger service on June 2, Simon Marsh, chairman of K&ESR said: “‘Poplar’ was first purchased by K&ESR in 1901 and has worked this line almost continuously ever since. It is wonderful to have this iconic locomotive back to service in time to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen.”
As Councillor John Crawford, mayor of Tenterden, cracked a bottle of champagne across the buffers of ‘Poplar’ to celebrate her return to service, enthusiasts, both young and old, gathered with radio, television and newspaper representatives to take a celebratory journey aboard this legend of the rails.
‘Poplar’ re-commences her public service with K&ESR on June 2.
For more information go to https://kesr.org.uk/
Image Credits: Chris Lawson .