The Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, is inviting visitors to its ‘Southern Steam Up’ event over the weekend of Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 June.

The event will feature five steam locomotives:

• South Eastern and Chatham Railway 0-6-0 O1 No. 65 (visiting courtesy of The Bluebell Railway), as announced last month
• Ivatt tank locomotive No. 41313 (visiting courtesy of Isle of Wight Steam Railway)
• Caledonian Railway No. 828, which joined Spa Valley Railway last year
• Hunslet Austerity No. 2890 ‘Douglas’
• Bulleid Pacific No. 34072 ‘257 Squadron’, which also visited the Railway last year

Locomotive No. 65 was built at Ashford Works in 1898 and used to work on the Hawkhurst Branch and Kent and East Sussex Railway near to Tunbridge Wells West.

No. 65 and will stay at Spa Valley to run over the following weekend of 24 and 25 June alongside Caledonian Railway No. 828 on a special timetable featuring both Victorian locos.

Ivatt tank locomotive No. 41313 was built in 1952, and is leaving the Isle of Wight for the first time since returning to steam in 2017.

Bulleid Pacific No. 34072 ‘257 Squadron’ was designed by Oliver Bulleid and built at Brighton Works, completed in April 1948. The loco ran at over 100mph in regular service, making Bulleid Pacifics iconic for the Southern Railway. 257 Squadron was taken into preservation by Southern Locomotives Limited in 1984, and returned to service in 1990 after extensive restoration. It operated at the Swanage Railway until the early 2000s, and then had to be overhauled again. It returned to steam in 2017 and now resides at the Spa Valley Railway alongside another Bulleid Pacific – No. 34053 ‘Sir Keith Park’., which ran at Spa Valley for the first time in September 2020.

All locomotives will be operate between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge on both days, including Saturday evening. Visitors can take part in Brake Van Rides with the Queen Mary Brake Van operating.

On the evening of Saturday 17 June, visitors can ride SECR O1 No. 65 and another locomotive while enjoying a  Fish and Chip Supper (which must be booked in advance), or drinking real ale from bar car ‘Kate’ on the Real Ale Train.

Sunday 18 June is Fathers’ Day, and Spa Valley will be running its Kent Cheese Train (advance booking required). Passengers will have the opportunity to try a selection of local cheeses, crackers and chutney, accompanied by cider or wine, while travelling through the High Weald countryside.

Also on the Sunday, several engines will be on stationary display on the platform at Groombridge courtesy of The Sussex and Kent Weald Stationary Engine Group.

Tickets include all-day travel with the option to hop on and off to view the steam engines on display at stations. The Spa Valley Railway operates along a five-mile line crossing the border of Kent and East Sussex between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge with additional stations at High Rocks and Groombridge.

All details of the Summer Steam Up can be found on this webpage.

Ticket prices

• family rover tickets £60
• adult rover tickets £25
• child rover tickets £15 for children with discounts available
• discounts available for tickets purchased in advance online, and for buying two-day rover tickets.

Tickets may be booked now from the Spa Valley Railway website.

Commercial Manager at the Spa Valley Railway Jonnie Pay said: “We are delighted to have so many iconic steam engines at our ‘Southern Steam Up’ event which is also celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the formation of the Southern Railway.

“The event will have a Southern theme, with three iconic Southern region locomotives in action all weekend including two which are visiting especially for this event – one from the Bluebell Railway and the other all the way from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.”