The Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) based at Tenterden in Kent has a special attraction for children this summer with the world’s first Doodle Train.
Internationally acclaimed artist Mr Doodle took on his biggest vehicle art challenge when he created the Doodle Train.
Mr Doodle, like the Kent & East Sussex Railway, is based at Tenterden, and for a night and a day, he covered the sides of a 64ft railway carriage with his instantly recognisable signature doodles.
The final stages of the transformation happened live at the platform of Tenterden Town Station, in front of a crowd of fans, visitors and the press.
To protect the carriage so it can eventually be returned to its pre-doodle state, the doodles were drawn directly onto a special protective wrap covering the carriage’s sides using a technique often used to apply pre-printed designs to cars and other vehicles.
Mr Doodle is no stranger to large public art challenges, as he has doodled on everything from a Formula One car to his whole house.
The Doodle Train is not only his biggest-ever vehicle challenge but the first piece of his art that the public can travel in.
The Kent & East Sussex Railway issued the special challenge to Mr Doodle as part of its 50th Anniversary celebrations and was funded by Mr Doodle.
The Doodle carriage will run in the railway’s regular passenger fleet on a selected number of its scheduled heritage services throughout August.
These include the summer ‘Kids Go FREE’ offer, when any child aged under 16 can travel for free with any fare-paying adult.
This ticket allows unlimited trips up and down the line on the day of travel.
The first two Doodle Train services ran on Saturday, 27 July and Sunday, 28 July, departing from Tenterden Town station at 11:25 am.
Mr Doodle joined the passengers aboard the Saturday morning train.
Throughout the weekend, Tenterden Town station became a DoodleTown station where children could enjoy special Mr Doodle activities, including doodling their own cardboard train and taking part in a treasure hunt to spot a series of Mr Doodle signature doodles placed around the station. Until the end of August, a selection of Mr Doodle merchandise will be on sale in the station shop.
As there are a limited number of seats available on each Doodle Train and they can’t be reserved, the railway recommends that passengers should book in advance online at www.kesr.org.uk to save and arrive early at the station.
I was very happy doodling a train! It was the first time my drawings have appeared on a vehicle this size. It was so fun! It’s especially nice that it all happened in my hometown. I hope the people there enjoyed it!
Mr Doodle
“As a local artist and frequent visitor to the K&ESR, we were delighted that Mr Doodle agreed to literally ‘make his mark’ on our 50th Anniversary celebrations. We’d also like to extend our thanks to Mr Doodle for funding the project and giving his time to help support the railway and the local community.
Some heritage railway enthusiasts might have raised their eyebrows at this initiative, but for our 50th Anniversary we committed to not only celebrating the achievements of the past five decades but also to looking to the future and how we can continue to thrive.
The positive response to date – from the look of the finished carriage to the many people who came to see the artist at work and then to ride the first of the Doodle Trains – has already proved we were right in trying something new.
Robin Coombes, K&ESR General Manager
Responses
Anyone who doesn’t like it, go back to your steam engines and dad’s army weekends, and watch the railway lines die out.
What a great idea when there is so much doom and gloom.Should be more of it but more colourful. Love artful graffiti
I think it is splendid. Ignore the naysayers who attack it as ‘graffiti’ as if there were anything wrong with that style of art. It is only graffiti when it unauthorised. The graffiti artists of the 70s and later have had a huge positive influence on graphic design and art. And Banksy inflates the value of any wall he ‘defaces’ 10,000 fold. In this case the decorations are temporary and the carriage will be restored to its original state.
What a crass comment!! Children are the future customers of KSER
Perhaps a touch of sour grapes?
J
This is the most stupid idea any railway could think of doing. Something superficially of interest to attract young children but an albatross for the future in so many ways.
At a time when Grafitti is the bane of our existence…..and has spread across the railway system, (both national and preserved), in so many ways, we have an encouragement being provided to the Grafitti Lunatics.
James Hennighan
Yorkshire, England