As the final touches are put to the programme to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR), the final line-up of locomotives for the first major event has been announced. 

The railway’s three-day Diesel Gala will take place on Friday 12, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 April.

This is the first major event in the anniversary year and the latest announcement confirms the final line-up of five locomotives.  Three of these will be making their first appearance at the K&ESR. 

The largest diesel ever to visit the railway will be on loan from the Great Central Railway. Class 37 37714 is visiting by kind permission of its owners, the Heavy Tractor Group.  

It was built by English Electric in 1961 and was numbered D6724. It first worked on the Eastern Region and was based at the March depot. By the mid 1990s, it worked passenger services in Scotland.

It was bought by the Heavy Tractor Group in 2017, after renumbering and a number of relocations around the country, as well as a spell spent in Spain. 

Visiting from the Severn Valley Railway is Class 17 Clayton BO-BO D8568. It was built in 1964 and spent just a decade in service, mainly hauling freight around Scotland and the North East of England.  

It was withdrawn from service by BR in October 1971 but worked for two cement companies before it was purchased and preserved by the Diesel Traction Group in 1983. 

The other first-time visitor is privately-owned Class 20 20087, on loan from Road and Rail Services. 

K&ESR’s very own diminutive diesels will also be hard at work. Class 03 D2023 will be joined by Class 14 D9504.

The Class 14 locomotive, recently comprehensively overhauled, will be heading passenger carriages for the first time in four years.

This locomotive, one of a number of 1964 Swindon-built locomotives, was one of the class known s ‘Teddy Bears’. It was one of workhorses on the construction work on the HS1, the UK’s first high-speed railway line.

Anyone keen to try their hand at driving a diesel locomotive should turn up at Tenterden Town station where, for just £10, they drive Ruston 165 DE (Rowntree’s Number 1). Booking can be made online or on the day.

Passengers using public transport to get to the event can enjoy a trip on a vintage bus service.

The service will meet passengers at Headcorn station where trains from London – out of Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge bound for the Kent coast via Tonbridge and Sevenoaks – will call. The bus will take passengers to Tenterden Town station.

On the Friday evening, 12 April, a Beerex train will run, modelled on K&ESR’s popular Real Ale and Cider trains. The trains will be double-headed by D8568 and 37714.

The return trip will be powered by 37714 with D8568 rolling behind. A selection of real ales will be available on board and entertainment will be provided at Tenterden Town station, with a band playing from 18:00.

The train departs Tenterden at 19:30, returning at 22:00 when the vintage bus service to Headcorn station will take passengers back to catch main-line trains. Tickets will include the station entertainment, dinner and the first pint.

Prices will be lower for those booking in advance – which is strongly advised. These include one-day and three-day freedom tickets, though separate booking needs to be made for the Beerex train. Full details are available by clicking ‘Events’ on the K&ESR website: www.kesr.org.uk

Other 50th anniversary events will include a 1940s weekend and the CAMBRA Real Ale and Cider festival. A Steam Punk weekend is also scheduled, along with family events for the school holidays and the ever-popular Santa Specials.