Ashford Steam Centre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ashford Steam Centre

Black Five 45110 at Ashford Steam Centre
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Established	1968
Dissolved	1976
Location	Willesborough, Ashford, Kent
Type	Operational railway museum
Founder	Esmond Lewis-Evans
Owner	British Railways Board

The Ashford Steam Centre was a special place where old trains, especially steam locomotives, were kept and shown. It was like a museum, but the trains could still run! It was located in Willesborough, near Ashford, Kent, in the United Kingdom.

The centre was set up in an old engine shed that was east of the main Ashford railway station. It opened its doors in 1968 but unfortunately closed eight years later in 1976.

History of the Steam Centre

The Ashford Steam Centre was started by a person named Esmond Lewis-Evans. It used a large building called an engine shed. This shed was built in 1931 by the Southern Railway. It had everything needed to look after steam trains, like a big spinning platform called a turntable, a place to load coal, and a water tower.

Steam trains stopped being serviced here in June 1962. After that, the shed was used for diesel trains. But in 1968, it got a new life as the Ashford Steam Centre.

On April 11, 1971, a special train trip called the Man of Kent '71 visited the centre. It used a Class 71 electric locomotive and a special passenger train set.

In 1974, the centre was open to visitors once a month, usually on the second Sunday. At that time, about twelve different locomotives were kept there. However, the centre faced money problems. Because of this, the Ashford Steam Centre had to close in May 1976. All the trains and carriages that were kept there were moved to other places.

The old engine shed and the land around it were cleared away in 1989. For a while, the area was used to store cars. Since 2005, most of the land has been sold to build new houses.

Trains and Carriages at the Centre

The Ashford Steam Centre was home to many interesting trains and carriages during its time. These included powerful steam locomotives, special passenger units, and beautiful Pullman carriages.

Steam Locomotives

Many different types of steam locomotives were based at the centre. These included:

• A C Class locomotive (No 592) from the old South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR). After the centre closed, it moved to the Bluebell Railway.
• An H Class locomotive (No. 263), also from the SECR. This one also went to the Bluebell Railway.
• A very famous Merchant Navy class locomotive (No 35028 Clan Line). This was a powerful train from the Southern Railway.
• Another Southern Railway train, an N15 class locomotive (No 777 Sir Lamiel).
• An O1 Class locomotive (No. 65) from the SECR. It was bought by the founder, Esmond Lewis-Evans, in 1968.
• A Black Five locomotive (No. 45110) from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS).
• Two smaller industrial locomotives built by Hawthorn Leslie. One was called Singapore.
• A unique French train, a De Glehn compound (No 3.628) from the French Northern Railway. It was brought from France in the early 1970s.
• A Norwegian locomotive (No. 376 King Haakon VII) from Norges Statsbaner.

Other Trains and Carriages

The centre also had other types of rolling stock:

• Several electric multiple units, which are trains made of several connected carriages that can drive themselves. These included a 4RES and a 4DD unit from the Southern Railway. The 4DD unit was special because it was a "double-deck" train, meaning it had two levels for passengers!
• A 5BEL unit, which was a part of the famous "Brighton Belle" Pullman train. One of its carriages, named Audrey, later became part of the luxurious Venice-Simplon Orient Express.
• Several beautiful Pullman carriages, which were known for their fancy interiors and comfortable travel. These included Lucille, Orion, Phyllis, and Sapphire. Many of these also ended up on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express or other heritage railways.
• Other interesting items included a "Birdcage brake" carriage from the SECR and a four-wheel brake carriage from the Norwegian State Railways.
• There were also some special work vehicles, like a self-propelled crane and a steam crane.

Images for kids

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  SECR C Class No 592

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  SECR H Class No. 263

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  SR Merchant Navy Class 35028 Clan Line

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  SR N15 Class 777 Sir Lamiel

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  SECR O1 Class No. 65

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  LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 45110

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  Hawthorn Leslie Singapore

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  CF du Nord 3.628

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  NSB Class 21c No. 376 King Haakon VII

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  Hudswell Clarke D810 Enterprise

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  SR Class 4DD No 4902

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  Pullman Kitchen First No S280S Audrey

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  Pullman Parlour First No 243 Lucille

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  Pullman No 306 Orion