Chartered by the Railway Touring Company, 'The Armistice Kentish Belle' would feature Ex-LMS 'Jubilee' Class - 45596 "Bahamas" as its star motive power, with support provided by West Coast Railways Class 47 - 47746 "Chris Fudge 29.7.70 - 22.6.10", as the pair made a tour around Kent on Remembrance Day.
Beginning out of London Victoria with 45596 at the helm, the tour would travel via the Chatham Mainline to Bickley Junction, joining the South Eastern Mainline at Petts Wood from which the tour would venture on to Paddock Wood. Turning onto the Medway Valley Line, 45596 hauled the tour north through Maidstone and on to Strood. 47746 would then reverse the tour down the Chatham Mainline to Sittingbourne Junction and onto the Sheerness Line to Sheerness-on-Sea. After a brief break, 45596 would then lead the tour back to Sittingbourne and back onto the Chatham Mainline, carrying on south to Dover Priory. Traversing onto the South Eastern Mainline once again, 45596 would lead the tour to Ashford and onto the Maidstone East Line through Maidstone to Swanley, and back onto the Chatham Mainline for the final leg back to the capital.
The fabric of suburban lines woven around south London poses a unique challenge, with somewhat limited opportunities for vantage points between the various junctions and stations. A footbridge near Petts Wood was chosen, with "Bahamas" laying down the power as it accelerated away from Bickley Junction. A more sedate performance would be had on the outskirts of Aylesford, as 45596 navigated the winding Medway Valley Line. Once the tour reached Sheerness-on-Sea, capturing the locomotive idle proved to be very difficult, due to the security fences that surround the station limits. Catching up with proceedings south of Faversham, the 'Jubilee' would be well into its stride as it powered up the 1-in-100 gradient towards Selling, heading for Canterbury. After a stop at Dover Priory, 45596 would curve onto the sea wall as it began to lift the tour away from the Port, skirting the white cliffs. Finally, 45596 caught the final rays of the fading light as it burst from Saltwood Tunnel, powering through Sandling as it lead the tour towards Ashford.
00:00 Petts Wood
01:12 Aylesford
02:20 Sheerness-on-Sea
02:56 Selling
04:25 Dover
06:38 Sandling
All footage filmed on Saturday the 11th of November 2023.