21 February 1955 — K Class 2‑6‑0 No. 32350

On a dull and snowy 21 February 1955, K Class 2‑6‑0 32350 based at Three Bridges Shed (75E) bursts out of the 535-yard Cliftonville Tunnel on a freight train.

The line between Hove and Preston Park was opened on 1 July 1879 allowing trains from the coastal stations west of Brighton direct access to the Brighton Main Line and London, without having to reverse at Brighton. This resulted not only in a time saving, but allowed longer trains, as previously the length of trains able to reverse was strictly limited by the cramped layout on the west side of Brighton Station

It has proved difficult to positively identify the freight train in the picture, but research provided two clues which put together enables a reasonably positive identification. The first clue is Duty number 684 on the headcode disc. At the time Three Bridges Duty 684 worked a lengthy day on freight working round Sussex starting at Three Bridges Yard at 5.50am via Horsham and Steyning to Hove arriving at 10.42am. The beginning of the return working was the 12.55pm freight from Hove to Preston Park and on to Brighton. The second clue is it would have passed the rear of Preston Park Pullman Car Works around lunchtime where Joe Kent worked. Duty 684 eventually arrived back at Three Bridges at 5.52pm.

The K Class 2‑6‑0 was designed by Lawson Billinton and built at Brighton Works over a period between 1913 and 1921. The first two in 1913 and three more in 1914. Adjudged a success, five more were ordered, but building was delayed by shortages of materials and they didn’t enter service until late December 1916. Having proved very useful in the First World War, a further seven were built in 1920–1921. All seventeen became part of the Southern Region in 1948 and were used on both passenger and freight until the whole Class was withdrawn en bloc in November/December 1962, including 32350, still allocated to Three Bridges.

Photo Credit: Joe Kent [154858]