Southern Steam - The Hundred of Hoo Railway

The Hundred of Hoo Railway had been opened by the South Eastern in 1882 to capitalise on the anticiated growth of Port Victoria on the Isle of Grain into a major continental port in competition with the rival London Chatham & Dover Railway's operations on the Isle of Sheppey. This never materialised, although the line was to prove worthwhile as local industry, particularly the manufacture of cement and later the oil terminal at Grain, developed. An extension to Allhallows was opened in 1932, the Southern Railway hoping to benefit from the potential of the location as a new seaside resort for Londoners in North Kent. The Allhallows line diverged between Middle Stoke and Grain Crossing Halts and terminated a quarter of a mile from the seashore, almost directly opposite Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex. The new line proved a success until the outbreak of the second world war, and the line was never to recover in the frugal years after peace returned. The Hundred of Hoo Railway became freight only in 1961, at which point the branch was closed. This film depicts the flavour of traffic on the line during the years of decline: service trains of push-pull stock hauled or propelled by vintage H Class 0-4-4Ts and semi-scheduled workmens trains operated by Q1 0-6-0s.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• southern
• british
• rail
• railway
• railways
• steam
• south
• eastern
• chatham
• dover
• allhallows
• hundred of hoo
• grain
• Q1
• 0-6-0
• bulleid
• wainwright

[kentcyclist]

fantastic. Are there any track remains ?

[SouthernRailwayFilms]

@kentcyclist Quite a lot of it is still there - only the short branch to Allhallows was closed. The rest is freight only, serving Thamesport on the isle of grain.

[denisxx61]

Wonderful video. One part I really like about all your videos is the great historical narrative which accompanies them. As a railway and history buff this gives double enjoyment. Thanks for all your postings.

Regards, Ed

[GOCHICOAPRODUCTIONS]

oh ill beware of trains espically steam ones XD

[catflap79]

this is amazing! is this the only footage of this branch or is there more???

[Eyebeemania]

Oh yes wonderful stuff.

[boycottbourneleisure]

excellent video...did bourne leiure get rid of it..wouldnt surprise me....

[easterangel1]

Brilliant!

Thankyou for posting

[mfotheringtongore]

Fantastic - footage as rare as Hen's teeth, amazing. Thanks.

[robmcg567]

Lovely old film, thankyou, Rob