Volunteers take 200-mile challenge for loco restoration fund

The first weekend of November will see muscles and not steam powering travel along the award-winning Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) as a group of its intrepid volunteers take on a sponsored 200-mile challenge. Their aim: to raise funds for the K&ESR’s anniversary appeal to restore its only wholly-owned locomotive, Pannier Tank 1638, so that it can rejoin the home fleet.

The means of transport will be the K&ESR’s Hand Pump Trolley, recently returned to full working order and repainted to its former glory. This particular Pump Trolley has been in the spotlight before; it achieved international fame in 1989, when it set a new world record for the fastest pump trolley run over a measured distance of 300 metres – a record which, it is believed, still stands – and appeared on the popular BBC TV programme Record Breakers.

This Pump Trolley Challenge, which is about endurance and not speed, will officially start at Tenterden Town Station at 7am on Saturday 1st November and will finish back there at around 5pm on Sunday afternoon. However, the rest of the mileage will be achieved in relays along a flat stretch of the line between Rolvenden and Wittersham Road stations. Teams of four, including a qualified 'driver', will take turns to power the trolley in timed slots between 7am and 5pm each day.

The idea for the challenge came from 29-year-old K&ESR volunteer Sarah Tagart:

“I wanted to combine a volunteer effort to raise money for the 1638 Appeal with doing something to mark Rail 200 and I thought using the pump trolley would be a fun way to do that. This year is also the 125th anniversary of the opening of the original Rother Valley Railway between Robertsbridge and Tenterden. The return to the rails of our Pannier Tank locomotive 1638 is a key part of plans for passenger services once the extended line from Bodiam and Robertsbridge Junction reopens.”

The 1638 Appeal has a fund-raising target of £163,800. So far, around £56,000 has been donated or committed in regular giving, representing around 35% of the target. The loco is currently with restoration experts in Cornwall and it is hoped the money raised by the Challenge will make a significant contribution to funding further work.

Anyone wishing to support the Challenge by making a donation can go to the K&ESR’s 1638 Appeal page on the website: https://kesr.org.uk/donate/anniversary-appeal/

For more information on the Kent & East Sussex Railway, visit: https://kesr.org.uk/ 

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About the Hand Pump Trolley:
The vehicle is catalogued in the records of the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum as "Permanent way pump trolley, used on original Kent & East Sussex Railway. Acquired and restored on closure of line in 1961." Railway track maintenance was traditionally carried out by platelayers, who patrolled their 'lengths' on a regular basis. Hand pushed trolleys were developed on the railways for moving for heavy items, such as shovels and crowbars, as well as supplies of track spikes, nuts and bolts. To speed up the process, hand propelled trolleys like our one were introduced to carry both men and equipment. Early examples were developed in North America, but they were also manufactured in Britain and elsewhere. The Museum has photographs of a pump trolley being used on the K&ESR around 1912 and in the 1930s.

About the Kent & East Sussex Railway:
The Kent & East Sussex Railway is a renowned heritage railway based in Tenterden, Kent, UK and operates as an educational charity. Engineered by Holman F Stephens and opened in April 1900, it was the first independent railway to be built under the 1896 Light Railway Act. Today it is one of Britain’s most loved and original heritage lines. With a rich history spanning 125 years, the K&ESR offers visitors an authentic steam and diesel-powered railway experience through 10½ miles of Wealden countryside in the beautiful Rother Valley, a designated National Landscape (formerly known as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, the railway prides itself on preserving railway heritage, operating a diverse range of locomotives, and providing a unique glimpse into the golden age of rail travel. A regular award winner, the K&ESR gained a coveted Trip Advisor Travellers Choice Award in both 2024 and 2025, placing it among the top 10% of listings of places to visit around the world on Tripadvisor. It was also voted Best Family Experience in Kent by the public in the 2025 Muddy Stilettos Awards.