vincent

romney hythe and dymchurch railway herculese steam locomotive leaving hythe station kent No. 5 “Hercules” is a distinctive 4-8-2 Mountain-class steam locomotive, designed by Henry Greenly and built by Davey Paxman & Co. in 1927 . Created to handle heavy ballast traffic, it proudly hauled the inaugural train on the railway’s opening day—16 July 1927 . Though often sidelined by curve-related derailments due to its size, “Hercules” gained prominence during World War II as the engine for the railway’s armoured train . After the war, improvements to the tracks allowed it to resume regular service. It received a major overhaul, emerging in a striking Midland Railway red livery, complete with a new large-capacity tender . more links