Monument record TQ 77 SE 185 - Kingsnorth Light Railway

From the source: “Details of locomotives used on the Lodge Hill to Sharnal Street line from about 1904 to 1944 are unknown. However, in later years this line made an end−on connection at Sharnal Street with the Kingsnorth Light Railway - a line operated by Holm & Co. Ltd., who seem to have obtained their first standard gauge locomotive (0−4−0ST OC Kerr Stuart 4227 of 1929) in 1929. The KLR ran from Sharnal Street to a pier on the Medway about 1½ miles east of Hoo. It is understood that this line and premises were disused when taken over by Holm & Co. Ltd., but had previously been laid out as an Admiralty Royal Naval Airship Station. This Station operated during the First World War and had its own locomotive (0−4−0ST OC Andrew Barclay 1398 of 1915). This locomotive may have worked through to Lodge Hill during the period (1915 to 1919) it was at the Station, and so might the KLR locomotives until the KLR closed in 1940. We know that the KLR steam locomotive went away to Woolwich Arsenal, but of the two KLR Hardy petrol locomotives (built in 1930 and 1936) we have lost all trace. “
(1)

The earthwork remains of the 19th century Kingsnorth Light Railway can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 1952 centred on TQ 8018 7340. This line was originally laid out and operated by the Admiralty to serve Kingsnorth Royal Navy Airship Station (NMR 1458978). The Kingsnorth Light Railway was operated by Holm & Co Ltd and closed in 1940. The line was connected with the Chattenden Naval Tramway (NMR 1545591) at Sharnal Street (c. TQ 7900 7411) and ran south eastwards through RNAS Kingsnorth to a jetty on the Medway at TQ 8097 7170. Aerial photographs taken in 1946 and 1952 show the earthwork remains of embankments and cuttings but these have since been levelled and much of its course lies beneath Kingsnorth power station. It was mapped as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Project.(2-5)

<1> D. Yeatman, 1966, Lodge Hill & Upnor Railway (Article in serial). SKE16256.

<2> RAF, 1946, RAF 106G/UK/1444 3042-3044 1-MAY-1946 (Photograph). SKE59161.

<3> RAF, 1952, RAF 5/856 3054-3055 24-APR-1952 (Photograph). SKE59162.

<4> RAF, 1946, RAF 106G/UK/1444 3034-3036 1-MAY-1946 (Photograph). SKE56115.

<5> Peter Higginbotham, Higginbotham, Peter. 2000. The Workhouse. (Website). SKE53741.