Canterbury & Whitstable Railway
Church St Incline NGR TR 118662
Construction of the 6 mile line took several years of arduous digging and preparation. Work excavating the 828 yard Tyler Hill Tunnel proved difficult and lengthy.
By the autumn of 1826, after 15 months, only 400 yards had been completed.
Sections of the line were so steeply graded so that stationery engines were required to haul trains by cable up the steep ascents. From Canterbury the first was at Tyler's Hill with a further stationery engine at Clowes Wood to deal with trains between Tyler's Hill and Bogshole Brook. The expected speed up a gradient was estimated at 9 mph. For the last two miles to Whitstable the locomotive Invicta was at first used.
As the first train reached a summit, the cable that had hauled it up the incline was transferred to some loaded wagons which, by running down again, allowed the cable to be attached to the second train. When both sections of the train had reached the final summit, the locomotive Invicta took the train to Whitstable.
The locomotive invicta could not cope with the section from Whitstable Harbour to Church Street and another steam winding engine was sited at the top of the Church Street.
When the last passenger train ran on 1st January 1931, it comprised locomotive No. 31010 hauling two brake vans to Whitstable with passengers, including press, radio and TV representatives. Whitstable Harbour station had been decorated for the occasion and the train was met by a crowd of about 100 people.
