Everyone’s welcome to come along for two days of steam, beer (real ales & ciders) and live music, with the challenge of including a railway-themed song in every set!
After the 15-minute steam train ride on the former paper mill railway between Sittingbourne Viaduct station (5 minutes walk from Sittingbourne National Rail) to Kemsley Down, you will find a well stocked (subject to availability) beer tent, burgers & hot dogs, Footplate Café and shop. The DS Smith stage will be hosting bands throughout the two days of the event.
Trains will run regularly from 11am-11pm on Saturday and 11am-6pm on Sunday. Further details will be published nearer the time of the event.
The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway will also be celebrating 120 years of steam at Sittingbourne and the 120th anniversary of steam locomotives ‘Premier’ (which is currently operational) and ‘Leader’ (which is currently stored off-site).
The Railway is narrow gauge (2ft 6in between the rails) and served the paper mill complexes at Sittingbourne (now demolished), Kemsley (still active) and Ridham Dock (no longer served by rail). The locos, carriages and wagons are mostly original to the Railway. Volunteers have been operating the line since its handover in 1969. It was one of the last narrow gauge operational industrial steam railways in the UK.
The platform at Sittingbourne Viaduct station has been rebuilt and now allows step-free access from the car park to the train. We also have wheelchair-accessible toilets at both stations.