Hoo Junction

The first rails in the vicinity were those of the Gravesend & Rochester Railway, which linked the eastern outskirts of Gravesend at Denton with Strood, via the 2¼ mile long Strood Canal Tunnel. In 1845 this single-track then became part of the South Eastern Railway, which soon set about infilling the tunnel and doubling the line. The upgraded section of line across the Gravesend Marshes then re-opened on 30th July 1849 as part of the North Kent Line from London to Strood, which was double-track throughout its entirety. Three decades were to pass before the possibility of a junction between Gravesend and Higham would come to light.
 
It is worth briefly mentioning the ‘’Continental Traffic Agreement’’, signed by both the South Eastern and London Chatham & Dover Railways on 7th October 1865. This decreed that the income the pair generated by port traffic along the coast between Margate and Hastings, was grouped into a common account. This would then initially be redistributed 68% and 32% to the SER and LC&DR respectively. Over time, the LC&DR’s percentage takings would be increased until the two concerns were each receiving 50% of the total continental revenue generated. In 1876 the LC&DR agreed with the ‘’Zealand Shipping Company’’ to transfer steamer services from Ramsgate, geographically covered by the aforementioned agreement, to Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, which being in North Kent, was excluded from the area governed by revenue pooling. Subsequently, the LC&DR opened a short spur off its Sheerness branch to ‘’Queenborough Pier’’ on 15th May 1876. The shipping revenues generated here would not have to be pooled into the common account, but since this traffic was originally located within the area of the agreement, the SER was naturally incensed. On paper, however, the LC&DR had not breached any contract, but the SER was not going to give in to this cunning ploy without first having a fight to defend its takings. ‘’What relevance is there to the Gravesend Marshes?’’ I hear you ask. The connection between the Continental Traffic Agreement and the North Kent Line begins in 1879 when a supposedly independent concern, obviously instigated by the SER, was formed: the ‘’Hundred of Hoo Company’’. The organisation’s raison d'être was for the building of an eleven-mile single-track line across the Hoo Peninsula. This would spur off from the North Kent Line some three miles east of Gravesend station, immediately assuming a north easterly direction to eventually terminate at what became Port Victoria, on the Isle of Grain.

Hoo Junction officially came into use on 1st April 1882 with the commissioning of the branch as far as Sharnal Street; Port Victoria was reached on 11th September of the same year. The line at Port Victoria extended onto a wooden deepwater pier and from the outset, became Queen Victoria’s preferred alighting point, it replacing Gravesend (SER) in this capacity. Port Victoria is evidently named in sympathy with the contemporary monarch, the SER having capitalised over the LC&DR’s ‘’Queenborough’’, which instead took its name from wife of King Edward III: Queen Phillippa. A connecting ferry between the rival ports was operated, but this ceased in 1901 (by which time the two companies had amalgamated), it being followed in 1916 by the closure of the deepwater pier. This had rotted to such a severe state that trains now terminated further back on terra firma.
 

This is the scene on 3rd July 1999, looking towards Higham. On the left can be seen the

platform and shelter of the ''down'' Staff Halt, whilst beyond on the ''up'' side can be seen the

yard signal box. The 15 MPH sign by the down platform indicates the maximum speed for

embarking on the spur to Grain. In the distance, to the right of the signal box is a Class 37,

and seen just to the right of the summit of the spur from the ''up'' line (indicated at ''5'' MPH

maximum speed) is a Class 31. A set of catch points are seen on the descending spur nearest

the camera, whilst locomotives Nos. 73131, 37704 and 58047 are in evidence on the left.

Mike Glasspool

The 3rd July 1999 sees an interesting EWS locomotive line-up at Hoo Junction yard. From

left to right: Nos. 73131, 37704, 58047, 66092 and a visitor to the line, No. 92001 ''Victor

Hugo''. The line these locomotives are located on is without third rail, thus the Class 92 has

been pushed into the siding by a diesel, presumably the Class 66. The locomotive line-up was

organised to mark 100 years of operation out of Hoo Junction, combined with acknowledging

the retirement of an EWS driver and the naming of a locomotive. Class 60 No. 60042 was

appropriately named ''The Hundred of Hoo'' on the day. Mike Glasspool

Class 66s Nos. 66706 and 66711 are depicted at Hoo Junction on 29th January 2006, alongside

Electro-Diesel No. 73206. The sidings in the immediate foreground form part of the ''up'' yard,

and have remained in situ for many years; it is the ''down'' yard (where the three aforementioned

locomotives are stabled) which has seen track removal in recent times. David Glasspool

Next: the History Continues >>

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