This week (20-26th July 2026)

Howdy folks! It’s Wild West Weekend this weekend – Kemsley Down station will be transformed into the Old West settlement of Spearfish Creek

Steam locomotive ‘Premier’ will be hauling trains from Sittingbourne Viaduct to Spearfish Creek at 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm. Due to the long gap between the 11am and 1pm trains tickets for the 11am trains need to be booked in advance. There is no need to book seats on the other trains as plenty of tickets will be available on the day. Don’t forget that the time shown is the time the train departs Sittingbourne Viaduct station so please arrive 10-15 minutes before that to buy or collect your tickets from the ticket office.

After the 15 minute journey, the train will arrive at Spearfish Creek. Passengers should remain on the train until they have been told it is safe to disembark because there will be some sort of altercation resulting in a shoot-out, right outside your coach. After the five minute show, the fallen will be resurrected and you will be free to disembark the train.

In addition to the air-conditioned Footplate Café, shop and toilets you will find the settlement of Spearfish Creek which you will be able to explore and talk to the residents. Try to stay for a later train as this will enable you to experience the shoot out on the next train from a different angle or you can buy a rover ticket and travel on as many trains as you like.

Please note the 11am and 4pm trains will be delayed due to a hold-up!

There will be loud bangs so if your child or dog does not like fireworks, this is not the event for them.

The usual return fares apply for this event, although SKLR adult members will need to pay £2 and child/junior members £1 event supplement as this event incurs external costs for the Railway. Ask at the ticket office for the Rover supplement if you wish to travel on multiple trains throughout the day.

2026 Return Fares:

• £10 for adults
• £9 for seniors
• £5 for children
• under 3s go free
• £27 for a Family ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children)
• £5 each Rover supplement for all individual tickets (not Family Returns or members tickets) – only available at the ticket office
• £2 adult SKLR members
• £1 child/junior SKLR members

Full information can be found by clicking or tapping here.

There’s no steam ban here!

You may have seen on the local and national news that Network Rail has imposed a steam ban on most main line operations – this does not apply to our Railway. As a heritage railway we are not part of the National Network, although we are regulated by the Office for Rail and Road.

Our hot weather arrangements restrict the locomotive crew to working on the loco’s fire (to raise steam) at either end of the line and not on the single line section in between. The line is only two miles long so a good head of steam should last the 15 minute journey, a well managed fire enables this.

Should there be a lineside fire, we have our very own fire wagon which can be deployed at short notice to tackle the fire or assist either Kent Fire Brigade or DS Smith Fire Department’s crews.

Should the temperature on the locomotive footplate be too hot for the driver and fireman, we will then substitute a diesel locomotive. This has not happened so far this summer.

The photo shows a previous lineside fire that was caused by youths using a disposable barbecue. Trains weren’t running that day but we were able to attend with ‘Victor’ and the fire wagon.