Comments by Mike King
C class 0-6-0 31716 reaches the summit of the line (albeit only about 100 feet above sea level) under this substantial 3-arch bridge on the 1 in 66 Cooling Bank, between Cliffe and High Halstow stations on 30th September 1961 with a train for Allhallows, formed of Maunsell pull-push set 619. Use of 0-6-0s was by no means unknown but in the days before dieselisation they were more commonly found on goods trains. In steam days heavy oil trains sometimes needed banking assistance past this point. Before the C class took over, ex-SER O and O1 classes were usually employed.