Over their April Gala weekend, the Kent & East Sussex Railways had a roaring success with their first ever Dwarves of Steam Gala.

Over the 26th and 27th April, the railway saw 800 passengers attend the gala, generating a double-figure revenue and receiving an overflowing amount of positive comments.

There were three resident locomotives and two guests at the gala, who wanted to celebrate smaller locomotives instead of the mainline giants.

The featured locomotives at the gala were:

• Willy the Well Tank – Spent their working life at the National Shipyard in Chepstow
• Bagnall No.2572 Judy – Who was based at the Port of Par in Cornwall
• Peckett No.1631 Marcia – Based at the West of Scotland Shipbreaking Company in Troon
• Southern Railway No.2678 Knowle – Based for a period at Newhaven Harbour
• Hunslet No.469 Hastings – Had a varied career between the Manchester Ship Canal and Immingham Docks

Willy the Well Tank and Judy were both guest locomotives, with Judy announced first and with Willy the Well Tank announced after.

All of these locomotives have a strong industrial past, and visitors came to see the small but mighty engines at work. Getting to witness their unique charm and personality of these smaller locomotives.

The event even gained extra visitors from local media attention from the TV and radio.

The Gala was only possible due to sponsorship from Rapido Trains UK, which partly owned Marcia and pushed the railway to create the event.

Due to its amazing success, planning is already underway for a sequel gala in 2026 and possibly for years to come.

“Events like Dwarves of Steam remind us that the story of Britain’s railways isn’t just about high-speed glamour — it’s also about the unsung little engines that powered our ports, shipyards, and industries. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm from visitors, and a real tribute to the character and spirit of the K&ESR. We’re proud to give these hardworking survivors their moment in the spotlight — and we’re absolutely planning to build on this success with Dwarves of Steam 2 next year.”

Robin Coombes, General Manager of the K&ESR