Whitstable Museum
Whitstable Museum & Gallery is a small local museum on Oxford Street in Whitstable, Kent, with a substantial section dedicated to the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway. The Canterbury & Whitstable was opened in 1830, the same year as the Liverpool & Manchester, and was one of the first passenger railways in the world. It was popularly known as the "Crab and Winkle" line for its connection between agricultural Canterbury and the oyster fishery at Whitstable.
The line was engineered by George Stephenson and his son Robert. It used a mixture of steam locomotives (including the famous Invicta, the world's second commercial steam locomotive after Rocket) and stationary engines for the steeper inclines, a hybrid approach typical of the very earliest passenger lines. The line was absorbed by the South Eastern Railway in 1853 and finally closed in 1953.
The locomotive Invicta survives and is on display in Canterbury (Canterbury Heritage Museum / Whitefriars area), having been a static exhibit in the city since 1906.
History
Whitstable Museum was founded in 1898 and has long held material relating to the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway. The collection includes a model of Invicta, original line documents, photographs, and material relating to the closure in 1953.
Original line history
The Canterbury & Whitstable Railway was authorised in 1825 and opened in 1830, only weeks before the Liverpool & Manchester. It was engineered by George Stephenson and his son Robert. The line was 6 miles long with three steep inclines worked by stationary winding engines, and a flatter central section worked by Invicta. After absorption by the SER in 1853 it was rebuilt with a more conventional locomotive haulage, and survived in this form until passenger closure in 1931 and freight closure in 1953.
Stations and infrastructure
The museum is housed in a small historic building on Oxford Street in central Whitstable.
Route and stations
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Special events and operations
The museum runs occasional themed events relating to the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway, often in cooperation with the Crab & Winkle Way (the cycle and footpath that follows the original trackbed).
Visitor information
Whitstable railway station (Southeastern services from London Victoria) is a 10-minute walk from the museum.