The Sheppey Light Railway was a railway on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England, which ran from Leysdown to Queenborough, where it connected with the South Eastern and Chatham Railway's Sheerness Line. It was engineered by Holman Fred Stephens and opened in August 1901 and closed on 4 December 1950. Originally there were stations at Sheerness East, East Minster on Sea, Minster on Sea, Eastchurch and Leysdown. Two halts were opened in 1905 at Brambledown and Harty Road. History The completed line was inspected by the Board of Trade in mid-June 1901, who recommended some changes to the signalling. The railway was opened on 1 August 1901, with a formal opening ceremony a few weeks later. Freight on the line was shunted into sidings at Brambledown, Grove, Holford and Harty Road. Brambledown and Harty Road were upgraded to halts in 1905 by the addition to each of a simple platform and waiting hut. Passenger trains were run morning and afternoon, with a single freight train scheduled at lunchtime. During WW1 a siding into the Royal Navy Aviation School (later RAF Eastchurch) was built running south of Eastchurch station from the Queenborough end. It was inspected by the Board of Trade (Colonel Pringle) in December 1916, but the inspector was unhappy that the loop points in the station were now controlled by two separate ground frames. These were replaced with a single ground frame which took another nine months. The RAF base continued in use until 1946. The line had a relaxed atmosphere according to recollections of Don Pilcher, the fireman on the last train before the railway closed for all traffic on 4 December 1950. He said "It was a bit like a bus service really. We would stop for anyone who waved a hanky or an arm indicating they wanted to get on". The last train carried a mock coffin with a large wreath of vegetables to signify the death of the line, and large crowds were present at every station. The driver of the last train, Tom Birchnell, shook hands with the driver of the first train to run on the railway (in 1901), Jack Buddle. Locomotives and rolling stock For the first few years after opening the SE&CR operated the line using standard locomotives and stock. However the light traffic on the line required a rethink. Petrol railcars In 1904 trials were carried out of two petrol