When Hollywood came to New Romney

The sounds of steam trains may have disappeared in many parts of the country, but in a part of Kent they can still be heard.

When the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway reopened following World War Two, movie stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy came to mark the occasion.

Huge crowds turned out to greet the legendary comedy duo as they were presented with a key to Dungeness and met local dignitaries in March 1947.

"It was a big day for the railway and a big day for the town as well," Andy Nash, member of the railway's heritage group, said.

The pair also put on a show for the waiting locals.

"We believe they were brought down by car from London and it was a horrible wet marsh day," Nash said.

"There was a band playing the famous Laurel and Hardy theme and they came behind a locomotive called Dr Syn."

The comedy duo were enlisted to open the section of railway from Romney to Dungeness.

Black and white footage of the visit showed the pair at New Romney Station opening the gates to the railway with a large key.

Hardy pretended to have trouble with the lock to the gate before Laurel opened it with ease. Hardy then jumped back, acting surprised and annoyed.

"I would imagine that it was talked about for a very long time afterwards," Nash said.

Photos of the visit by the comedy legends were used in publicity for years.

Occasional reconstructions were put on, using the same engine and look-a-likes.

The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway has been part of the Romney Marsh landscape since 1927.

It has one-third sized steam and diesel locomotives running along 13.5 miles (22km) of track with four stations on the line.

In its early years it became famous as the smallest public railway in the world, according to the railway.

During World War Two the line was requisitioned by the army and an armoured train and other armour-plated wagons were built.

Nash said it had been claimed "that they shot down one plane, but that was by balancing a gun on somebody's shoulders".

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