In 1962 Hardman & Holden had decided that Marcia was surplus to their requirements and would be happy to donate the engine to the fledgling K&ESR. Richard ‘Dick’ Beckett travelled from Kent to Manchester on his BSA 650 motorcycle to to examine the locomotive. After deeming it suitable, the arrangements were made for its travel to Tenterden.
Marcia arrived on the K&ESR in the spring of 1963 with two weeks left on its boiler ticket. She was steamed the weekend after she arrived still carrying her faded light green livery left over from her industrial days.
Over the coming years Marcia was steamed for members AGM days and public steaming events. By 1964 the engine had received some work and been repainted into a dark blue livery lined in red inspired by the original K&ESR locomotive livery. She also proudly carried K&ESR No.12 on the tank side, the numbering having been continued from the original nine K&ESR locomotives with Gervase and Dom which had arrived on the K&ESR prior to Marcia, receiving No.10 and No.11 respectively.
In 1965 the railway needed to pay for further, larger, locomotives for use on the planned future railway. Rather than see her be sold off Dick stepped in and personally bought Marcia, taking on the locomotives care for over half a century.
Over the next few years the engine continued to be used with maintenance and overhauls being undertaken as required. In the 1970s the locomotive was repainted into lined apple green livery – once again similar to that used by the original K&ESR.
In 1981 Marcia became the first locomotive in preservation to work from Rolvenden to Bodiam hauling a small train as part of the ‘Bodiam in Steam’ event organised by the Thamesside Area Group of the K&ESR with trains running as far as Dixter Halt. Although she appeared on a number of occasions steam was not the easiest of traction to use for these events and latterly a diesel railbus was used on trains. During this period the engine also acted as a roving ambassador at County Shows and other events.
In 1985 the engine failed its annual boiler inspection and was laid up pending a major overhaul. After several decades out of service Marcia once again returned to traffic in 2011. Sadly during a visit to the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme in France (the K&ESRs twinned railway) the boiler was found to have a further issue and the engine was once again laid up on its return.
In 2020 extensive boiler works started which were completed in 2022 after a prolonged period caused by COVID. The engine once again returned to traffic and appeared on a small number of trains that year alongside visiting the Weald of Kent Steam Rally at Woodchurch and a visit to the Mid Suffolk Light Railway between Autumn 2022 and Easter 2023. Sadly, Dick Beckett passed away on the 12th March 2023. Marcia appeared once again at the K&ESR spring gala the following May alongside guest 257 Squadron – which she piloted up Tenterden bank each morning. Marcia was subsequently put up for sale by Dick’s Estate and has not been used on the K&ESR since.
The new owner now intends to bring Marcia home and return the engine to traffic on the K&ESR for everyone to enjoy once again.
