The Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) has announced the first guest locomotive for its three-day Summer Diesel Gala in July.

Class 50 50017 ‘Royal Oak’ will be visiting the K&ESR courtesy of the Great Central Railway. The locomotive is currently sporting Network South East livery.

At 68 feet long, this will be the longest diesel locomotive ever to visit the Kent & East Sussex Railway.

Class 50 diesel locomotives began operating in 1967 and 1968.

Number 50017 entered service in April 1968 as D417.

Fifteen years later, in 1973, it was renumbered 50017, and five years after that, in 1978, it was given the name ‘Royal Oak’.

By the time it was withdrawn in 1991, Royal Oak had served British Rail for twenty-three years.

Class 50s hauled express passenger trains at speeds of up to 100mph, but Royal Oak will only be allowed to travel at 25mph on the K&ESR.

Four locomotives from K&ESR’s home fleet will also appear at the Gala, which takes place on 18th, 19th and 20th July

• BR Class 03 D2023, courtesy of Tenterden Railway Equipment & Traction Company Ltd
• BR Class 08 08359, courtesy of The Diesel Electric Shunter Company Ltd
• BR Class 14 D9504 ‘Jon Grimwood’, courtesy of Tenterden Railway Equipment & Traction
  Company Ltd
• BR Class 20 20087 ‘Reginald T Latham’, courtesy of Road & Rail Steam Services

K&ESR will announce more Gala guests soon, and will also release a full timetable and details of other attractions at both ends of the line.

The Railway will also provide a heritage bus service to take visitors to and from their mainline rail connection.

Further information and tickets can be obtained from the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s website.