Although the London SE suburban lines were electrified when I was a kid, if you went further into Kent it had to be by steam train, and I remember many day trips to the Kent coast.

Our regular holiday trip to the Isle of Wight would be steam hauled from Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour where we would embark on a Paddle Steamer to Ryde Pierhead. At the pierhead there would be up to 3 trains (hauled by 02s or Terriers) waiting to take people to Sandown, Ventnor, or Cowes. Our destination was the latter and part of the route passed through the Haven Street section which is now the only surviving part of the I-O-W steam railway. OK the line to Sandown is still there, but now it's worked by ex-LT tube trains not much newer than the steam trains they replaced.