During 1839, Invicta was withdrawn from use upon the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway as a consequence of the decision to concentrate on using stationary engines for pulling trains instead, which had proved to be both adequate for the line's working and less troubled by a lack of power as the locomotive had been.
While she was offered for sale by the company in October 1839, no buyer was ultimately found for it.
As a result, Invicta was instead put under cover at Canterbury North Lane station.
She came into the ownership of the South Eastern Railway in 1844 and was soon relocated to Ashford Works, minus her original two-wheeled tender.
She was thus the first locomotive to be preserved; over the following years, she began to serve as a physical marker of the pioneering days of rail travel.
During 1875, Invicta was exhibited at the Golden Jubilee of the Stockton and Darlington Railway; she also made an appearance at the Newcastle Stephenson Centenary in 1881.

During 1892, it is believed that work was begun upon its restoration; few details on this process are known.
Subsequently, Invicta was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, France in 1900.
In 1906, Invicta was presented to the city of Canterbury by David Lionel Goldsmid-Stern-Salomons, a director of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway.
For 70 years, Invicta was put on static display in the Dane John Gardens, Canterbury.
At some point during this time, it is believed that she was given a red coat of paint.
It was not until 1977 that a full cosmetic restoration of the locomotive was undertaken, with help from the National Railway Museum, where she was transported by road.
This work included her ironwork being painted black and the installation of timber cladding around the boiler barrel.
Following the completion of this restoration, Invicta returned to Canterbury in time for the 150th anniversary of the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway on 3 May 1980.

Presently, the cosmetically restored Invicta is owned by the Transport Trust; it had been loaned for many years to the Canterbury Heritage Museum, where it had been on display prior to the museum's closure in 2017.
During November 2008, it was announced that a £41,000 Heritage Lottery Fund planning grant had been made to Canterbury City Council to develop a new museum at Whitstable to house Invicta, as well as a stationary winding engine that was built at Robert Stephenson's works.
In the months after Canterbury Heritage Museum closed down, the long term residence of Invicta was a topic of considerable debate, during which numerous museums petitioned to have it in their collections.
Invicta was lifted in to its new home at the Whitstable Museum and Gallery on 16 June 2019.
During 1839, Invicta was withdrawn from use upon the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway as a consequence of the decision to concentrate on using stationary engines for pulling trains instead, which had proved to be both adequate for the line's working and less troubled by a lack of power as the locomotive had been. While she was offered for sale by the company in October 1839, no buyer was ultimately found for it. As a result, Invicta was instead put under cover at Canterbury North Lane station. She came into the ownership of the South Eastern Railway in 1844 and was soon relocated to Ashford Works, minus her original two-wheeled tender. She was thus the first locomotive to be preserved; over the following years, she began to serve as a physical marker of the pioneering days of rail travel. During 1875, Invicta was exhibited at the Golden Jubilee of the Stockton and Darlington Railway; she also made an appearance at the Newcastle Stephenson Centenary in 1881.
During 1892, it is believed that work was begun upon its restoration; few details on this process are known. Subsequently, Invicta was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, France in 1900. In 1906, Invicta was presented to the city of Canterbury by David Lionel Goldsmid-Stern-Salomons, a director of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. For 70 years, Invicta was put on static display in the Dane John Gardens, Canterbury. At some point during this time, it is believed that she was given a red coat of paint. It was not until 1977 that a full cosmetic restoration of the locomotive was undertaken, with help from the National Railway Museum, where she was transported by road. This work included her ironwork being painted black and the installation of timber cladding around the boiler barrel. Following the completion of this restoration, Invicta returned to Canterbury in time for the 150th anniversary of the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway on 3 May 1980.
Presently, the cosmetically restored Invicta is owned by the Transport Trust; it had been loaned for many years to the Canterbury Heritage Museum, where it had been on display prior to the museum's closure in 2017. During November 2008, it was announced that a £41,000 Heritage Lottery Fund planning grant had been made to Canterbury City Council to develop a new museum at Whitstable to house Invicta, as well as a stationary winding engine that was built at Robert Stephenson's works. In the months after Canterbury Heritage Museum closed down, the long term residence of Invicta was a topic of considerable debate, during which numerous museums petitioned to have it in their collections. Invicta was lifted in to its new home at the Whitstable Museum and Gallery on 16 June 2019.
Invicta (locomotive)