Opening Up Old Sussex Railway Lines

[DavidinSouthampton]

Beeching was given a job to do and he did it,where it fell apart was no one had the vision NOT TO SELL trackbeds/routes/stations etc. Sure demolish Rowfant,Grange Road but hold on to the land.

Near where I live, they re-opened the Railway Station in Chandlers Ford a couple of years ago. The original line from Eastleigh to Romsey was closed by Beeching, but the track continued to be used for freight, and the Local Authority (Eastleigh) never allowed the platform to be removed. It is only one train an hour in either direction, but has been very successful.

The station was originally opened in 1847, before Southampton had any Railway. It is also allegedly where the Revd W.W.Awdry developed his interests in trains, thereby leading to Thomas the Tank Engine. He was vicar of nearby Ampfield.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Don't whether you were aware, but there used to be an electric tramway that ran from a siding opposite Hellingly station, across the fields and up to the old Hellingly Mental Hospital. I believe it was closed in about 1960. The engine shed at the Hospital was still there until a couple of years ago, when I believe it was demolished as part of the housing development. Some of the poles for the overhead wire,and the gates where it crossed New and Park roads were also there until fairly recently (the gates on New Road might still be there). The old carriage was for years a shelter on the cricket ground at the Hospital - I remember it as a kid. Try Googling it, it is fascinating if you are interested in the history of the Cuckoo Line.

I believe that was the only railway ever operated by East Sussex County Council, who built it in the days when Hellingly was the East Sussex County Asylum. The tram service closed to passengers in 1930, but the track remained in place for coal deliveries until the hospital converted to oil in 1959.

Electric locomotive and goods wagons on the Hellingly Hospital Railway in 1906. At the time of the line's closure in 1959 this was the oldest operational electric locomotive in the British Isles.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Nice picture bring back steam

No thank you, filthy and horrible. I'm a diesel man myself.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

The stupid thing about the Horsted Keynes to Ardingly line closure is that it was electrified, so had already had some investment. I think it must have operated as a HK to HH shuttle. I don't think there was ever a direct London to HH service via EG - the main line was London to Tunbridge Wells, with EG to Lewes and Three Bridges operated as branch lines. Certainly fellow Old Ardinians who remember arriving at the school by train remember having to change at HH. The real short-sighted closures were Uckfield to Lewes (I think it wasn't Beeching, but East Sussex County Council that were responsible as they wanted to build Phoenix Causeway in Lewes) and East Grinstead to Three Bridges, just as Crawley was being developed. I cannot see a solution to the traffic problems in the EG area and from EG to Crawley. The buses are clearly not a viable alternative to driving, or they would be full all the time, unless some way could be found to extend Crawley's Fastway network to East Grinstead.

 

[Bladders]

No thank you, filthy and horrible. I'm a diesel man myself.

Quite partial to a diesel myself, the Class 55 Deltic being my personal favourite, the King of the ECML!

I have a very nice model of 55012 CREPELLO at home. It's a late look one as it is in BR blue and has the white 'Finsbury Park' window surrounds.

 

[Boys 9d]

The stupid thing about the Horsted Keynes to Ardingly line closure is that it was electrified, so had already had some investment. I think it must have operated as a HK to HH shuttle. I don't think there was ever a direct London to HH service via EG - the main line was London to Tunbridge Wells, with EG to Lewes and Three Bridges operated as branch lines. Certainly fellow Old Ardinians who remember arriving at the school by train remember having to change at HH. The real short-sighted closures were Uckfield to Lewes (I think it wasn't Beeching, but East Sussex County Council that were responsible as they wanted to build Phoenix Causeway in Lewes) and East Grinstead to Three Bridges, just as Crawley was being developed. I cannot see a solution to the traffic problems in the EG area and from EG to Crawley. The buses are clearly not a viable alternative to driving, or they would be full all the time, unless some way could be found to extend Crawley's Fastway network to East Grinstead.

I believe that the electrified service from Horsted Keynes ran via Haywards Heath, Cooksbridge and Lewes to Seaford with obvious interchanges to other destinations at Haywards Heath and Lewes.
I agree that reopening Three Bridges to East Grinsted is not possible because of the M23 and development in Crawley Down but wonder if as in your suggestion the Fastway could link those points using most of the old trackbed, buses being more flexible to negotiate the problem areas.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Yes but he was only doing what Ernest Marples told him to do, and Marples had made a lot of money out of road building, so had a vested interest in seeing the rail network contracting and reduced competition for road hauliers.

Exactly: Beeching got the whole thing horribly wrong - one only needs to visit the rest of Europe, where rural railway lines generally have been kept open - to see that. But he was far from the only person involved in planning in the 1960s to get hold of an entirely wrong idea and suggest an entirely overwrought, over-reaching set of solutions; one only needs to look at town planning of the era to see that.

But to implement it from the highest level, that took a crook with huge vested interests. Incredible to imagine now.

 

[Knightsworld]

Quite partial to a diesel myself, the Class 55 Deltic being my personal favourite, the King of the ECML!

I have a very nice model of 55012 CREPELLO at home. It's a late look one as it is in BR blue and has the white 'Finsbury Park' window surrounds.

You'll like this vid then, assuming you've not seen it before. Have good memories of my Dad taking me to Kings X to see these back in the day.

 

[Bladders]

Exactly: Beeching got the whole thing horribly wrong - one only needs to visit the rest of Europe, where rural railway lines generally have been kept open - to see that. But he was far from the only person involved in planning in the 1960s to get hold of an entirely wrong idea and suggest an entirely overwrought, over-reaching set of solutions; one only needs to look at town planning of the era to see that.

But to implement it from the highest level, that took a crook with huge vested interests. Incredible to imagine now.

Thats not entirely correct, Beeching did not determine what he was told to investigate nor did he implement any of his proposals. In both cases it was the politicians who determined the parameters of his work and how the reforms would be carried out. The guilty parties for the closures were the then Conservative and following Labour governments of the time.

Its also important to recognise that there was a strong belief that the railway industry could be made profitable and pay for itself. Beeching was correct in his opinion that the railways could no longer compete with road haulage and that the future of freight was in block and liner trains. He was less correct with certain aspects of passenger trains but even with out his report the network would have shrunk considerably during the 1960's regardless.

If he was guilty of anything (and he's certainly not the first in this country when it comes to infrastructure) its that he and his political leaders took a short term view and solution to the then problem of the railways. He and the politicians at the time never really looked at how a growing population, social change and increasing use of the motor car would lead to an explosion of traffic on the roads over the next 30-40 years. The trimmed back railway system was never invested in either as promised.

Luckily the railways are going through a renaissance now with passenger numbers up and in some stations around the country by a huge percentage. Huge investment is going into the network with the likes of the London Overground now being complete, Crossrail, which is the largest engineering project in Europe and of course HS2 which is also utilising 12 miles of the old Great Central track bed. The government have also put a large amount of money into a pot to encourage local councils to apply to have their old stations and lines reopened if feasible.

Lewes to Uckfield also seems to be gathering pace as well and was discussed recently as one of the worst closures(though this was down to ESCC) at the Campaign for better Transport '50 years of Beeching' conference in March.

 

[Mr Blobby]

A chance for me to post a picture of Sharpthorne tunnel I took a few years ago during one of the cold/snowy winters (2009 I think). Nice ice stalactites IMHO!

 

[Bladders]

You'll like this vid then, assuming you've not seen it before. Have good memories of my Dad taking me to Kings X to see these back in the day.

Brilliant! the poor old Deltic, only made 22 of them and only 6 plus DP1 survive.

They were supposed to also be made for the Midland region and the WCML but these lines were earmarked for electrification so only ever went on the ECML. When the HST came about and BR wanted a uniformed fleet it was the end for the mighty Deltic. Even areas with diesel lines didn't want them as no one had any idea how to up keep them as the were unique to the ECML.

Only 20 years in service but never forgotten.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Quite partial to a diesel myself, the Class 55 Deltic being my personal favourite, the King of the ECML!

I have a very nice model of 55012 CREPELLO at home. It's a late look one as it is in BR blue and has the white 'Finsbury Park' window surrounds.

Very nice too, absolutely love the Deltic, an absolute monster of an engine. What scale is your model?.

 

[Bladders]

Very nice too, absolutely love the Deltic, an absolute monster of an engine. What scale is your model?.

Only a 'OO' , and my son has commandeered it from the display case as he has decided he wants to model post TOPS BR era of the mid 70's.

He's told me that I am now in the market for a Class 37 & 47 plus some freight as his pocket money wont cover it.

 

[Bladders]

A chance for me to post a picture of Sharpthorne tunnel I took a few years ago during one of the cold/snowy winters (2009 I think). Nice ice stalactites IMHO!

Nice pic

 

[Man of Harveys]

I love this thread. But it's making me homesick. As is the restaurant one.

 

[Bladders]

I love this thread. But it's making me homesick. As is the restaurant one.

Get your camera out and post some pictures of the Plymouth-Kingston line!

 

[dougdeep]

A chance for me to post a picture of Sharpthorne tunnel I took a few years ago during one of the cold/snowy winters (2009 I think). Nice ice stalactites IMHO!

Is that the light at the end of the tunnel? We're saved.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I love this thread. But it's making me homesick. As is the restaurant one.

Oh l don't know Harveys, l was in your adopted country just recently. Had a trip on Amtrak from New York to New Orleans and enjoyed it. Lots of fine restaurants over there too.

 

[Bladders]

Anyone remember/travelled on the Steyning line?

Another lost Sussex line that hasn't got a mention yet.

 

[Mr Blobby]

The first steam train back at East Grinstead after the line was reopened earlier this year. A brand new platform extension built at EG to accommodate the steam trains. They are now in the process of building a new water tower etc etc. It looks superb, and the rest of EG station also been done up!