Newhaven East Quay branch or Beach Tramway

[phil_sutters]

Along the Sussex coast between Newhaven and Seaford there are remains of a line that ran out from the East Quay in Newhaven Harbour along the back of the beach, past Tidemills and almost to Seaford. There are details in Paul O'Callaghan's East Sussex Coastal Railways - volume 2.

There are several stretches of rail and evidence of at least one point. The rails have been used to edge a path and I am not sure whether they follow the original configuration or are even at the correct gauge. There is the added complication that there was a seaplane base there which also used rails.

I am fairly sure that the local museum, in our Martello Tower, has a model of a train used for coastal defence in WW2, which ran along this line. However the line's main use seems to have been to transport shingle from the beach.

There is a photo of a double track section at Tidemills below. I have another view in my ipernity album, but can't find the original to upload - so here is a link http://www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/26391791

 

On the subject of Newhaven, the old two track engine shed in the docks has just been demolished to make way for a new University Technical College.

 

One final curiosity is the light hut, with one of the harbour navigation lights on it, which is on a short length of track at the southern end of West Quay.

Edited January 31, 2015 by phil_sutters

[gerrynick]

The East quay branch was the site for the building of the Sovereign light tower in the early'70s. Some ten years later it was a dumping ground for odd bits of track. I can remember an operating point in the area and at least one level crossing target. Sad to see that the loco shed has gone....still, you can't keep everything.

[phil_sutters]

An interesting photo taken on the East Quay line has been contributed to a thread about WW2 dioramas, showing the testing of a rail-mounted heavy gun in 1894 -  the thread is at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/106256-world-war-ii/&do=findComment&comment=2144379

Edited December 30, 2015 by phil_sutters

[Nearholmer]

Phil

 

Very interesting to see that bits of the EQ line are still in place.

 

I explored it sometime between about 1973 and 1977, when I was attempting to visit the route of every railway in East Sussex, of every gauge, open, closed, or proposed (which I pretty much succeeded in doing). At that time, there was a straggle of track almost out to Tidemills, with a few wagons here and there, looking abandoned.

 

My memories of the loco shed in use are much dimmer, a couple of mental snapshots that must come from "days out" when I was very small; my parents were among the very few people who regarded Newhaven as a "seaside" worth visiting, and I remember being fascinated by the dredger at work.

 

Another Newhaven snapshot is from when the harbour was blockaded during The Winter of Discontent. It was B cold and snowy for a couple of weeks at least, and "everyone", pickets, policemen, harbour staff, lorry drivers, railwaymen (I was a trainee with BR by then) etc, congregated in the BRSA for long periods to keep warm. On some occasions (Fridays?) a country and western band was "rustled up", so "a days work" consisted of a couple of hours doing whatever we were supposed to be doing, followed by several hours of a sing-a-long! Strange times.

 

Kevin

[phil_sutters]

Phil

 

Very interesting to see that bits of the EQ line are still in place.

 

I explored it sometime between about 1973 and 1977, when I was attempting to visit the route of every railway in East Sussex, of every gauge, open, closed, or proposed (which I pretty much succeeded in doing). At that time, there was a straggle of track almost out to Tidemills, with a few wagons here and there, looking abandoned.

 

My memories of the loco shed in use are much dimmer, a couple of mental snapshots that must come from "days out" when I was very small; my parents were among the very few people who regarded Newhaven as a "seaside" worth visiting, and I remember being fascinated by the dredger at work.

 

Another Newhaven snapshot is from when the harbour was blockaded during The Winter of Discontent. It was B cold and snowy for a couple of weeks at least, and "everyone", pickets, policemen, harbour staff, lorry drivers, railwaymen (I was a trainee with BR by then) etc, congregated in the BRSA for long periods to keep warm. On some occasions (Fridays?) a country and western band was "rustled up", so "a days work" consisted of a couple of hours doing whatever we were supposed to be doing, followed by several hours of a sing-a-long! Strange times.

 

Kevin

There are some great photographs of the railways in and around Newhaven in their local museum. While there I bought a couple of the Alan Godfrey 'Old Ordnance Survey Maps' of Newhaven (North) & (South) and was interested to see how extensive the railways were just before WW2. I have only known Newhaven since we moved down to Seaford in 2009, but I think that it has great potential. Two significant developments are currently under way. The port has been chosen as the support base for the new Rampion off-shore wind farm. Various improvements have begun and dredging has taken place in areas that I haven't seen dredged before. The other new development is the building of the University Technical College for 14 - 18 year-olds. It will teach a wide range of subjects, but offer science and engineering courses as its major subjects - including marine engineering. It has had one year's intake but will open fully next September.

[phil_sutters]

Perhaps I had better make a booking for the Seaford branch in this forum! Next to no trains run during the week under the emergency timetable, then the weekend service gets blockaded for track maintenance. Local bus and coach companies must be raking in the cash.

[Darius43]

This (not the rail dispute but the east quay) brings back memories of holidays in Seaford in the early 1970s when we visited my Uncle (who lived in Fairways Road) for our annual seaside holiday.

 

On the drive in to Seaford from Newhaven I recall seeing lines of wagons silhouetted against the sky - these must have been on the branch.

 

We used to turn off the main road by the Mercury Motor Inn (now gone) and drive under the brick railway bridge round past the Buckle Inn (also sadly gone) to get a first glimpse of the sea

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Edited February 4, 2017 by Darius43

[phil_sutters]

This (not the rail dispute but the east quay) brings back memories of holidays in Seaford in the early 1970s when we visited my Uncle (who lived in Fairways Road) for our annual seaside holiday.

 

On the drive in to Seaford from Newhaven I recall seeing lines of wagons silhouetted against the sky - these must have been on the branch.

 

We used to turn off the main road by the Mercury Motor Inn (now gone) and drive under the brick railway bridge round past the Buckle Inn (also sadly gone) to get a first glimpse of the sea

 

Cheers

 

Darius

We stayed in Worthing and Hove for a couple of summer holidays. My father used to exchange parishes with colleagues, staying in each other's vicarages and taking the Sunday services, but having the rest of the week as holidays. A fairly cheap option for poorly paid parsons and their families. I just about remember going to Brighton shed and works with him and there are photos he took there. I have come across a visit to Worthing in the first two weeks of September 1958 in his loco spotting logs. The timing seems a bit odd as I would have thought that the school holidays would have ended during that period. He underlined 'cops' in red - one he saw at West Worthing was 20002*. He never recorded emu's so his records there are a bit thinner than those in the west country where we lived, but he did catch some West Country pacifics passing West Worthing on trains to Bournemouth, Plymouth, Cardiff etc.

*Checking out 20002s history, I came across this interesting website http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page38.htm

Good to swap notes - best wishes - Phil

[Darius43]

We stayed in Worthing and Hove for a couple of summer holidays. My father used to exchange parishes with colleagues, staying in each other's vicarages and taking the Sunday services, but having the rest of the week as holidays. A fairly cheap option for poorly paid parsons and their families. I just about remember going to Brighton shed and works with him and there are photos he took there. I have come across a visit to Worthing in the first two weeks of September 1958 in his loco spotting logs. The timing seems a bit odd as I would have thought that the school holidays would have ended during that period. He underlined 'cops' in red - one he saw at West Worthing was 20002*. He never recorded emu's so his records there are a bit thinner than those in the west country where we lived, but he did catch some West Country pacifics passing West Worthing on trains to Bournemouth, Plymouth, Cardiff etc.

*Checking out 20002s history, I came across this interesting website http://www.davidheyscollection.com/page38.htm

Good to swap notes - best wishes - Phil

That's a great website Phil, thanks for sharing. My Grandparents also lived in Seaford - first in the mid 1970s and then from 1978 through to the mid 1990s in Claremont Road. I used to travel to Seaford by train in the CIGs and HAPs from Lewes. That was when there was the bay platform at Seaford and the stabling sidings that were full of trains on Sundays - before the long platform was truncated and the sidings lifted.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[phil_sutters]

That's a great website Phil, thanks for sharing. My Grandparents also lived in Seaford - first in the mid 1970s and then from 1978 through to the mid 1990s in Claremont Road. I used to travel to Seaford by train in the CIGs and HAPs from Lewes. That was when there was the bay platform at Seaford and the stabling sidings that were full of trains on Sundays - before the long platform was truncated and the sidings lifted.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

We have had the full length of the platform reinstated, although not the bay! The evidence!

[Darius43]

The Seaford 150!!! - I was on the first special train - wonderful stuff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

Edited February 6, 2017 by Darius43

[phil_sutters]

I was at Tidemills and Newhaven Harbour for the first run, courtesy of a friend with a car, and Seaford and Newhaven Town for the Sunday trip. Some of the run into Seaford shots are a bit repetitive, but you might see your head sticking out of a window!

 

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by phil_sutters

[Darius43]

Phil,

 

Great photos and a great weekend!!!

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[Huggy]

Very interesting. I had a nice long walk around Newhaven last September, and got interested in the various lines around the quays, and this branch. Managed to pick up a reprinted OS map from 1938 of Newhaven South, which shows just how much railway there was in that town back then. Here are a couple of photos I took that day, one of what appears to be former East Quay trackbed and sleepers, and the derelict name board at the Tidemills halt.

[phil_sutters]

Very interesting. I had a nice long walk around Newhaven last September, and got interested in the various lines around the quays, and this branch. Managed to pick up a reprinted OS map from 1938 of Newhaven South, which shows just how much railway there was in that town back then. Here are a couple of photos I took that day, one of what appears to be former East Quay trackbed and sleepers, and the derelict name board at the Tidemills halt.

The area to the left, seaward, side of your first photo is where there was a seaplane station and it is not completely clear what bits are the East Quay tramway and what was connected to the seaplane set-up. I think that there is a WW1 history board at that location, although I don't seem to be able to find my photo of it. The sleepers may well have been from the tramway, but they seem to be too close together to have been used like that, for the tramway.

You can see from the basic paint-job that the Tidemills board has suffered from graffiti attacks.

[Huggy]

The area to the left, seaward, side of your first photo is where there was a seaplane station and it is not completely clear what bits are the East Quay tramway and what was connected to the seaplane set-up. I think that there is a WW1 history board at that location, although I don't seem to be able to find my photo of it. The sleepers may well have been from the tramway, but they seem to be too close together to have been used like that, for the tramway.

You can see from the basic paint-job that the Tidemills board has suffered from graffiti attacks.

That bit of ,"trackbed" was close to the seaplane site, Phil, you're right, so could have been something to do with that. Would they perhaps has laid additional sleepers to make vehicle access across the track do you think? Interesting area altogether.

[Darius43]

Interesting "old maps" view circa 1959 of the Newhaven railway network on this website:-

 

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=50.7851&lon=0.0643&layers=10&b=1

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[phil_sutters]

Interesting "old maps" view circa 1959 of the Newhaven railway network on this website:-

 

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=50.7851&lon=0.0643&layers=10&b=1

 

Cheers

 

Darius

I love looking at old maps. I have the reprints of 1937 OS maps of north and south Newhaven, What I find interesting with this map is that what is now called Newhaven Marine station, was then Newhaven Harbour Station and the current Newhaven Harbour station isn't labelled at all. In my 1937 map that is shown as Harbour Hotel Station. Marine is currently redundant but not closed. It is used occasionally to turn trains, whose trips have been terminated at Newhaven Town or Harbour. I think that the box there is still staffed as there is a level-crossing into the dockyard, which, like the Town crossing, is, I think, still locally controlled. Harbour is very lightly used, although there is quite a lot of development planned in that area. Town on the A259, with a bus interchange outside, is the main station.

Phil

[Nearholmer]

I was nevertheless sure whether or not it was an official title, but, within BR, the station for embarking to the ferries was widely known as "Newhaven Harbour (Boat)".

 

K

[phil_sutters]

Work is apparently under way to build a new road bridge over the railway east of Newhaven Harbour station to help the development of the East Quay area, which was the location of the western end of the beach tramway. When a new footbridge replaced an old concrete SR bridge, that had been supported by a wooden trestle for a number of years, I was surprised to see how wide the stairs and central span were. One could walk across about five abreast, although the path on the seaward side was a very narrow mud-track. Now I realize that this was in readiness for the developments. I am surprised that the cost of a bridge with its approach roads can be justified, with only two trains each way per hour, with one or two additional ones at rush hours. Currently East Quay is served by a level crossing just east of the Harbour station. The traffic is all low speed due to security checks at the docks entrance, so that aspect of crossing safety doesn't really apply.

[C126]

Dear Phil and colleagues,

 

I was at the Swindon National Monuments/ Historic England archive in November last year searching for aerial photographs of this very area.  From those seen, I can confirm that in the 1960's the lines were a positive spaghetti (including a couple of diamond crossings) from Newhaven boat station eastwards, along the 'ridge' between the lagoons and beach proper.  I chose photo no. MAL/76063 frame 039 to be printed as a good illustration of this, but it was rejected by H.E. because the copyright is held by the Environment Agency, inherited from the National Rivers Authority.  They would be willing to print it if I can prove permission from the E.A., but to be honest, I have not the time to investigate to whom I should apply.

 

I do recommend a beautiful oblique photograph taken on 5th Sept. 1943 (RAF/239/AC188.0.3017) looking eastwards, showing the lagoons, Tide Mills, barrage balloons, etc., that shown the layout of the waters, beach, and docks.  I also bought a print of another, vertical (RAF/58/2937.F42.0040) of 15th June 1959, that stretches from the current waste incinerator down to the east beach, showing all the yards and sidings in the area.  There were many other photographs I would have bought if cheaper, including showing the Royal Sovereign light-house platform being constructed as mentioned above, plus the sidings filling in the lagoons in the 1970's.  From what I remember, towards the end of the project, these tracks consisted of a few long sidings eastwards, and then a parallel pair of 'kick-backs' pointing north-west, with piles of spoil each side that were used to build the hard-standings and warehouses on now extant.

 

I also remember the area from my childhood, and am delighted to have a 3rd-rail insulator pot, dated "APR 66", rescued from the debris one summer, that now props open the door to my library.  The ref. no. of my search undertaken I think was "116002".  One might be able to cite this to the enquiry dept. to save time, and they could simply look out the same results for any visitor intending to purchase prints, etc.  I hope this is of use.  Be warned: these results do not include the Aerofilms collection, which I did not realise!  This needs a separate search request, so I fear I will be returning to Swindon soon...