St Leonards to Brighton Freight 1970s and 80's

[Ben04uk]

There are a couple of pictures in the Middleton Press book: South Coast Railways - Eastbourne to Hastings showing the St Leonards to Brighton freight service headed by a Class 73.

 

What freight and what type of wagons would have been carried in the mid 1970s and 1980s. I presume there must have been more variety than just the tankers for Galley Hill? Would 12T vent vans have been seen in the early 1970s for use with general merchandise?

[crompton 33]

The Eastbourne to Hastings line as been very poor for Freight over the years.  Worse after the Eastbourne void line was closed. The only Freight was tankers for Galley Hill Bexhill or the DEMU depot at ST  Leonards in the 1970's . Plus a Ballast train for rail works with a class 33 or 73. These day's it's DMU'S's or EMU'S . You may get the odd Network Rail test train or rail tour .

Edited June 10, 2018 by crompton 33

[Nearholmer]

Would this train have dealt with the cement works traffic at Southerham, or was that served by a new haven train?

 

That site was still quite busy in the early 1970s, with coal onwards (IIRC) and cement out. It had its own shunter, a YEC 0-4-0DS painted black.

[crompton 33]

Would this train have dealt with the cement works traffic at Southerham, or was that served by a new haven train?

 

That site was still quite busy in the early 1970s, with coal onwards (IIRC) and cement out. It had its own shunter, a YEC 0-4-0DS painted black.

Went passed the old Southerham cement works today at Lewes. Remember the scrap yard to the rear with old Brighton Trolleybuses in  The Seaford Branch had Aggregates trains loadid from ships at Newhaven.

Edited June 10, 2018 by crompton 33

[anroar53]

The Brighton - St. Leonards Freight was mostly for traffic to/from St. Leonards West Marina Depot. It conveyed Diesel Fuel for the DEMU fleet which was discharged into Storage Tanks alongside the Cleaning Shed for the Fuel Point. It was sometimes possible to see a pair of DEMU Power Cars shunting the empty Fuel Tankers and Stores Vans before the Freight arrived. 

The train also conveyed the ZRA (Also were vacuum piped) Engine carriers as required bringing overhauled DEMU Diesel Engines from Eastleigh which were changed over at St. Leonards, with the old Power Units being returned to Eastleigh for attention. The wagons had metal hoods which enclosed the Power Units.

Although Box Vans would turn up occasionally with various Stores for the Depot it became more usual for the Stores to arrive in 4 wheel long wheelbase vans of the PMV type. There were also several Mark 1 CCTs used as well, which were painted in Olive drab livery.

Galley Hill tended to have its own block workings, a couple of photos when a class 37 was used for a while.

 

Andy.

[hmrspaul]

I took a few photos in the yard alongside Hastings station in 1977 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brpipe/e995c73 

 

http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/srspecial/e32dd292d http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/srspecial/e393d36bf

 

http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brpalvan/e375d83a5

 

Paul

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

I seem to remember when rovering around that neck of the woods in about 1977, that Galley Hill also had a coal yard. Thought at the time that it would be an interesting place to model......

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[Fat Controller]

I seem to remember when rovering around that neck of the woods in about 1977, that Galley Hill also had a coal yard. Thought at the time that it would be an interesting place to model......

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

My 1980 'Baker' confirms this, along with a power station at Ore. There was, at this time, a coal depot at Eastbourne, and one at Newhaven Town, as well.

[Nearholmer]

Ore power station took light distillate oil in rail tanks, to fire gas turbine alternators. Closed during/after the miners strike.

[anroar53]

My 1980 'Baker' confirms this, along with a power station at Ore. 

 

Although the Power station siding at Ore remained 'operational' for quite some time in the 80s the last block load arrival was sometime in 1979, headed by a pair of 33s. The Wagon book was kept in the Chargemans cubby hole at the back of the Ticket Office and I can remember looking through it, although the details have faded from my mind over time.

 

Andy.

[SED Freightman]

Although the Power station siding at Ore remained 'operational' for quite some time in the 80s the last block load arrival was sometime in 1979, headed by a pair of 33s. The Wagon book was kept in the Chargemans cubby hole at the back of the Ticket Office and I can remember looking through it, although the details have faded from my mind over time.

 

Andy.

 

Thanks for sharing that piece of information, I had wondered when, or if, Ore Power Station had ever actually received any rail traffic despite the sidings being operational and subject to regular audit checks in the early 1980's.  From 1981 to 1983 I used to prepare the weekly programme covering rail movements from Grain Refinery and although Ore appeared as an option on the BP programme sheets I think it was the only destination that was never served, even during the miners strike.

[SED Freightman]

The following freight services along the Brighton to Hastings line appear in the BR (SR), Section M (Freight), Working Time Table of Mandatory Train Services commencing 01/05/1972.

 

8G75 0130 (MX) Norwood to Eastbourne arr 0411.  Worked by EDL (class 73). Called at Three Bridges Yd 0228 - 0250 thence via Plumpton.  Formation : Eastbourne (vac fitted), Eastbourne (non vac fitted), brake van, Galley Hill and St Leonards WM (non vac fitted), Galley Hill and St Leonards WM (vac fitted), Three Bridges, brake van.  Length Limit + 56 SLU's arriving at Eastbourne.

 

7G55 0150 (MX) Norwood to Newhaven Town arr 0324. Worked by EDL. Via Plumpton. Formation : Convey traffic for Southerham Sdgs and Newhaven only. Convey continental traffic received at Norwood off the 2050 ex Stratford.

 

7G55 0355 (MO) Norwood to Newhaven Town arr 0527.Worked by EDL via Plumpton. Formation : Convey traffic for Southerham Sdgs and Newhaven only.

 

7C51 0735 (SX) Eastbourne to Galley Hill arr 0805. Worked by EDL.

 

7G51 1008 (SX) Galley Hill to Norwood. Worked by EDL. Called Eastbourne 1034 - 1107 thence via Plumpton.

 

7C52 1015 (SX) Newhaven Town to Brighton Top Yd arr. 1120. Called Southerham Sdgs 1027 - 1049 thence via Falmer and Brighton Stn 1116 - 1117.  Length Limit arriving Southerham Sdgs = 25 SLU's.

 

7G53 2120 (SX) Newhaven Town to Norwood. Worked by EDL via Plumpton.  Formation : East Croydon, Stratford, Bricklayers Arms, Norwood, brake van.

 

Note that these services operated every day they were booked to run, there would have been others, for example oil to Galley Hill, which only operated as required or when traffic was available.

[SouthernBlue80s]

Interesting thread

What year were the 37s on the Galley Hill tanks?

Anyone got an old map of the rail layout in that area?

Edited June 11, 2018 by SouthernBlue80s

[anroar53]

Interesting thread

What year were the 37s on the Galley Hill tanks?

 

 

Unfortunately the dates that were on the back of my photos have faded, and I can only make a guess sometime around 1987-89. The 37s were very short lived, being replaced by 47s after only a few weeks. However the odd 73 still turned up from time to time.

 

Andy.

[SED Freightman]

Here is an extract from an old control track diagram which may be of interest, it shows Galley Hill Sdgs along with the Bexhill and Hastings (Glynde Gap) Gasworks sidings.

 

Galley Hill.doc

[Fat Controller]

Wasn't there a flow of spoil from somewhere around Hastings/Bexhill to a site near Maidstone during the 1990s?

[SED Freightman]

Wasn't there a flow of spoil from somewhere around Hastings/Bexhill to a site near Maidstone during the 1990s?

Hastings to Allington, spoil from a waste water tunnelling project.

[crompton 33]

Wasn't there a flow of spoil from somewhere around Hastings/Bexhill to a site near Maidstone during the 1990s?

This went via the Tonbridge line from West St Leonards.

[C126]

Sorry for my tardy reply, but if of interest, I can supply a few observed formations for the Hove(?)/St Leonard's depot works trains from 1985-1987.  Best wishes to you all.

[Ben04uk]

Sorry for my tardy reply, but if of interest, I can supply a few observed formations for the Hove(?)/St Leonard's depot works trains from 1985-1987.  Best wishes to you all.

Yes please, that would be helpful.

[C126]

(So sorry; I posted this initially in the wrong thread.)

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Observed formations to/from St Leonard's West Depot, 1985-1987.
(Times approx. passing through Lewes)

12.55 5/2/85, Up.
'73', OBA (Railfreight red livery), 4xTTA, VEA (Railfreight livery).

10.40 12/2/85, Down.
2xZRW, '73'.

10.05 27/2/85, Up.
'33', approx. 10xMDV (bauxite/rust).

14.00 19/4/85, Up.
73 132, VIX (baux.), 2xTTA, ZRW, 2xTTA, CCT(?) (brown? olive?).

10.40 23/4/85, Up.
73 103, OBA/ZDA (baux., with side-stanchions), OCA (Rf red).

14.00 24/5/85, Up.
73 003(?), VIX (baux.), VDA (baux.).

10.20 14 or 21/11/85, Down.
4xTTA, 73 111, 33 045.

09.55 5/12/85, Up.
73 132 (large logo), VIX (baux.), 4xTTA, VIX (Rf red), HAA (!).

10.10 6/3/86, Down.
VIX (Rf), VIX (baux.), TTA, CCT (olive), 7xTTA (some "BP"), 73 140 (large logo).

10.05 17/4/86, Down.
3xTTA, CCT (olive), 2xZRW, 73 (large logo).

09.25 5/9/86, Down.
TTA, 6xHBA/HEA (5 baux., 1 RF red), 73 005 (large logo).

10.45 26/9/86, Down.
TTA, 73 (large logo).

10.40 17/10/86, Down.
2xTTA, 73 (large logo).

10.22 24/10/85, Down.
ZRW, '33' (old blue/yellow).

10.45 7/11/86, Down.
TTA, '33' (old b/y).

10.15 14/11/86, Down.
2xTTA, '33' (old b/y).

10.45 21/11/86, Down.
TTA, '33' (old b/y).

10.40 5/12/86, Down.
TTA, MCV (baux.), TTA, ZRW, '33' (old b/y).

10.50 12/12/86, Down.
3xTTA, '33' (old b/y).

10.15 9/1/87, Down.
TTA, ZRW, 73 005 (large logo).

10.45 23/1/87, Down.
2xTTA, 73 (Gatwick Express livery, pale blue name-plates).

10.40 6/2/87, Down.
2xTTA ("BP"), TTA, '73' (GX livery).

10.20 13/2/87, Down.
TTA, 73 114.

10.45 20/2/87, Down.
TTA, 73 001 (large logo).

10.15 6/3/87, Down.
TTA, '73' (large logo).

10.45 20/3/87, Down.
ZRW, '73' (GX livery).

11.25 27/3/87, Down.
TTA, '73' (GX livery).

10.15 10/4/87, Down.
ZRW, 5xTTA, 73 126 (large logo).

10.00 1/5/87, Down.
CCT (olive), ZRW, '73' (GX livery).

10.15 8/5/87, Down.
TTA, ZRW, TTA, '73' (large logo).

10.35 22/5/87, Down.
VIX (baux.), TTA, '73' (large logo).

10.00 5/6/87, Down.
TTA, 73 005 (large logo).

10.45 3/7/87, Down.
ZRW, '73' (GX livery).

10.40 24/9/87, Down.
'ZRW un-hooded?', '73' (GX livery).

N.b., the wagons most likely will be the departmental-use vehicles (e.g., CCT, VIX).  "TTA" could be any of the T.O.P.S. short-wheel-base silver/grey tankers.

Hope this helps.
 

[Edit: for  'ZRW' read  "ZRA".  Sorry.]

Edited July 24, 2018 by C126