Tunbridge Wells LBSCR - services Tonbridge to Brighton/Eastbourne

[Nearholmer]

Can anyone help to de-confuse me about how Tonbridge to Brighton services worked at Tunbridge Wells LBSCR/West pre-grouping and into SR days?

 

When I look at Bradshaw for 1910, I think I read that these were LBSCR through services, and that one each day seems to have had through coaches for "The Uckfield Line and Victoria" (maybe this was the only actual through service, and the rest were connections, given what seem to be very long station stops at the LBSCR station for some).

 

And, when I look at "Disused Stations", I find a picture of a very nice little SECR train in the East Bay, which I thought was there specifically for SECR services, in 1910.

 

And, did things change over the years, either before or after 1910? By BR days its was a simple through service, and I assume that the SR must have rationalised to this at some stage.

 

And, did SER/SECR through coaches to Eastbourne persist for more than "five minutes" after The Cuckoo Line was opened?

 

Any pointers gratefully received, Kevin

 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Nearholmer

[The Lurker]

I suspect I am about to give you nothing new but here is what sprung to mind;

 

A while back I spent a few afternoons reading through some of the articles from the Railway Magazine that are on the SREMG website. One was on the Cuckoo Line and this mentioned the odd through service in SER days (all the way to CHX) but I don't recall a mention of through services after that. the few pictures I have seen (all in BR days) are services which terminate at Tunbridge Wells West (from Eastbourne).

 

There is also an article on Tunbridge Wells West, but this deals with the changes made in the 1955 timetable.

 

The Kentrail piece suggests that it was the Southern Railway that started to increase services. In 1928 when there was remodelling at Tunbridge Wels West, the Grove Park line was used by 9 trains a day but by the early 1950s it was 31 trains a day including 2 freight. I wonder if the capacity was upped when Tonbridge was remodelled in the 1930s and the up loop was created; this might have allowed more trains to run to Tonbridge and then terminate rather than just to Tunbridge Wells West, as well as some that went further afield (IIRC some Brighton services got to Sevenoaks)

 

 

[Gareth Collier]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

 

And, did SER/SECR through coaches to Eastbourne persist for more than "five minutes" after The Cuckoo Line was opened?

 

The Cuckoo Line by A C Elliott states that for a short period between 1884 and 1885 the SER ran two through trains from Charing Cross to Eastbourne and return. I'm not aware of any other excursions by them but on my model of  Waldron and Horeham Road the SER/SECR exercisetheir running rights  

[Nearholmer]

Thanks. I can't find my copy, and may have given it away ......... I always regret doing that!