 Dyke Terminus | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Successor | Southern Railway (UK) |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | Standard |
| Track length | 3.5 miles (5.6 km) |
The Brighton and Dyke Railway was an independent railway company which built a branch line from Brighton in East Sussex to the Devil's Dyke, a popular beauty spot nearby in the South Downs, England. The line opened in 1887. The intermediary Golf Club Halt opened in 1891 and Rowan Halt opened in 1934. The line was not commercially successful and closed in 1939.
The Devil's Dyke is a spectacular beauty spot in the South Downs of England a short distance north-west of Brighton; it is said [1] to be the deepest dry valley in the world. It is at some considerable altitude, making access a challenge. As leisure visits to such locations grew in popularity in the mid-Victorian period, the idea developed of a railway to the Devil's Dyke. A first suggestion was to connect to the London main line of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) south of Patcham, but Parliament turned this idea down. [1]
| Brighton and Dyke Railway Act 1877 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for making a Railway between Brighton and the Dyke, in the County of Sussex; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 40 & 41 Vict. c. clxxxix |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 August 1877 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The LB&SCR line to Portsmouth passed nearby on the south side, and a short branch to the Devil's Dyke was considered feasible. [2] The necessary authorising Act of Parliament was obtained on 2 August 1877, and the Brighton and Dyke Railway was incorporated. Share capital of £72,000 was authorised. [3] [4]
The authorisation included plans for the construction of two railways: from near Aldrington on the LBSCR to Hangleton (3 miles) and thence to Poynings (1 mile). Construction was not started at first, partly due to obstruction by the LBSCR, whose co-operation was needed. [1] The powers obtained were allowed to lapse; they were revived by an Act of 18 July 1881. After further authorisations of time extension, the line was opened from Dyke Junction, on the Brighton to Portsmouth line near Aldrington, to a terminus at Hangleton, on 1 September 1887. [2] [1] The line from there to Poynings was never built, although some preparatory work was carried out at the chalk face at the Dyke Terminus. The line was worked by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. [5] [4] [6] The line had to overcome a vertical interval of 400 feet, by gradients typically of 1 in 40, and had almost continuous sharp curvature. [2]
The line was never a paying proposition, and an Official Receiver was appointed in October 1895. [5] [4]
Turner describes the passenger train service in 1904-1905: Railmotor services had not then been started. On weekdays and Sundays there were four trains each way between Brighton and The Dyke, the first leaving Brighton on weekdays at 10 :25 and the last leaving The Dyke at 17:10; on Sundays the corresponding times were 10:00 and 17:15. The journey time, including a stop at Hove, was 20 minutes to The Dyke, and 18 or 19 minutes from there back to Brighton. The morning weekday service (10:25 from Brighton) and its return working at 11:15 from The Dyke, also conveyed goods wagons. For the latter purpose there was a siding serving the outer end of the east side of the single platform at The Dyke, the platform therefore acting as a dock. The Sunday service of four trains each way also ran on Christmas Day. [7]
There was a small goods yard at the summit; it received some coal and cattle food and sent out little more than an occasional load of hay. [8]
The first halt on the branch, Golf Club Halt was opened in 1891 only 62 chains from the terminus and was for the use of the Golf Club. An electric bell in the clubhouse rang automatically when the starting signal at the station was lowered to advise intending passengers to drink up. [9]
In 1897 a "steep-grade" passenger railway operated on the north-facing slope between Poynings and the summit at Devil's Dyke; a hotel and funfair had been opened there. The steep grade railway cost £9,000 to build. Two open-sided cars each carried up to 14 passengers. The railway operated by cable traction and the cars were operated on the balanced system by a 25 bhp oil engine. The gradient of the 840 ft long 3 ft gauge track varied between 1 in 1.5 and 1 in 2.9. Although initially very popular, the railway did not succeed, and in December 1900 it was put up for sale. There were no suitable offers but it lingered on and finally closed in 1908. [10]
A cableway was built across the Dyke ravine earlier in 1894. It was a funicular system, and the terminals were 1,100 feet apart. It too was not very successful. The usage steadily declined and by around 1909 it was closed down. [11]
In 1904 the LBSCR decided to respond to the abstraction of local passenger business by motor buses and tramcars, by operating more frequent services by "motor trains", the term used by the company to describe single coach trains with a small integrated steam engine. This policy was coupled with the opening of several halts at locations on the coastal branches where housing development had taken place since the opening of the line. The line to Worthing was selected for early adoption of this system, and a new halt was called Dyke Junction Halt, close to the point of divergence of the Dyke branch. The halt was opened on 11 September 1905. [12]
The railmotors operated on the Dyke Branch. Passengers complained about the railmotor unit due to the vibration from the engine; and it was said to be dirty, because it was kept in the loco shed and not the carriage shed. Overcrowding was also a problem, because the railmotor engine unit was not powerful enough to convey a second coach at busy times. [13]
Operation on the line was suspended as a war emergency measure at the beginning of 1917, [14] and was not resumed until 26 July 1920. [2]
On 22 July 1924 the Brighton and Dyke Railway company was incorporated into the Southern Railway as part of the process called the Grouping of the railways, following the Railways Act 1922. [15] [4]
In 1932 a lightweight Sentinel-Cammell railbus was tried out on the line. Sentinel railcar no. 6 had wooden wheel centres to reduce noise but this created problems with track circuit operation on the main line and necessitated the provision of lorry-type brake drums. [2] [16]
A second halt on the branch was brought into use on 12 January 1934 to serve housing developments near the coast. It was named Rowan Halt and was the terminating point for about half the motor trains in the final winters of the line. [9]
An Australian engineer, A R Angus, developed a system of train control that would intervene in the event of an engine driver failing to respond to an adverse signal. In 1912 and 1913 he arranged for a demonstration of his system on the West Somerset Mineral Railway, but World War I prevented development of the system. After the war, he negotiated to install it on the Dyke Railway. A demonstration was arranged in the presence of Col Pringle of the Board of Trade on 22 September 1921. Two Terrier locomotives were fitted, and one was driven under steam into the section occupied by the other. The apparatus sounded the engine whistle, and when the driver failed to respond, the brakes were applied, and steam cut off. It was claimed that additionally, the system would detect and restrict excessive speed on sharp curves, broken rails, and failure of the train braking system.
The Railway Magazine journalist commented that "As to how far these claims are justified we are not prepared to comment in default of more complete information". [17]
The line had never been profitable, and as motor buses became reliable and commonplace, they offered a much more attractive means of getting to the summit. The Dyke railway terminus was some distance below the summit, and a stiff climb was needed after arrival to get there. As custom declined, closure became inevitable and the last train ran on 31 December 1938. [2]
In 2016, the route from Aldrington to Hangleton Way has been mostly covered by commercial businesses or housing, although some undeveloped sections remain showing the outline of the route, including a tree-lined section along the edge of Hove cemetery. North of Hangleton Way, to Brighton and Hove Golf Club, the route is now a public footpath. The section between the golf club and The Dyke station terminus is now private land on which stands the remains of Golf Club Halt platform. The site of The Dyke station is occupied by farm buildings. [18]
Hove is a seaside resort in East Sussex, England. Alongside Brighton, it is one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove.
Brighton and Hove is a unitary authority with city status in East Sussex, England. There are multiple villages alongside the seaside resorts of Brighton and Hove in the district. It is administered by Brighton and Hove City Council, which is currently under Labour majority control.
The West Coastway line is a railway line in England linking the conurbations of Brighton/Hove/Littlehampton and Southampton/Portsmouth, with 1.3 million people between them. It has short southward branches to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, which offer direct services to and from London.
The Portsmouth Direct line is a railway route between Woking in Surrey and Portsmouth Harbour in Hampshire, England. It forms the principal route for passenger trains between London, Guildford and Portsmouth; connections are made to the ferry services which operate between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. The final section of line from Havant to Portsmouth is shared with other passenger routes.
Devil's Dyke is a 100 metre (300') deep V-shaped dry valley on the South Downs in Sussex in southern England, 5 miles (8.0 km) north-west of Brighton. It is managed by the National Trust, and is also part of the Beeding Hill to Newtimber Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest. Devil's Dyke was a major local tourist attraction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is now a popular viewpoint and site for walking, model aircraft flying and hang gliding. The South Downs Way passes the site.
The Southsea Railway was a short railway branch line. It was built to give easier access from the jointly operated main line railway approaching Portsmouth to the Clarence Pier from which Isle of Wight ferries sailed. In 1879 the extension of the main line railway to Portsmouth Harbour station, where direct transfer from train to steamer was possible, eliminated most of the steamer business at Clarence Pier. Undeterred, promoters interested in developing Southsea projected the Southsea Railway, connecting a new Fratton station on the main line, with Southsea. The line was opened on 1 July 1885. Its independent promoters believed that it could be a main line terminus for London trains, and they constructed the line lavishly in consequence.
The Bishop's Waltham branch was a railway line in Hampshire, England. It was made by a locally promoted independent company, the Bishop's Waltham Railway company. It ran from Bishop's Waltham to Botley on the Eastleigh–Fareham line of the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). The line opened on 1 June 1863.
Kemp Town railway station was the terminus station of the Kemp Town branch line, a short branch line serving the Kemptown district of Brighton, England.
Aldrington railway station, sometimes known by its former names of Aldrington Halt and Dyke Junction, is a railway station that serves the area of Aldrington in Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, England. The station is 1 mile 74 chains (3.1 km) from Brighton on the West Coastway Line.
Tunbridge Wells West is a railway station located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It is one of two railway stations in Tunbridge Wells constructed by rival companies. The other, Tunbridge Wells Central was opened in 1845 by the South Eastern Railway (SER). Tunbridge Wells West was closed to mainline passenger services in 1985. A new station on part of the site has been opened as a heritage railway line opened in 1996. It stands next to the original engine shed which has been restored to use. The line is called the Spa Valley Railway.
Hangleton is a suburb of Brighton and Hove, in the ceremonial county of East Sussex, England. The area was developed in the 1930s after it was incorporated into the Borough of Hove, but has ancient origins: its parish church was founded in the 11th century and retains 12th-century fabric; the medieval manor house is Hove's oldest secular building. The village became depopulated in the medieval era and the church fell into ruins, and the population in the isolated hilltop parish only reached 100 in the early 20th century; but rapid 20th-century development resulted in more than 6,000 people living in Hangleton in 1951 and over 9,000 in 1961. By 2013, the population exceeded 14,000.
Public transport in Brighton and Hove, a city on the south coast of England, dates back to 1840. Brighton and Hove has a major railway station, an extensive bus service, many taxis, coach services, and it has previously had trolley buses, ferries, trams, auto rickshaws and hydrofoils.
Rowan Halt railway station, was a railway station in Hove, in East Sussex, England which opened in 1933 and closed on 1 January 1939; the layout and curvature of Rowan Avenue indicates where the branch ran.
The Dyke railway station was a railway station near Devil's Dyke in West Sussex, England which opened in 1887 and closed in 1939.
The Steyning Line was a railway branch line that connected the West Sussex market town of Horsham with the port of Shoreham-by-Sea, with connections to Brighton. It was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and opened in 1861. It was 20 miles in length. It followed the course of the River Adur for much of its extent and was alternatively known as the Adur Valley Line.
Holland Road Halt was a railway station in Hove, East Sussex, which opened in 1905 and closed in 1956. It lay to the west of the original Hove station (1840–1880) and to the east of the current station of that name (1865–present) as well as the Cliftonville Curve. It was mainly used during rush hours by stopping trains to Worthing.
The Epsom and Leatherhead Railway (E&LR) was a railway company in Surrey, England. Promoted independently, it opened its short line in 1859 and was worked by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). It was transferred to the joint ownership of the LSWR and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) in 1860. Those companies operated passenger trains to Waterloo and London Bridge station respectively. In 1867 the LBSCR built an extension line from Leatherhead to Dorking, with the declared intention of continuing to the Sussex coast. A new Leatherhead station was built on the new line, and the LSWR was obliged to build its own independent, new Leatherhead station; this was a terminus for some years.
Kemp Town branch line was a railway line running from Brighton to Kemptown in the UK that operated between 1869 and 1971. It ran from a junction off the Brighton to Lewes line between London Road and Moulsecoomb stations, to Kemp Town railway station. It opened in 1869 and was expensive to construct, requiring a tunnel and a large viaduct.
The Portsmouth to Brighton Railway was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and its immediate predecessor in several stages.
The Mid-Sussex railways were a group of English railway companies that together formed what became the Mid-Sussex line, from Three Bridges through Horsham to Littlehampton, in southern England. After 1938 the Southern Railway operated a regular electric train service ran from London to Bognor Regis and Portsmouth using the marketing brand "Mid-Sussex Line", leading to an informal consensus. The Mid-Sussex Railway company ran from Horsham to Petworth, and the Mid-Sussex Junction line of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) extended from the Petworth line to Littlehampton. The Three Bridges to Horsham branch of the LBSCR was at first the sole access from the north to the Mid-Sussex railways, although a line from Leatherhead was used later.
