Sussex Branch
Traffic of interest
On Wednesday 7 March H.M. The Queen visited Brighton. The Royal Train with Her Majesty on board was stabled on the night of 6/7 March on the Ardingly branch. On the morning of 7 March the train departed to Brighton where Her Majesty alighted. Whilst she undertook her engagements the train ran e.c.s. to Three Bridges where it stabled in the Up Yard. Later in the day it returned to Brighton to collect Her Majesty before returning to London.
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| 67006 trails the Royal Train as it passes through Hassocks on 7 March. Tony Sullivan |
Railtours 2007
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On Saturday 17th February 1Z82 06:52 East Croydon to Bristol T.M with 34067 TANGMERE in charge in the Preston Park Up Loop taking water from a road tanker. Paul Snelling |
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| 47-810 draws the ecs of 1Z27 Gloucester to Brighton onto Lovers Walk depot, 10 February 2007. Credit Paul Snelling. |
PASSENGER SERVICES Updated October 2006
Southern - Electric Services
Class 377.
Southern - Diesel Services
Uckfield to Oxted
Classes 171/7 (2-car - formerly class 170/7) peaks only and 171/8 (4-car).
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| 377461 approaches Plumpton station on the evening of 15 July 2005 passing the still operational signal box |
South East Trains
Horsham to Tonbridge (Operated by Southern although services are officially South East Trains)
Class 377.
London Bridge to Tunbridge Wells via Redhill, plus evening and Sunday, Maidstone to Three Bridges.
Class 375 and 508/2.
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Airport to London Victoria
Class 460s work all services.
Two class 458 units have been acquired from South West Trains.
First Capital Connect
Brighton to Bedford
Class 319/4. Class 319/3 units can often be seen although they are allocated to the Sutton services.
South West Trains
Brighton to Basingstoke
Class 450 'Desiro' units.
Brighton to Reading
Class 170/3.
First Great Western Link (formerly Thames Trains)
Gatwick Airport - Redhill - Guildford - Reading
Class 166 mainly.
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| 166 202 enters the up sidings at Gatwick Airport to lay over |
Virgin Cross Country
Brighton/Gatwick Airport - Kensington Olympia - Reading - Birmingham New Street - Manchester
Class 220 and 221 Virgin Voyager units.
The Sunday service runs via Redhill and Guildford to Reading and onward.
Arriva Trains Wales
Brighton - Salisbury - Bristol TM - Cardiff
Class 158/0.
The majority of services within the Sussex area are worked by electric units.
Exceptions are:-
The Arriva Trains Wales service to Brighton sees Class 158/0 stock.
First Great Western Link work into Gatwick Airport with Network Turbo class 166 diesel units.
South West Train services to Reading use class 170 stock.
The Uckfield to Oxted service is now operated by class 171 stock. At Oxted, passengers now rarely need to change to EMU stock working up from East Grinstead as most services run through from Uckfield to London Bridge. The branch has a service on Sundays only until December 2006 in the current National Rail timetable.
Beyond the eastern extremity of our area, DEMUs have been replaced by class 171s between Ashford, Kent and Hastings. From the June timetable change, the through Brighton to Ashford service was re-introduced.
Currently one class 09 is based at Brighton, 09-026, Cedric Wares, in BR green.
FREIGHT SERVICES
Freight services are confined to the Central Section and the furthest point south reached is Haywards Heath. This is a working to the Amey Roadstone plant at Ardingly on the former branch to Horsted Keynes. The train arrives at Haywards Heath, where the engine runs round and the train then heads north and runs onto the branch. Here the engine runs round again and brings the train back to Haywards Heath where the process is repeated for the return journey.
This service is 6O47 TThO from Acton arriving at 06.30 and departing at 09.25 as 6Y60.
6Y60 returns the train to Hither Green Sidings. The empty wagons are forwarded from there to Acton. EWS class 59/2 is the scheduled motive power although members of Class 66 frequently work the service. This train has Q paths on the remaining days of the week including Saturday.
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| 66-235 powers past Kemps Crossing, Balcombe, with the Ardingly – Hither Green empties |
Three Bridges
Occasionally engines engaged in track work stable in the Up Sidings to the south of the station on the west side adjacent to the Brighton Line. Track machines are often found in the Down sidings.
Crawley New Yard is situated between Three Bridges and Gatwick Airport on the up side of the line. This is served by aggregate trains and a solitary sand train. Trains can be seen here weekdays up to mid morning and from mid afternoon to mid evening. It is suggested that Freightmaster be consulted for times and destinations.
Readers should note that these services are liable to change due to fluctuating requirements.
Freight is usually handled by EWS class59/2, 60 and 66/0 locomotives together with Mendip Rail classes 59/0 and 59/1. Class 67 locomotives are the scheduled motive power for delivering class 377 units to Lovers Walk. These arrive during the night but have a scheduled lay over mid morning at Three Bridges. They work the prestigious VSOE train which runs to either Chichester or Hove dependent on the excursion. Class 67 is also scheduled for the Serco test train.
DEPOTS and STABLING POINTS
BRIGHTON T&RSMD (BI)
Better known as Lovers Walk, the depot is situated between Brighton and Preston Park stations on the Up side of the line. Views of the depot can be had from passing trains. A limited view can be had from the London end of the platforms at Brighton Station or the station car park.
EASTBOURNE
Stock is stabled on the up side of the line just north of the station.
GATWICK
Occasionally stock is stabled in the up side sidings south of Gatwick Airport station. First Great Western Link use the sidings to lay over between turns.
LITTLEHAMPTON
The carriage sheds have been refurbished and stock stables in the adjacent sidings.
PRESTON PARK
Some long disused sidings on the up side north of the station have been refurbished and brought back into use.
THREE BRIDGES
Three Bridges has returned as a depot after a considerable absence. This has been constructed on the site of the former steam shed. Situated between the Brighton and Horsham lines, south of the station, it serves to service the Virgin Voyager stock used on services from Brighton and Gatwick to Liverpool and Manchester. There are only very limited views of the depot from the platforms at Three Bridges station or from passing trains.
WEST WORTHING
The carriage sheds at West Worthing are being refurbished to house class 377 stock.
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| 377-127 reposes inside West Worthing carriage sheds |
PRESERVATION SITES
Sussex is best known for the Bluebell Railway, which runs between Sheffield Park and Kingscote. Nearest national railway stations are Haywards Heath and East Grinstead respectively. The Bluebell was one of the pioneering enthusiast railways and goes from strength to strength. A wide range of stock can be found. The stations have been superbly restored. Expansion continues with the acquisition of some buildings at Sheffield Park for carriage storage. The main impetus is on relaying track back to East Grinstead from Kingscote. They have a superb website at www.bluebell-railway.co.uk which you are commended to view. A new locomotive is 08 016/D3023 which has been hired in for Imberhorne spoil trains and shunting stock.
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| Maunsell designed locomotives 928, 1618 and 263 lined up within the engine shed at Sheffield Park |
Also in our area is the Lavender Line, which runs for a short distance northwards from Isfield Station. Nearest national railway stations are Lewes and Uckfield. Although only a short ride the station at Isfield is immaculately restored and sports a good cafeteria. Stock consists mainly of ex industrial diesel locomotives but the main train service is usually steam hauled. Their website can be found at
Nearby can be found the Great Bush Railway at Tinkers Park, Hadlow Down. A private site not normally open to the public but the railway can be ridden on at the annual Steam Rally in June. Well recommended for the traction engines. Railway stock consists of a number of Ruston and Motor Rail products but battery electrics and two non operable Avonsides can also be found. All 2 foot gauge. Buxted is the nearest station, about 3 miles distant.
In Brighton can be found the pioneering Volks Electric Railway, running from the Palace Pier to Black Rock. This is operated during the summer months by the City Council but has a lot of support from the Volks Electric Railway Association. The website can be found at www.volkselectricrailway.co.uk
At Amberley there is a railway located within the Amberley Working Museum. Passengers are carried on a short narrow gauge line within the site. There are a number of former industrial locomotives on site, many on view. Located in a former chalk pit, the site shows the history of lime making. This is supported by a number of other exhibits which record rural crafts in Sussex. Modern halls house exhibitions on telephones, electricity and road making. There is even a bus garage and exhibits dedicated to the celebrated Southdown Motor Services. Amberley station is about 100 yards from the site entrance.
For full details of the museum they have their own web site at www.amberleymuseum.co.uk. There is also a site specific to their narrow gauge railway at http://home.fastnet.co.uk/gerrycork/amberleyrail/index.html
Readers are suggested to contact the respective operators for dates and times of services.
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| Built for the Groudle Glen Railway on the Isle of Man, POLAR BEAR is seen outside the engine shed |
LOOKING BACK
In the last year there have been many changes within our area. Two are depicted below.
The last of the slam door stock bowed out. In happier times 3514 works an evening up service on the Seaford Branch. Bishopstone station is in the background as the train approaches the crossing at the site of Bishopstone Beach station which closed in 1942.
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Thameslink services were removed under tender from the Go-Ahead portfolio and taken on by First Group as part of the new First Capital Connect franchise. On 9 April 2005 319 384 brings up the rear of a down service at Gatwick Airport"
Southern 377’s can be seen as 3531 and another unit repose in the Up sidings.
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All photographs by Paul Snelling
© RCTS 2006
RCTS : Britain's Leading Railway Society