[Sussex] Newick and Chailey Station last days.

Weststander said:

I watched that before.

Amazing to see those tiny and rarely used stations.

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Brighton Lines said:

I love this stuff.

For train nerds, i wrote a piece about the Bradshaw's directory of 1938. And added a few Sussex timetables...

https://brightonlines.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/bradshaws-brighton-the-golden-age-of-rail-1938/

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Leekbrookgull said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHV-PsoXIWM

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GT49er said:

There's not much Sussex railway footage that I haven't found on Youtube, but that was new to me, so thanks.

The timeless beauty and the serene futility of those little stations and the train services supplied to them becomes even more poignant as the years pass.

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Brighton Lines said:

I love this stuff.

For train nerds, i wrote a piece about the Bradshaw's directory of 1938. And added a few Sussex timetables...

https://brightonlines.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/bradshaws-brighton-the-golden-age-of-rail-1938/

Click to expand...

Brighton Lines said:

I'm pretty sure the original railways were mostly created with cargo in mind. That may explain some of those splendid follies.

I've often thought about how useful the lines would be now. I think the answer is not much. Although I'm sure the East Grinstead to Three Bridges would be a profit making line. If the line had still ran to Steyning it would have been a far larger town now. Possibly.

Obviously, Lewes to Uckfield was the most rash decision. But that wasn't cut for passenger reasons. So I read.

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Brighton Lines said:

I'm pretty sure the original railways were mostly created with cargo in mind. That may explain some of those splendid follies.

I've often thought about how useful the lines would be now. I think the answer is not much. Although I'm sure the East Grinstead to Three Bridges would be a profit making line. If the line had still ran to Steyning it would have been a far larger town now. Possibly.

Obviously, Lewes to Uckfield was the most rash decision. But that wasn't cut for passenger reasons. So I read.

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GT49er said:

A lot of it by the time the Bluebell, Uckfield and Cuckoo lines were built in the later 1850s was territorial - make sure there was no room anywhere for the South Eastern to muscle in on LBSC territory.
Freight was important (which is why even the smallest station usually had a goods yard, with coal sidings and a cattle dock, as well as the clerks, porters and shunters required to run these facilities) but by 1850/60 the passenger traffic was a major consideration too. The station where I lived as a small child (remarkably still open today) owed its existence (and a surprisingly good train service!) back then to the fact that it had three customers with first class annual season tickets to London; that paid for a lot of the expenses of running the station! Every member of staff knew who they were too - I have to say, I'm pretty sure they got bloody good customer service!

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Brighton Lines said:

Fascinated to know which station that was and whether the area has built up since.

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GREASED WEASEL said:

used to love catching the train from the old Polegate train station to go out the Albion

late 70s

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GT49er said:

I loved the old station too - my playground in the late 50s!

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GREASED WEASEL said:

I'd like a pound for every brick that was in there

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GT49er said:

They should have kept the subway open too - it's still there, fully intact.

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GREASED WEASEL said:

is it really

and rightly so

would love to walk through there again

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