Английская Википедия:Bexhill West branch line

Материал из Онлайн справочника
Перейти к навигацииПерейти к поиску

Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use British English Шаблон:Infobox rail line Шаблон:Bexhill West Branch The Bexhill West branch line was a short double-track branch line which was opened on 1 June 1902. It was built by the Crowhurst, Sidley & Bexhill Railway under the patronage of the South Eastern Railway. The Chief Engineer to the project was Lt Col Arthur John Barry.[1] Diverging from the Hastings Line at Crowhurst, an intermediate station at Шаблон:Stnlnk was served before the terminus was reached at Шаблон:Stnlnk. The line was closed under the Beeching Axe on 15 June 1964.

History

Background

In the late nineteenth century, Bexhill had expanded rapidly.[2] The town had been served by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway since the opening of Шаблон:Stnlnk on 27 June 1846.Шаблон:Sfn In 1896, a line was promoted by the Crowhurst, Sidley and Bexhill Railway, which was nominally independent. The scheme was supported by the South Eastern Railway,[2] which entered into an operating arrangement with the London, Chatham and Dover Railway which came into effect on 1 January 1899, forming the South Eastern and Chatham Railway.Шаблон:Sfn The Crowhurst, Sidley & Bexhill Railway Company was incorporated in 1897, and permission was granted in that year for the line's construction.Шаблон:Sfn Lt Col Arthur John Barry was appointed as Chief Engineer to the project.[1]

The construction of the branch included a new station at Шаблон:Stnlnk (Шаблон:Gbmapping), on the Hastings Line,[2] where a private siding had existed since about 1877;Шаблон:Sfn an intermediate station at Шаблон:Stnlnk (Шаблон:Gbmappingsmall) and the terminus at Bexhill-on-Sea (Шаблон:Gbmappingsmall). Between Crowhurst and Sidley, a major viaduct was built to carry the line across a valley.[2] The line was supported by the South Eastern Railway because it was hoped that passengers would use that line instead of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's routes to London, which were Шаблон:Convert or Шаблон:Convert longer, depending on whether one travelled via Plumpton or Шаблон:Stnlnk.[2] Seven contractors' locomotives were used in the construction of the line, one of which was an 0-6-0ST named St Leonards. Over Шаблон:Convert of earth was moved during the construction of the line.Шаблон:Sfn Initially, the line had some success, but following the electrification of the railway between Шаблон:Stnlnk and Шаблон:Stnlnk in 1935, traffic on the branch declined.Шаблон:Sfn

Description

The line diverged from the Hastings Line at a point Шаблон:Convert south of Crowhurst and headed in a generally southerly direction. After crossing the Combe Haven Viaduct, the line swung to the south west. Шаблон:Stnlnk station was reached at Шаблон:Convert. The line then continued in a south westerly direction, which became southerly on the approach to Шаблон:Stnlnk, Шаблон:Convert from Crowhurst.Шаблон:Sfn The line was double track throughout.[2]

The largest structure on the line was the Combe Haven Viaduct (Шаблон:Gbmapping),[2] which was also known as the Filsham, Sidley or Crowhurst Viaduct.Шаблон:Sfn It was Шаблон:Convert long,Шаблон:Sfn and Шаблон:Convert high, with seventeen arches. The viaduct took two years to build, due to the nature of the ground it was built on.[2] Built at a cost of £244,000,[3] over 9,000,000 bricks were used in the construction of the viaduct.[2] Concrete blocks were used for the foundations, each one measuring Шаблон:Convert and Шаблон:Convert deep.[3]Шаблон:Sfn Following the closure of the line, it was proposed in late 1968 to demolish the viaduct. Local residents were opposed to the plan, and a question was asked in Parliament by Neill Cooper-Key regarding the preservation of the viaduct, which was not listed. Kenneth Robinson answered that British Railways were prepared to transfer ownership of the viaduct to any group willing to take it, but that maintenance costs were considerable.[4]

There were three stations built for the line:

  • Шаблон:Stnlnk station was opened with the branch on 1 June 1902. It was closed during the First World War on 1 January 1917 before reopening on 14 June 1920.Шаблон:Sfn The entrance at Sidley Station for services to Bexhill West was down some steps, while the Crowhurst and London platform had direct access from the road. The station also had a small goods yard and coal merchants. The original entrance building was demolished in 1971. A petrol station now stands on the site.

Operation

The line was operated from the outset by the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. The South Eastern Railway absorbed the Crowhurst, Sidley and Bexhill Railway Company in 1905.Шаблон:Sfn Under the SE&CR, services were worked by the older classes of SER locomotives, which were stationed at Bexhill. These continued until 1936, when push-pull trains were introduced. Under British Railways, push-pull services were operated by H Class 0-4-4T locomotives.Шаблон:Sfn Through services between Bexhill and Шаблон:Stnlnk were worked by Schools Class 4-4-0 locomotives.;Шаблон:Sfn these were withdrawn at the beginning of the Second World War and never reinstated.Шаблон:Sfn Between 27 November 1949 and 5 June 1950, Bo Peep tunnel was closed to traffic and all services on the Hastings line were diverted to Bexhill West.Шаблон:Sfn A push-pull service operated between Crowhurst Junction and Шаблон:Stnlnk during the closure of the tunnel.Шаблон:Sfn

When steam was eliminated from the Hastings Line, Diesel-Electric Multiple Units took over the services.Шаблон:Sfn This took place in June 1958; a new timetable was introduced at the same time, providing the line with an hourly service.Шаблон:Sfn During the latter years of steam on the Hastings Line, a service between Шаблон:Stnlnk and Bexhill West was operated for schoolchildren.Шаблон:Sfn It was continued during the early years of the Hastings Diesel units; these were six-car trains, but the service was not shown in public timetables.Шаблон:Sfn

A daily freight train ran from Tonbridge to Bexhill West. In 1958 it was usually hauled by a Q class engine.[5]

Closure

It is claimedШаблон:Who that the timetables were altered to the detriment of those commuters who wished to use the line. Fares were also raised, adding a further disincentive. The line was closed as part of the Beeching Axe.[6] The last day of public services was 14 June 1964. Some of the services on that day were operated by 6S DEMU № 1007,Шаблон:Sfn and 2H DEMU № 1120. The 6S was running reduced to four carriages at the time.Шаблон:Sfn The Coombe Valley viaduct was demolished in two stages, on 23 May and 12 June 1969.[3]

References

Шаблон:Reflist

Sources

Further reading

Шаблон:GeoGroupTemplate Шаблон:Coord

Партнерские ресурсы
Криптовалюты
Магазины
Хостинг
Разное

  1. ↑ 1,0 1,1 Frederick Arthur Crisp Visitation of England and Wales, Volume 14, London (1906)
  2. ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 2,6 2,7 2,8 2,9 Шаблон:Cite web
  3. ↑ 3,0 3,1 3,2 Шаблон:Cite web
  4. ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
  5. ↑ Шаблон:Cite magazine
  6. ↑ Шаблон:Cite web Шаблон:Dead link
Источник — http://wikihandbk.com/ruwiki/index.php?title=Английская_Википедия:Bexhill_West_branch_line&oldid=13498719