Kemp Town Branch
| When the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway opened its short branch to Kemp Town on 2nd August 1869, it was as much as anything a strategic move to guard against an incursion into Brighton by any of the railway companies on their eastern flank. This was achieved at vast expense - more than £100,000 for just over a mile of railway, an enormous amount for the time! Although it was a very short branch line almost half of it was a 1,024 yard tunnel and much of the rest of the line was on a fourteen arch viaduct, an embankment and other bridges. It had more than its fair share of stations too, but the railmotor services provided (once the preserve of the 2-4-0T "Terriers") could not compete with competition from battery operated buses, trams and etc. Passenger services were withdrawn on 31st December 1932 but Kemp Town and Lewes Road stations were kept open for goods (mostly coal) until 1971. |
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| During British Railways days an unidentified E1 class engine
sits just ahead of its train of coal wagons quietly blowing off whilst the crew would appear to be enjoying lunch!
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
| To mark the final closure on 26th June 1971 a Tadpole unit was
brought in to run trips from Brighton station to Kemp Town and back.
After closure the branch was bought by Brighton Corporation, but today nothing of railway origin remains, except the tunnel, although the route can still be traced. The rest of the photographs on this ages were all taken on that final day. |
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The wooden signal cabin at the junction with the main line to Lewes, just east of the Ditchling
Road tunnel. The stained wood was almost black.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
| With the mainline heading away to Lewes the DEMU unit
ventures onto the branch line and passes through Lewes Road station, a coal
yard at this time. The buildings had disappeared long ago, but the platform was
still in place.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
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The DEMU, "Tadpole" unit Nº1205, at Lewes Road station, with
the main line passing by just beyond and the junction just off the left side of
the photo.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
| Just coming off the Lewes Road viaduct, and approching the
Hartington Road bridge. Note the check rail on this tightly curved section.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
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The Hartington Road bridge looking towards the tunnel entrance. The tunnel
itself was S shaped, and when near the middle you could not see either end.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
| Nº1205 heading back to Brighton having just passed over
Hartington Road bridge.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
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One of the three-way points just after exiting the tunnel. This one served
the western side of the yard.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
| Close up of the first three-way point after leaving the
tunnel. The clean central track went on to the station platform.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
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Hartington Road bridge, just a few weeks later. The bridge was eventually
demolished, as was the fine viaduct that crossed Lewes Road.
photograph by Ian Morgan |
All photographs are copyright
See also "By Rail to Kemp Town" in the Railway Magazine archives.
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This page was last updated 2 January 2011
