Railway

Southend Cliff Lift

November 8, 2021 by Penny Leave a Comment

One of my latest fascinations is cliff lists – or just funiculars in general really. I blame Tim Dunn for covering the Saltburn Cliff Lift on his excellent Yesterday programme The Architecture the Railways Built. We took a November trip down Southend for a bit of sea air and a chance to see one of the new trains on the pier there (more on that in a separate post soon), and somehow it had completely passed me by that Southend had a cliff lift.

Looking down the tracks on the Southend Cliff Lift. In the foreground you an see the rear of a two year old wearing a yellow coat and pink bobble hat who is looking out of the window. — Looking down the tracks from inside the lift

Now this might have been because I’d been looking online at list of funiculars in the UK and there is a bit of a dispute as to whether or not the Southend Cliff List is a funicular or not. Let me explain.

The upper station at Southend Cliff Lift — Upper station

A funicular or not?

The definition fo funicular is as follows:

adjective

(of a railway, especially one on a mountainside) operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.
relating to a rope or its tension.

The problem, in Southend’s case, being that there is only once car. However the sign at the bottom of the cliff lift says the following:

The Cliff Lift is a counter-balanced funicular railway – a funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable moves a carriage up and down a steep slope.

I’m guessing that at least makes it a discussion point! As far as 2 year old Tube Stop Baby was concerned it was a “baby train”, and one that she was very excited to be able to press the button to operate.

A two year old girl wearing a yellow coat and pink bobble hat is pressing the button to operate the lift whilst under the watchful eye of one of the volunteers who is stood next to her wearing a jacket with reflective stripes, a lanyard round his neck, a black face mask and a flat cap. — Operating the cliff lift

History of the Southend Cliff Lift

The Southend Cliff Lift originally opened on August Bank Holiday Monday in 1912, and goes between the Western Esplanade and Clifftown Parade. It only covers a distance of 40m (albeit with a 43% gradient), but at just 50p a ride you can’t complain.

A view up the tracks of the Southend cliff lift, taken from just outside the lower station and looking up the steps that run next to the tracks. — Looking up the tracks

Originally the site hosted an innovative moving walkway that as installed in 1901, but being open to the seaside elements it proved to be unreliable and was then replaced by the funicular instead. In its lifetime the cliff lift has been closed on three occasions to allow for major restorations – 1930, 1059 and 1990. In 2003 a malfunction with the counterweight meant that it was out of action for 7 years in total. Major corrosion was found in the structure, and around this time the council also received Heritage Lottery Fund funding to restore the neighbouring Cliff Gardens including the lift stations. The lift wasn’t re-opened until 2010 at which point it had not only refurbished stations, but all a new carriage, tracks. winding gear and electrical and control systems. I fear that if the Lottery funding hadn’t been there the lift might not be there today.

The lower station of the Southend Cliff Lift with the lift carriage seen ascending. — The Lower Cliff Lift Station

Visiting the Cliff Lift

Covid obviously closed the lift for a period, but when we went in November 2021 it was running with volunteers manning the lift and charging 50p a ride. The aim to open from 10am to 3pm in winter and until 6pm in summer, but this is dependent on volunteers being available. I was told the most accurate way to keep track of it they’re open or not is via their Facebook page. Technically the lift is part of Southend Museums Service.

Looking through the orange gateway into Prittwell Gardens in Southend-on-sea. You are looking at an ornate fountain in the middle of the gardens, and there is a clock (showing the wrong time!) above the entrance as part of the ornate metal gateway. — Prittwell Gardens

There’s obviously plenty to see at the lower end of the lift with the Pier and its railway just a short walk away. At the top station we took a short walk along to the stunningly beautiful Prittwell Gardens and also spent a while looking at the statue of Queen Victoria pointing out to sea with her disproportionally long right forearm. Go and have a look and you’ll see what I mean!

The Island Line – The Isle of Wight’s railway

October 31, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

Where can you ride a tube train along a pier? On the Isle of Wight’s Island Line – that’s where!

Not everyone realises that the Isle of Wight has its own railway. Fewer people realise the historical significance of it, especially for lovers of the London Underground.

The Island Line – basic facts

Let’s start with the basic facts. The Island Line runs between Ryde on the north of the Isle of Wight and Shanklin, which is eight and a half miles south along the Eastern coast of the island. It is actually part of the main National Rail infrastructure and is currently under the South Western Railway franchise. You can plan journeys via the main online National Rail planners and can use all regular railcards and through tickets on the service.

The northerly most station is Ryde Pier Head, where the service connects with the passenger ferry to Portsmouth Harbour. It then continues south through Smallbrook Junction, which is an unusual station in that it exists purely to serve the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. There is no separate public access and was actually opened by British Rail in 1991 when the Steam Railway was extended to reach the Island Line. It is therefore only served by Island Line services on the days that the Steam Railway is running.

The southern terminus is Shanklin, yet originally the route extended on to Ventnor but services on this section ceased in 1966.

So, what makes it so special you may be wondering? I fully admit that all the above just makes it sound like a regular train service?

Rolling Stock

The answer lies in the rolling stock.

The Island Line is served by 1938 London Underground tube stock and when you’re travelling on board you can expect to be somewhat confused about where you are and where you’re going, simply because it still just feels like you’re in London as soon as you step aboard.

The reason for this slightly strange old rolling stock is because the ceiling of the Ryde tunnel is 10 inches too low for “standard” National Rail rolling stock. This means that the 1938 tube stock has the honour of being the oldest passenger rolling stock operating timetabled services on the National Rail network.

A trip back in time

As well as feeling like you’re in London, a trip on the Island Line is also a bit like a trip back in time. All the stations have a vintage feel to them, with lots of cream and green paint and old fashioned signs and station canopies.

I also wouldn’t be a proper train geek if I didn’t mention the moquette.

The particular train we travelled on featured what I remember as Metropolitan Line moquette on the main seats, but there was also a treat inshore if you pulled down the guard’s seat (remember these 1938 London Underground trains had guards – something that the Island Line has too!)

There you reveal a different moquette design – one that I think was a Network Southeast National Rail design. Although I’m trying to double check that fact!

Feel the bounce!

What you do notice as you travel on the Island Line is just how the rolling stock wasn’t really designed for this kind of journey. You really feel yourself being bounced along as you travel and as much as I love the Island Line I just couldn’t ever call it a “comfortable” ride in that sense.

If you’ve ever lived or commuted in London though you’ll find it a slightly strange travel experience. It feels, and sounds, just like the London Underground, yet the view out of the window is a million miles away. As you go along Ryde Pier you’ve got the Solent on either side of you and you can watch the Hovercrafts. You don’t get that in Zone 1!

Listen to our trip

Why not join Bonn and I as we travel along the Island Line? We’re delighted to say that episode 2 of our new Hobbies and Interests podcast was recorded as we travelled along the Island Line earlier in the year. Why not plug in your headphones and travel with us?

Leighton Buzzard Railway

October 9, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

I have a completely train mad son. And if I’m honest Bonn and I are pretty big train fans too. It therefore goes without saying that we tend to visit quite a lot of train lines around the country. Both in terms of the visitor attraction heritage railways and also just exercising our family railcard. We’re plotting a little train related challenge for when our baby arrives later in the year, but until then I thought it about time to start documenting some of the lines that we visit. Our “local line” is the Leighton Buzzard Railway here in Bedfordshire, so it seems the right place to start documenting things.

This narrow gauge railway describes itself as England’s Friendly Little Line and I think it’s quite a fitting description. At just under 3 miles long, it was originally built to serve the various sand quarries to the north of this market town, but when they switched to using road transport it was handed over to volunteers and opened as a heritage line.

The route

The thing about the Leighton Buzzard Railway that makes it slightly unusual is what it runs past. For a large proportion of the route you’re going past 1970s style housing stock, and whilst that’s interesting in its own way, I certainly wouldn’t call it a view for typical tourists! The last half a mile or so to the Stonehenge Works, where the line currently ends, you are in the countryside, but this feels quite different to the housing estate before.

The route also features several level crossings where the train has to stop for staff to go and stand on the road and stop traffic with little flags to let the trains pass. It’s very quaint and one of the most exciting things in the world for six year old train addicts like my son!

More to see and do

At both ends of the route there is plenty to see and do. You start your journey at Pages’ Park where there is an impressive modern souvenir shop in the new station building, along with tours of the engine shed itself. In the latter you can find out all about the railway and the engines that they now run on it. Leighton Buzzard Railway actually has one of the largest collections of narrow-gauge locomotives in the UK, and some of them have previously worked all over the world. It’s definitely an eye-opener to find out all about them.

Pages’ Park also features the 1940s themed Buzzrail Cafe, although shockingly I’m yet to actually manage a visit there.

At the far end of the route, Stonehenge Works features a cute craft shop that also serves light refreshments before your return journey. The works also house all the locomotives and rolling stock that aren’t in current passenger service, along with various exhibitions about narrow gauge railways through history. There are also engines for children to clamber all over, which they obviously love.

Extending the line

There are also plans for the line to be extended further. The group running the Leighton Buzzard Railway have now secured the full length of the original line – meaning that they should be able to run an extra half a mile into the countryside beyond Stonehenge Works. The first part of this (to Mundays Hill) is hoped to be open in late 2019. In time for us to make a return trip with baby in tow!

Visiting the Leighton Buzzard Railway

You can find all the latest opening hours and timetables on the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s own website, where you can also book tickets. At various times of the year they run special services whether that be for Christmas, Easter, Fathers Day or some other event.

Pages’ Park station, where you start your journey on the Leighton Buzzard Railway is situated on the south side of Leighton Buzzard. It is well signposted with tourist Brown Signs, many featuring a steam engine logo on them. There is a car park available on site and it is next to a park which features a nice children’s playground. Full directions are available on their website.