2. The VER & trip to Littlehampton-06.09.23

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2023 > 64. Trip to Brighton-05-08.09.23 > 2. The VER & trip to Littlehampton-06.09.23

My wife and I took a trip along Brighton's seafront aboard Volk's Electric Railway (or VER), the oldest operational electric railway in the world. Later in the afternoon, whilst my wife rested, I took a return trip to Littlehampton to get my 'quick fix' of semaphore signalling!

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Images 1-17 of 17 displayed.

No. 9, Black Rock-Aquaium working, Aquaium station
Under a cloudless late summer sky, with temperatures to match, Brighton's Seafront looks inviting but of more interest to me is the Volk's Electric Railway (VER)! The VER is the oldest operational electric railway in the world having opened in the summer of 1883. Apart from a few breaks in operation, it has been carrying passengers along the eastern side of Brighton Seafront for the past one hundred and forty years. Car number 9 is seen approaching the western terminus known as Aquarium station. The line runs for just over a mile with the eastern terminus just short of Brighton Marina which is seen in the distance just above the car.
Keywords: No. 9 Black Rock-Aquarium Aquarium station VER Volk's Electric Railway

Car 9, Aquaium-Black Rock working, Aquaium station
With Brighton Pier in the background Car 9 waits at VER's Aquarium station to work the next service along the just over a mile track to Black Rock. My wife and I travelled on this service taking in the fantastic late summer weather. The VER is a popular visitor attraction at Brighton with two trains running on any one day throughout the season. Notice, what appears to be, a gabled roof on top of Car 9 complete with a resident seagull! This is an illusion as it actually the roof of the Aquarium station and small visitors centre with Car 9 having a flat roof.
Keywords: Car 9 Aquarium-Black Rock working Aquarium station VER Volks Electric Railway

Aboard No. 9, Aquarium-Black Rock working , approaching volleyball
Taken from inside VER's Car 9 as it is about halfway through its journey from Aquarium (near Brighton Pier) to Black Rock. There is a small depot and maintenance facility called, appropriately, Halfway as it is equidistance between the two stations and it is close to where this photograph was taken. The Volk's Electric Railway remains the world's oldest operational electric railway opening in 1883. It utilises a third centrally positioned electrified rail and runs on a two feet and eight-half inches (825 mm) gauge. Apart from wartime closure, it has been in operation pretty much ever since it opened carrying hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Keywords: Aboard No. 9 Aquarium-Black Rock working approaching volleyball

Cars 10 & 6 , Black Rock-Aquarium working, Aquarium station
After taking lunch in a very nice air-conditioned restaurant at Brighton Marina my wife and I travelled back from Black Rock station to Aquarium on the Volk's Electric Railway (VER). After arrival at Aquarium station near to Brighton Pier, I turned my camera back to capture Cars 10 and 6 being prepared for the next return trip. Of the three cars that we travelled on, Car 6 was the oldest dating from 1901 and was fairly fresh from a lottery-funded overhaul in 2018. Incidentally, whilst the line has been in existence for one hundred and forty years it was shut completely between 1940 and 1948 and is only a seasonal operation.
Keywords: Cars 9 & 6 Black Rock-Aquarium working Aquarium station

700146, TL 13.18 Bedford-Brighton (9T37, 6L) & 377443, stabled, Brighton station
The Thameslink Cass 700s have become reliable performers on the cross-London routes between Brighton and either Bedford or Cambridge. In the very hot afternoon sunshine, 700146 arrives at Brighton working the 9T37 13.18 ex Bedford. Tabled to the left in one of Lover's Walk sidings is Southern's Electrostar 377443.
Keywords: 700146 13.18 Bedford-Brighton 9T37 377443 Brighton station Thameslink

377428, SN 16.00 Brighton Portsmouth Harbour (cancelled from Chichester) (1S28, 12L), Brighton station
I had intended to travel aboard 377428 all the way to Barnham in order to change there for Littlehampton. Unfortunately, a signalling failure forced a change of plans with the 16.00 Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour service held for some time at its first stop, Hove. Indeed, such was its delay that the 1S28 Southern service was cancelled completely at Chichester. Prior to a slightly late departure from Brighton, the dispatcher waits for the driver to arrive, set his train up and depart from platform one.
Keywords: 377428 16.00 Brighton Portsmouth Harbour cancelled from Chichester 1S28 Brighton station Southern Electrostar

377456, SN 14.46 London Victoria-Littlehampton (1H36, 9L) & 377428 SN 16.00 Brighton Portsmouth Harbour (cancelled from Chichester) (1S28, 12L), Hove station
A pair of Southern Electrostars are seen at Hove station in the hot afternoon sunshine however, all is not well. The onboard announcement on 377428 suggested that passengers for certain stations, including my intended destination, Littlehampton, should alight and take the next train from platform two. This was due to some sort of signalling fault that eventually caused the 16.00 Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour to be terminated at Chichester. I travelled on 377456 working the 14.46 London Victoria all the way to its destination, Littlehampton, leaving the 1S28 to its fate!
Keywords: 377456 14.46 London Victoria-Littlehampton 1H36 377428 16.00 Brighton Portsmouth Harbour cancelled from Chichester 1S28 Hove station Southern Electrostar

377456, SN 16.42 Littlehampton-London Victoria (1H49, 4L), Littlehampton station
It is remarkable that the Southern Region outposts of Littlehampton and its neighbour Bognor Regis retain their mechanical signalling and associated boxes. It gladdens the heart to see an upper quadrant raised against a clear blue sky with its spectacle lenses showing colour. Having just arrived from London the 16.42 return service leaves Littlehampton wastes very little time before getting away again. I last visited Littlehampton ten years ago back in 2013 and it has changed very little in that time. Notice the 1886 London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) signal box to the right of the photograph.
Keywords: 377456 16.42 Littlehampton-London Victoria 1H49 Littlehampton station Southern Electrostar

377320, SN 16.55 Littlehampton-Portsmouth & Southsea (2S28, 7L), Littlehampton station
In typical Southern style latticed bracket signal housing arms 0036 (platform 3) and 0033 (platform 4) is seen against a brilliant blue late summer sky at Littlehampton. The sea air has not been kind to the metalwork with evidence of considerable corrosion. This is one of the reasons stated by Network Rail for their replacement both here and at nearby Bognor Regis describing the signalling infrastructure as 'life expired'. It is all very much on borrowed time so will not be around for very much longer. In the background, 377320 is seen about to work the 2S28 16.55 all-stations service to Portsmouth and Southsea, a train that I would take as far as Barnham.
Keywords: 377320 16.55 Littlehampton-Portsmouth & Southsea 2S28 Littlehampton station Southern Electrostar

377310, SN 17.05 Bognor Regis-Littlehampton (2P33, 1E) & 377441, SN 15.35 London Victoria-Bognor Regis (1B42, RT), Barnham station
A meeting of Southern Electrostars at Barnham station. Under a brilliant blue sky 377310 to the left pauses with the 17.05 Bognor Regis to Littlehampton shuttle service. The distance by rail is a mere eight miles whilst it is even less by road using the A259 however, it is connections to the mainline that are probably of greater importance. To the right 377441 arrives with the 15.35 Victoria to Bognor Regis service.
Keywords: 377310 17.05 Bognor Regis-Littlehampton 2P33 377441 15.35 London Victoria-Bognor Regis Barnham station Southern Electrostar

377106, SN 16.32 Brighton-Southampton (1N24, 2L), Barnham station
Following disruption an hour or so earlier in the afternoon caused by signalling issues things appear to be getting back to normal at Barnham. The 16.32 Brighton to Southampton Southern service worked by 377106 pauses on its journey along the south coast arriving at its destination just a couple of minutes adrift.
Keywords: 377106 16.32 Brighton-Southampton 1N24 Barnham station Southern Electrostar

377411, SN 16.33 Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton (1S29, 10L), Barnham station
The first train of my return journey back to Brighton arrives at Barnham station. I took the 1S29 Portsmouth and Southsea to Worthing aboard 377411. Whilst these Electrostars are numerous and a little anonymous their air conditioning was working well on this extremely hot September evening! Apologies for the dreadful head-on lighting but as it was a train that I travelled on it was a requisite that it appear in my records!
Keywords: 377411 16.33 Portsmouth & Southsea-Brighton 1S29 Barnham station Southern Electrostar

377328, SN 17.42 West Worthing-Brighton (2U45, RT), Worthing station
With the crossing barriers protecting South Farm Road to the west of Worthing station already raised and with cars crossing the railway 377328 comes to a halt in the station. The Southern Electrostar has only just commenced its journey at West Worthing running back to Brighton as the 17.42 2U45 service. I found Worthing station, as all of the others with the exception of Brighton, to be extremely clean and well-kept with Southern and their partners cleary making a real effort.
Keywords: 377328 17.42 West Worthing-Brighton 2U45 Worthing station Southern Electrostar

377443, SN 17.23 Brighton-West Worthing (2U54, RT), Worthing station
In superb early evening light at the end of what had been an extraordinarily hot September day (over thirty degrees Celsius for the second day running), Southern's 377443 arrives with the 2U54 Brighton to West Worthing evening shuttle, a distance of just over eleven miles.
Keywords: 377443 17.23 Brighton-West Worthing 2U54 Worthing station Electrostar Southern

377425, SN 16.28 Southampton Central-Brighton (1N29, 2L), Brighton station
My last train of the day of my short return run from Brighton to Littlehampton after arrival back at my starting point. 377425 rest on the blocks at Brighton having arrived with the 16.28 service from Southampton Central. Following an incident on board the train that necessitated the police being called two passengers were detained after allighting. Once this was sorted out and the platform cleared the train would depart returning west to Portsmouth.
Keywords: 377425 16.28 Southampton Central-Brighton 1N29 Brighton station Sothern Electrostar

Tickets, Brighton-Littlehampton-Brighton
Unfortunately, my return off-peak tickets had to be purchased from one of the machines on the concourse at Brighton due to the huge queue in the ticket office that extended out of the doors, and they want to shut ticket offices due to their lack of use!
Keywords: Tickets Brighton-Littlehampton-Brighton

16. Ticket, Aquairum-Black Rock-Aquairum

Images 1-17 of 17 displayed.