Lancing Carriage Works
Encyclopedia
Lancing carriage and wagon works was a railway carriage and wagon building and maintenance facility in the village of Lancing
in the county of West Sussex
in England
from 1911 until 1965.
and the lack of space to expand was a constant problem for the chief engineers of London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LB&SCR). In 1910 the company purchased 66 acres (267,092.8 m²) of land at Lancing
near Shoreham-by-Sea for a carriage and wagon works to relieve the pressure on Brighton. The works were constructed in 1911 and opened the following January with many employees transferred from Brighton.
Because of the rural situation of the new factory the railway operated a special daily train from Brighton for the workforce. This became known as the Lancing Belle.
In 1913 Lawson Billinton
the Chief Mechanical Engineer presented proposals to the LB&SCR board to close Brighton
and concentrate all locomotive building and repair at Lancing, but the advent of the First World War
in 1914 put an end to this plan.
to form the Southern Railway, during the Railways Act grouping
of 1923, the Lancing works became one of three such facilities owned by the new railway, the others being at Ashford
and Eastleigh. The new railway decided to concentrate carriage construction at Lancing and close the carriage works at Ashford. As a result 500 workmen and their families eventually moved to Lancing.
In 1927 a new moving 'assembly line' system was introduced for repairing coaches more efficiently.
During the Second World War
the works was kept busy repairing bomb damaged carriages and wagons and in converting carriages to mobile hospitals to support the army during the D-Day
invasion. The works were also involved in constructing Bailey bridge
s and the tail planes for Airspeed Horsa
gliders for the invasion.
ways (BR) in 1948 and gained a reputation for its efficiency and industrial harmony. By the 1960s over 1500 employees worked at Lancing. By 1962 the effort to rationalise the manufacturing capacity resulted in the closure of Lancing in favour of Eastleigh railway works under the Beeching Plan
. Many of those concerned felt the decision to close Lancing rather than Eastleigh was for political rather than economic reasons. The run down and closure took place over the next three years.
Lancing, West Sussex
Lancing is a town and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It lies on the coastal plain between Sompting to the west, Shoreham-by-Sea to the east and the parish of Coombes to the north...
in the county of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from 1911 until 1965.
History under the LB&SCR
The cramped situation of Brighton railway worksBrighton railway works
Brighton railway works was one of the earliest railway-owned locomotive repair works, founded in 1840 by the London and Brighton Railway in Brighton, England, and thus pre-dating the more famous railway works at Crewe, Doncaster and Swindon...
and the lack of space to expand was a constant problem for the chief engineers of London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
(LB&SCR). In 1910 the company purchased 66 acres (267,092.8 m²) of land at Lancing
Lancing, West Sussex
Lancing is a town and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It lies on the coastal plain between Sompting to the west, Shoreham-by-Sea to the east and the parish of Coombes to the north...
near Shoreham-by-Sea for a carriage and wagon works to relieve the pressure on Brighton. The works were constructed in 1911 and opened the following January with many employees transferred from Brighton.
Because of the rural situation of the new factory the railway operated a special daily train from Brighton for the workforce. This became known as the Lancing Belle.
In 1913 Lawson Billinton
L. B. Billinton
Lawson Boskovsky Billinton was the locomotive engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from 1912 for ten years until his retirement in 1922....
the Chief Mechanical Engineer presented proposals to the LB&SCR board to close Brighton
Brighton railway works
Brighton railway works was one of the earliest railway-owned locomotive repair works, founded in 1840 by the London and Brighton Railway in Brighton, England, and thus pre-dating the more famous railway works at Crewe, Doncaster and Swindon...
and concentrate all locomotive building and repair at Lancing, but the advent of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914 put an end to this plan.
Grouping
Following the merger of the LB&SCR and other railways in southern EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to form the Southern Railway, during the Railways Act grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923, the Lancing works became one of three such facilities owned by the new railway, the others being at Ashford
Ashford railway works
Ashford railway works was in the town of Ashford in the county of Kent in England.-South Eastern Railway:Ashford locomotive works was built by the South Eastern Railway on a new site in 1847, replacing an earlier locomotive repair facility at New Cross in London...
and Eastleigh. The new railway decided to concentrate carriage construction at Lancing and close the carriage works at Ashford. As a result 500 workmen and their families eventually moved to Lancing.
In 1927 a new moving 'assembly line' system was introduced for repairing coaches more efficiently.
During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the works was kept busy repairing bomb damaged carriages and wagons and in converting carriages to mobile hospitals to support the army during the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasion. The works were also involved in constructing Bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
s and the tail planes for Airspeed Horsa
Airspeed Horsa
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British World War II troop-carrying glider built by Airspeed Limited and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces...
gliders for the invasion.
British Railways and Closure
The works continued to operate after the nationalisation of British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways (BR) in 1948 and gained a reputation for its efficiency and industrial harmony. By the 1960s over 1500 employees worked at Lancing. By 1962 the effort to rationalise the manufacturing capacity resulted in the closure of Lancing in favour of Eastleigh railway works under the Beeching Plan
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. Many of those concerned felt the decision to close Lancing rather than Eastleigh was for political rather than economic reasons. The run down and closure took place over the next three years.
Subsequent use of the site
West Sussex County Council purchased the site, which became the Churchill Industrial Estate. The original carriage shop remained in 2002, occupied by a furniture manufacturer.Sources
- 'History of Lancing Railway Carriage Works', John Walker
- 'Sussex Main Lines - a year 2002 survey', John Blackwell (2002)