Volk's Electric Railway - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Volk's Electric Railway (VER) is the oldest operating electric railway in the world. It is a narrow gauge railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort

Seaside resort

A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...

of Brighton

Brighton

Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

. It was built by Magnus Volk

Magnus Volk

Magnus Volk was a pioneer British electrical engineer. He is most notable for having built Volk's Electric Railway, the world's oldest extant electric railway. He also built the unique, but short lived, Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway, together with its unusual Daddy Long Legs...

, the first section being completed in August 1883.

Overview

Today the line runs between terminal stations at Aquarium (a short distance from the Palace Pier

Brighton Pier

The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is a pleasure pier in Brighton, England. It is generally known as the Palace Pier for short, but has been informally renamed Brighton Pier since 2000 by its owners, the Noble Organisation, in an attempt to suggest that it is Brighton's only pier...

) and Black Rock (at Black Rock

Black Rock (Brighton and Hove)

Black Rock is an area of wasteland located near Brighton Marina in the city of Brighton and Hove.-History:From at least the early 19th Century , Black Rock was the site of an inn and a few houses overlooking cliffs to the east of the then town of Brighton....

, not far from Brighton Marina

Brighton Marina

Brighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately...

), with an intermediate station and depot at Paston Place. The line has a gauge of , It is electrified at 110 V DC

Direct current

Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...

using a third rail

Third rail

A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...

, and is just under 1+1/4 mi long.

Operated as a historical seafront tourist attraction, the railway does not usually run during the winter months, and its service is also occasionally liable to suspension due to severe weather or maintenance issues. Information on any current service changes is available from the railway office.

A highly detailed model of Volks carriage no.6 in on show in the foyer of the Brighton Toy and Model Museum

Brighton Toy And Model Museum

The Brighton Toy and Model Museum is one of the world's finest toy museums, located in Brighton, East Sussex. Its collection of toys and models extends over four thousand square feet of floorspace, through four of the early Victorian arches supporting the forecourt of Brighton railway station...

, donated by Siemens

Siemens

Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...

who provided much of the electrical equipment used on the railway.

History

In 1883 Magnus Volk opened a short 2ft gauge electric railway running for 1/4 mi between Swimming Arch (opposite the main entrance to Brighton Aquarium, and adjacent to the site of the future Palace Pier) and Chain Pier
The Royal Suspension Chain Pier
The Royal Suspension Chain Pier was the first major pier built in Brighton, England. Generally known as the Chain Pier, it was designed by Captain Samuel Brown and built in 1823. The pier was primarily intended as a landing stage for packet boats to Dieppe, Seine-Maritime, but it also featured a...

. Electrical power at 50 V DC was supplied to the small car using the two running rails . In 1884 the line was extended a further ½ mile beyond the Chain Pier to Paston Place, and regauged to . The electrical supply was increased to 160 V DC and the power plant was installed in the arch built into the cliff face at Paston Place. In 1886 an off-set third rail was added to minimise current leakage, and the gauge was reduced to its current .

In 1896 the unusual Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway

Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway

The Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway was a unique coastline railway in Brighton, England that ran through the shallow waters of the English Channel between 1896 and 1901.-Background and Construction:...

was built by Volk. Due to problems concerning the construction of lengthened groynes to the east of Paston Place this fascinating railway closed in 1901, although it was not finally dismantled until 1910. Following the closure Volk's original electric railway was extended from Paston Place to Black Rock. Paston Place was also the home of Volk's Seaplane Station, which was used by Volk's son George Herbert Volk

George Herbert Volk

George Herbert Volk , known as "Bert", was an automobile and general engineer noted as a pioneer builder of seaplanes...

. In 1930 the line was cut back 200 yards (183 m) from Palace Pier to its present terminus, still known as Aquarium, and in 1937 the Black Rock end was also shortened by around 200 yards (183 m). (In 1935 a lido had been built at Black Rock.)

In 1940 the Brighton Corporation took control of the line. It was closed during World War II

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...

, but reopened in 1948. Winter operation ceased from 1954, although the line did reopen temporarily in the winter of 1980 to cash in on the large numbers of sightseers who had come to look at the Athina B

MS Athina B

The Athina B was a ship that ended up beached to the east of the Palace Pier in the English seaside resort of Brighton on 21 January 1980. It was a temporary tourist attraction, with the Volk's Electric Railway opening up to cash in on the large number of sightseers...

, a freighter that had beached near the Palace Pier. Two-car multiple operation was introduced in 1964. In recent years there has been a decline in visitor numbers due to package holiday

Package holiday

A package holiday or package tour consists of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided like a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country...

s. In 1995 the Volk's Electric Railway Association was formed to help the operator of the line (Brighton & Hove City Council) promote and operate the line.

In the late 1990s the Black Rock end of the line was again shortened by a 100 yards (91 m) or so to permit a storm water storage scheme to be built in the marina area, the new station retaining the name of the original. The single platform station, which shares a building with a new Southern Water pumping station, opened in 1998 and is not quite centred with the ornamental terraces above and behind it, causing the view of the area (from out at sea) to be asymmetrical.

Rolling Stock

The numbering of cars can cause some confusion as numbers were duplicated when new cars replaced scrapped vehicles. In 1948 cars no. 8, 9 and 10 were renumbered 5, 2 and 1 respectfully after the cars bearing those numbers were scrapped, all cars reverted back to their origional numbers in the year 2000. The Cars were often built in pairs. Currently, there are seven electric cars and one diesel locomotive in operation on the line with an additional two electric cars on static display elsewhere.

Number	Type	Builder	Date	Motor	Notes/Current Status
1 (i)	Ten seater	William Pollard	1883	Unknown	Origional two foot gauge demonstration car. Could not be regauged for new line. Scrapped when demonstration line closed.
1 (ii)	30 seat saloon	Unknown	1884	Siemens D2 6hp	Suffered badly from wartime storage. Scrapped June 1948.
2	30 seat saloon	Unknown	1885	Siemens D2 6hp	Suffered badly from wartime storage. Scrapped June 1948.
3	40 seat semi-open	VER/Paston Place Works	1892	Greenwood & Batley Greenwood & Batley Greenwood & Batley were a large engineering manufacturer with a wide range of products, including armaments, electrical engineering, and printing and milling machinery. They also produced a range of battery-electric railway locomotives under the brand name Greenbat... 7hp replaced by Compagnie Electrique Belge 8hp	New underframe around 1923. Operational
4	40 seat semi-open	VER/Paston Place Works	1892	Greenwood & Batley Greenwood & Batley Greenwood & Batley were a large engineering manufacturer with a wide range of products, including armaments, electrical engineering, and printing and milling machinery. They also produced a range of battery-electric railway locomotives under the brand name Greenbat... 7hp replaced by Compagnie Electrique Belge 8hp	New underframe around 1923. Operational
5 (i)	30 seat saloon	VER/Paston Place Works	1896	Siemens 8hp	Scrapped around 1928. Body became a summerhouse in a garden near Falmer Station.
5 (ii)	24 seater winter Car	G.Kelsey, Hove	1930	Siemens 8hp	Unique all steel enclosed car for use in bad weather. Suffered badly from wartime storage and body became heavily corroded. Scrapped 1948.
6	40 seat semi-open	VER/Paston Place Works	1901	Compagnie Electrique Belge 8hp	Operational
7	40 seat semi-open	VER/Paston Place Works	1901	Compagnie Electrique Belge 8hp	Operational
8 (i)	40 seat semi-open	VER/Paston Place Works	1901	Compagnie Electrique Belge 8hp	Carried no.5 between 1948 and 2000. Operational
9 (i)	40 seat open	VER/Paston Place Works	1910	Compagnie Electrique Belge 8hp	Carried no.2 between 1948 and 2000. Operational
8 (ii)	Southend Pier Southend Pier Railway The Southend Pier Railway is a narrow gauge railway in the English seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea. It runs the length of Southend Pier, providing public passenger transport from the shore to the pier head.-Operation:... 40 seat open	Falcon Works Brush Traction This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-... , Loughborough	1898 (Into VER service 1950)	Two 140 Volt motors.	Purchased from Southend Pier Railway Southend Pier Railway The Southend Pier Railway is a narrow gauge railway in the English seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea. It runs the length of Southend Pier, providing public passenger transport from the shore to the pier head.-Operation:... around 1948. Operated on VER until the 1990s when it was decided to retire the aged Southend cars. Static display at Southend Pier Southend Pier Southend Pier is a major landmark in Southend-on-Sea. Extending into the Thames Estuary, it is the longest pleasure pier in the world. Sir John Betjeman once said that "the Pier is Southend, Southend is the Pier". The pier is a Grade II listed building.... Museum.
9 (ii)	Southend Pier Southend Pier Railway The Southend Pier Railway is a narrow gauge railway in the English seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea. It runs the length of Southend Pier, providing public passenger transport from the shore to the pier head.-Operation:... 40 seat open	Falcon Works Brush Traction This article is about a British rail-locomotive maker. For the Detroit auto-maker, see Brush Motor Car CompanyBrush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group , based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, England situated alongside the Midland Main Line.-... , Loughborough	1898 (Into VER service 1953)	Two 60 volt milk-float motors.	Purchased from Southend Pier Railway Southend Pier Railway The Southend Pier Railway is a narrow gauge railway in the English seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea. It runs the length of Southend Pier, providing public passenger transport from the shore to the pier head.-Operation:... around 1948. Operated on VER until the 1990s when it was decided to retire the aged Southend cars. Static display at South Downs Heritage Centre, Hassocks.
10	40 seat open	VER/Paston Place Works	1926	Compagnie Electrique Belge 8hp	Carried no.1 between 1948 and 2000. Operational.
PW	Diesel works locomotive	Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... (Alan Keef Ltd.) Alan Keef Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineer which manufactures, overhauls and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.... (40SD530)	1988 (Into VER service 2004)	Perkins diesel engine.	Last ever locomotive to be ordered from Motor Rail Motor Rail Motor Rail was a British locomotive-building company, based in Bedford. Formed in 1911 as The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co Ltd, they built petrol and diesel engined locomotives, mainly narrow gauge. During World War I over 900 locos were supplied for use on temporary military supply railways... though actually constructed by Alan Keef Alan Keef Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineer which manufactures, overhauls and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment.... Ltd. Built for Butterley Brick Co. Ltd. and operated at Star Lane Brickworks. Passed back to Alan Keef Ltd. after closure of the brickworks, overhauled, and purchased by VER in 2004. First non-electric powered vehicle on VER. Used for maintainance and inspection at times when power rail is switched off.
					The railway also posess a small number of service wagons that are used with the diesel locomotive.

Signalling

The line speed of the railway is low enough that it is essentially operated as a heritage railway

Heritage railway

thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...

. The line is single throughout with a passing place at Half Way Station (known variously as Half Way, Peter Pans Playground or Paston Place). There are also two passing loops roughly midway between each terminal and Half Way, although the western loop is under repair. Usually two trains operate from end to end, passing at Half Way station. In general, there is only one train on each single track at any one time. The railway does not operate with two trains on one single track section. Drivers are now equipped with radios which allow communication between themselves, stations and control.

There are warning lights at pedestrian crossing points to the beach with a warbling siren to warn of the approach of a train. A following train is required to signal its approach to a pedestrian crossing point by sounding its klaxon horn.

Volk's Electric Railway Association (VERA)

At the invitation of the Council and the management of the railway a supporters association, 'The Volk's Electric Railway Association' was formed in 1995. Members of the Association provide practical and promotional help to the railway, including operation and maintenance tasks. The Association also attends various exhibitions with a large operating model of the railway as it was in the 1950s. Membership is open to all with an interest in the railway. Members receive an informative quarterly magazine, reduced rate travel on the railway and free admission to a series of interesting winter meetings held in Brighton. The Association also acts as a collector for Volk's memorabilia and ephemera, some of which can be seen at the South Downs Heritage Centre in Hassocks

Hassocks

Hassocks is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Its name is believed to derive from the tufts of grass found in the surrounding fields....

. The largest object now in the care of the Association is the ex Southend Car which between 1950 and 2000 carried the Volk's fleet number 9. This will eventually become a long term restoration project.

External links

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