Southend Pier Railway 1975, 2019 and 2022


David Bosher

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<h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Pier_Head'>Southend Pier [Pier Head]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>A reminder of how lovely the Southend Pier Railway in Essex once was with its electric trains, dating from 1949, and double track, seen here many long summers ago in 1975. 1/12</p><p>//1975<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Shore'>Southend Pier [Shore]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>Entrance to Southend Pier and the Pier Railway's Shore station, on the morning of Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August 2019. 2/12</p><p>26/08/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Shore'>Southend Pier [Shore]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>'Sir John Betjeman', one of two diesel trains built for the reopening of the Southend Pier Railway in Essex on 2nd May 1986, at Shore station, on the morning of Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August 2019. Construction of the present pier began in 1887 and by 1892 a narrow gauge 3ft. 6ins. electric railway was running from the Shore to the Pier Head. By 1930, there were four trains of seven cars running on a double track. In 1949, new rolling stock was introduced in green and cream livery, closely resembling single deck trams and designed by AC Cars of Thames Ditton, Surrey. I well remember travelling on these on frequent family summer Sunday visits to Southend when I was a boy. In 1975, a fire partly destroyed the Pier Head but the railway kept on going until 1978 when it was closed due to deterioration of the decking and the 1949 trains were retired. That could have been the end but the railway reopened on 2nd May 1986, de-electrified and re-gauged from 3ft. 6 ins. to 3 ft. with two new trains, again of seven cars, designed by Severn Lamb of Alcester, Warwickshire. A second fire on 9th October 2005, 30 years after the first, destroyed Pier Head station and a temporary stop was used until a new station on the site of the old Pier Head was opened on 9th February 2009. 3/12</p><p>26/08/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Pier_Head'>Southend Pier [Pier Head]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>'Sir John Betjeman' at the 2009 Pier Head station, Southend Pier Railway, Essex, on 26th August 2019. The original Pier Head station was destroyed by fire on 9th October 2005; a temporary terminus just to the south was used until the present Pier Head station opened, on the site of the old, on 9th February 2009. 4/12</p><p>26/08/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Pier_Head'>Southend Pier [Pier Head]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>'Sir John Betjeman' now arrived at Pier Head station, Southend Pier Railway, on Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August 2019. Southend-on-Sea is the largest town in Essex although it is not really 'on sea' at all but on that part of the Thames Estuary where it widens out to meet the North Sea at Shoeburyness. It was the Directors of the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway, which arrived in the town in 1856, that added the 'on Sea' suffix in an attempt to encourage day trippers to visit the town by train, not to mention bringing in extra revenue to the railway which was probably the first thing the Directors had in mind. 5/12</p><p>26/08/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Pier_Head'>Southend Pier [Pier Head]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>After my friends and I enjoyed some refreshing iced latte coffee at Southend Pier Head refreshment bar, we were back at Pier Head station in time to see 'Sir John Betjeman' arriving, on the sweltering Bank Holiday Monday of 26th August 2019. This train was standing 'Not in Service' at Shore station when we first arrived at the pier but had entered service by the time we left the Pier Head, passing 'Sir William Heygate' in the line's midway loop. 6/12</p><p>26/08/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Pier_Head'>Southend Pier [Pier Head]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>'Sir William Heygate', one of two trains built for the reopening of the Southend Pier Railway in 1986, re-gauged from 3ft 6 ins. to 3ft. and reduced from double to single track with a midway passing loop, just arrived at Pier Head station, on the sweltering morning of Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August 2019. A fire on 9th October 2005 destroyed the old Pier Head station; a temporary terminus just to the south was used until the station seen here opened on the original Pier Head station site on 9th February 2009. 7/12</p><p>26/08/2019<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Shore'>Southend Pier [Shore]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>One of the old 1986 Severn Lamb trains, 'Sir William Heygate', on the Southend Pier Railway heading across the Thames Estuary from Pier Head to Shore (right to left) on the world's longest pier, on Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August 2022. Despite brand new trains having been delivered a few months earlier, none were in service on this day which was a great disappointment. 8/12</p><p>29/08/2022<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Shore'>Southend Pier [Shore]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>One of the new, 2021 delivered, Pier Railway trains, unfortunately not in service on this day, on left and 1986 train, 'Sir William Heygate' that provided the service on this day, seen here at Shore station looking towards Pier Head, on Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August 2022. The 1986 trains had been withdrawn from service but 'Sir William Heygate' was brought back when it was found that the new trains needed modifications. 9/12</p><p>29/08/2022<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Shore'>Southend Pier [Shore]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>One of the new Southend Pier Railway trains, delivered in 2021, at Shore station but unfortunately 'Not in Service', on the afternoon of Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August 2022. Southend is not a million miles from London but, having gone there specifically to ride one of the new trains, it was a big disappointment to have to make the journey in the surviving 1986 train, 'Sir William Heygate' instead. The new trains, however, are more akin to the old 1949 electric trains in their green and cream livery and which ran on the line until it closed in 1978 (reopened in 1986) and which I rode on many times during happy family day trips to Southend from the late 1950s onwards. 10/12</p><p>29/08/2022<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Pier_Head'>Southend Pier [Pier Head]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>Southend Pier Railway train 'Sir William Heygate' at Pier Head station, on 29th August 2022. This is the survivor of the two 3ft. gauge diesel trains introduced when the line reopened in 1986 after an eight year closure and was running on this day, even though I was expecting to ride in one of the new trains delivered in 2021, one of which was alas standing 'Not in Service' at Shore station after it was discovered they needed modifications. 11/12</p><p>29/08/2022<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p> <h4><a href='/locations/S/Southend_Pier_Pier_Head'>Southend Pier [Pier Head]</a></h4><p><small><a href='/companies/S/Southend_Pier_Railway'>Southend Pier Railway</a></small></p><p>The now withdrawn of the two 1986 3ft. gauge Southend Pier Railway trains, 'Sir John Betjeman', was broken up but this driving car is on display at Pier Head station. Another part of this train stands further back along the pier, providing a place for visitors to sit while enjoying refreshments. The other 1986 train, 'Sir William Heygate' currently remains operational and provided the service on Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August 2022. 12/12</p><p>29/08/2022<br><small><a href='/contributors/David_Bosher'>David Bosher</a></small></p>
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