BY NICK ANSELL
Photographic Archives Volunteer Nick sheds some light on an unusual discovery.
One of the most unusual photographic collections in the National Railway Museum’s archives which I’ve come across as a volunteer cataloguer is one by Ellis Kelsey, an amateur photographer who lived in Eastbourne, Sussex, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work was regularly exhibited at the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) exhibitions in London between 1899 and 1914.
The ‘Pioneer’ car approaches Palace Pier, with Marine Drive in the background. The uniformed captain is at the controls, and the lifeboat can be seen suspended at the rear of the carriage (Ellis Kelsey collection)
A collection of 29 of his photographs was donated to the museum, some of railway-related subjects and others recording aspects of Sussex life.
The series includes six images of a unique electric seaside railway by Magnus Volk, the electrical engineer who designed and built Volk’s Electric Railway which opened on the seafront at Brighton in 1883 and is still in operation to this day. The Electric Railway ran eastwards as far as Paston Place, but the terrain made it impracticable to extend it to Rottingdean, so Volk decided to construct the Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway which would run on rails under the sea close to the shoreline
Volk’s Brighton & Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway poster (SSPL)
The ‘Pioneer’ car shortly after departing from Palace Pier at high tide. The two trolley poles drawing electricity from the supply cable are behind the flag (Ellis Kelsey collection)
Construction started in 1894 and the railway was opened in November 1896. Passengers were carried in a large tramcar-like carriage on a deck mounted on long stilts. It was named ‘Pioneer’ but popularly known as ‘daddy long-legs’. It was equipped with a lifeboat and lifebelts, and had to be operated by a qualified sea captain.
A view of the ‘Pioneer’ car, taken from ground level at low tide at Rottingdean pier in July 1898 or July 1899. The electricity supply pole and cable are clearly visible, with the two trolley poles connecting the cable and the car. (Ellis Kelsey collection)
A view of the ‘Pioneer’ car in July 1898 shortly after departing from Palace Pier at low tide. The lifeboat is suspended at the front. The bogies at the bottom of the four legs are clearly visible (Ellis Kelsey collection)
Power was provided by an electricity cable mounted on tall poles along the shoreline, connected by trolley poles to motors in the bogies at the foot of the stilts.
The ‘Pioneer’ car approaching the photographer at low tide, apparently on a dull day. The uniformed captain is at the controls. The line of tall poles carrying the electricity supply cable extend along the coast (Ellis Kelsey collection)
An image taken on the upper deck of the ‘Pioneer’ car, looking east towards Rottingdean. Two passengers, warmly wrapped up, are seated on a bench. The line of poles carrying the electricity supply cable curves round a groyne into the distance (Ellis Kelsey collection)
Only a few days after it opened, the railway was put out of action by a severe storm. It reopened in July 1897 and ran without major incident until damage to the trackbed meant it couldn’t operate during the summer of 1900, causing a serious loss of business to Magnus Volk. Then in 1901, Brighton Corporation exercised its right to remove some of the track to enable sea defences to be built, and the project came to an end.
Read more about the ‘Daddy long-legs’, with more photographs, on the Volk’s Electric Railway Association website.
From Volk's Electric Railway Association
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
Construction of the line started in June 1894 and as can be seen from this contemporary engraving the trackbed consisted of two separate 2ft 8½” gauge tracks with their respective outer rails 18ft apart.
To provide maximum stability the car ran on both sets of tracks leading to claims that it was an 18ft gauge vehicle! To support the track 5ft x 3ft concrete blocks were morticed into the chalk bedrock every 2ft 6″. 52lb per yard flat bottom rails in 30ft lengths were then secured to the block using 6″ x ¾” clip bolts.
To provide power to the car a series of trolley standards were set on the land side of the track supporting the trolley wire 21ft above the spring tide level.
PIONEER
While the track was being laid, the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company were getting on with the salt water tram – suitably named ‘Pioneer’. Weighing in at about 45 tons it consisted of an elliptical deck 45ft long by 22ft wide supported on four braced tubular legs each 23ft long. At the bottom of each leg was a bogie housing four 33″ wheels. One bogie on each side was driven by a shaft and worm gear arrangement from 2 General Electric 25hp electric motors. The other 2 legs carried the brake rodding to the other two bogies. An ornate saloon 25ft 3″ x 12ft 6″ was mounted centrally on the deck and a promenade deck, accessed by a stairway at end of the saloon, was fitted on top. Control of the motors was provided by using tramway type controllers mounted at the ‘pointed ends’ of the deck.
UP AND RUNNING
Permission to run was finally granted on November 27th and the railway opened with due ceremony on November 28th 1896. The Mayor and Mayoress of Brighton were joined by representatives from Rottingdean and Hove as well as Brighton’s two MPs. for a return ride on the railway and a celebratory lunch. Unfortunately, due to family problems Anna was not able to be with Magnus in his moment of triumph, which by all accounts went extremely well.
DISASTER STRIKES
Less than a week later on the night of the 4th and 5th of December a storm, the like of which had not been seen for many years, destroyed the old Chain Pier, badly damaged the original electric railway and all but wrote off this brave new enterprise. Pioneer had broken from her moorings at Rottingdean, trundled slowly down the 1 in 100 slope away from the jetty and stood exposed to the full force of the storm. By morning she lay on her side broken almost beyond repair.
In the light of day things did not seem as bad as they had looked at the height of the storm. The track was only broken in one place, the overhead wire was still intact with only three poles damaged, and the jetty had survived at Paston Place even if the building had gone.
1897 BACK ON TRACK
The remains of ‘Pioneer’ were salvaged by Blackmore & Gould of Millwall and placed alongside the Banjo Groyne where it was rebuilt with legs 2ft longer than the originals. After a tremendous effort by everyone concerned the railway reopened on July 20th 1897. Over the rest of the year 44,282 passengers enjoyed taking the sea air aboard Pioneer without the slightest fear of ‘mal de mer’. As with the original electric railway a year round service was maintained.
But however popular the railway might be it had serious defects which were exacerbated by a lack of money. Pioneer was underpowered for anything other than shallow water – the resistance at high tide slowed it to an elderly walking pace. New, more powerful motors would have cured this but money was tight. The company never recovered from the cost of the reconstruction works so a proposed second car was never going to materialise.
IN DEEP WATER
With a new century upon him Magnus found that the two new concrete groynes constructed by the Corporation a little east of the Banjo Groyne had caused considerable scouring of the seabed and subsequent damage to the trackbed. This caused Magnus to close the line for several weeks during July and August 1900 – causing a terrible loss of business during the height of the summer. As if this was not enough there was worse news to come. In September 1900 Magnus was informed that he would have to divert his line around the end of new sea defence works being planned between Paston Place and Black Rock. This would involve moving into much deeper water and even further investment. In January 1901 following a reminder of their powers under the Act of 1893 the Corporation removed those parts of the track which were in their way. Operations stopped immediately, the Board looked to the future and saw none.
On the 23rd June 1902 an Act was obtained allowing the abandonment of the sea-going line and the construction of a conventional electric railway between the newly opened station of the Electric Railway at Black Rock and Rottingdean along a 2 mile man-made viaduct. Unfortunately the capital requirements of such an extension were way beyond the Company’s means and efforts to raise the money before the statutory 5 years elapsed came to nothing.
ABANDONED
No longer required Pioneer was lashed to the pier at Ovingdean to await its fate. There was no rush to remove it and the car remained in situ gently rusting away until 1910 when the remnants of the railway were sold for scrap. Rails, poles, piers and Pioneer were dismantled and scrapped, much of it going to Germany where it was no doubt used in munitions and fired back at our troops four years later.
Today very little remains to remind us of this most valiant attempt. Concrete is a great survivor and some of the sleepers remain at Rottingdean to prove it was not all a dream!
