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    1838: Lawless railway workers
    • 3 days ago
    • 3 min

    1838: Lawless railway workers

    The Brighton line attracted a tough breed of construction workmen called 'navvies'. They inherited this name from the 'navigators' who...
    250 views
    1844: Fellow travellers - anything familiar?
    • 5 days ago
    • 8 min

    1844: Fellow travellers - anything familiar?

    Anyone who has commuted to London or Brighton from Mid Sussex will want to compare their experiences with this account from the very...
    86 views
    1840: Italian design on the Brighton line
    • May 15
    • 2 min

    1840: Italian design on the Brighton line

    There are two names associated with building and design of the London to Brighton railway line. While many will have heard of the name of...
    158 views
    1841: London / Brighton Railway the opening day
    • May 13
    • 4 min

    1841: London / Brighton Railway the opening day

    Brighton railway station opened in May 1840 but was initially only receiving trains to and from Shoreham-by-Sea and stations westwards...
    76 views
    1835: 'Utterly impracticable' Brighton line
    • May 1
    • 3 min

    1835: 'Utterly impracticable' Brighton line

    I was recently shown a collection of researched material and came across a cutting of this uncredited article, which today will raise a...
    65 views
    1884: High drama mid-viaduct
    • Apr 27
    • 1 min

    1884: High drama mid-viaduct

    On Friday Mr Labouchere's staghounds, from Warnham, Surrey, came sweeping across the country in pursuit of hind, passing by Slaugham,...
    147 views
    1844: Awestruck with the new local railway
    • Apr 19
    • 2 min

    1844: Awestruck with the new local railway

    Today we take travelling on a train - to and fro London - for granted. We overlook the engineering miracles performed with just primitive...
    92 views
    1881-1940: 'Cuckfield' a popular D1 workhorse
    • Apr 11
    • 4 min

    1881-1940: 'Cuckfield' a popular D1 workhorse

    Cuckfield researcher Fred Wheatland recently drew our attention to a photograph (3rd photo below) of this ‘Cuckfield’ locomotive and of...
    104 views
    1841: Early local rail accident
    • Apr 5
    • 1 min

    1841: Early local rail accident

    Early rail travel on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) was a much slower, less reliable and even hazardous form of...
    120 views
    1841: Historic first timetable for trains to and from Hayward's Heath (near Cuckfield)!
    • Mar 2
    • 1 min

    1841: Historic first timetable for trains to and from Hayward's Heath (near Cuckfield)!

    Brighton Gazette - Thursday 15 July 1841 [graphic of timetable]
    186 views
    1836: Railway line through Cuckfield 'superior' to any other option.
    • Jan 24
    • 1 min

    1836: Railway line through Cuckfield 'superior' to any other option.

    West Kent Guardian - Saturday 16 April 1836 Brighton Railway—Sir John Rennie visited Cuckfield on Friday last, and paid great attention...
    52 views
    1874: Encounter in a railway carriage
    • Jan 23
    • 2 min

    1874: Encounter in a railway carriage

    A serious case of assault has been heard at the Cuckfield Police Court, in which Mr Jeremiah Farrow, a well-todo farmer, from Old Newton,...
    33 views
    1836: House of Lords asks about Cuckfield's post
    • Nov 6, 2021
    • 2 min

    1836: House of Lords asks about Cuckfield's post

    A House of Lords committee in 1836 took evidence from a wide range of representatives from affected concerns while considering the...
    51 views
    1836: Brighton line route recce
    • Oct 15, 2021
    • 2 min

    1836: Brighton line route recce

    Sir John Rennie visited Cuckfield on Friday last, and paid great attention to the work of the engineers, who are daily making rapid...
    168 views
    1950: Railway stations serving two villages
    • Aug 21, 2021
    • 2 min

    1950: Railway stations serving two villages

    It’s interesting to read WH Parker’s perspective on the influence of the London-Brighton railway on the Mid Sussex area, with its impact...
    171 views
    1850s: Travellers find love on stage coaches  - but not on trains!
    • Oct 27, 2020
    • 2 min

    1850s: Travellers find love on stage coaches - but not on trains!

    Writing in in the mid 1850s, Samuel Shergold, observed that coach travellers were more likely to find love on a stage coach rather than...
    50 views
    1974: Construction of a 50 yard tunnel for miniature railway at Beech Hurst
    • Jul 20, 2020
    • 1 min

    1974: Construction of a 50 yard tunnel for miniature railway at Beech Hurst

    https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-beech-hurst-miniature-railway-under-construction-1974-online
    186 views
    1842: The progress of the Haywards Heath Railway Station a year after its creation
    • Jul 9, 2020
    • 2 min

    1842: The progress of the Haywards Heath Railway Station a year after its creation

    Sussex Advertiser - Tuesday 24 May 1842 HAYWARD'S HEATH. The Railway traffic continues steadily to increase, and the transit of goods has...
    152 views
    1865: Tragic railway accident results in First Interment in St Wilfrid's burial ground
    • Jul 2, 2020
    • 2 min

    1865: Tragic railway accident results in First Interment in St Wilfrid's burial ground

    Brighton Gazette - Thursday 22 June 1865 HAYWARD’S HEATH Fatal Accident. On Saturday, L. G. Fullagar, Esq., held an inquest, at the...
    208 views
    1842: A forensic Inquest into Haywards Heath's first rail accident ...
    • Jun 3, 2020
    • 21 min

    1842: A forensic Inquest into Haywards Heath's first rail accident ...

    Sussex Advertiser - Tuesday 13 December 1842 THE ACCIDENT ON THE BRIGHTON RAILWAY LAST YEAR. IMPORTANT VERDICT AGAINST THE COMPANY. Dr....
    104 views
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