THE SUSSEX MOTIVE POWER DEPOTS

IGNITING THE SUSSEX BEACONS

OF UNITY

THE HISTORY OF THE

SUSSEX BRANCHES OF A.S.L.E.F.

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

One of the main reasons for doing these web sites is to try and explain to everybody the history of the footplate grades, the conditions they had to work in and the creation of the A.S.L.E.F. branches within the Brighton & Sussex area.

I am therefore very grateful for people sending me personal photos from their personal collection and for allowing me to display them on the web sites. But unfortunately what is missing, are the stories that accompany them. What I want to do is to try and remedy this by starting to record the remaining stories that are still out there, before they too are lost in the midst of time.

I have added some information about some of the drivers that I know and the comments that have already have been sent to me.

If you too have any stories about your own working life on the footplate, the people that you worked with and the conditions you had to work in please send me and I will post, on the web site.

If you are interested in helping me in capturing these stories by any means possible please let me know.

Click on the icon above for

the history of the Brighton Branch of ASLEF

Click on the icon above for

the Brighton Motive Power Depot

BRIGHTON & SUSSEX BRANCHES OF A.S.L.E.F. REUNION

(UNITING A.S.L.E.F. MEMBERS PAST AND PRESENT)

8th May 2018

GRAHAM PENN COLLECTION

RAY KEMPSTER, PETE HARRIS TERRY HOLT (ALL BEDFORD) & ERIC BLAN

GRAHAM PENN COLLECTION

BIFF MANVELL & KEN CHAPMAN (T. BDGS)

GRAHAM PENN COLLECTION

RODNEY BURSTOW & BOB DAINTY (BTON & SEL)

5th May 2015

Graham Penn Collection

Rodney Burstow

6th May 2013

ALAN COOK COLLECTION

STEVE CHATFIELD (BTON) & GEOFF BALL

ALAN COOK COLLECTION

ERIC BLAN & BIFF MANVELL

GRAHAM PENN COLLECTION

RODNEY BURSTOW & LES FRENCH (Vic C & MARYLEBONE)

7th May 2013

RODNEY BURSTOW COLLECTION

Eric Bland (ex Cricklewood & St. Pancras), MALCOLM GURR & Andy Coombe

Eric was based at Cricklewood and then St Pancras, before transferring to Horsham. He tells me that before City Thameslink was built he remembers waiting just before the slope at Blackfriars for a banking engine to come out of Smithfield onto his rear and help push up the freight trains. There was also a small panel box there to oversee the movements. He retired in about 2007.