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. |
THIS PAGE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WILL BE
UPDATED SOON
St Leonards West Marina
This web page is dedicated to all A.S.L.E.F. members who have worked at St Leonards
depot over the years, and it features A.S.L.E.F. members who brought the trains of
St Leonards to life.
St Leonard’s (known as Hastings) locomotive shed was opened in November 1845 by L.B.S.C.R.
(Shed Code (H until 1903 & from 1903 onwards StL).
The South Eastern Railway opened a locomotive shed at Hastings on the 13th February 1851 and closed in 1929.
The Crowhurst, Sidley and Bexhill Railway opened a locomotive shed at Bexhill West on 1st June 1902.
This shed was later taken over by the South Eastern Railway and closed in 1936 by the Southern Railway.
With the formation of the Southern Railway the locomotive shed transferred from being a sub shed of Brighton
and become a sub shed of Ashford, with a shed code of 74E (1950 - 1958) and later a sub shed of Stewarts
Lane/Hither Green 73D (1963 - 1973) and in 1973 SE
The St Leonards Branch of ASLEF was opened on 18th March 1906.
For more information about the St Leonards Branch of A.S.L.E.F. click on icon below left.
1910
ST. LEONARD'S.—Oddfellows' Arms, Caves Road. Last Thursday in the month.
St Leonards Branch Secretaries
D. Sargent c1936 - c1955, J. Wallis, K. Auger 1985 - c1998, S. Jenner c2010 - ?
ST. LEONARD'S.—Oddfellows' Arms, Caves Road. Last Thursday in the month.
Above is a list of all the engine men that where employed at Hastings (St Leonards) L.B.S.C.R.) Locomotive
Department in 1877. It is not know if this is list was compiled in seniority order or not. However, the list does clearly
indicates the difference in the ages of both drivers & fireman at that period of time.
PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN
Building of the Crowhurst to Bexhill Railway line c1900 using Contractor’s locomotives
LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL
FEBRUARY 1913
PAGE 71
ST. LEONARD'S BRANCH.
A special meeting was held at the Oddfellow’s Arms, on Sunday, December 15th, for the purpose of having a full report of the interviews which our delegates had with our locomotive engineer, Mr. L. Billinton, and board of directors. Brothers Enves, Brighton, and A. Marshall, Eastbourne, gave a full report of all correspondence that had passed and the concessions that were granted. Questions were asked and answered, after which a vote of thanks was passed to the speakers, on the proposition of Brother Croucher, seconded by Brother Nince.
Branch Secretary
PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN
PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN
St Leonards Loco Shed