1855
SOUTHSEA AND PORTSMOUTH RAILWAY
1st July 1855 - 6th August 1914
The (East) Southsea to Portsmouth railway was opened on the 1st July 1855, and was jointly owned the L.B. & S.C.R. and the L. & S.W.R. With the start of the First World War, the line closed on the 6th August 1914
EAST GRINSTEAD LOCO SHED
(E-G) 1855 - c1896
EXTRACTED & ADAPTED FROM THE BRIGHTON CIRCLE WESITE
On the 9th July 1855
the single line between Three Bridges to East Grinstead opened.
East Grinstead Locomotive shed was opened on 9th July 1855 by the East Grinstead Railway and later owned by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The shed was located on the south side of East Grinstead station. The shed was a one track straight dead-ended shed and the facilities included a water tank. In c1896 the shed was closed but the facilities continued to be as a servicing area. In c1906 the shed was demolished, the water tank, engine pit and siding continued to be as a servicing area.
At the time of the 1859 timetable the line was operated by one-engine-in-steam and the first working of the day started from East Grinstead at 05.00h., with this typical working practice during the Carven era, to have one locomotive working over an allocated to the route.
A D1 class locomotive No.233 ‘Handcross’ was allocated the East Grinstead shed from 1883 onwards for many years. Its driver was known to be George Henry Collins from 1883 to 1910.
George Henry Collins is conspicuous by his absence from the census extracts detailed below. In the 1881 census he was a fireman (Tunbridge Wells?), boarding with a signalman, at Frant; in 1891 he lived with his family in Three Bridges, in 1901 he did live in East Grinstead.
EAST GRINSTEAD ENGINEMEN 1855 - c 1906
EXTRACTED & ADAPTED FROM THE BRIGHTON CIRCLE WESITE
The following Enginemen were based at East Grinstead:
The 1861 Census
Engine Driver Randolph Brown
Fireman William Packham
Engine Cleaner - James Davenport
The 1871 census
Randolph Brown moved to Tunbridge Wells (Does not appears in the 1877 Enginemen’s list)
William Packham moves to Tunbridge Wells (Does appears in the 1877 Enginemen’s list)
The 1881 Census
Engine drivers (8 in total)
George Goring
Edward Clarke
Harry Lane
Robert Beckenton
John Botting
James Eagle
C.J.G. Ratcliffe
J. Ratcliffe
Fireman – Henry Steeds
Engine cleaners – Frederick Weston
Shedman – Arthur Pottle
The 1891 Census
Engine drivers – George Goring & Henry Baker
Engine fireman – James Knight
Engine cleaner – Frederick Scott
Shedman - Joseph Hollingsworth
Railway accident on the
L.B.S.C.R.
London Bridge on 10th October 1855
WEST CROYDON TO WIMBLEDON LINE
On the 22nd October 1855 the line between Wimbledon - Mitcham - Croydon (West) opened.
Railway accident on the
L.B.S.C.R.
from http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk
Mitcham on 24th October 1855
no mention of Enginemen
SEE SUB PAGE