1908
Scottish Driver’s and Firemen’s Friendly Society amalgamated with
A.S.L.E. & F.
Establishment of Conciliation Boards Workmen’s Compensation
Act of 1906
West Croydon Branch of A.S.L.E. & F. was founded
in January 1908
Poor reproduction of the L.B.S.C.R. Drivers and Firemen Terms and Conditions
commencing 1st January 1908.
ACCIDENT AND DISABLEMENT
28th January 1908
Tunbridge Wells engine driver T. Terry old age 28th January 1908, aged 24. Joined the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, on the 27th July 1877
STEVE SAINSBURY COLLECTION
Selsey Enginemen standing on the locomotive ‘Selsey’ at the Chichester Terminal station1908
ACCIDENT AT WORK
23rd June 1908
Tunbridge Wells engine cleaner Joseph Ernest Bassett (aged 18) whilst cleaning an engine in Tunbridge Wells locomotive shed, it was moved and the big end hit his leg. Foreman R. Wilks, did not place a "Not To Be Move" board
DEATH IN SERVICE
9th June 1908
Battersea engine driver T. McKew died in service on the 19th June 1908, aged 57. Joined the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants on the 13th December 1872
ACCIDENT AND DISABLEMENT
27th August 1908
Tunbridge Wells engine driver Y. Emery old age 27th August 1908, aged 60. Joined the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, on the 29th September 1888
THE SOUTHERN BELLE
The inaugural trip of the Southern Belle was made on Saturday, 31st, October 1908, and was
placed in public service on Sunday 1st November 1908. As the “Sunday Pullman Limited:
had been restored on Sunday 4th October 1908, after its customary summer suspension.
Monday 2nd November 1908 has sometimes been given wrongly for the “Southern Belle.” In fact, on the Sunday that the “Southern Belle” made its first run in public service, the demand for seats was so great that a relief Pullman train had to be run, and this was filled. From the outset, “The Southern Belle” left at 11 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and returned from Brighton at 5.45 p.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. on Sundays. The Sunday workings superseded those of the “Sunday Pullman Limited.”
In 1910, the daily service was doubled, weekday workings at 3.10 p.m. from Victoria and
12.20 p.m. from Brighton being added. On Sundays the departures from Victoria became 11
a.m. and 6.30 p.m., and from Brighton 5 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.
Until June 1915, the “Southern Belle” was an all-Pullman exclusively first class train, but
from that month third class passengers were conveyed in an ordinary compartment bogie
attached to the rear of the rain. From Sunday 12th September, 1915, third class Pullmans
were provided for the first time. They were attached to many trains and were included in the regular formation of the “Southern Belle” on weekdays only. The first class cars had always been know by names, but the third class bore numbers only. The early ones were converted from old American-built first class care. On Thursday 7th October, 1915, a new company called the Pullman Car Co. Ltd. was incorporated to over from Thursday 30th September, 1915, the rolling stock and goodwill of the old company.
From Monday 1st January, 1917, Pullman service were greatly curtailed, and the “Southern
Belle” was withdrawn. This was in accordance with the general austerity of the latter part of
the first world war. The train was restored (once daily) on Wednesday 1st October, 1919, but
the 60-min. timing and twice daily working were not resumed until Sunday 10th October,
1920. On Thursday 1st January, 1925, the train was reformed, with entirely new cars, which
ran until they were displace by electrification
PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN
SELSEY ENGINEMEN
Railway accident on the
L.B.S.C.R.
Polegate 31st December 1908