Southend Pier [Shore]
'Sir John Betjeman', one of two diesel trains built for the reopening of the Southend Pier Railway in Essex on 2nd May 1986, at Shore station, on the morning of Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August 2019. Construction of the present pier began in 1887 and by 1892 a narrow gauge 3ft. 6ins. electric railway was running from the Shore to the Pier Head. By 1930, there were four trains of seven cars running on a double track. In 1949, new rolling stock was introduced in green and cream livery, closely resembling single deck trams and designed by AC Cars of Thames Ditton, Surrey. I well remember travelling on these on frequent family summer Sunday visits to Southend when I was a boy. In 1975, a fire partly destroyed the Pier Head but the railway kept on going until 1978 when it was closed due to deterioration of the decking and the 1949 trains were retired. That could have been the end but the railway reopened on 2nd May 1986, de-electrified and re-gauged from 3ft. 6 ins. to 3 ft. with two new trains, again of seven cars, designed by Severn Lamb of Alcester, Warwickshire. A second fire on 9th October 2005, 30 years after the first, destroyed Pier Head station and a temporary stop was used until a new station on the site of the old Pier Head was opened on 9th February 2009.
Location: Southend Pier [Shore]
Original line: Southend Pier Railway
Photographer: David Bosher
Contact photographer: David Bosher
Photosets: Southend Pier Railway 1975, 2019 and 2022
Date: 26/08/2019
Image number: 70192
Other photographs of Southend Pier [Shore] on RailScot
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