Tracking through Sussex Trivia Quiz

Answer: Clayton

Not just turrets but battlements complete this view. Between the two turrets sits a cottage, a prime location for a train spotter. But to see the tunnel entrance properly you need to be either in the cab of the train or better still standing on the bridge over the line. The nearest station is Hassocks from where a mile long footpath runs beside the line to the village of Clayton.

Clayton tunnel is the longest tunnel on the line, closely followed by the two Merstham Tunnels (which are in Surrey). Balcombe Tunnel is in Sussex, on the Brighton line between Three Bridges and Balcombe, only half the length of the Clayton Tunnel it has no such ornamentation. Although there is a station 'Box Hill and Westhumble' in Surrey close to Box Hill on the North Downs, the Box Hill Tunnel is further away near Bath. The Box Hill Tunnel was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and has an impressive west portal, but no turrets.

Answer: Cuckmere

Although the railway ran alongside the river for a short distance north of Hailsham no railway line followed the river to the sea. With no port, industry or urban areas along the river estuary, there has never been a reason to construct one.

To the east of the estuary the chalk cliffs known as the Seven Sisters can be seen, beyond which is Eastbourne. To the west lies Seaford Head, the other side of which is the town of Seaford from where the train runs to Newhaven then along the Ouse Valley to Lewes.

Trains run from Horsham to Ford along a route known as the Arun Valley line, the river is frequently crossed during this journey. From Ford a branch runs to Littlehampton, where the river meets the sea.

Trains no longer run beside the River Adur, although they once did. A line ran from Christ's Hospital to Shoreham which closed in 1966. The southern portion between Shoreham Harbour and a cement works in Beeding finally closed in the last odecade of the twentieth century.

Answer: Sulky Service

After British Rail originally closed the line it was realised that the original Acts of Parliament authorising the building of the line which required four trains to be run in each direction each day, stopping at named stations. This could only be rescinded by another Act of Parliament. Subsequently British Rail ran the legally obligated trains, not a train more, stopping only at the stations listed in the Acts (of 1879 and 1880).

This service was known as the 'Sulky Service' and lasted for three years until Parliament passed the legislation permitting closure. Subsequent to the closure, part of the line was purchased by a preservation society that has become the Bluebell Railway.

Answer: The Mayor would drive the train.

According to Leslie Oppitz in his book, "Lost Railways of Sussex" the Mayor announced this at the end of the speeches, but was only permitted to board the footplate and toot the whistle. This was probably a wise decision. Just imagine now if Ken Livingstone or Boris Johnson decided to drive a train on the spur of the moment at the opening of a railway line.

The full name of this railway was "The Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Railway", but it may have described itself as a tramway to avoid coming under the Acts of Parliament relating to railways. It ran from Chichester to the peninsular of Selsey Bill, but went broke in the 1930's. Some references note that this line was also known as "The Siddlesham Snail", however Leslie Oppitz also notes (in the same book) that it was referred to at least once as "the noisiest and most rickety railway in England".

Answer: Rowfant

The owner of Rowfant house sold the required land to the railway cheaply, but on condition that a station was built, along with porch, although his was the only house in the area.
The railway is long gone but the station building with its porch is still there, accessible by road or on foot via the Worth Way. Originally, Rowfant was the only station between Three Bridges and East Grinstead but Grange Road was later added, the site now being part of Crawley Down.
Kingscote was the first station to the south of East Grinstead on the line to Lewes, it became the northern limit of the Bluebell Railway in 1997 but it is hoped not for long as the Bluebell intends to run trains all the way to East Grinstead in the foreseeable future. Preston Park is a station in Brighton.

Answer: The station was closed to the public 20 August 2006

Newhaven has three stations, Newhaven Town and Newhaven Harbour being the other two. South of Newhaven Harbour there is a junction, trains mostly go on to Bishopstone and Seaford but the other direction is Newhaven Marine. Formerly this station was used for the train ferries and car ferries to France.
More recently car ferries and the high speed catamaran departures were accessed from the town's other two stations.
It is probable that the station is served by one train a day to keep it technically open and avoid the cost of the closure procedure. To head off the question of how the train gets to Newhaven Marine in the first place, this is run as an "empty stock movement" not as part of the passenger timetable.
There is a station which can only be accessed by the military, Lympstone Commando. Although passenger trains call there the station is only for those authorised to visit the nearby Commando Training Centre.
Smallbrook Junction, on the Isle of Wight, has no road or pedestrian access. This opens only when the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is running and this heritage railway provides the only other access to the station.

Answer: Oldest operating electric railway.

The Volks Electric Railway opened in 1883, and still runs along the seafront at Brighton. It is just over a mile in length from Aquarium to Black Rock with one intermediate station called 'Halfway'. It was built by inventor Magnus Volk, who also installed electric lights in the Royal Pavilion.

Answer: Daddy Longlegs

This railway was another of the creations of Magnus Volk. Unlikely as it may seem it worked, although not without some drawbacks. The planning failed to realise how much energy would be needed to progress through the water, and if the sea was more than a few inches deep walking was faster. The railway opened in November 1896 but within a few days an exceptionally strong storm hit the coast, this damaging part of the infrastructure requiring additional and expensive construction work.

A few years later the council built sea defences across its route; unable to find the capital to overcome this inconvenience the railway closed.

Answer: Heathfield

The gas was discovered while boring for water, close to the tunnel under the High Street. Originally used to light the station further investigation found significant supplies which were sold until the supply ran out in the 1930's.

Answer: Hastings

Both the East Cliff and West Cliff railways were originally powered by water. Nowadays both are electrically powered.
Folkstone has had four different Cliff Railways, the two sets of lines of the Leas Cliff Railway, Sandgate Hill and the Metropole Lift. The latter two closed in 1918 and 1940 respectively. In 1966 the second set of lines for the Leas closed although the lines were left in place. As of 2010 these were being restored.
The Ramsgate Cliff Railway was an electric underground railway, making Ramsgate the third place in the UK to have one. Opened in 1936 it closed in 1965 following an accident.
The Broadstairs Cliff Railway closed in 1991.

It should also be noted that of the four options listed only Hastings is in Sussex, the others are all in Kent.