Sunday, August 27, 2006
Brighton. Volks Railway. Birthday Part 1.
The first part of my birthday treat was a ride on Volk's Railway at Brighton.
This electric train has been running along the beach from palace Pier to Black Rock (now the Marina) for over 120 years.
It now runs on rails on the ground, but when it was first built it was an elaborate and strange construction. The carriage was on stilts and the stilts ran along the rails - some of which were placed actually in the sea.
It was always popular with visitors to the town and is still so today.
There are some exceedingly good web sites about the railway and its history - just put Volks into Google and you will find them.
The trains now run only in the summer season.
Here is our train, crowded with holiday makers pulling into the station close to the Marina.
The driver, a woman of about my age I would guess, sorts out the passengers and then goes to sit at the other end of the train to drive back to Palace Pier.
It seemed like a lovely summer job.
The other train on the line was driven by a man of about the same age. I wonder if they were husband and wife.
When the driver had moved to the other end, we climbed aboard the seats at the rear to watch the world glide gently by.
The letters VR obviously stand for Volk's Railway, but they also echo back to the Victorian age when the railway first started.
I enjoyed the ride, with a smile on my face and waving to people we passed.
Here is a view from the train across the beach to The Palace Pier as we neared the Pier station.
And here is the view across the road - Madeira Drive it is called.
I love those arches.
This long straight road has been used for motor speed trials in the past.
This electric train has been running along the beach from palace Pier to Black Rock (now the Marina) for over 120 years.
It now runs on rails on the ground, but when it was first built it was an elaborate and strange construction. The carriage was on stilts and the stilts ran along the rails - some of which were placed actually in the sea.
It was always popular with visitors to the town and is still so today.
There are some exceedingly good web sites about the railway and its history - just put Volks into Google and you will find them.
The trains now run only in the summer season.
Here is our train, crowded with holiday makers pulling into the station close to the Marina.
The driver, a woman of about my age I would guess, sorts out the passengers and then goes to sit at the other end of the train to drive back to Palace Pier.
It seemed like a lovely summer job.
The other train on the line was driven by a man of about the same age. I wonder if they were husband and wife.
When the driver had moved to the other end, we climbed aboard the seats at the rear to watch the world glide gently by.
The letters VR obviously stand for Volk's Railway, but they also echo back to the Victorian age when the railway first started.
I enjoyed the ride, with a smile on my face and waving to people we passed.
Here is a view from the train across the beach to The Palace Pier as we neared the Pier station.
And here is the view across the road - Madeira Drive it is called.I love those arches.
This long straight road has been used for motor speed trials in the past.
