Lavender Line East Sussex 10.mpg

A short video taken on Wednesday 17th February 2010 at Isfield station on the preserved "Lavender Line" in East Sussex. The video starts with an image of the line (c1967) then mixing into a similar shot of how it is today, followed by footage of the station, the locomotive in use (a Planet 0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical Shunter) and some footage of the journey. The railway itself is part of the former Lewes to Uckfield Railway, opened on 18th October 1858. Between 1859 and 1922 the line was operated by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and passed into the ownership of the Southern Railway in 1923. In 1948 it then became part of the nationalised British Railways Southern Region. In its heyday, the line saw extensive use by local, London, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Dover services. However, due to a combination of factors including the Beeching cuts and the unsafe bridges on the approach to Lewes, the line was closed on 22nd February 1969. In the 1980s the railway passed into private hands and the then owner started to rebuild the track. Alas he was not able to continue with the line and it was sold to the current preservation society in the early 1990s. Isfield station has now been restored to early Southern Railway colours and looks very much as it would have done in the 1920's and 30's. The track has been extensively overhauled and modified since the society took over and the line has recently been extended to one mile. The Lavender Line got its name because the coal merchants which used to operate from Isfield station yard were A.E. Lavender and Sons of Ringmer and uniquely Isfield retains its old coal office which has been restored and now houses their model railway. Over the years this particular line has been the subject of much campaigning to get it re-opened and re-connected to the national rail network, however this seems to be a rather political subject with some for and against the proposal and I would presume that another factor would be down to cost! Visit the following for further details on this facinating preserved railway; http://www.lavender-line.co.uk/

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• lavender
• line
• isfield
• lewes
• to
• uckfield
• railway
• east
• sussex

[60103Henry]

Great Video, 5 Stars!