Shake Rattle & Roll
A vintage connecting rail service operates along Hythe Pier in Hampshire, connecting with the ferry service from Southampton.
The fence on the right hand side has certainly seen better days, and so too has the track, both show the signs of being battered by the elements. It's great to travel the pier railway at Hythe, but it's not one of the smoothest rides!
Initially a tramway was laid along the 700 yard Hythe Pier for luggage to be conveyed to and from the ferries. A narrow gauge railway was laid in 1909 and vehicles moved by hand. In 1922 the track was re-laid and the 2 foot gauge line was electrified using a third rail at 250V. The locomotives, which date from 1917, were originally battery powered and used during the latter part of the First World War in a mustard gas factory in Avonmouth. Upon arrival at Hythe the batteries were removed and the locomotives were converted for third rail operation. Passenger rolling stock consists of four bogie vehicles, two of which have driving controls at the seaward end. The normal mode of operation is for one of the locos to be at the landward end, hauling and propelling three coaches and a four wheeled flat wagon which can be used to convey luggage. The line also has a four-wheel oil-tank car, used to carry fuel to the ferries.
Shake Rattle & Roll
A vintage connecting rail service operates along Hythe Pier in Hampshire, connecting with the ferry service from Southampton.
The fence on the right hand side has certainly seen better days, and so too has the track, both show the signs of being battered by the elements. It's great to travel the pier railway at Hythe, but it's not one of the smoothest rides!
Initially a tramway was laid along the 700 yard Hythe Pier for luggage to be conveyed to and from the ferries. A narrow gauge railway was laid in 1909 and vehicles moved by hand. In 1922 the track was re-laid and the 2 foot gauge line was electrified using a third rail at 250V. The locomotives, which date from 1917, were originally battery powered and used during the latter part of the First World War in a mustard gas factory in Avonmouth. Upon arrival at Hythe the batteries were removed and the locomotives were converted for third rail operation. Passenger rolling stock consists of four bogie vehicles, two of which have driving controls at the seaward end. The normal mode of operation is for one of the locos to be at the landward end, hauling and propelling three coaches and a four wheeled flat wagon which can be used to convey luggage. The line also has a four-wheel oil-tank car, used to carry fuel to the ferries.