During a recent holiday (before ya know) I was visiting London from Canada for a couple of weeks. For my one trek out of town, I decided to visit Southend and explore with my camera for a couple of days. What a wonderful place to discover! As a senior with brand new knees, I took the train to the end of the pier and walked back. Absolutely brilliant (practicing my British) afternoon, with great photos, although it might have helped if it had stopped raining...
A day-trip to Southend needed to be timed to ensure that the tide was ‘in’ rather than ‘out’. If not, the prospect (unlike that shown here) was just a vast expanse of ugly and somewhat malodorous mud flats for as far as the eye could see (making the need for the pier only too self-evident). Often enough, early on a sunny Sunday, my dad, a WW2 sailor, would check the newspaper for the time of high tide at Tower Bridge and could then tell if a trip toSouthend would actually be to Southend-on-Sea rather than Southend-on-Mud - its nickname. A real treat in the ‘50s for a kid from grimy Islington - the train ride down from Liverpool St. station was an event in itself - bucket and spade in hand. Then bus to Thorpe Bay (less crowded) for a day on the beach (sandy sandwiches), followed by a walk back into Southend, Cadbury’s flake ice cream, a visit to the funfair by the pier (Peter Pan’s Gardens), fish and chips. Then time to enjoy the illuminations before the train back to London - smelling of Nivea from mild sunburn! Happy days, simple pleasures, which didn’t cost the earth! (Suggesting the Hythe-New Romney railway for a future exploration).
Often called it Southend-on-Mud, but still love it. It was an adventure from my home strange for by-passing so many really British seaside resorts. A few summers my Grandfather took me to Hythe for the canal and the railway which we spent most of ourtime on. One year I befriended a local kid; got to polish in the engine sheds; and a free footplate ride for an afternoon as a result!
I have been to Southend twice (I live in Leicester). The first time I was about 5 so it would be 1966. Loved the trains on the pier. Went back when I was about 32 still loved the trains. I have very happy memories of Southend pity it is so far from Leicester.
@@johnm2012 Well given where I grew up no choice really, it had to be the Liverpool St line. But we would be getting on at Romford. It was though far more likely that we, the mum's and kids of a group of neighbors would get the train to Walton on the Naze for a day out in the school summer holidays. This was in the 70's. Walton is nice, as no mudflats, it has a pier, but of course no railway.
horrible place -_- so much time and money pumped into a place barely anyone gives a crap about anymore, while the historic area across the water gets neglected, forgotten and used as a dumping ground. England: screw history, it's problematic.
@@geoffcross6529 one episode a shady character falls off the end of the pier. I would like to be able to take my grandchildren to these places but not certain if they would appreciate it.
Growing up in Woodford, Southend-On-Sea was our nearest seaside resort, just one hour away down the A127. My father owned an Austin Cambridge, grey with a red stripe running through the middle. They were magnificently grand cars. When we arrived in Southend (pronounced "Sowff-Einned" in the Essex accent), we would stop at the Kosher Deli to buy Beigals, Salmon, Cream-cheese.. and then drive down to the beech. Our visit wasn't complete without a trip to the pier. Before going on the pier, we would stare at that large display box with a man, tied down to a bench, looking up terrified as an ax, swinging from the ceiling, gradually got lower and lower. It never actually reached him but we used to stop and stare for ages. My brother and I would play a game, by walking as fast as we could and try and beat the green train to the end of the pier, which wasn't that difficult as it often took a long time to start off. We would then take the train back. To this day, I know how long it takes to walk a mile because of the pier. I remember those old green trains. Particularly the smell. From the outside they smelt of burnt electric cables, sea salt and old engine oil. The inside smelled of Coal tar disinfectant. There is a wonderful single Malt Whisky produced by the Bruichladdich distillery in Islay, called Octomore. It is the heaviest peated whisky ever made with some releases reaching 208 PPM. . Whenever I smell and drink this, its coastal briny, burnt, coal tar flavours bring me right back to those old green trains on the Southend-On-Sea pier.
When I was a boy, back in the sixties, we sometimes stayed with my Aunt and Uncle, who lived behind the Kursaal in Southend. At that time, the joints in the pier railway line were not staggered, and I would lie in bed in the evening listening to the 'thump, thump, thump' of the trains running up and down.
Really enjoyed this one..... Being an East End lad, trips to the seaside were by railway. The old District Line R or CO/CP stock to Barking for a 'new' BR blue EMU to Chalkwell (for the beach), then later on an Eastern National Bristol open top bus to Southend. Peter Pans playground and a trip along the pier were always part of the day out. This was from around 1970 to after the pier fire. I rode the green & cream trains, there were two tracks when i first rode it and two or more trains operated in high summer. I remember they still ran after the fire because we went to the end to see the destruction. Some of the stall holders down there had burnt 2p coins which they showed us kids, there had be an amusement arcade at the end, along with a ghost train ride (where the fire supposedy started) and a pavilion. Happy days (well, not the fire obviously...) that i remember well.......
10 years ago I came here with my family to scatter our grandfather’s ashes out at sea, him being a Royal Navy officer during WW2, and his fondness of the sea. We picked the longest pier in Britain which just so happens to also be the world’s longest pier: Southend. Thank goodness for this railway because my Nan would not have walked all that way.
You missed the key backup to the Railway. The RNLI have a station at the wet end of the pier, so the tidal issue that caused problems for steamers doesn't do exactly the same to them. The trains can't be guaranteed to be running, or in the right place, when a crew needs to get to the end of the pier in a hurry to rescue someone. So they have two battery-electric buggies, complete with 'Blues and Twos', that run along the footway to transport crews and, if required, equipment. The trip takes six minutes. Whilst in the buggy on the way to the Lifeboat Station crews plan the upcoming rescue, talk to the Coastguard on the buggies maritime radio and, if appropriate, use the binoculars that are kept in the buggies to search for the casualty. On the way back the buggies may also run on lights and sirens, carrying one or more casualties to an ambulance at the shore end of the pier.
There's a ship near the pier called the Montgomery that sunk in WWII, i believe, fully laden with explosives. If that goes up there won't be much of that pier left or possibly not much of Southend. You can see its mast at low tide but they're talking about cutting the mast off as it's attracting sightseers. Apparently it's too dangerous to do anything with it so it's literally just lying there.
The SS Montgomery is much closer to Gillingham, Kent, than it is Southend. The mast is likely to fall onto the cargo, as well as attracting tourists, which is considered quite a risk On the matter of explosives, further along the coast towards the East are the testing ranges at Shoeburyness and Foulness Island.
Growing up I lived in Basildon, a few miles from Southend. Almost every weekend would find me and a couple of mates, with our fishing gear, off to the end of the pier (or 3/4 down depending on the tides), to start a day of fun and fishing. The train was a life line at the end of a day when we needed to get back to shore. One of our favourite events was when a Spring tide occured. Several times I remember the trains being stopped because they had to cut the power to the rails due to the very close proximity of the water during the high tide. We always wondered if one day the water would touch the rails - but it never did - much to our disappointment. I think it cost us a 1d (old money) for the train plus 1d per rod - though memory could well be wrong, it was nearly 60 years ago! (Bloody hell - 60 years ago!). However I knew nothing of the history of the trains - so, once again, thanks Jago.
I remember watching water spalsh over a running Ryde pier line live in a force 9 gale ready to get the ferry back to the mainland: the trains were still running!
@@michaelgreen1515 Wow, that must have been something. Actually, Jago if you see this, maybe you could do a video on the IoW railway since the trains are/were all ex-LTE stock. So it would sort of be like a 'Tales from the Tube' - albiet with a rather long extension.
In the 50s an outing was to take a boat from Tower Pier to Southen then we took the old green and yellow train to the shore. The boat went off to Margate and on its return we re-boarded and back up river th Tower Pier.
You evoke similar memories of trips with my father in the 1950s - bus to Richmond then district line to Tower Hill and the boat to Southend. We would walk the pier one way and catch the pier train back. The great treat was a Rossi’s ice cream in a proper wafer cornet. My memory only says vanilla, the best I have ever had as, however sophisticated your taste subsequently becomes, nothing cannot compete with your small child tastebuds.
I remember going on those boats in the 1960's as a child with my dad. The one I remember most was the "Royal Sovereign". It was like a mini cross channel ferry. The attraction of these trips for the adults, especially the men, was the fact that the bar was open all the time in the days when the pubs used to close in the afternoon.
In the early 70’s I attended Southend Technical College. Every Wednesday we had “sports” and somehow angling managed to feature on the list. This took place at the end of the pier. We used the elegant AC green and cream EMU’s to travel along the pier. It would run in all weathers. I also remember the somewhat complex point work underneath the shore end of the pier that housed the sidings for the trains. That was as interesting at the trains themselves. I think the current units are ugly by comparison with the great and cream ones.
I too remember the green and cream 1949 stock. In the 50s they were still quite smart .. yes, they smelled of electicity, but not of Jeyes fluid. Does anybody remember the Excel Bowling ally, with the fancy 'eggbox' roof? I saw it built, and even helped paint one of its murals inside.. black and white, around the servery.
Rumour has it the replacements will be green and cream, modelled on the 70s trains. Boxy, loud and uncomfortable. The current trains have never been popular with us locals. I live over a mile away and can hear them clattering up and down if the wind is in the right direction.
In the distance shots for this video, I actually had to turn the sound down because it was too loud to be believable. You don’t expect a train that far away to be that loud.
I remember the green and cream pier trains from the 1950's and early 60's. The earlier ones had seats whose backs were hinged so that passengers could choose to travel facing backwards or forwards. All before the days of health and safety of course!
Southend here! Went to college in Southend from Canvey, there's a nice spot under the peir that I love to sit at because it surrounds you with the sound of the waves truly an amazing place to relax
I spent a summer working on the pier in the early 2000s and was trained as a backup driver on the train though I was never actually needed to drive any passengers. It was a pretty unpleasant job and the trains were one of the few highlights. Though I don't know the full story I can say the battery train is (or at least was) primarily used for staff use, for out of hours service (night time deliveries to the pier head when one of the full trains would be excessive or moving staff around) and for large goods delivery. I've seen it used for delivering stuff for the lifeboat station on the pierhead, a pallets of building materials for maintenance and a new stove for one of the restaurants. Most smaller deliveries, e.g. food for the restaurants was loaded into one of the cariages on the regular trains.
I lived 7 formative years in Sarfend and worked in the jolly fisherman pub at the end of the pier for the summer of 1990. The red liveried train was my commute.
I went to Southend for the first time in 1977, and was able to ride the old electric trains one year before the line's closure. I've been back there loads of times since, and had a couple of rides on the current diesels from 1986 onwards, I found them a lot slower and graceful than their predecessors, which used to travel up and down at a fair clip! I also visited the pier in 1985, when no trains were running, and walked the full length of the pier and back that year, (I wouldn't fancy doing it now!!)
About the elephants: Look up the story how an actual circus elephant fell off the suspension railway in Wuppertal, Germany, and fell into the river Wupper. It's name was Tuffi which is now the brand of a dairy company based in Wuppertal.
As both a railfan a native Southendian, I thank you for this well shot and extremely interesting video. It is fascinating how this much loved railways place in history is so often overlooked, and it's great to know that somebody takes an interest.
We loved the pier railway as kids in the late 50's/early 60's. The shore terminus was really impressive. It looked like a mini main line terminus. The 49' stock was a treat too. I lived in Leytonstone as a kid, and we often went on excursions from what we called "the Midland", Leytonstone High Road. Cheap but slow. Happy days. Thanks, nice video.
Really enjoyed this film. I have never been to Southend, but have heard about this railway. It's nice that a few older cars have been preserved. I didn't know that tourists originally arrived from London by boat. When the railway from London opened, this would have taken most of the traffic. It would be interesting if one could still make the journey by boat and arrive at the pier.
A lovely video and very informative, many thanks. I used to visit Southend in the 50s & 60s and loved the pier and so pleased to see the railway is operational. Long may it do so! :)
1986 - On June 30th the tanker MV Kingsabbey sailed off course and cut through the pier between the old and new Pier Heads, there was a passenger footbridge connecting the two, for a while. Also major fire in 2005 burnt out the station and buckled the tracks. No elephants hurt.
I remember the old yellow and green liveried trains. Good days fishing at the end of the pier and getting the Royal Sovereign over the estuary to Ramsgate or Margate
My immediate family were born and raised near Southend, and my mother was an Army ambulance driver during WWII ferrying casualties from ship to shore and then to hospitals as described. The train cars were all open in those days (and when I was a kid) and my mother had to hang on to the outside and move up and down the train, preventing injured men from rolling out of the train onto the line! Most transfers were undertaken during the night for security.
I've only been on this "line" the once, maybe ten years ago(ish). It was a foul day, with torrential rain and gale force winds and we had the train, and the pier, to ourselves. The RNLI shop, at the far end of the pier, was open and we were their only customers that day. One thing JH doesn't mention is the population of turnstones on the pier, comical birds which I had neither seen, nor heard of, before this visit. Keep 'em coming JH, these quirky wee lines are easily as interesting as their bigger relatives.👌😁
The train I remember was that nice green and cream AC streamline one around late 71 and listening to Elton John singing Tiny Dancer on my tranny courtesy of Radio Caroline and the carriage reeking of fish as the only other passenger was a fisherman who seemed to have caught every fish and crustacean from the North Sea.
Awesome! Having been a railway enthusiast for decades I have never heard of this pier railway. Great to see it still running, unfortunately not like the one at Southport which appears to be in the process of removal. Thanks for posting. 👍
Back in 1989 I lived in Southend. I went on those trains almost every weekend 😂 There was a bowling alley at the start of the pier until it burnt down. And then the end of the pier burnt down a few years later.
@@pierre-de-standing and before the Bowl there was a very nice pier Pavillion which burnt down in 1959. Following that and before the Bowl, they levelled the floor and made it a roller-skating rink.
Beautiful day Jago, not a cloud in the sky - a point of curio that I have noticed (with some research knowledge) and something you have undoubtedly noticed too - prior to around 1900 there are very few construction or operational photographs of British railways - they, for the most part, are sketches - now, before the scorning mockery of the profane scream “IT WAS JUST INVENTED!!!” I ask a pause of indigence - everyone and they’re aunt Fanny had at leased one new fangled photograph taken, usually looking quite austere and stern - people were taking pictures of everything and by the 1890’s it was far from “new” yet, particularly in the construction phases, there are little to no real photographs - Interesting - much love to you Jago 🌞
Fascinating. I could see why they needed the pier. When I went on the train in the 1960s I remember it was low tide and there was a huge expanse of black sticky mud. On another track how about doing the Welsh narrow gauge Steam lines like the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland. They have a marvellous quirky character and wondrous scenery. And when the tide is out the sands are a distinct improvement on the Southend mud. And your inimitable style would be just the ticket.
Earlier this year the new battery electric trains were in service but yesterday one of the Diesel ones was in use and one of the staff at the pier head station said that there is a problem with the new ones at the moment. The locomotive from the second Diesel train is parked in the second platform at the pier head while the bodies from the five coaches are now used as shelters on the pier, two on the station platform and three more further down the pier. I didn’t see the coach with the driving cab from this train. Both of the new battery electric trains and the single battery car were stored in the left platform at the shore end station.
I remember being told that the battery/electric unit is to get the lifeboat crews out to the boat shed at the end of the pier *after hours* as they can't legally drive the diesels. No idea if this is actually true but it sounds reasonable. If you want to see one of the "old" carriages visit Oaklands House museum in nearby Chelmsford, they have one of them in a glass case behind the museum in the gardens. One of my daughters fondest memories is walking back from the end of the pier at about age 4 with myself and my friend in really high winds, both of us holding her hands and the wind pulling her off her feet so she was flying. Can't do that these days, health and safety regs close the pier walkway in high winds.
I'd love to see an item on Kelvedon Low Level to Tollesbury Pier. Kelvedon has thousands of commuters into London. It has a fascinating history. Some traces still exists today including the pier itself, which was largely demolished in case invaders used it during WW2.
Growing up in Newham, Southend-On-Estuary was our nearest "seaside resort", under an hour away by tube from East Ham and cross-platform interchange at Barking for the train. Sometimes we would opt for the less lairy Chalkwell. But I liked the arcades at Southend.
I rode in it before 1950. Curiously, because I was rather tiny back then I could only see out of the windows on the far side and I assumed that I was on a train that was following the shore line.
Yes, it was the AC cars that I travelled on during the 1950s and also I also experienced the same company's 'attempt' at an early diesel (two car) railcar on the Watford Junction to St.Albans branch of BR.
Going on past record, he’d announce as part of hs3, we are extending Southend pier to Rotterdam, and going to run an express train service. He likes a nice bridge, does Boris..
Thank you for that. My wife came and lived in southend. I remember the railway well as indeed the cliff railway. Any information you quire I will be glad to give! thanks for our series. wayne dexter
Southport pier had a railway. The pier got refurbished a few years ago, and the train was replaced by a modern tram, but in true fashion it wasn't thought out properly and it was too heavy and was breaking the pier, now it just has a road train.
Excellent commentary as usual from you. I live in Leigh-on-Sea so the pier and it’s trains are very relevant to me. The new ones are a tribute to the (in my opinion) the best looking ones, the old green and cream version. Keep up the good work.
That was very interesting. I feel foolish for not realising before that the original purpose of the pier was to enable ships to dock and bring tourists to the town.
The Isle of Wight should be on the list. Old tube stock running up and down the pier appears to be right up your alley. It also connects to the preserved steam railway, which is interesting in it's own right.
The old tube stock is going to be replaced soon. With newer old tube stock! I think this year was the plan to replace the 383s with 384s, but that might have been postponed a little.
The life expired track from the pier is still very much in use on the narrow gauge railway at Toddington on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway.
Loved it ❤ My favourite pier, even walked it both ways once with my young son on a bracing but bright autumn day. It was low tide mud flats on the way out and by the time we got back, tide was in, we were hungry so we feasted on scampi and chips. Happy days!
I used to live in a town near Southend, the Pier being one of the main local attractions. The shoddy, rattly trains are part of the experience - They have a certain charm to them, but they're as old as I am now and its no surprise they're considering replacing them. Some of the older electric stock is preserved in the museum below the shore station - Perhaps it'd add to the novelty if the new trains were built to look like them aesthetically on the inside and out, but with modern tech and air conditioning underneath. Maybe with wider doors, too. It's a shame they never replaced the shops and arcade on the pier head after the 2005 fire - You go all the way to end, and there's not a lot to see other than the lifeboat station, an art gallery and an overpriced cafe. But the mile long walk, or train ride along it over the water into the estuary is always a novelty in itself, I suppose.
It is a shame about the pier head, after the bowling ally fire and demolition I used to go out on the end of the pier and discovered the little fish and chip kiosk next door to the pub (they did some of the best chips in Southend in that kiosk!) When they were deciding what to do with the rebuilt pier head I was gutted that they decided to go this route rather than the small holdings that were there. There hasn't been that same feeling of community ever since.
That was a charming video, but mention of the railbus had me grimacing. I went to Southend nearly 25 years' ago for a christening event and never even saw the sea. I doubt that I shall ever go back.
I remember the old electric trains. Going to the end of the pier for fish and chips in the café at the end. It's no good I will have to go and look at the new diesels soon.
Thanks for this. I grew up near Southend and often rode on the pier railway AC Cars trains. If you like quirky, you really ought to visit the Hythe Pier Railway near Southampton.
The English ;language is so flexible, as long as it's used with care! At 4½ minutes we hear that the railway "needed refurbishment badly" - surely it badly needed refurbishment? It's an old language, it's a new language - and it's ever-changing!!!
Apologies for not reading all the previous comments so sorry if I am repeating something already said. About 10 years ago I visited Leigh-On-Sea which is a few miles east of Southend. I visited a very nice large gift shop. At the back of it was one of the green cars that featured in your video. Somewhat of a suprise to find it in a shop instead of a museum.
When I was a kid the pier had two rail lines - up and down, and much older, heavier cream and green trains. These ended up in Stonegold's scrapyard in Shoebury. New, lighter trains were bought and the line reduced to a single track. I suspect it's because the pier is so old and worn out it couldn't take two tracks and the heavier trains any longer. There is an old carriage in the Pier museum. The original "toast rack" trains have a surviving carriage or two somewhere up north I believe.
I remember going on a day-trip from Tower Pier (Tower Bridge) to Southend in the 1950's. I recall the ship was named Royal Daffodil. The trip also included a trip on the train.
The sound of the trains on the pier railway takes me back to the days when my mother and I would travel by steamer from Tower Pier out to Southend on day trips. Neither she nor I lost our affection for the pier.
We have Busselton Jetty here in Australia which is 1608m long. It still has a train of a sorts but now has an underwater observatory at the end. It was built so ships could pick up coal etc from coalfields from a very shallow coast. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busselton_Jetty I walked along it just last week
Nice - Years back I remember hearing an odd idea that the pier railway should be extended through a tunnel to Southend Central station, and then to the Southend Victoria terminus station, thus increasing it's usefulness.
There was also a wonderful little pier railway at Walton-On-The-Naze but it must have shut sometime in the 70's as I can remember it but it's not there now.
I love that pier my son goes fishing there very often when its low tide you can walk the way down and see the mullet playing in the sand in clear water. Amazing
I think they should jolly well do the whole shebang once more and offer a regular steamer service from Tower pier to Southend pier so that Londoners can enjoy the boundless delights of Southend for the day.
Ah yes, visited it about 20 years ago. We walked down to the end of the pier and took the train on the return journey which was a relief for me, as I get nervous near deep water and the walkway was just a little too narrow for my liking.
I have both walked and trained. I found pride in being able to say I had done both rare world class achievements. I remember being distressed by the fire when we heard on the local news and for ages after.
Nice to know that the pier railway is still running. I haven't been to Southend in years, it seems to have acquired a lot more palm trees since my last visit. Great film.
When I first read Southend. I first thought was that you was going to do a reference to the Douglas Adams Book, Radio Show, TV show or Movie. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, or something like that. As an Australian I also thought that Southend was a fictional location from books and such.
I'd suggest heading west. Bristol's Severn Beach Line travels through City Centre, Georgian Suburb, a gorge, along two different estuaries, through heavy industial landscape and finally through proper country side all in about 15 miles. The Cardiff docks railway ans Bristol Harbour Railways are also fairly unique. Barry branch is also odd.
You should do a vid on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. I don't think it has any connection to London but I don't think it's too far for you to go either.
I agree. My father (a primary school teacher) used to take a party of his pupils down to St Mary's Bay each year during the Easter holidays. One year (when I was the same age as his pupils) I went with them, and we had a trip on the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, all the way down to Dungeness and back. I still remember the railway, and would love to see a Jago Hazzard video about it - nobody would be able to do it better!
Thank you for all that - and your research. Not being cogniscent of much above the Thames, I thought that SarfEnd's reailway was powered by ex London Underground rolling stock as was the Isle of Wight's railway. "Everything" nowadays is anachronistic, thus it's a delight to see, view, have explained parts that do and did ' their own thing. As with most seaside towns the most used parts are - whatever non residents care to ascribe, but to someone who had to 'visit' for business use and stay overnight, the town has quite a charm once the grockles have departed..
I remembered Southend Central - C2c station forever. My and my wife are both wheelchair-users and we couldn't get help from station staff -9 pm on 19th October 2019. Southend is lovely place but I will never go there again.
Way back in the late 1970s i walked up and down the pier ten times[ it was capped off at a mile] went and had a couple of pints at the pier hotel then did anoter ten times , all for charity, still have the news paper clipping.
Being born in Basildon I spent a lot of my childhood in Southend, then as a teenager I got my tattoos there. I recall the piers railway reopening in '86 as remembering stuff a child is told is important when aged 7 who then spends the rest of his life without anyone asking about it; but it has finally happened and I can guess that none of you are queing up for me recollection of that momentous journey of some 34 years ago....🙄
@@rowdyyates4273 crabbing, I had forgotten all about doing that as a kid, jeesus that takes me back to an age when those stupid jelly shoes were considered good beach wear, by parents of course 🙄
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I love pier-reviewed videos.
Be very careful, they can be very deceptive. Often they are NOT what they appier.
Ho Ho Ho.That pun is pierless.
I found the pun! Pier it is!
I prefer pier-iod pieces.
Some women may have been like paddle steamers in that they would like to have been engaged to a peer/pier.
During a recent holiday (before ya know) I was visiting London from Canada for a couple of weeks. For my one trek out of town, I decided to visit Southend and explore with my camera for a couple of days. What a wonderful place to discover! As a senior with brand new knees, I took the train to the end of the pier and walked back. Absolutely brilliant (practicing my British) afternoon, with great photos, although it might have helped if it had stopped raining...
Rain is part of the seaside charm
Skylark Murphy it certainly made it interesting! But fun for sure.
Glad you enjoyed our town. At least we have things to do when it rains, lol.
A day-trip to Southend needed to be timed to ensure that the tide was ‘in’ rather than ‘out’. If not, the prospect (unlike that shown here) was just a vast expanse of ugly and somewhat malodorous mud flats for as far as the eye could see (making the need for the pier only too self-evident). Often enough, early on a sunny Sunday, my dad, a WW2 sailor, would check the newspaper for the time of high tide at Tower Bridge and could then tell if a trip toSouthend would actually be to Southend-on-Sea rather than Southend-on-Mud - its nickname. A real treat in the ‘50s for a kid from grimy Islington - the train ride down from Liverpool St. station was an event in itself - bucket and spade in hand. Then bus to Thorpe Bay (less crowded) for a day on the beach (sandy sandwiches), followed by a walk back into Southend, Cadbury’s flake ice cream, a visit to the funfair by the pier (Peter Pan’s Gardens), fish and chips. Then time to enjoy the illuminations before the train back to London - smelling of Nivea from mild sunburn! Happy days, simple pleasures, which didn’t cost the earth! (Suggesting the Hythe-New Romney railway for a future exploration).
Often called it Southend-on-Mud, but still love it. It was an adventure from my home strange for by-passing so many really British seaside resorts.
A few summers my Grandfather took me to Hythe for the canal and the railway which we spent most of ourtime on. One year I befriended a local kid; got to polish in the engine sheds; and a free footplate ride for an afternoon as a result!
nice picture you paint with words.
I have been to Southend twice (I live in Leicester). The first time I was about 5 so it would be 1966. Loved the trains on the pier. Went back when I was about 32 still loved the trains. I have very happy memories of Southend pity it is so far from Leicester.
Liverpool Street or Fenchurch Street? That is the big question.
@@johnm2012 Well given where I grew up no choice really, it had to be the Liverpool St line. But we would be getting on at Romford. It was though far more likely that we, the mum's and kids of a group of neighbors would get the train to Walton on the Naze for a day out in the school summer holidays. This was in the 70's. Walton is nice, as no mudflats, it has a pier, but of course no railway.
Southend, the exotic location for outside filming of Eastenders - As Blackpool is to Corrie.
Southenders
A cafe there used to display a sign eadtenders filmed here! 😝
horrible place -_- so much time and money pumped into a place barely anyone gives a crap about anymore, while the historic area across the water gets neglected, forgotten and used as a dumping ground. England: screw history, it's problematic.
@@geoffcross6529 one episode a shady character falls off the end of the pier. I would like to be able to take my grandchildren to these places but not certain if they would appreciate it.
@@CrashHeadroom Which place ? Margate??
A lot of people demanded a video about the Southend Pier railway, guess the creator gave in to pier pressure in the end.
Growing up in Woodford, Southend-On-Sea was our nearest seaside resort, just one hour away down the A127. My father owned an Austin Cambridge, grey with a red stripe running through the middle. They were magnificently grand cars. When we arrived in Southend (pronounced "Sowff-Einned" in the Essex accent), we would stop at the Kosher Deli to buy Beigals, Salmon, Cream-cheese.. and then drive down to the beech.
Our visit wasn't complete without a trip to the pier. Before going on the pier, we would stare at that large display box with a man, tied down to a bench, looking up terrified as an ax, swinging from the ceiling, gradually got lower and lower. It never actually reached him but we used to stop and stare for ages.
My brother and I would play a game, by walking as fast as we could and try and beat the green train to the end of the pier, which wasn't that difficult as it often took a long time to start off. We would then take the train back. To this day, I know how long it takes to walk a mile because of the pier.
I remember those old green trains. Particularly the smell. From the outside they smelt of burnt electric cables, sea salt and old engine oil. The inside smelled of Coal tar disinfectant.
There is a wonderful single Malt Whisky produced by the Bruichladdich distillery in Islay, called Octomore. It is the heaviest peated whisky ever made with some releases reaching 208 PPM. . Whenever I smell and drink this, its coastal briny, burnt, coal tar flavours bring me right back to those old green trains on the Southend-On-Sea pier.
Did you perhaps mean the A127? The A27 runs from Whiteparish to Pevensey along the South coast.
Remember the distinct clatter sound those trains made too.
@@thebestspork Yes, Corrected. A12->A127. Thanks. Gants Hill-Newbury Park-Romford and then straight on..
@@adscri Absolutely.
You should try Lagavulin,, its also very peaty.
When I was a boy, back in the sixties, we sometimes stayed with my Aunt and Uncle, who lived behind the Kursaal in Southend. At that time, the joints in the pier railway line were not staggered, and I would lie in bed in the evening listening to the 'thump, thump, thump' of the trains running up and down.
Really enjoyed this one..... Being an East End lad, trips to the seaside were by railway. The old District Line R or CO/CP stock to Barking for a 'new' BR blue EMU to Chalkwell (for the beach), then later on an Eastern National Bristol open top bus to Southend. Peter Pans playground and a trip along the pier were always part of the day out. This was from around 1970 to after the pier fire. I rode the green & cream trains, there were two tracks when i first rode it and two or more trains operated in high summer. I remember they still ran after the fire because we went to the end to see the destruction. Some of the stall holders down there had burnt 2p coins which they showed us kids, there had be an amusement arcade at the end, along with a ghost train ride (where the fire supposedy started) and a pavilion. Happy days (well, not the fire obviously...) that i remember well.......
10 years ago I came here with my family to scatter our grandfather’s ashes out at sea, him being a Royal Navy officer during WW2, and his fondness of the sea. We picked the longest pier in Britain which just so happens to also be the world’s longest pier: Southend. Thank goodness for this railway because my Nan would not have walked all that way.
You missed the key backup to the Railway.
The RNLI have a station at the wet end of the pier, so the tidal issue that caused problems for steamers doesn't do exactly the same to them. The trains can't be guaranteed to be running, or in the right place, when a crew needs to get to the end of the pier in a hurry to rescue someone. So they have two battery-electric buggies, complete with 'Blues and Twos', that run along the footway to transport crews and, if required, equipment. The trip takes six minutes.
Whilst in the buggy on the way to the Lifeboat Station crews plan the upcoming rescue, talk to the Coastguard on the buggies maritime radio and, if appropriate, use the binoculars that are kept in the buggies to search for the casualty. On the way back the buggies may also run on lights and sirens, carrying one or more casualties to an ambulance at the shore end of the pier.
There's a ship near the pier called the Montgomery that sunk in WWII, i believe, fully laden with explosives. If that goes up there won't be much of that pier left or possibly not much of Southend. You can see its mast at low tide but they're talking about cutting the mast off as it's attracting sightseers. Apparently it's too dangerous to do anything with it so it's literally just lying there.
The SS Montgomery is much closer to Gillingham, Kent, than it is Southend. The mast is likely to fall onto the cargo, as well as attracting tourists, which is considered quite a risk On the matter of explosives, further along the coast towards the East are the testing ranges at Shoeburyness and Foulness Island.
It is the Liberty Ship SS RICHARD MONTGOMERY.
If you keep your eyes to the Southend side of the river, you can see a sunken Mulberry harbour.
Growing up I lived in Basildon, a few miles from Southend. Almost every weekend would find me and a couple of mates, with our fishing gear, off to the end of the pier (or 3/4 down depending on the tides), to start a day of fun and fishing. The train was a life line at the end of a day when we needed to get back to shore. One of our favourite events was when a Spring tide occured. Several times I remember the trains being stopped because they had to cut the power to the rails due to the very close proximity of the water during the high tide. We always wondered if one day the water would touch the rails - but it never did - much to our disappointment. I think it cost us a 1d (old money) for the train plus 1d per rod - though memory could well be wrong, it was nearly 60 years ago! (Bloody hell - 60 years ago!). However I knew nothing of the history of the trains - so, once again, thanks Jago.
I remember watching water spalsh over a running Ryde pier line live in a force 9 gale ready to get the ferry back to the mainland: the trains were still running!
@@michaelgreen1515 Wow, that must have been something. Actually, Jago if you see this, maybe you could do a video on the IoW railway since the trains are/were all ex-LTE stock. So it would sort of be like a 'Tales from the Tube' - albiet with a rather long extension.
summer holiday in the mid 1960" from Walthamstow a green line bus, used to stay in a caravan no electric just gas lighting. Happy memories. 👍
I love piers and everything that goes with them ; entertainment , fish and chips and candyfloss.
Just not that Morgan!.
What a rich and interesting history. I wish there was more period footage and photos. And yes, more quirky little railways please.
In the 50s an outing was to take a boat from Tower Pier to Southen then we took the old green and yellow train to the shore. The boat went off to Margate and on its return we re-boarded and back up river th Tower Pier.
You evoke similar memories of trips with my father in the 1950s - bus to Richmond then district line to Tower Hill and the boat to Southend. We would walk the pier one way and catch the pier train back. The great treat was a Rossi’s ice cream in a proper wafer cornet. My memory only says vanilla, the best I have ever had as, however sophisticated your taste subsequently becomes, nothing cannot compete with your small child tastebuds.
I remember going on those boats in the 1960's as a child with my dad. The one I remember most was the "Royal Sovereign". It was like a mini cross channel ferry. The attraction of these trips for the adults, especially the men, was the fact that the bar was open all the time in the days when the pubs used to close in the afternoon.
In the 50s I was -50 xD
I remember the green and cream trains from my childhood, where the looked like caterpillars. When it was still two tracks all the way
In the early 70’s I attended Southend Technical College. Every Wednesday we had “sports” and somehow angling managed to feature on the list. This took place at the end of the pier. We used the elegant AC green and cream EMU’s to travel along the pier. It would run in all weathers. I also remember the somewhat complex point work underneath the shore end of the pier that housed the sidings for the trains. That was as interesting at the trains themselves. I think the current units are ugly by comparison with the great and cream ones.
They do look rather “functional” compared to the old ones.
The new trains coming in are going to be modern take on the old cream and green ones!
I too remember the green and cream 1949 stock. In the 50s they were still quite smart .. yes, they smelled of electicity, but not of Jeyes fluid.
Does anybody remember the Excel Bowling ally, with the fancy 'eggbox' roof? I saw it built, and even helped paint one of its murals inside.. black and white, around the servery.
Rumour has it the replacements will be green and cream, modelled on the 70s trains. Boxy, loud and uncomfortable. The current trains have never been popular with us locals. I live over a mile away and can hear them clattering up and down if the wind is in the right direction.
In the distance shots for this video, I actually had to turn the sound down because it was too loud to be believable. You don’t expect a train that far away to be that loud.
I remember the green and cream pier trains from the 1950's and early 60's. The earlier ones had seats whose backs were hinged so that passengers could choose to travel facing backwards or forwards. All before the days of health and safety of course!
Southend here! Went to college in Southend from Canvey, there's a nice spot under the peir that I love to sit at because it surrounds you with the sound of the waves truly an amazing place to relax
I spent a summer working on the pier in the early 2000s and was trained as a backup driver on the train though I was never actually needed to drive any passengers. It was a pretty unpleasant job and the trains were one of the few highlights.
Though I don't know the full story I can say the battery train is (or at least was) primarily used for staff use, for out of hours service (night time deliveries to the pier head when one of the full trains would be excessive or moving staff around) and for large goods delivery. I've seen it used for delivering stuff for the lifeboat station on the pierhead, a pallets of building materials for maintenance and a new stove for one of the restaurants. Most smaller deliveries, e.g. food for the restaurants was loaded into one of the cariages on the regular trains.
I lived 7 formative years in Sarfend and worked in the jolly fisherman pub at the end of the pier for the summer of 1990. The red liveried train was my commute.
I went to Southend for the first time in 1977, and was able to ride the old electric trains one year before the line's closure. I've been back there loads of times since, and had a couple of rides on the current diesels from 1986 onwards, I found them a lot slower and graceful than their predecessors, which used to travel up and down at a fair clip!
I also visited the pier in 1985, when no trains were running, and walked the full length of the pier and back that year, (I wouldn't fancy doing it now!!)
I have lived in the area for a number of years and have many fond memories of catching the last train back after a hard evenings fishing lol
About the elephants: Look up the story how an actual circus elephant fell off the suspension railway in Wuppertal, Germany, and fell into the river Wupper. It's name was Tuffi which is now the brand of a dairy company based in Wuppertal.
2:01 The "sadly depriving me..." remark made me belly laugh more than it should have!
A quiet sleeper of a video, nicely gauged, without peer and keeping on track.
As both a railfan a native Southendian, I thank you for this well shot and extremely interesting video.
It is fascinating how this much loved railways place in history is so often overlooked, and it's great to know that somebody takes an interest.
We loved the pier railway as kids in the late 50's/early 60's. The shore terminus was really impressive. It looked like a mini main line terminus. The 49' stock was a treat too.
I lived in Leytonstone as a kid, and we often went on excursions from what we called "the Midland", Leytonstone High Road. Cheap but slow.
Happy days.
Thanks, nice video.
Really enjoyed this film. I have never been to Southend, but have heard about this railway. It's nice that a few older cars have been preserved.
I didn't know that tourists originally arrived from London by boat. When the railway from London opened, this would have taken most of the traffic. It would be interesting if one could still make the journey by boat and arrive at the pier.
I think pleasure cruises still call at the pier. It's also used by the RNLI
@@PlanetoftheDeaf For the last few years the paddle steamer "Waverley" has regularly come down from London to Southend Pier.
During the 50's & 60's I went on many boat trips from the pier. They were operated by Daffodil and Eagle steamers if I remember rightly.
Paul Carter. I have been on the Waverley and it did stop at Southend Pier.
@@wyvernmodelrailway that's good.
A lovely video and very informative, many thanks. I used to visit Southend in the 50s & 60s and loved the pier and so pleased to see the railway is operational. Long may it do so! :)
1986 - On June 30th the tanker MV Kingsabbey sailed off course and cut through the pier between the old and new Pier Heads, there was a passenger footbridge connecting the two, for a while. Also major fire in 2005 burnt out the station and buckled the tracks. No elephants hurt.
I remember the old yellow and green liveried trains. Good days fishing at the end of the pier and getting the Royal Sovereign over the estuary to Ramsgate or Margate
My immediate family were born and raised near Southend, and my mother was an Army ambulance driver during WWII ferrying casualties from ship to shore and then to hospitals as described. The train cars were all open in those days (and when I was a kid) and my mother had to hang on to the outside and move up and down the train, preventing injured men from rolling out of the train onto the line! Most transfers were undertaken during the night for security.
Interesting! The books I consulted on the subject didn’t specify how it was done, so thanks for filling in the details!
I've only been on this "line" the once, maybe ten years ago(ish). It was a foul day, with torrential rain and gale force winds and we had the train, and the pier, to ourselves. The RNLI shop, at the far end of the pier, was open and we were their only customers that day.
One thing JH doesn't mention is the population of turnstones on the pier, comical birds which I had neither seen, nor heard of, before this visit.
Keep 'em coming JH, these quirky wee lines are easily as interesting as their bigger relatives.👌😁
The train I remember was that nice green and cream AC streamline one around late 71 and listening to Elton John singing Tiny Dancer on my tranny courtesy of Radio Caroline and the carriage reeking of fish as the only other passenger was a fisherman who seemed to have caught every fish and crustacean from the North Sea.
Southend-on-Sea the home of the longest Pleasure Pier in the world, fond childhood memories included :))
Awesome! Having been a railway enthusiast for decades I have never heard of this pier railway. Great to see it still running, unfortunately not like the one at Southport which appears to be in the process of removal. Thanks for posting. 👍
Back in 1989 I lived in Southend. I went on those trains almost every weekend 😂
There was a bowling alley at the start of the pier until it burnt down. And then the end of the pier burnt down a few years later.
It burnt down regularly for insurance purposes.
@@MirlitronOne And before the bowling alley there was an ice rink ...... that also burned down.
@@pierre-de-standing and before the Bowl there was a very nice pier Pavillion which burnt down in 1959. Following that and before the Bowl, they levelled the floor and made it a roller-skating rink.
Beautiful day Jago, not a cloud in the sky - a point of curio that I have noticed (with some research knowledge) and something you have undoubtedly noticed too - prior to around 1900 there are very few construction or operational photographs of British railways - they, for the most part, are sketches - now, before the scorning mockery of the profane scream “IT WAS JUST INVENTED!!!” I ask a pause of indigence - everyone and they’re aunt Fanny had at leased one new fangled photograph taken, usually looking quite austere and stern - people were taking pictures of everything and by the 1890’s it was far from “new” yet, particularly in the construction phases, there are little to no real photographs - Interesting - much love to you Jago 🌞
Your voice is great for narration, thank you for bringing this very interesting bit of railway history to light!
Fascinating. I could see why they needed the pier. When I went on the train in the 1960s I remember it was low tide and there was a huge expanse of black sticky mud. On another track how about doing the Welsh narrow gauge Steam lines like the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland. They have a marvellous quirky character and wondrous scenery. And when the tide is out the sands are a distinct improvement on the Southend mud. And your inimitable style would be just the ticket.
Earlier this year the new battery electric trains were in service but yesterday one of the Diesel ones was in use and one of the staff at the pier head station said that there is a problem with the new ones at the moment. The locomotive from the second Diesel train is parked in the second platform at the pier head while the bodies from the five coaches are now used as shelters on the pier, two on the station platform and three more further down the pier. I didn’t see the coach with the driving cab from this train. Both of the new battery electric trains and the single battery car were stored in the left platform at the shore end station.
I remember being told that the battery/electric unit is to get the lifeboat crews out to the boat shed at the end of the pier *after hours* as they can't legally drive the diesels. No idea if this is actually true but it sounds reasonable.
If you want to see one of the "old" carriages visit Oaklands House museum in nearby Chelmsford, they have one of them in a glass case behind the museum in the gardens.
One of my daughters fondest memories is walking back from the end of the pier at about age 4 with myself and my friend in really high winds, both of us holding her hands and the wind pulling her off her feet so she was flying. Can't do that these days, health and safety regs close the pier walkway in high winds.
I'd love to see an item on Kelvedon Low Level to Tollesbury Pier. Kelvedon has thousands of commuters into London. It has a fascinating history. Some traces still exists today including the pier itself, which was largely demolished in case invaders used it during WW2.
Nice very informative video of this unexpected wonderful, bit crazy small gauge raiway on a long pier. Thank you very much. 👍👍👍
Growing up in Newham, Southend-On-Estuary was our nearest "seaside resort", under an hour away by tube from East Ham and cross-platform interchange at Barking for the train. Sometimes we would opt for the less lairy Chalkwell. But I liked the arcades at Southend.
Southend-on-sea
I rode in it before 1950. Curiously, because I was rather tiny back then I could only see out of the windows on the far side and I assumed that I was on a train that was following the shore line.
Yes, it was the AC cars that I travelled on during the 1950s and also I also experienced the same company's 'attempt' at an early diesel (two car) railcar on the Watford Junction to St.Albans branch of BR.
I have sinister paymasters too! Pain in the arse aren't they?
Going on past record, he’d announce as part of hs3, we are extending Southend pier to Rotterdam, and going to run an express train service. He likes a nice bridge, does Boris..
Cliff railway?.... Ah yes, the Richard line! LOL
Always in The Shadows…
@@dangerousandy Well cast!
Thank you for that. My wife came and lived in southend. I remember the railway well as indeed the cliff railway. Any information you quire I will be glad to give! thanks for our series. wayne dexter
Southport pier had a railway. The pier got refurbished a few years ago, and the train was replaced by a modern tram, but in true fashion it wasn't thought out properly and it was too heavy and was breaking the pier, now it just has a road train.
Excellent commentary as usual from you. I live in Leigh-on-Sea so the pier and it’s trains are very relevant to me. The new ones are a tribute to the (in my opinion) the best looking ones, the old green and cream version. Keep up the good work.
Well made, nicely narrated, great imagery. Very British! Thumbs up! :)
1900 Electric transport:
2020: hold my beers I'm pi55ed
That was very interesting.
I feel foolish for not realising before that the original purpose of the pier was to enable ships to dock and bring tourists to the town.
The Isle of Wight should be on the list. Old tube stock running up and down the pier appears to be right up your alley. It also connects to the preserved steam railway, which is interesting in it's own right.
It’s on my list! Being both an unusual railway and a home to 1938 Tube trains, I don’t think I can resist.
The old tube stock is going to be replaced soon. With newer old tube stock! I think this year was the plan to replace the 383s with 384s, but that might have been postponed a little.
I remember the 1949 trains. They would have been relatively new when my dad took me for a ride on one.
The life expired track from the pier is still very much in use on the narrow gauge railway at Toddington on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway.
Loved it ❤ My favourite pier, even walked it both ways once with my young son on a bracing but bright autumn day. It was low tide mud flats on the way out and by the time we got back, tide was in, we were hungry so we feasted on scampi and chips. Happy days!
I used to live in a town near Southend, the Pier being one of the main local attractions. The shoddy, rattly trains are part of the experience - They have a certain charm to them, but they're as old as I am now and its no surprise they're considering replacing them. Some of the older electric stock is preserved in the museum below the shore station - Perhaps it'd add to the novelty if the new trains were built to look like them aesthetically on the inside and out, but with modern tech and air conditioning underneath. Maybe with wider doors, too.
It's a shame they never replaced the shops and arcade on the pier head after the 2005 fire - You go all the way to end, and there's not a lot to see other than the lifeboat station, an art gallery and an overpriced cafe. But the mile long walk, or train ride along it over the water into the estuary is always a novelty in itself, I suppose.
It is a shame about the pier head, after the bowling ally fire and demolition I used to go out on the end of the pier and discovered the little fish and chip kiosk next door to the pub (they did some of the best chips in Southend in that kiosk!) When they were deciding what to do with the rebuilt pier head I was gutted that they decided to go this route rather than the small holdings that were there. There hasn't been that same feeling of community ever since.
You have to do the Isle of Wight!
That was a charming video, but mention of the railbus had me grimacing. I went to Southend nearly 25 years' ago for a christening event and never even saw the sea. I doubt that I shall ever go back.
I remember the old electric trains. Going to the end of the pier for fish and chips in the café at the end. It's no good I will have to go and look at the new diesels soon.
Great, always nice to see your videos. Brings back memories of the Southend Illuminations all those years ago!
Thanks for this. I grew up near Southend and often rode on the pier railway AC Cars trains.
If you like quirky, you really ought to visit the Hythe Pier Railway near Southampton.
The English ;language is so flexible, as long as it's used with care! At 4½ minutes we hear that the railway "needed refurbishment badly" - surely it badly needed refurbishment? It's an old language, it's a new language - and it's ever-changing!!!
Apologies for not reading all the previous comments so sorry if I am repeating something already said. About 10 years ago I visited Leigh-On-Sea which is a few miles east of Southend.
I visited a very nice large gift shop. At the back of it was one of the green cars that featured in your video.
Somewhat of a suprise to find it in a shop instead of a museum.
My geography is rubbish, Leigh is West not East!
I love your vids Jago
Thanks!
110% agree! Love-em.
As a local resident I must say this is a great video
When I was a kid the pier had two rail lines - up and down, and much older, heavier cream and green trains. These ended up in Stonegold's scrapyard in Shoebury. New, lighter trains were bought and the line reduced to a single track. I suspect it's because the pier is so old and worn out it couldn't take two tracks and the heavier trains any longer. There is an old carriage in the Pier museum. The original "toast rack" trains have a surviving carriage or two somewhere up north I believe.
I remember going on a day-trip from Tower Pier (Tower Bridge) to Southend in the 1950's. I recall the ship was named Royal Daffodil. The trip also included a trip on the train.
I visited Southend pier railway in 1987 didnt realise it was so "new" at the time!
Another great video Mr Hazzard👍
The sound of the trains on the pier railway takes me back to the days when my mother and I would travel by steamer from Tower Pier out to Southend on day trips. Neither she nor I lost our affection for the pier.
We have Busselton Jetty here in Australia which is 1608m long. It still has a train of a sorts but now has an underwater observatory at the end. It was built so ships could pick up coal etc from coalfields from a very shallow coast.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busselton_Jetty
I walked along it just last week
Nice - Years back I remember hearing an odd idea that the pier railway should be extended through a tunnel to Southend Central station, and then to the Southend Victoria terminus station, thus increasing it's usefulness.
Have you gone back to visit the cliff railway yet? Perhaps you could visit it for your summer holiday!
I do love your videos in the morning with a coffee and some toast. Couldn't think of anything more British
Perhaps tea and toast? 😜
@@CyclingSteve I do love tea and toast 😍
There was also a wonderful little pier railway at Walton-On-The-Naze but it must have shut sometime in the 70's as I can remember it but it's not there now.
I love that pier my son goes fishing there very often when its low tide you can walk the way down and see the mullet playing in the sand in clear water. Amazing
Quirky is good.
Great video 👏🏻 and yes I’d love to hear about the different kinds of railways all around the uk
Great video thanks. Love Piers been reading alot lately find them very interesting.
I think they should jolly well do the whole shebang once more and offer a regular steamer service from Tower pier to Southend pier so that Londoners can enjoy the boundless delights of Southend for the day.
Ah yes, visited it about 20 years ago. We walked down to the end of the pier and took the train on the return journey which was a relief for me, as I get nervous near deep water and the walkway was just a little too narrow for my liking.
I have both walked and trained. I found pride in being able to say I had done both rare world class achievements. I remember being distressed by the fire when we heard on the local news and for ages after.
The end of the London to South End charity trek a few years back...! At least I got a free ride on the train back to the shore :-)
A very nice pier train thanks 4 sharing hope your OK in this pandemic
Nice to know that the pier railway is still running. I haven't been to Southend in years, it seems to have acquired a lot more palm trees since my last visit. Great film.
Happy memories of holidays there in the 60's
When I first read Southend. I first thought was that you was going to do a reference to the Douglas Adams Book, Radio Show, TV show or Movie. The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, or something like that. As an Australian I also thought that Southend was a fictional location from books and such.
I'd suggest heading west. Bristol's Severn Beach Line travels through City Centre, Georgian Suburb, a gorge, along two different estuaries, through heavy industial landscape and finally through proper country side all in about 15 miles. The Cardiff docks railway ans Bristol Harbour Railways are also fairly unique. Barry branch is also odd.
Indeed
Reminds me of Isle of Wight line. Good job mate!
You should do a vid on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. I don't think it has any connection to London but I don't think it's too far for you to go either.
It’s one I’m very fond of, and a few people have suggested it, so it may well be on the agenda.
@@JagoHazzard Nice! I look forward to that
I agree. My father (a primary school teacher) used to take a party of his pupils down to St Mary's Bay each year during the Easter holidays. One year (when I was the same age as his pupils) I went with them, and we had a trip on the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, all the way down to Dungeness and back. I still remember the railway, and would love to see a Jago Hazzard video about it - nobody would be able to do it better!
Thank you for all that - and your research. Not being cogniscent of much above the Thames, I thought that SarfEnd's reailway was powered by ex London Underground rolling stock as was the Isle of Wight's railway. "Everything" nowadays is anachronistic, thus it's a delight to see, view, have explained parts that do and did ' their own thing.
As with most seaside towns the most used parts are - whatever non residents care to ascribe, but to someone who had to 'visit' for business use and stay overnight, the town has quite a charm once the grockles have departed..
I remembered Southend Central - C2c station forever. My and my wife are both wheelchair-users and we couldn't get help from station staff -9 pm on 19th October 2019.
Southend is lovely place but I will never go there again.
One of the consequences of Maggie Thatcher's privatisation mania.
Way back in the late 1970s i walked up and down the pier ten times[ it was capped off at a mile] went and had a couple of pints at the pier hotel then did anoter ten times , all for charity, still have the news paper clipping.
Being born in Basildon I spent a lot of my childhood in Southend, then as a teenager I got my tattoos there. I recall the piers railway reopening in '86 as remembering stuff a child is told is important when aged 7 who then spends the rest of his life without anyone asking about it; but it has finally happened and I can guess that none of you are queing up for me recollection of that momentous journey of some 34 years ago....🙄
Yes i caught a lot of crabs there, and not from ladys!!!---
@@rowdyyates4273 crabbing, I had forgotten all about doing that as a kid, jeesus that takes me back to an age when those stupid jelly shoes were considered good beach wear, by parents of course 🙄
Dam Brooks remember the kirsal and live rounds on the duck gallery, Baileys fish and chip shop! And the laughing policemen n the arcade 😜
Brilliant. I knew nothing of this Pier railway. Thanks for the education.
I learned a lot. Never even guessed that ppl traveled by ship to south end.