From what Roy told me, the council was not really interested in the tramway and decided to widen a road which swallowed a lot of the tramway. In retrospect, the council did Seaton a big favour considering what they have now. Eastbourne was never going to be more than a quaint little run, and maintenance of the track was a headache on those round sea stones.
I was born in '66 and lived in Channel View Road. I just about remember the trams from when I was a little boy. There are still some remnants of the old system like the tram stop that got turned into the golf hut in Princes Park.
I guess the video brought back some memories. Nice to know that remnants still survive doing something useful. Largely the trams left Eastbourne because the council had no interest in them, and I think that road widening wanted to take over the track area.
@@markb9064 While Eastbourne was gone before I first got to visit Britain in 1975, I was certainly very familiar with Seaton and on my visits from Australia, usually spent about a week there and often drove the trams. I think Seaton is better than Eastbourne could ever have been. At least Seaton owns the land.
I rode these trams as a kid, I think it was 1967/8. I was fascinated by the trams and the Blackstone hot bulb engines they used to generate the power for them.
Yes, interesting. I was a volunteer driver on it occasionally over the years at Seaton, especially the summer of 1975! They used the same generators there as well.
You might find a bit more with a UA-cam search. It’s certainly all I have. After years of battling the Eastbourne Council, the owners of the Tramway bought the former Seaton British rail branchline and have been operating there since around 1972. Some of the Eastbourne trams are still running there today. There should be plenty of video of the Seaton Tramway on UA-cam.
I lived in Kent in my childhood and used to look forward to our trips and holidays in Eastbourne so as I could ride on the trams, I remember my parents never could 'master' those stairs so they rode downstairs and I always rode on top. I seem to remember they had a scale sized Blackpool 'boat' as well and one of those funny all enclosed 'Darwin' cars. The funny thing about the 'Crumbles' is it was just pebble sea shore so I don't see why Mr Lane could not get permission to extend his operation. Mind you he was almost as limited at Seaton. Last time I was their one terminus was in a car-park and the other is an old railway station - I believe it uses part of the (now disused track-bed).
Eastbourne council never really wanted trams there so I think it was a road widening scheme used as an excuse to get rid of them. They really did Claude a favour forcing the move to Seaton where nearly all the trams went, including Boat 4. Claude bought the old Seaton alignment so was no longer at the whim of the council. Their line could have gone beyond Colton but it was decided not to as there was nothing of tourist interest. I think the trackbed from the depot to car park was bought from the adjacent holiday camps (? still there) but it certainly was not BR land there. The car park terminus is as good as it can get and a lot better than it was during my visits 1975 to 1992. I was a volunteer worker during those visits.
My only visit was in the early 70's and I seem to remember the lower deck part of the body of what I presumed was an old London Car beside the track - it looked as if it had been found on an allotment somewhere. Although from memory it was not a 'Feltham' type which is what the single decker that is running now looks like. Do you know what happened to the 'Darwin' tram that was at Eastbourne. Oddly enough a friend of mine I have been speaking to seems to think that the 'London' body was sitting beside the depot at Eastbourne as well. Like me he was a tram enthusiast as well in those times - oh happy days.
I know the one you mean. I really forget where it came from but eventually ? Mid 1980s it was cut down the middle and made about 12” narrower. I am fairly certain it became number 14. Incidentally the single deck modern looking bogie car 12 was later made double deck with some roughly Feltham look. I think a google check of ‘Seaton 14’ or Seaton Tramway would answer most other questions. I have not been there since 1992.
I'd forgotten I had looked at this video back in 2017. Great memories.
@@Tuckaway Glad you liked it a second time. All had moved to Seaton and was running there for a year or 2 before I first got to the UK in 1975.
Only Eastbourne would think of flogging off these gems and building a cruddy housing development with a pond in the middle ,posing as a `marina`
From what Roy told me, the council was not really interested in the tramway and decided to widen a road which swallowed a lot of the tramway. In retrospect, the council did Seaton a big favour considering what they have now. Eastbourne was never going to be more than a quaint little run, and maintenance of the track was a headache on those round sea stones.
I was born in '66 and lived in Channel View Road.
I just about remember the trams from when I was a little boy.
There are still some remnants of the old system like the tram stop that got turned into the golf hut in Princes Park.
I guess the video brought back some memories. Nice to know that remnants still survive doing something useful. Largely the trams left Eastbourne because the council had no interest in them, and I think that road widening wanted to take over the track area.
@@tressteleg1 And the building of the Langley Point housing estate which sits right next to the old route.
@@markb9064 While Eastbourne was gone before I first got to visit Britain in 1975, I was certainly very familiar with Seaton and on my visits from Australia, usually spent about a week there and often drove the trams. I think Seaton is better than Eastbourne could ever have been. At least Seaton owns the land.
Thanks for this... long forgotten memories...
😊👍
I fondly remember the Eastbourne tramway and visited it many times as I lived in Brighton.
I rode these trams as a kid, I think it was 1967/8. I was fascinated by the trams and the Blackstone hot bulb engines they used to generate the power for them.
Yes, interesting. I was a volunteer driver on it occasionally over the years at Seaton, especially the summer of 1975! They used the same generators there as well.
Lovely would have liked to se more of this
You might find a bit more with a UA-cam search. It’s certainly all I have. After years of battling the Eastbourne Council, the owners of the Tramway bought the former Seaton British rail branchline and have been operating there since around 1972. Some of the Eastbourne trams are still running there today. There should be plenty of video of the Seaton Tramway on UA-cam.
@@tressteleg1 thank you
😊
I lived in Kent in my childhood and used to look forward to our trips and holidays in Eastbourne so as I could ride on the trams, I remember my parents never could 'master' those stairs so they rode downstairs and I always rode on top. I seem to remember they had a scale sized Blackpool 'boat' as well and one of those funny all enclosed 'Darwin' cars. The funny thing about the 'Crumbles' is it was just pebble sea shore so I don't see why Mr Lane could not get permission to extend his operation. Mind you he was almost as limited at Seaton. Last time I was their one terminus was in a car-park and the other is an old railway station - I believe it uses part of the (now disused track-bed).
Eastbourne council never really wanted trams there so I think it was a road widening scheme used as an excuse to get rid of them. They really did Claude a favour forcing the move to Seaton where nearly all the trams went, including Boat 4. Claude bought the old Seaton alignment so was no longer at the whim of the council. Their line could have gone beyond Colton but it was decided not to as there was nothing of tourist interest. I think the trackbed from the depot to car park was bought from the adjacent holiday camps (? still there) but it certainly was not BR land there. The car park terminus is as good as it can get and a lot better than it was during my visits 1975 to 1992. I was a volunteer worker during those visits.
My only visit was in the early 70's and I seem to remember the lower deck part of the body of what I presumed was an old London Car beside the track - it looked as if it had been found on an allotment somewhere. Although from memory it was not a 'Feltham' type which is what the single decker that is running now looks like. Do you know what happened to the 'Darwin' tram that was at Eastbourne. Oddly enough a friend of mine I have been speaking to seems to think that the 'London' body was sitting beside the depot at Eastbourne as well. Like me he was a tram enthusiast as well in those times - oh happy days.
I know the one you mean. I really forget where it came from but eventually ? Mid 1980s it was cut down the middle and made about 12” narrower. I am fairly certain it became number 14. Incidentally the single deck modern looking bogie car 12 was later made double deck with some roughly Feltham look. I think a google check of ‘Seaton 14’ or Seaton Tramway would answer most other questions. I have not been there since 1992.
We went on 2 of the trams
Sally Hayler I guess you know that most of the Eastbourne trams now run at Seaton?