THE HISTORY OF THE

 

 BRIGHTON BRANCH OF A.S.L.E.F.


WEBLINK TO THE IGNITING THE FLAME OF UNITY WEBSITE

THE COMBINED WEBSITE OF 

THE BRIGHTON ASLEF,  BRIGHTON & SUSSEX MOTIVE POWER WEBSITES

 

 

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the Brighton Motive Power Depots

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the Sussex Motive Power Depots & ASLEF Branches

 


Brighton 1840

Brighton locomotive shed which was opened on the 12th May 1840 by The Brighton & London Railway, and was situated on 

the North West side of Brighton station, on the North side of the Shoreham railway line. It was originally a one track straight 

shed. 

On the 21st September, 1841 a second brick built four track straight shed with a gable style roof was opened and located to 

the North of Brighton station on the West side of the line, facilities included a turntable, a coal stage and a water tank.

In 1861, the first shed was closed and demolished to make way for track realignment, and the second shed was also closed 

and absorbed into the adjacent Locomotive Workshops. A new brick built, sixteen track straight dead-end shed with a multi-

pitched style slate roof was constructed and was located at the North end of Brighton station in the fork of the London and 

Shoreham railway lines. The facilities included a 40ft turntable, a coal stage and a water tank. In 1909 the turntable was 

enlarged to 60ft. Later in 1912 the existing brick built 3 track straight dead end carriage and wagon works shed with a twin 

pitched slate roof was converted into a locomotive storage shed and was located to the East of the main shed, and sometime 

later the three track shed was converted to a running shed and in 1939 this shed was converted into a workshop.

In 1938 the main shed was reduced to a ten track straight dead end shed and was re-roofed in a North light pattern style with 

asbestos cladding. The Shed was demolished in 1966.



Lyminster 1843-1868

Lyminster loco shed which was opened on the 16th March 1845 by The Brighton & Chichester Railway. The Lyminster shed 

was located on the South side of Lyminster station. The shed was a brick built two track straight dead-ended shed with a 

hipped style slate roof. The shed was closed at the same time as the Littlehampton shed was opened, the shed was sold onto 

private use sometime after 1863.


St. Leonards 1845-c1994 

St Leonards was also known as Hastings was opened in November 1845, by the L.B.S.C.R. (Shed Codes from 1845 was H 

until 1903 and from 1903 onwards it was StL.)

With the formation of the Southern Railway the locomotive shed transferred from being a sub shed of Brighton and become a 

sub shed of Ashford, were it adopted a British Railway shed code of 74E (1950 - 1958) and later a sub shed of Stewarts 

Lane/Hither Green 73D (1963 - 1973) and in 1973 SE.


Chichester 1846-c1870

Chichester loco shed was a two road dead end shed on the Down Side, and was opened by the L.B.S.C.R. with the line from 

Lyminster on 8th June 1846. 

Chichester at that time was the Railhead until the line was extended to Havant on 15th March 1847 and to Portsmouth on 

14th June 1847. Allocation of locomotives is unknown, but probably a couple of locos for services between Portsmouth and 

Lyminster. The date the shed is unknown, but it is believed to be early 1870s, during Stroudley’s ‘ House Cleaning’. The shed 

disappeared in the works that were associated with re-signalling and track re-organisation at Chichester in 1875.


Epsom 1846


Haywards Heath 1847-1872 

Haywards Heath Locomotive shed was opened on 1st October 1847 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The 

shed was located on the East side of Haywards Heath station. The shed was a brick built two track straight dead-ended shed 

with a gable style slate roof and the facilities included a turntable, coal stage and a water tank. The shed closed in 1872 and 

converted for use as a goods shed.


Newhaven (N) 1847-1963 

Newhaven’s first Locomotive Shed was opened on 8th December 1847 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. This 

locomotive shed was located at Newhaven Harbour on the East side of the Harbour station. The shed was a brick built two 

track straight dead-ended shed with a 35 ft turntable. The shed was to close in 1887 with the opening of the new shed opening 

at Newhaven Town.

The second Newhaven shed was located on the West side of Newhaven Town. The shed was constructed by corrugated iron 

(the shed was re-roofed (pre 1950s) with corrugated asbestos and corrugated asbestos gables), it had a four track straight 

dead-ended shed with a pitched style corrugated iron roof. The facilities at the shed were to include a turntable (enlarged to 

60ft in 1917), a coal stage and a water column.

Newhaven shed was a sub-depot of the Brighton shed. Newhaven shed and depot closed on the 9th September 1963. The shed 

was in private use and was demolished in September 2014.

Horsham (Hors) 1848, 

Horsham Locomotive shed was opened on 14th February 1848 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The first shed 

was located at the North end of Horsham station on the west side of the line and was a timber built three track straight dead-

ended shed. The facilities included a turntable sited across the access roads.

In 1896 a second shed was built to replace the existing shed. This being a much larger brick built shed with ten stall open 

semi-roundhouse shed with a continuous pitched slate roof and located to the North of Horsham station on the East side of the 

line. The new facilities included a 46ft turntable, a coal stage and a water tank. In 1901 The shed was enlarged by the 

addition of another eight stalls to the South East end. On the 18th July 1959 The shed was closed but continued to be a Motive 

Power Depot used for stabling locomotives and the facilities used as a servicing area until the end of steam in the Horsham 

area 14th June1964. The locomotive shed finally demolished in 1969.


Three Bridges (3-B) 1848, 

Three Bridges’s first locomotive shed was opened on 14th February 1848 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, and 

was a wooden built shed of some sort, it is believed to have been brought into use when the line to Horsham and possibly 

expanded when the allocation was increase to cover the East Grinstead branch duties from 9th July 1855, engines were 

stationed from Horsham’s allocation. The station was called “Crawley” until the Horsham branch opened.

Three Bridges second Locomotive shed was opened in 1860 this shed was a brick building located with a slated pitched roof, 

and had two track straight dead-end shed,  and was located at the South end of Three Bridges Junction station on the West side 

of the line. The facilities included a 45ft turntable, a coal stage and a water tank. Due to space limitations these were sited 

further south in the fork of the Brighton and Horsham lines.

In 1909 The third shed was closed and demolished to enable station enlargement. A third shed was temporary brick built one 

track shed was built alongside the water tank while the new shed was being built.

In 1911 The forth new brick built three track straight through shed with a north light pattern slate roof was opened and 

located to the south of Three Bridges station on the east side of the Horsham line. The facilities included a 65ft turntable, a 

coal stage and a water tank.

In June 1964 the steam shed was closed and the steam depot becoming a Mixed Traction depot and the shed used for storage 

of diesel locomotives and as a wagon repair shop. The Mixed Traction depot and the shed closed in April 1969.


Eastbourne (E) 1849, 

Eastbourne Locomotive Shed was opened on 14th May 1849 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The first 

locomotive shed was located at the North side of the station in the goods yard. The Locomotive shed was a two track straight 

dead-ended shed which also included a coke/coal stage.

In 1876 the shed was closed following the opening of a new brick built 8 stall semi-roundhouse shed with a continuous 

transverse pitched slate roof located at the East end of Eastbourne station on the North side of the line.

Facilities included a turntable and a coaling crane was later added.

In 1911 another new Locomotive shed was opened with 7 track straight through shed which was built from brick with a 

transverse pitched slate roof was constructed and located to the north of Eastbourne station on the west side of the line. The 

facilities included a 60ft turntable sited at the North end of the yard, a coal stage and a water tank. In 1912 the old 

roundhouse shed was demolished and removal of the old roundhouse turntable in 1935.

During the Second World War the Locomotive shed was badly damaged during a German air raid and was never repaired to 

its former to its former glory.

After 1952 the shed was mainly used to store redundant locomotives a waiting scrapping. The steam depot continued until 

13th June1965 and was the last steam depot of the old L.B.S.C.R.,whereby it become a Mixed Traction depot and finally 

closed in April 1969. 


Lewes 1853-1870

Lewes locomotive shed was opened in 1853 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway.  The shed was located on the 

East side of the station.  The shed was a brick built 2 track straight dead-ended shed with a gable style slate roof and the 

facilities included a 35ft turntable and a water tank both sited on the opposite side on the line in the fork of the Brighton and 

Wivesfield lines. The locomotive shed closed in 1870 and was converted in to a goods shed which was demolished in 1889 due 

the enlargement of the station.

East Grinstead (E-G) 1857-c1896 

East Grinstead Locomotive shed was opened on 9th July 1855 by the East Grinstead Railway and later owned by the London, 

Brighton & South Coast Railway. The shed was located on the south side of East Grinstead station. The shed was a 1 track 

straight dead-ended shed and the facilities included a water tank. In c1896 the shed was closed but the facilities continued to 

be as a servicing area. In c1906 the shed was demolished, the water tank, engine pit and siding continued to be as a servicing 

area.


Uckfield 1858-1868

Uckfield locomotive shed was opened on 18th October 1858 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway.  The shed was 

located in the vicinity of the station and was a one track straight shed. The shed closed on the 3rd August 1868.


Hailsham 1858-1880 

Hailsham Locomotive Shed was opened in 1858 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The shed was Located on 

the east side of Hailsham station and was a brick built 1 track straight dead-ended shed with a gable style slate roof. The shed 

was to close in 1880.


Petworth 1859-1866

Petworth Locomotive Shed, was built by the Mid-Sussex Railway and opened on 10th October 1859. The shed was a timber 

built 1 track straight shed and when the shed was closed in on the 15th October 1866 with the opening of the new L.B.S.C.R 

shed at Midhurst. The shed was dismantled and later  re-erected at Hayling Island in 1867


Polegate c1860-1900

Polegate Locomotive Shed was opened in c1860 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The shed was located at 

the east end of Polegate Junction station in the fork of the Eastbourne and Hailsham lines. The shed was a brick built with 1 

track straight dead-ended shed and the facilities were to include a 36ft turntable at the entrance and a water tank in the roof of 

the shed.

In 1881 the length of the shed was reduced due to the realignment of the Hailsham line. The shed was to close not long after 

alterations within the Polegate area.


Littlehamptom (Lton) 1863-1937 

Littlehampton Locomotive Shed was opened on the 17th August 1863 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The 

Littlehampton shed was located on the north side of Littlehampton station. The shed was a brick built 2 track straight dead-

ended shed with a hipped style slate roof. The facility at the shed was to include a 42ft turntable and a water tank.  

Littlehampton shed was a sub-depot of Bognor whilst the shed was open. The shed and the steam depot were closed with the 

electrification of Littlehampton in 1937. 

Bognor (Bog) 1864-1962

Bognor locomotive shed was opened on the 1st June 1864 by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway.  The first 

locomotive shed was located at the North end of the station on the east side of the line. The locomotive shed was a timber built 

two track straight dead-ended shed which also included a turntable across the access line.

In 1903 the shed was closed and demolished and was replaced by a brick built 2 track straight through shed with a transverse 

pitched style slate roof and was located nearby. The facilities included a 55ft turntable sited at the north end, a coal stage and 

a water tank. The shed was closed in 1953 but the facilities continued in use as a servicing area. The shed and the steam 

locomotive depot closed in November 1962, the Shed was demolished in the same year.

Bramley (Surrey) 1865 -1887  

The  1887 London South Western Railway Motive Power Depot and its predecessor housed London, Brighton & South Coast 

Railway engines after nearby Bramley shed blew down in an 1887 gale. For example Terriers Nos 36 Bramley and 77 

Wonersh, at first and class C 0-6-0 No. 420 from 1890s. All carried  Guildford shed code, but returned to Horsham at 

weekends, for maintenance. This carried on until the Grouping when it ceased of course.


Midhurst, (Mid) (1866 -c1955) 

Midhurst’s second locomotive shed was opened on 15th October 1866 by the Mid-Sussex and Midhurst Junction Railway and 

later by the L.B. & S.C.R., was to replace the locomotive shed at Petworth. The shed was located to the north of Midhurst 

station on the east side of the line and was a timber built 1 track straight through shed with a pitched roof.  The Facilities 

included a turntable (removed c1890s), a coal stage and a water tank. The shed was left to fall into disrepair was closed and 

demolished in 1907 and was replaced by a timber built 1 track straight through shed with a pitched slate roof.

With formation of the Southern railway in 1923 the  L.S.W.R. shed was closed in c12.7.1925 and the L.B.S.C.R. shed remained opened until c1955.

Tunbridge Wells West (Kent) (T-W) 1866-1985

Tunbridge Wells West locomotive Shed was opened on the 1st October 1866 by the East Grinstead, Groombridge & Tunbridge 

Wells Railway and later under the ownership of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The shed is located to the South 

side of the station. The shed was a 2 track shed with one through road on the northern side and the facilities included a 52ft 

turntable across the western single road entrance. In 1890 this shed was closed and demolished due to station enlargement.

A new brick built 4 track straight dead ended shed with a twin gable style slate roof was constructed and located on the north 

side of Tunbridge Wells station. The facilities were improved to include a 52ft turntable across the western single road 

entrance. In 1955 the shed was re-roofed with a louver pitched style asbestos clad steel framed roof over each track. The 

steam shed was closed on 9th September 1963 and the shed was used to stable the Emergency Control Train.

(..) denotes shed codes on the LBSCR in c1884


L.B.& S.C.R. Locomotive Sheds opened in Hampshire, Surrey and the London area


Horley (Surrey) 1838 - 1840 


West Croydon (1839 - 1935)

The London & Croydon Railway opened a motive power depot here in 1839. Little is known of the first loco shed, standing 

remotely from the station against the southeast wall of the site. 

1846 the shed was relocated to the west side of the layout which had  no covering over the four shed roads and a turntable 

were in place. By 1870, besides six roads for carriage storage, three undercover, the loco depot now had a two-road shed with 

a 46-feet diameter turntable in the arrival/departure line. The shed was some 130 feet long, brick-built and ridge-roofed with 

raised segments.


New Cross (1839 - 1949) 

The London & Croydon Railway opened a motive power depot and a locomotive repair facility here on 1st June 1839, the 

former of which appears to have been particularly accident prone. The original building, one of the earliest roundhouse, 

burned down on the 14th October 1844. A replacement was built in 1845, and a straight shed built by the L.B.&S.C.R. in 1848 

was blown down in a gale in October 1863. Two further buildings were constructed by the L.B.&S.C.R. in 1863 and 1869. By 

1882 the second (1845) Croydon shed was derelict and in that year was replaced by the new shed, which was rebuilt with a 

new roof by the Southern Railway prior to 1929.

The various running sheds began to be run down during the 1930s as part of a re-organisation scheme involving new 

developments at Norwood Junction, but the onset of war meant that they were not formally closed until 1947 and were used 

for stabling locomotive until 1951. They were demolished in 1957 together with the repair workshops, and replaced by sidings 

for the storage of electric multiple units.

The locomotive workshops established by the London & Croydon Railway  continued to undertake minor repairs on 

locomotives in the London area for the L.B.& S.C.R. and the S.R., and also briefly for British Railway. They were closed in 

1949.

Battersea (L.B.S.C.R.) 18  -

Epsom 1846 -1925

The London & Croydon Railway opened a motive power depot in 1846 

Fratton 18


South Hayling 1872 - 1894

The South Hayling shed in 1867was formerly located at Petworth were it was dismantled and re-erected at Hayling Island in 

1872. The shed was a timber built 1 track straight shed

Stoat’s Nest - Coulsdon 1899 - 1925 

The L.B. & S.C.R. opened a motive power depot in closed in May 1925

Norwood 1935 (Southern Railway)

Norwood locomotive shed was opened by the Southern Railway  with a five-road shed and a 65 ft turntable. The shed was 

opened to replace West Croydon shed and after the Second World War New Cross. This locomotive shed was closed in 1964 

and demolished in 1966. The motive power depot was relocated in Norwood Yard.


Sussex Locomotive Sheds opened by the London Chatham & South Eastern Railway


Hastings (1851 - 1929) the London Chatham &South Eastern Railway opened a locomotive shed at Hastings on the 13th 

February 1851, and was a brick built three track shed with one through road and a gable style slate roof. The facilities 

included a 45ft turntable sited on the western single track entrance, a coal stage and a water tank. The shed was closed and 

demolished in 1929 due to station enlargement, the shed was amalgamated with the nearby St Leonards.

A servicing area was established and located at the west end of Hastings station on the north side of the line which included a 

55ft turntable, a coal stage and a water column. These facilities remained until 1957.

Bexhill West 1902 - 1936

Bexhill West locomotive shed was opened on 1st June 1902 by the Crowhurst, Sidley & Bexhill Eastern Railway and later by 

the South Eastern Railway. The shed was located on the west side of Bexhill West station. The shed was a brick built two track 

straight dead-ended shed with a north light pattern slate and glass roof and the facilities Included a 55ft turntable, a coal 

stage and a water tank. The shed was closed by the Southern Railwayin 1936 and was used as a locomotive store.


Locomotive Sheds opened by the London & South Western Railway


Midhurst (1864- 1925)

Midhurst’s first  (LWSR) Locomotive Shed was opened on the 1st September 1864 by the London & South Western Railway. 

The shed was located at the west end of Midhurst (LSWR) station on the north side of the line. The shed was a brick built 1 

track straight shed with a pitched slate roof. The shed’s facilities included a 45ft turntable (removed c1912) and a coal stage.

With formation of the Southern railway in 1923 the  L.S.W.R. shed was closed in c12.7.1925 and the L.B.S.C.R. shed remained opened until c1955.


The Hundred of Manhood


Selsey (1897 -1935)

Selsey locomotive shed was opened on the 27th August 1897 by the Hundred of Manhood & Selsey Tramway. The shed was 

located on the north side of Selsey Town station and was was a timber built 2 track straight dead-ended shed with a gable 

style roof. The shed was closed on the 19th January, 1935, by the Southern Railway.

WORKSHOPS AND MOTIVE POWER DEPOTS

The London and Brighton Railway established a repair workshop at Brighton in 1840. Between 1852 and 1957 more than 

1,200 steam locomotives as well as prototype diesel electric and electric locomotives were constructed there, before the 

eventual closure of the facility in 1962. In addition it also maintained a small locomotive repair facilities at the New Cross 

and Battersea Depots in London.

By the first decade of the twentieth century Brighton works could no longer cope with the repair and building of both 

locomotives and rolling stock. In 1911 the railway therefore built a carriage and wagon works in the village of Lancing which 

operated until 1965. A marine engineering workshop was established in the mid 1870s at Newhaven.

The railway had Motive Power Depots at Battersea, Brighton, Bognor, Coulson, Croydon (West), Eastbourne, Epsom Fratton 

(joint) Horsham, Littlehampton, Midhurst, New Cross, Newhaven, St. Leonards, Three Bridges and Tunbridge Wells West.

The headquarters and main offices of the railway were at Brighton Railway Station from 1846 until 1892, when they were 

transferred to the former Terminus Hotel at London Bridge station. 

 

Click on the icon above for

the Brighton Motive Power Depots

Click on the icon above for

the Sussex Motive Power Depots & ASLEF Branches

 

 

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