The Way We Were
Brighton, 1963
Volk’s Electric Railway is a delightful Victorian anachronism that has been a feature of Brighton’s seafront for well over a century.
Opened in 1883, it’s the oldest electric railway in the world still operating, and despite the power source being commonplace now – all mainline rail passenger services into Brighton being electrified, for example – it remains a popular attraction. The 2ft 8.5in narrow gauge line runs for just a mile along the Brighton seafront, between the termini of Aquarium and Black Rock, and is a fascinating snapshot of what was once cutting-edge 19th century technology.
Its inventor, Marcus Volk, also has motoring connections – in 1887, he built a three-wheeled electric car, just two years after Karl Benz’s Patent-Motorwagen, following it up with a four-wheeled version in 1888. He was also behind the shortlived Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway, the single boat-like car of which ran through the sea on 23ft-long legs. Unsurprisingly, it soon acquired the nickname ‘Daddy Long Legs’.
This was the scene at Black Rock Station, exactly 80 years after the railway’s opening and 26 years after Volk’s death. On a lovely summer’s day, it seems a big birthday crowd has turned out to enjoy this sparky piece of Victoriana, under the watchful eye of a no nonsense hands-on-hips uniformed platform attendant. The Sixties was the decade when all things Victorian became popular again, especially during its later, more psychedelic-flavoured years. Brighton was obviously ahead of the game.
‘The Bedford CA has taken the stop sign too literally by parking in the spot for buses’ IT’S A MINIBUS, NOT A BIG BUS
Moving away from electricity to the internal combustion engine, it’s no surprise that all the parking places are occupied on this far end of Madeira Drive, the finishing point of various London to Brighton car events. Any vehicles here would be welcome on the classic runs, although the Bedford minibus would probably be more appropriate for the historic commercial staging.
Starting from the left, there’s a hint of grey Morris Minor ahead of the Singer Vogue estate which, with its orange indicators, suggests it’s the 1962-introduced MkI. Its Ford neighbour is from the previous decade, being a 1950-56 Consul MkI. The Bedford CA minibus seems to have taken the bus stop sign a little too literally by parking in the spot usually reserved for proper buses. Did it disgorge some of the happy day trippers here relaxing on Brighton’s uneventful 1963 grassy knoll? The CA’s single-piece windscreen denotes a post-1958 example, yet, to us, it already looks like it’s going rusty.
A Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe estate is next, followed by an Austin A55 Cambridge MkII ‘Farina’. The owner of the car behind it has arrived in al fresco V8 style, courtesy of a Daimler SP250 ‘Dart’. It’s in B-spec form; Jaguar’s enhancement to reduce chassis flex after its 1960 takeover of Daimler. The Cortina MkI is an early original, still prefixed as a Consul, before the decision to drop the earlier Ford C-word was made.
There seems to be quite a few Fords beyond the Cortina, including 100Es, MkII Consuls and another Cortina. We can also make out a Mini, Vauxhall Victor F Series 2 and a white Sunbeam Alpine with vivid red interior. That will have been almost as much fun to motor down to the sea in as the ‘Dart’.
Over on the right, behind the station, there’s an early Fifties’ Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter, a Hillman Minx convertible and a ‘Beetleback’ Phase I Standard Vanguard.
All of this is now a car park, the 1948 station here having been demolished in 1998 to make way for a storm water storage scheme. But the line was only shortened by 211 feet. Marcus Volk would be proud to see his volts still flowing strong after 135 years.