75-634: Volk's Electric Railway (VER) is a narrow gauge heritage railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton . It was built by Magnus Volk , the first section being completed in August 1883, and is the oldest operational electric railway in the world, though it was not the first electric railway to be built. It was preceded by electrification of Miller's line in 1875, Werner von Siemens ' 1879 demonstration line in Berlin and by
150-672: A 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge, whereas Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand have metre-gauge railways . Narrow-gauge trams, particularly metre-gauge, are common in Europe. Non-industrial, narrow-gauge mountain railways are (or were) common in the Rocky Mountains of the United States and the Pacific Cordillera of Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia , Greece, and Costa Rica. A narrow-gauge railway
225-467: A helter skelter and a cup and saucer ride . The Booster is a pendulum ride by Fabbri , which catapults people 130 feet (40 m) into the air, turning upside down in the process. For young children, Fantasia is a simple ride featuring Disney characters. The pier has featured regularly in British popular culture. It is shown prominently in the 1971 film , Carry on at Your Convenience , and it
300-454: A lido was built at Black Rock, and the line was shortened by around 200 yards (183 m) to accommodate it. In 1937, a new Black Rock station was opened at the end of the shortened line. In April 1940, Brighton Corporation took control of the line. On 2 July 1940, World War II defensive preparations resulted in the line closing. After the war, starting in 1947, the corporation rebuilt the line using 50 lb/yd (24.80 kg/m) rail for
375-773: A track gauge narrower than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge . Most narrow-gauge railways are between 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) and 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ). Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves , smaller structure gauges , and lighter rails ; they can be less costly to build, equip, and operate than standard- or broad-gauge railways (particularly in mountainous or difficult terrain). Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often used in mountainous terrain, where engineering savings can be substantial. Lower-cost narrow-gauge railways are often built to serve industries as well as sparsely populated communities where
450-501: A bomb planted by the IRA near the pier was defused by a controlled explosion. A similar bomb by the same perpetrators had exploded in Bognor Regis on the same day. The bombing was intended to mark the 25th anniversary of the start of The Troubles . The pier was closed for several days owing to police investigation. The pier was renamed as "Brighton Pier" in 2000, although this legal change
525-560: A corporation swimming pool gave further purpose to the location, and today it is close to the thriving Brighton Marina . The original station was replaced in 1911 with a much larger bungalow-style building. This was in turn closed and demolished in the winter of 1936-1937 when the line was shortened to allow for the construction of the Black Rock swimming pool. The new Black Rock station opened in May 1937, still with two platforms. The station building
600-425: A curve with standard-gauge rail ( 1435 mm ) can allow speed up to 145 km/h (90 mph), the same curve with narrow-gauge rail ( 1067mm ) can only allow speed up to 130 km/h (81 mph). In Japan and Queensland, recent permanent-way improvements have allowed trains on 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge tracks to exceed 160 km/h (99 mph). Queensland Rail 's Electric Tilt Train ,
675-455: A design speed of 137 km/h (85 mph). Curve radius is also important for high speeds: narrow-gauge railways allow sharper curves, but these limit a vehicle's safe speed. Many narrow gauges, from 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge to 4 ft 8 in ( 1,422 mm ) gauge, are in present or former use. They fall into several broad categories: 4 ft 6 in ( 1,372 mm ) track gauge (also known as Scotch gauge)
750-474: A heavy-duty narrow-gauge line is Brazil's EFVM . 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) gauge, it has over-100-pound rail (100 lb/yd or 49.6 kg/m) and a loading gauge almost as large as US non-excess-height lines. The line has a number of 4,000-horsepower (3,000 kW) locomotives and 200-plus-car trains. Narrow gauge's reduced stability means that its trains cannot run at speeds as high as on broader gauges. For example, if
825-657: A hole in the pier's decking, but luckily not causing any structural damage. In 2004, the Brighton Marine Palace Pier Company (owned by the Noble Organisation), admitted an offence of breaching public safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act and had to pay fines and costs of £37,000 after a fairground ride was operated with part of its track missing. A representative from the Health and Safety Executive said that inadequate procedures were to blame for
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#1732844283324900-498: A mine in Bohemia with a railway of about 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge. During the 16th century, railways were primarily restricted to hand-pushed, narrow-gauge lines in mines throughout Europe. In the 17th century, mine railways were extended to provide transportation above ground. These lines were industrial , connecting mines with nearby transportation points (usually canals or other waterways). These railways were usually built to
975-785: A number of large 3 ft ( 914 mm ) railroad systems in North America; notable examples include the Denver & Rio Grande and Rio Grande Southern in Colorado; the Texas and St. Louis Railway in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri; and, the South Pacific Coast , White Pass and Yukon Route and West Side Lumber Co of California. 3 ft was also a common track gauge in South America, Ireland and on
1050-613: A range of industrial railways running on 500 mm ( 19 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) and 400 mm ( 15 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ) tracks, most commonly in restricted environments such as underground mine railways, parks and farms, in France. Several 18 in ( 457 mm ) gauge railways were built in Britain to serve ammunition depots and other military facilities, particularly during World War I . Brighton Pier The Brighton Palace Pier , commonly known as Brighton Pier or
1125-591: A replacement for the Chain Pier, which collapsed in 1896 during construction of the new pier. It quickly became popular, and had become a frequently-visited theatre and entertainment venue by 1911. Aside from closures owing to war, it continued to hold regular entertainment up to the 1970s. The theatre was damaged in 1973 and following a buy-out was demolished in 1986, changing the pier's character from seaside entertainment to an amusement park , with various fairground rides and roller coasters . The pier remains popular with
1200-404: A single dual token, marked with two colours, as full operation of the line as four block sections is very rare. Due to the low line speed, multiple trains are able to operate in each section, but the token must be carried on the train furthest from Halfway. There are warning lights at pedestrian crossing points to the beach with a warbling siren to warn of the approach of a train. A following train
1275-494: A sum which had to be spent by March 2017. The work funded included: the provision of a new visitor centre and ticket office at the Aquarium station; a new five-road depot (four stock roads and one through running line) with engineering facilities, inspection pit, and public viewing gallery at Halfway; the restoration of cars 4, 6, and 10 from a semi-derelict state to full working order; and the provision of new educational materials about
1350-486: Is a pivotal part of the album's plot, and features in the 1979 film . Townshend later said that the rest of the band understood this element of the story, as it related to their mod roots. The 2014 novel The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell includes passages that take place on the pier. The 2015 British TV series, Cuffs , which takes place in Brighton features the pier, both in the opening theme as well as in parts of
1425-487: Is a track gauge of 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ). It has about 95,000 km (59,000 mi) of track. According to Italian law, track gauges in Italy were defined from the centre of each rail rather than the inside edges of the rails. This gauge, measured 950 mm ( 3 ft 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) between the edges of the rails, is known as Italian metre gauge . There were
1500-480: Is one where the distance between the inside edges of the rails is less than 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ). Historically, the term was sometimes used to refer to what are now standard-gauge railways , to distinguish them from broad-gauge railways , but this use no longer applies. The earliest recorded railway appears in Georgius Agricola 's 1556 De re metallica , which shows
1575-454: Is required to signal its approach to a pedestrian crossing point by sounding its klaxon horn. One such crossing provides the only external access to Halfway station. The numbering of cars can cause some confusion as numbers were duplicated when new cars replaced scrapped vehicles. In 1948, cars Nos. 8, 9 and 10 were renumbered 5, 2 and 1 respectively after the cars bearing those numbers were scrapped. All cars reverted to their original numbers in
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#17328442833241650-546: Is shown to represent Brighton in several film and television features, including MirrorMask , The Persuaders , the Doctor Who serial The Leisure Hive (1980), the 1986 film Mona Lisa , and the 2007 film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street . The Graham Greene novel Brighton Rock featured the Palace Pier. John Boulting's 1947 film adaptation helped established "low life" subculture in Brighton, and
1725-583: The Athina B , a freighter that had beached near the Palace Pier. Two-car multiple operation was introduced in 1964. In 1995 the Volk's Electric Railway Association was formed to help Brighton & Hove City Council promote and operate the line. In 2003 the Volk's Railway Institute of Science and Technology was formed to promote the educational and science side of the Victorian railway to schools and special interest groups. In
1800-537: The Gross-Lichterfelde Tramway of 1881, although none of these remain in operation. Operated as an historical seafront tourist attraction, the railway does not usually run during the winter months, and its service is also liable to occasional suspension due to severe weather or maintenance issues. On 3 August 1883, Magnus Volk opened a 2 ft ( 610 mm ) electric railway running for 1 ⁄ 4 mile (402 m) between Swimming Arch (opposite
1875-1013: The Isle of Man . 900 mm was a common gauge in Europe. Swedish three-foot-gauge railways ( 891 mm or 2 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 32 in ) are unique to that country and were once common all over the country. Today the only 891 mm line that remains apart from heritage railways is Roslagsbanan , a commuter line that connects Stockholm to its northeastern suburbs. A few railways and tramways were built to 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) gauge, including Nankai Main Line (later converted to 3 ft 6 in or 1,067 mm ), Ocean Pier Railway at Atlantic City , Seaton Tramway ( converted from 2 ft ) and Waiorongomai Tramway . 800 mm ( 2 ft 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) gauge railways are commonly used for rack railways . Imperial 2 ft 6 in ( 762 mm ) gauge railways were generally constructed in
1950-739: The Palace Pier , is a Grade II* listed pleasure pier in Brighton , England, located in the city centre opposite the Old Steine . Established in 1899, it was the third pier to be constructed in Brighton after the Royal Suspension Chain Pier and the West Pier , but is now the only one still in operation. It is managed and operated by the Eclectic Bar Group. The Palace Pier was intended as
2025-452: The Royal Suspension Chain Pier in 1823 and the West Pier in 1866. The inaugural ceremony for laying of the first pile was held on 7 November 1891, overseen by Mayor Samuel Henry Soper. A condition to be met by its builders, in exchange for permission to build, was that the Chain Pier was to be demolished as it had fallen into a state of disrepair. In 1896, a storm destroyed the remains of the Chain Pier, which narrowly avoided colliding with
2100-565: The 500mm gauge tracks of their mine railway ; these locomotives were made by the Deutz Gas Engine Company ( Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz ), now Deutz AG . Another early use of internal combustion was to power a narrow-gauge locomotive was in 1902. F. C. Blake built a 7 hp petrol locomotive for the Richmond Main Sewerage Board sewage plant at Mortlake . This 2 ft 9 in ( 838 mm ) gauge locomotive
2175-928: The Philippines demonstrate that if track is built to a heavy-duty standard, performance almost as good as a standard-gauge line is possible. Two-hundred-car trains operate on the Sishen–Saldanha railway line in South Africa, and high-speed Tilt Trains run in Queensland. In South Africa and New Zealand, the loading gauge is similar to the restricted British loading gauge; in New Zealand, some British Rail Mark 2 carriages have been rebuilt with new bogies for use by Tranz Scenic (Wellington-Palmerston North service), Tranz Metro (Wellington-Masterton service), and Auckland One Rail (Auckland suburban services). Another example of
2250-528: The US and finding major commercial success in Hollywood. During World War I , the sea surrounding the pier was extensively mined to prevent enemy attacks. In the 1920s, the pier was widened, and a distinctive clock tower was added. During World War II , the pier was closed as a security precaution. A section of decking was removed in order to prevent access from an enemy landing. The pier regained its popularity after
2325-445: The care of the association is the ex-Southend car which, between 1950 and 2000, carried the Volk's fleet number 9. Plans were drawn up to restore car 3 as a two-year joint project. 50°49′06″N 0°07′45″W / 50.8182°N 0.1291°W / 50.8182; -0.1291 Narrow gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway ( narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with
Volk's Electric Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
2400-541: The city. In contrast to the redevelopment and liberal culture in Brighton generally, it has retained a traditional down-market "bucket and spade" seaside atmosphere. In 2016, the Brighton Fringe festival director Julian Caddy criticised the pier as "a massive public relations problem". On 8 April 2019 a piece of the Air Race ride, manufactured by Zamperla , came loose and hit some people, injuring four people, one of whom
2475-472: The climax of the film is set on it, where gangleader Pinkie Brown (played by Richard Attenborough ) falls to his death. The 1953 B movie Girl on a Pier is set around the Palace Pier and also features the clash between holidaymakers and gangsters in Brighton. The Who 's 1973 concept album Quadrophenia was inspired in part by band leader Pete Townshend spending a night underneath the pier in March 1964. It
2550-911: The coal industry. Some sugar cane lines in Cuba were 2 ft 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 699 mm ). 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge railways were generally constructed in the former British colonies. The U.S. had a number of railways of that gauge , including several in the state of Maine such as the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway . 1 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 4 in ( 603 mm ), 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) and 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) were used in Europe. Gauges below 1 ft 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 597 mm ) were rare. Arthur Percival Heywood developed 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge estate railways in Britain and Decauville produced
2625-481: The council wanted to buy the pier, but this was quickly ruled out. It was taken off the market the following year, due to lack of interest in suitable buyers. In 2016, it was sold to the Eclectic Bar Group, headed by former PizzaExpress owner Luke Johnson , who renamed the pier back to Brighton Palace Pier in July. The Palace Pier remains a popular tourist attraction into the 21st century, particularly with day visitors to
2700-402: The electrical equipment used on the railway. At the invitation of the council and the management of the railway, a supporters' group, The Volk's Electric Railway Association, was formed in 1995. Members provide practical and promotional help to the railway, including operation and maintenance tasks. The association also attends various exhibitions with a large operating model of the railway as it
2775-465: The fact that nothing had been done to alert staff or passengers that the ride would be dangerous to use. The pier management came into criticism from Brighton and Hove City Council , who thought they were relying too much on fairground rides, some of which were being built too high. In 2011, the Noble Organisation put the pier for sale, with an expected price of £30 million. It was rumoured that
2850-533: The fastest train in Australia and the fastest 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge train in the world, set a record of 210 km/h (130 mph). The speed record for 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow-gauge rail is 245 km/h (152 mph), set in South Africa in 1978. A special 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge railcar was built for the Otavi Mining and Railway Company with
2925-564: The former British colonies . 760 mm Bosnian gauge and 750 mm railways are predominantly found in Russia and Eastern Europe. Gauges such as 2 ft 3 in ( 686 mm ), 2 ft 4 in ( 711 mm ) and 2 ft 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 724 mm ) were used in parts of the UK, particularly for railways in Wales and the borders, with some industrial use in
3000-489: The late 1990s, the Black Rock end of the line was shortened by 211 feet to permit a storm water storage scheme to be built in the marina area. The 1948 station was demolished and replaced by a new single platform station, which opened in 1998 and shares a building with a new Southern Water pumping station. In 2014, it was announced that the railway had been awarded a grant of £1.6 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund ,
3075-444: The left track. Trains can exit the loop by pushing the switch blade to the appropriate position. In normal service two trains operate from end to end, passing at Halfway station, and there is generally only one train on each single track section at any one time. This is sufficient to provide a 15-minute interval service. Drivers are now equipped with radios which allow communication between each other, stations and control. Nevertheless,
Volk's Electric Railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-458: The line is operated using single track tokens . There are four colour coded tokens, one each for the sections between Aquarium and the first passing loop (red token), the passing loop and Halfway (yellow token), Halfway to the next passing loop (blue token), and the passing loop to Black Rock (white token). In practice, the two pairs of tokens (for the two sections west of Halfway, and for the two sections east of Halfway) are permanently combined into
3225-408: The line was extended, and was both the eastern terminus and the depot. Volk also built his own offices at this location, inland from the station. The original station was located on the same site as the depot, and remained there until the station remodelling just after the second world war, when the new station platforms and passenger shelters were constructed about 50 yards (46 metres) further west than
3300-496: The main entrance to Brighton Aquarium, and adjacent to the site of the future Palace Pier ) and Chain Pier . Electrical power at 50 V DC was supplied to the small car using the two running rails. On 4 April 1884, the line was extended a further 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) beyond the Chain Pier to Paston Place (now known as Halfway), and regauged to 2 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 825 mm ). The electrical supply
3375-517: The new pier during its collapse. Some of its remaining parts, including the toll houses, were re-used for the new pier. A tram along the pier was in operation during construction, but it was dismantled two years after opening. Work was mostly completed in 1899 and the pier was officially opened on 20 May by the Mayoress of Brighton. It was named the Brighton Marine Palace and Pier, whose name
3450-418: The original site. The station has two platform faces, on a single central island platform, in the centre of a passing loop . There is a public viewing gallery in the neighbouring railway depot and workshop. Black Rock station opened in 1901 when the railway was extended eastwards. The original station, with two platforms, a ticket office, and a waiting room, was situated in an isolated location. Subsequently,
3525-478: The pier's landing stage broke loose and began to damage the pier head, particularly the theatre. Despite fears that the pier would be destroyed, the storm eased and the barge was removed. The landing pier was demolished in 1975, and the damaged theatre was never used again, despite protests from the Theatres Trust . The pier was sold to the Noble Organisation in 1984. The theatre was removed two years later, on
3600-507: The public, with over four million visitors in 2016, and has been featured in many works of British culture, including the gangster thriller Brighton Rock , the comedy Carry On at Your Convenience and the Who 's concept album and film Quadrophenia . The pier entrance is opposite the southern end of Old Steine (the A23 to London) where it meets Marine Parade and Grand Junction Road which run along
3675-460: The railway. Today the line runs between terminal stations at Aquarium (a short distance from the Palace Pier ) and Black Rock (at Black Rock , not far from Brighton Marina ), with an intermediate station and depot at Halfway. The line has a 2 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 825 mm ) narrow gauge , is electrified at 110 V DC using a third rail , and is one mile (1.6 km) long. There are no branch lines, although there
3750-417: The running line and 25 lb/yd (12.40 kg/m) mounted on insulators for the third rail . At Black Rock, a new station was built to replace the 1937 building which had suffered badly during the war. The line reopened for passengers in 1948. Winter operation ceased from 1954, although the line did reopen temporarily in the winter of 1980 to cash in on the large numbers of sightseers who had come to look at
3825-537: The same narrow gauge as the mine railways from which they developed. The world's first steam locomotive , built in 1802 by Richard Trevithick for the Coalbrookdale Company, ran on a 3 ft ( 914 mm ) plateway . The first commercially successful steam locomotive was Matthew Murray 's Salamanca built in 1812 for the 4 ft 1 in ( 1,245 mm ) Middleton Railway in Leeds . Salamanca
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#17328442833243900-420: The seafront. It is 1,722 feet (525 m) long and contains 85 miles (137 km) of planking. Because of the pier's length, repainting it takes three months every year. At night, it is illuminated by 67,000 bulbs. No. 14 and No. 27 buses run directly from Brighton railway station to the pier. The pier was designed and constructed by R. St George Moore. It was the third in Brighton, following
3975-510: The story lines. Graham Swift 's 2020 novel Here We Are , focuses on a trio of entertainers performing at the pier in the immediate postwar period. In 2015, Martyn Ware , founding member of pop group the Human League , made a series of field recordings on the pier as part of a project with the National Trust and British Library project to capture the sounds of Britain. The pier
4050-469: The traffic potential would not justify the cost of a standard- or broad-gauge line. Narrow-gauge railways have specialised use in mines and other environments where a small structure gauge necessitates a small loading gauge . In some countries, narrow gauge is the standard: Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Australian states of Queensland , Western Australia and Tasmania have
4125-502: The understanding that it would be replaced; however a domed amusement arcade was put in place instead. Consequently, the seaward end of the pier was filled with fairground rides, including thrill rides, children's rides and roller coasters . Entertainment continued to be popular at the pier; the Spice Girls made an early live performance there in 1996 and returned the following year after achieving commercial success. On 13 August 1994,
4200-409: The war, and continued to run regular summer shows, including Tommy Trinder , Doris and Elsie Waters and Dick Emery . The pier was listed at Grade II* on 20 August 1971. As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures , and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove . During a storm in 1973, a 70-long-ton (71 t) barge moored at
4275-556: The world; 19th-century mountain logging operations often used narrow-gauge railways to transport logs from mill to market. Significant sugarcane railways still operate in Cuba, Fiji, Java, the Philippines, and Queensland, and narrow-gauge railway equipment remains in common use for building tunnels. In 1897, a manganese mine in the Lahn valley in Germany was using two benzine -fueled locomotives with single cylinder internal combustion engines on
4350-497: The year 2000. The cars were often built in pairs. Currently, there are seven electric cars and one diesel locomotive in operation on the line with an additional two electric cars on static display elsewhere. The railway also has a few service wagons that are used with the diesel locomotive. A highly detailed model of Volks car 6 is on show in the foyer of the Brighton Toy and Model Museum , donated by Siemens which provided much of
4425-519: Was adopted by early 19th-century railways, primarily in the Lanarkshire area of Scotland. 4 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,384 mm ) lines were also constructed, and both were eventually converted to standard gauge. 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) between the inside of the rail heads, its name and classification vary worldwide and it has about 112,000 kilometres (70,000 mi) of track. As its name implies, metre gauge
4500-466: Was again rebuilt in 1948 in Art Deco style, still with two platforms, although from the mid-1960s the south platform was abandoned. In the 1980s the second (south) platform was restored and used for special school visits trains, operating around the timetabled service. This was short-lived, and in 1989 the south platform track was lifted. The station was briefly renamed Marina Station in the early 1990s, but
4575-412: Was also a temporary Black Rock station constructed, with platform and booking office, during the storm drain project of the mid-1990s. The line is single throughout, with three passing loops - one at Halfway station and two others roughly midway between each terminal station and Halfway. The passing loops are equipped with spring loaded turnouts. These are set so that trains entering a loop are routed to
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#17328442833244650-551: Was also the first rack-and-pinion locomotive. During the 1820s and 1830s, a number of industrial narrow-gauge railways in the United Kingdom used steam locomotives. In 1842, the first narrow-gauge steam locomotive outside the UK was built for the 1,100 mm ( 3 ft 7 + 5 ⁄ 16 in )-gauge Antwerp-Ghent Railway in Belgium. The first use of steam locomotives on a public, passenger-carrying narrow-gauge railway
4725-448: Was closed in the 1960s, and the tracks were later taken up, leaving today's station as single-platform. The station was completely rebuilt in 2016-2017 and now has toilets, a cafeteria, staff rooms, a ticket office, and an exhibition centre. Halfway station is located in the middle of the railway, and has previously been known as Paston Place , Children's Playground , and Peter Pan's Playground . The original station opened in 1884 when
4800-499: Was designed to resemble kursaals , which were entertainment buildings found near spas on the Continent, and included reading and dining rooms. The pier was an immediate success and quickly became one of the most popular landmarks in Brighton. By 1911, the reading rooms had been converted into a theatre. Both Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin performed at the pier to hone their comic skills early in their career, before migrating to
4875-552: Was in 1865, when the Ffestiniog Railway introduced passenger service after receiving its first locomotives two years earlier. Many narrow-gauge railways were part of industrial enterprises and served primarily as industrial railways , rather than general carriers. Common uses for these industrial narrow-gauge railways included mining, logging, construction, tunnelling, quarrying, and conveying agricultural products. Extensive narrow-gauge networks were constructed in many parts of
4950-519: Was in the 1950s. Membership is open to all with an interest in the railway. Members receive a quarterly magazine, reduced rate travel on the railway and free admission to a series of winter meetings held in Brighton. The association also acts as a collector for Volk's memorabilia and ephemera, some of which can be seen at the South Downs Heritage Centre in Hassocks . The largest artefact now in
5025-506: Was in turn demolished in the mid-1990s during a storm drain project, with a new station building opened in 1998. This new station, which reverted to the original Black Rock name, was provided with only one platform (plus ticket office and toilets), and remains in current use. No other stations are in current use, although there have been halts associated with intermediate passing loops. Former intermediate passing loop halts have been known as Sussex Square (or Lift ), and Kemp Town . There
5100-399: Was increased to 160 V DC and the power plant was installed in the arch built into the cliff face at Paston Place. In 1886 an off-set third rail was added to minimise current leakage. In 1896, the Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway was built by Volk. Owing to problems concerning the construction of lengthened groynes to the east of Paston Place this closed in 1901, although it
5175-472: Was inscribed into the pier's metalwork. It cost a record £27,000 (£3,839,000 in 2023) to build, including 3,000 lights to illuminate the pier. Part of the cost was repairs to the West Pier and the nearby Volk's Electric Railway caused by damage in the 1896 storm from the Chain Pier's debris. The pier was not fully complete on the opening date; some work on the pavilion was completed shortly afterwards. It
5250-419: Was not finally dismantled until 1910. Following the closure Volk's original electric railway was extended from Paston Place (today's Halfway) to Black Rock on 21 February 1901. Paston Place was also the home of Volk's Seaplane Station, which was used by Volk's son George Herbert Volk . In 1930, the line was cut back 200 yards (183 m) from Palace Pier to its present terminus, still known as Aquarium. In 1935
5325-506: Was not recognised by the National Piers Society nor some residents of Brighton and Hove. The local newspaper, The Argus , continued to refer to the structure as the Palace Pier. The Palace Pier caught fire on the evening of 4 February 2003, most of it reopening the following day with police suspecting arson. The fire destroyed the ghost train ride, which is where the fire started, as well as damaging two other rides and leaving
5400-456: Was opened to the public. The station was closed in 1930 when the western end of the railway was shortened to allow the widening of Madeira Drive. Aquarium station opened in 1930, as the new western terminus of the line following its shortening. As the new station was closer to the old Brighton Aquarium than the Palace Pier, the new station revived the old Aquarium name. It remains the western terminus. Originally provided with two platforms, one
5475-412: Was originally a branch at Paston Place (now Halfway), with a line running across Madeira Drive and into the railway's workshops, which were located (with Magnus Volk's office) inside the cliff on the landward side of the road. Palace Pier was the original terminus of 1883 in the centre of Brighton. Named Aquarium at the original opening, it was renamed Palace Pier in 1899 when the pier of that name
5550-582: Was probably the third petrol-engined locomotive built. Extensive narrow-gauge rail systems served the front-line trenches of both sides in World War I . They were a short-lived military application, and after the war the surplus equipment created a small boom in European narrow-gauge railway building. The heavy-duty 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow-gauge railways in Australia (Queensland), New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and
5625-418: Was taken to hospital. In 2024 it was announced that the pier would introduce a £1 admission fee beginning on 25 May. The fee is in place over weekends during June and throughout July and August and will not apply to local residents who have a Brighton Palace Pier local residents card. The pier includes several fairground rides, such as two roller coasters , a haunted house ride , a traditional carousel ,
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