#col stephens

The stations north to south, were as follows:

Chichester

Hunston

Chalder

Sidlesham (initially Siddlesham)

Selsey Bridge, Town, and Beach (in that order, with Selsey Beach being the terminus and Bridge the furthest north. A number of small halts were also dotted along the line. Selsey Beach was out of use certainly by 1908, if not 1904.

The first engine to be delivered was the aptly named 'Chichester', built around 1865 and acquired second hand. She was much wanted on the south side of the canal, but she'd been delivered to Chichester, on the north side, and the bridge was not finished. The engine, an 0-4-2 saddle tank (originally an 0-6-0), was drawn by traction engine on a circuitous route on public roads, rails being laid ahead of the engine and taken up behind. The process took some time.

Rolling stock, or at least, coaches were initally acquired new. On bogies, with verandas at each end, not dissimilar to those in use on the WCPR, which had a very American style. There were five coaches on the Selsey by 1900. Another engine had also been acquired by this time, a 2-4-2T, built by Peckett & Sons, named, (you guessed it) 'Selsey'. A trim little engine, which the Stephens ordered to be the ideal light railway locomotive. Both engines were dark blue, with red lining, and brass fittings. This was a livery generally favoured by Stephens. A further set of mis-matched four & six-wheeled coaches were acquired second hand over the following years.

Regular service trains were run mixed, in general, with wagons often being marshalled both in behind the last coach and in front of the loco. Coal and water supplies were kept at Hunston. Trains would stop to pick up anybody who waved a red flag hard enough, whether there was an official halt or not.

Later locomotive records are patchy, with conflicting numbers and little available imagery. It seems to be that, at one time or another, five further engines were on the line, but whether they all co-existed I could not find. The likely No.3 was Sidlesham, an 0-6-0ST built in 1861 by Manning, Wardle. No.4, Hesperus, was a Neilson 0-4-2ST built in either 1871 or 2, and had been once 3'6" gauge. 5, Ringing Rock, was an ex-industrial, another MW, built 1883. No.6 (or possibly a second No.4,) was a Hudswell Clarke, also named Chichester, and probably replaced the original one. No.7 (also a possible No.4) was called Morous, had come from the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway, and was yet another Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST. All very vague and not terribly easy to make sense of.

Engines on shed 1927 - Selsey, Ringing Rock, Sidlesham, Chichester MkII. Loco inside shed unidentified.

In 1910, a great and terrible storm battered the line, and it was said to be submerged for a good length under 12ft of flood water. The Company at this time was still relatively buoyant in its finances, and raised the line by 10ft to prevent such a thing ever happening again.

Stephens, in the 20s, and looking to cut cost, began looking into railmotors for passenger service. He first looked to Wolseley-Siddeley, with a petrol railcar in 1921, but it was not an instant success. In 24, he got hold of two more, not from W-S but instead built out of bodys by Edmunds of Thetford running on Ford Model T chassis. They ran back-to-back with a wagon for luggage between them. They did have a tendency to overheat, however, a fault of most of Stephen's Model T railmotors.

In 1923, the Company's only fatal accident happened, when a train, drawn by Chichester Mk1 (previously named Wembley before arrival) ran off the line, killing the fireman and injuring the driver. The few passengers in the three coaches were unhurt. Indeed, the track quality was so poor it is unlikely in my mind that they noticed anything amiss.

In 1924 the railway changed its name to the West Sussex Railway (Tramway Section) possibly in the hope of being bought out by the Southern Railway. The line had been floundering in the shadow of road competition for some years, and the Southern declined to purchase. The West Sussex Railway closed in 1935.

Sidlesham, before and after cab alterations.