Selsfield Common Halt

 00, Southern Railway/Southern Region, 8 foot by 4 foot


History    Electric Multiple Unit    Halt    Panoramas

In 1864 the London, Chatham and Dover Railway {LCDR} deposited a bill for a Beckenham and Brighton Railway {B&BR} and in 1866 re-proposing the B&BR in conjunction with the South Eastern Railway {SER}. In 1876 a similar scheme, ostensibly independent of both railway railways, was proposed. Finally in 1883 W. J. Vennel re-proposed the B&BR with the support of Brighton Council who felt the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway {LB&SCR} wasn't giving the town the services it deserved. The challenges of a railway from London to Brighton are climbing over the North Downs, High Weald, and South Downs. Steam loco development 1864-83 had made them much better at hill climbers making Vennel's proposed line much cheaper than earlier proposals. I've twisted history with the LCDR and SER, soon to merge into the South Eastern and Chatham Railway {SE&CR} stumping up for the B&BR. However cheap construction meant it was expensive to operate with heavy trains running over steep grades and unattractive to passengers due to slow timings. It remained secondary to the Brighton Mainline and was never a money spinner. In 1923 the LB&SCR, SE&CR, and others merged to form the Southern Railway. The new management saw the B&BR in a very different light as a route that could be used when the Brighton Mainline was over burdened or in trouble so it was electrified in 1935.
The layouts are Effingham Park Halt (Ex Hollyoaks) and Selsfield Common Halt. Effingham Park Halt is where the south bound B&BR becomes single track to pass though Turners Hill Tunnel and Selsfield Common Halt is where the B&BR reverts to double track. Turners Hill Tunnel is not modelled.

 

Electric Unit
















Halt

The Halt is staffed by a porter-signalman who operated the crossing box, sells tickets, handles parcels. and supervises the siding.

The siding is a mileage/public delivery siding where customers rather than railway staff  load, unload, sheet wagons etc.



Panoramas