Please tell us of your stories of these trusty workhorses that plyed their trade for years
When the branch line opened in 1865 (goods only) to Langstone and 1867 when services were extended to Hayling Island (for goods and passengers), neither of the two big railway companies serving Havant, the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) nor the London Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR) were interested in operating the branch. It was therefore the responsibility of the Hayling Railway Company to seek locomotives and stock to operate its services. For the first 7 years of services, contractors locomotives were used. Fredrick Furniss (the Contractor) also acquired ex-LSWR 4-wheel coaches to operate the passenger trains.
In 1872, the Hayling Railway Company negotiated a lease with the LBSCR for them to take charge of all the traffic on the Hayling branch line. This saw the introduction, in 1874, of a Sharp Stewart locomotive, the unique LBSCR Kitson tank locomotive in 1889 and the first Stroudley Terrier locomotives from 1890. The Stroudley terrier replacing all the previous locomotives that had worked the branch since 1865.
This was a welcome improvement for the drivers and firemen as they now had locomotives with better protection from the elements and hence were more suited to the conditions on the branch line. It also took the pressure off the Hayling Railway Company in that, for the first time, standard locomotives and rolling stock were employed on the branch line thus relieving the Company from the risk to its services due to non-availability of engines and stock. Replacements would be provided by the LBSCR under the terms of the lease if failures occurred. An early version of what we call outsourcing?
The following “Terriers” have been associated with the Hayling Island line over the years. Those noted in green font have survived into preservation. Those in red font have been scrapped:- "48” (originally “Leadenhall”) Described as one of the earliest “Terriers” to work the Hayling Island line from around 1890 when it was allocated to Fratton [...]
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Colin Paul kindly donated these pictures. No 499 'Hayling Island' was transferred to Brighton Works for rebuild into the form seen in these photographs. The rebuild was completed in 1890 and it became No 481 'Inspector' as an inspection vehicle. It was finally withdrawn in 1899. See http://haylingbillyheritage.org/category/engines/sharp-stewart/ for the full history of this locomotive.
The London Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) owned two very attractive Sharp Stewart 2-4-0 tanks and full details of their histories are given in “Locomotives of the LB&SCR Vol. 1” by Don Bradley. The second was purchased in 1873 and, in emerald green and numbered 53, it initially worked the Kensington shuttle service. It [...]
Here is a picture of 32646 ('Newington, later 'Freshwater') about to leave Havant for Hayling Island on 24 July 1960. It would be fitting if the same engine could visit Hayling next year.
I created this photograph at Havenstreet as a preview of what we might hope to see in Hayling next year.
Terrier 32678, formerly 'Knowle' at Havant
Circa 1957 image taken by Roger Nash. Note the continuous check rail on the inside rail of the loop track. Very necessary due to the tight radius of this section of track. The goods yard in the distance still has many wagons. Photo courtesy Roger Nash
'Knowle' hauling Stroudley 4 wheel stock at Langstone about 1905. The first coach is a full brake which may be the coach currently in Michael Camp's collection. Kindly donated by Peter Paye. The Hayling Railway (The Oakwood Press)
When people talk of the ‘Hayling Billy’, they often speak of it as one single locomotive or train, much as they would the ‘Flying Scotsman’ or Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’. But in fact nothing could be further from the truth as over the years many engines worked on the Havant to Hayling Island branch line, indeed in [...]
