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The Selsey Tramway
28-Sep-2022 @ 19:15 - 21:30
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Selsey at the southern tip of the Manhood peninsula has only ever had one rather difficult road to gain access to and from Chichester. In the late 1800’s the idea of a rail link was seen as a futuristic transport improvement. The committee set up to carry out the project appointed the young H.F.Stevens as engineer. Stevens who was noted for being thrifty realized that for legal reasons if the line was designated as a tramway construction and operating costs could be kept to a minimum. Given the title “The Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Tramway” in many respects the line resembled a railway and the first train of locomotive and three bogie coaches left Chichester in 1897.
For the next 38 years it suffered several setbacks but played an important part in the development of Selsey and became a much appreciated institution although its many idiosyncrasies resulted in it being the butt of much humour.
Eventually the development of the motor bus gave a cheaper, more frequent and reliable service resulting in the Tramway’s, or West Sussex Railway as it had become known, closure in 1935.
Very little is left to be seen today. It closed before the advent of colour photography so the limited surviving pictures are black and white but fortunately much has been written to record the line’s quaint history.