South Eastern and Chatham Railway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
South Eastern and Chatham Railway

1920 map of the railway
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Length	637 miles 61 chains (1,026.4 km) (1919)
Track length	1,302 miles 24 chains (2,095.8 km) (1919)

The South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR) was a railway company in England. It was formed when two rival companies, the South Eastern Railway (SER) and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR), decided to work together. They ran trains between London and places in south-east England, especially Kent. They also helped people travel to France and Belgium by connecting with ferry services at Channel ports.

Before the SE&CR was formed, the two companies were fierce rivals. They built competing train lines to the same towns. This meant some towns in Kent had two different train stations! The SE&CR operated from 1899 until 1923. After that, it became part of a bigger company called the Southern Railway.

Railway lines in Kent, showing most of the SE&CR network

Why was the SE&CR formed?

By the late 1800s, the South Eastern Railway (SER) and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR) had been competing for 40 years. Their rivalry was very strong, but the area they served wasn't very rich. Both companies became known for trains that were often late and old, worn-out carriages. Their competition had nearly made both companies go bankrupt. It became clear they had to join forces or fail.

So, the SE&CR was created on January 1, 1899. It wasn't a full merger at first. Instead, the two companies formed a "management committee" with directors from both sides. This committee took over running all the trains and operations. The two original companies still existed legally, but they worked as one. They shared the money they earned, with the SER getting 59% and the LC&DR getting 41%. This way, they avoided the high costs and risks of a complete merger.

How did the SE&CR improve things?

A SECR O1 Class train, originally built in 1896.

Once the SE&CR was formed, it started connecting the two old railway networks. This allowed for new and better train services. For example, a new connection was built in 1902-1904 near Bickley and St Mary Cray, east of Bromley. This joined the main lines of the SER and LC&DR.

Another big change was connecting the LC&DR's line to Ashford with the SER station there. Some old, overlapping lines were also closed or changed. For instance, a SER branch line to Chatham was closed before World War I. Later, under the Southern Railway, some stations were closed to avoid having two stations in one town, like in Gravesend.

New railway lines built by SE&CR

After the SE&CR was formed, it built a few new, smaller railway lines. These were completed before the company became part of the Southern Railway in 1923.

• The Tattenham Corner branch opened in 1901. It ran from Kingswood to Tattenham Corner.
• The Sheppey Light Railway was a branch line off the Sheerness branch. It also opened in 1901 but closed in 1950.
• The Bexhill branch opened in 1902. It connected Crowhurst (on the Hastings Line) to Bexhill West. This line is now closed.

Train accidents and incidents

Even with improvements, accidents sometimes happened on the railway. Here are a few notable incidents during the SE&CR's time:

• On March 21, 1898, a passenger train crashed into the back of another train at St Johns, London. This happened because of a signalman's mistake. Three people died and twenty were hurt.
• In March 1904, a passenger train went off the tracks at Gomshall, Surrey.
• On December 6, 1905, part of the roof at Charing Cross station collapsed. Six people were killed and eight were injured.
• On March 5, 1909, an express passenger train went past signals and crashed into a mail train at Tonbridge Junction, Kent. Two people died and eleven were injured.
• On March 11, 1913, a passenger train failed to stop at Ramsgate Town station, Kent. It crashed through the buffers. The accident happened because the brakes were not properly connected. Ten people were injured.
• On May 5, 1919, a freight train went past signals and crashed into another freight train at Paddock Wood, Kent. One person was killed.

Damaged carriages from the St Johns 1898 train crash.

SE&CR trains (locomotives)

South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) P Class No. 323.

The LC&DR's train workshops in Longhedge, Battersea, closed in 1911. All train building and repair work was then done at the Ashford railway works. Harry Wainwright was the main engineer for locomotives until 1913, when Richard Maunsell took over.

Plans for electric trains

Other railway companies in Britain started using electric trains in the early 1900s. The SE&CR also planned to electrify its lines. They wanted to use a special "four-rail" system with very high voltage. However, when the SE&CR joined the Southern Railway in 1923, those plans changed. The Southern Railway decided to use a different, more common electric system (a "third rail" system) on the SE&CR's network instead.

Important people at SE&CR

• Harry Wainwright: He was the Chief Mechanical Engineer from 1899 to 1913. He was in charge of designing and building the trains.
• Richard Maunsell: He took over from Harry Wainwright as Chief Mechanical Engineer from 1913 to 1923.
• Alfred Weeks Szlumper: He worked as an Engineering Assistant from 1880 to 1882.

Ships operated by SE&CR

The SE&CR also ran ships to carry passengers and goods across the English Channel. These ships connected with their train services.

Ships from the old South Eastern Railway (SER)

Ships from the old London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LC&DR)

Ships built for the SE&CR

Other ships used by the SE&CR