It's A Boat! It's A Tram! No, It's The Brighton & Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway!
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2021
- Some view the sea as an impassable obstacle. Magnus Volk wasn’t going to let no saltwater tell him what to do.
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"...but he was no mad scientist."
That portrait of Volk is calling you a liar to your face. I mean, the name Magnus Volk alone rates at least a 6/10 on the Fleming Villainous Nomenclature Scale.
And Fleming knew his Villainous Nomenclature!
"Volk" means "folk" or "people" in German. It has a rather, uh, folksy ring to it. Not villainous at all.
My most intimidating high school teacher was named “Mr Volk”
@@Milosz_Ostrow it means "wolf" in Russian. Slightly menacing, that.
Of all the madcap, absurd inventions in the history of railways, this daft bit of magnificence has to be my favorite. It's just so utterly mad; the cabin of a posh steamer, lifeboat and all, riding atop a detached section of pier that itself rolls along parallel railway tracks hidden beneath the sea. It's Late Victorian inventiveness in the face of practicality at its finest. It's the Eiffel Tower, early passenger zeppelins, the SS Bessemer, the Manx Electric Railway, the Crystal Palace, all rolled into one. If I ever won a multi-million lottery, high on my list would be to commission a replica and at least short demonstration line of the Daddy Long-legs; the modern world needs to be reminded what crazy, wonderful places ambition and invention can take you.
Well, if you do win the lottery and commission that replica, I do hope that you make a rideable model. I will definitely come and ride it!
@@Ikwigsjoyful ditto
I’ll take a ticket to ride 🎟
You know up until the seventies we in this country had some mad cap schemes coming out of sheds, mad cap today, but then rather normal. To think today that no one ever tinkers around to make a go kart with a lawn mover engine to power it, as we did as children, even wooden go karts themselves not seen, planks of wood and bits of string
@@ianmaddams9577 If you built it in the right place, It might be possible to take a ticket to Ryde.
I do wish it still existed! It kind of looks like something out of war if the worlds
I think I read a theory that it might actually have inspired Wells, but I don’t know how true that is.
@@JagoHazzard Well a sufficiently powerful search light with a focusing lens, heat ray! The asphyxiating gas might depend on what the cafe was serving.
@@JagoHazzard Thats an interesting theory, gotta love HG wells he's a bit of a home town hero!
I watch your channel too
Well if it’s any consolation you can still see the concrete bases at low tide. I took some photos of them a few years ago.
This is one of the most wonderous, ridiculous contraptions I think I've ever seen....we need one again 😆
You should look up the Listowel and Ballybunion Railway.
@@jerribee1 I will do that 👍
@@jerribee1 And full marks to the enterprising people who have rebuilt that!
@@jerribee1 also the Muir Woods railway. Kinda like Snowdon railway, but not there now. Big sad.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tamalpais_and_Muir_Woods_Railway
Nah, you old fart, we need on of these now. czcams.com/video/w8I25H3bnNw/video.html
My great grandfather went on this as a boy and spoke about it most enthusiastically when I was young (he died when I was 14). Sadly, it was only after he died that I finally saw some pictures of it. Although it was limited to 8 mph, I gather that was only possible at low tide. There are reports it could barely move at high tide.
Such a pity this venture failed. It would have been an interesting ride. Had it survived it would probably have been listed and cared for by an army of volunteers. I'd certainly have made the effort to go to Brighton to ride on it.
Even if it survived at first it would have had to go eventually to make way for the marina.
@@jonchambers131 In a battle between "entrepreneurs" (not in the sense "another bunch of dodgy businessmen" at all, honest) wanting to build yet-another-"exciting"-marina for people to park boats which never move, and the hordes of supporters, national pressure groups, heritage organisations, and rabid troublemakers (sorry, eco-warriors) that a surviving Daddy-Long-Legs would have, I know which one I'm betting on!
Itd have been in a tom scott video which would be interesting
Considering our Victorian arches have not been and locals are trying to save them because our useless council isn't id say it was unlikely
“Stop giggling at the back…” for once “LOL” is an accurate description of my reaction.
The most clever writing I’ve encountered on the internet. Bravo!
I looked it up in my dictionary. Groyne is actually there. "Høfde" in Danish.
Not to mention, "I'm going to get demonitized, aren't I?"
6:17 “Groyne extensions”… I believe there’s a surgery for that
The cable looks also looks like it's in a nice grabbable position - I'm sure that would make the ride more electrifying than it actually was... 🤣
I don't think it was a worse than on many of the open-top double decked trolleys... sorry trams. If the decking and railing was wood, no problem. Just don't get wet. Oh wait.
How long are your arms?
Admit it, you're one of those terrifying flailing air men that live outside car dealerships!
@@otterylexa4499 🤣
@@otterylexa4499 "Hi, I'm Al Harrington, owner, president and CEO of Al Harrington's Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tubeman Emporium and Warehouse!"
This is fascinating. I have been on the railway. Learned about it in school bit never heard about the sea tram. Even heard about the chain pier history and never came across this even in Brighton books. Excellent content, really enjoyed this. Cheers!
I'd never heard of it before either,but I'm jolly glad I have now. Thanks,Jago.
I live in Saltdean and you can clearly see the route of the old tracks still there.
@@twitteriscrap7995 oh cool, I must go and have a look, it's a lovely walk in nice weather.👍
@@jasminebambury5841 if you go onto the marina wall at low tide looking towards saltdean you can see it easily. Once you know what distance out it is you can see it looking in the other direction too( from Saltdean).
A boat? A tram? A pier? Perhaps more like the huge cranes on rails at modern container ports. Except those run on dry(ish) land ... Great video as always - many thanks!
My grandfather lived in Brighton, and pointed out the remains of the track to me at low tide. We could see it from the bus. He could remember travelling on the train/tram/whatever, and said that at low tide when the tracks were exposed, it could zip along at a walking pace, but at high tide it was so slow as to be pretty well useless. He said the trip from one end to the other through deep water could take upwards of an hour and a half! I also have a vague recollection of him telling me that the original version collected power from the tracks with all the obvious problems, and that the overhead wires were a necessary modification.
An electric train collecting power from tracks submerged in water? I find that slightly hard to believe. Very cool indeed that your grandfather travelled on it though, I'm very jealous of him!
Power came from above and went down to the electric motors in the boggies (feet).
I'm amazed that something that had no business working at all, actually worked...for a bit. "Insane" is an understatement.
I don’t think you could have done this one any better!
“Groynes”
*childish snigger*
“stop giggling at the back!”
Sorry, Mr Hazzard!
We've got to extend our gratitude to Mr. Hazzard.
Greatplum, stand outside in the corridor 👨🏼🏫
Too late, the giggling has become contagious
Rowan Atkinson would have been proud
lol
Have always said this - Victorian engineering and invention has never been superceeded and was the pinnacle of British development worldwide 👍🇬🇧⚡️
Seems so. A pity, really. You could have gone places, but instead you decided financial capitalism was worth fighting to the death over. Even going as far as (counterintuitively) leaving your main market for said financial dealings. We in the EU are confused, amused and tired of it, all in equal measures.
A form of public "transport" that carries people slowly over water, and is often shut in bad weather? Sounds a little familiar. *cough* Emirates Airline *cough*
That's slightly unfair. The Emirates dangle-way runs at well over twice the speed of the Volks sea-tram, it does provide useful public transport and it has one of the best views in London at a fraction of the price of the London Eye spin-slowly-on the-spot-way.
@@Dave_Sisson Dangle-way! LOL
@@davecommentator Well railway trucks run on railway tracks, tramway cars run on tram tracks and aerial gondola cars... just sort of dangle from a wire rope, so for consistency, I think aerial gondolas should be called dangleways.
@@Dave_Sisson Not, of course, to be confused with a danglebahn, the best known example of which can be found in Wuppertal. ;)
The snp built forth bridge😏 only open for 6 months of the yr🇬🇧
Barely 40 seconds in an I'm already extremely intrigued!!
This video is EXACTLY why I subscribe. I've been on this planet for 52 years and I had never heard/seen of this unique tram system. Absolutely amazing!
Love it! I'm sure you'll be bringing this to the attention of Boris Johnson for his promised route to Ireland. Fits the bill perfectly.
There's nothing bizarre about a fixed link between neighbouring land masses.
There's one between Great Britain and France, for instance.
This is delightfully insane - the only tram ever to have a lifeboat.
Perfect insertion of comedy… stop giggling!
Would love to see an old kind of news reel of this thing in action
These two Brighton uploads of recent days make a great "box set" with your Southend Pier Railway video of about a year (if memory serves me correctly) ago. Little else upon Y.T. brings me a smile as your vid's do!
It's a shame they've never considered rebuilding it, but possibly with steerable wheels now, rather than on a track.
But got to love how creative the Victorians were!
Personally i reckon engineering has gone downhill ever since they restricted laudanum sales!
It seems somebody had exactly that idea, as such a vehicle can be seen in an episode of the ITV Poirot TV mistery drama, "Evil under the sun", (around 11 minutes into the episode, I think. It can be found here on CZcams). Funnily enough, like Poirot, I'm a Belgian...
I like both Juggo and your video, BTW ;-)
I think it’s been superseded by the amphibious vehicles of today that adapt from land to sea without the need for tracks or legs.
@@voiceofraisin3778 Yeah, I do agree.
@@NQR-9000 This is the very real vehicle, often known as the 'sea tractor', that provides a passenger service to Burgh Island from the beach at Bigbury in Devon. Not only was the Burgh Island Hotel the filming location for the Poirot episode but It was the inspiration for the original book - Agatha Christie was a regular guest.
I love this sort of mad ideas, if it actually works. I was fully expecting it to be derailed by debris washing on to the track.
Not the most logical form of transport, but I would definitely have taken a ride.
And it is seasickness proof!
Well, somewhat. Seasickness is a form of motion sickness, and you can get motion sickness (if prone to it) from pretty much any form of transport that isn't walking (and Maybe riding a bike?), if you're not careful about things.
I grew up in Woodingdean, the Brighton suburb just north of Rottingdean, so as a youngster often saw the concrete bases for the “Daddy Long Legs” railway tracks at Rottingdean. Years later, I showed our family. If there had been a prize for the world’s most bizarre, dangerous, sea-going overhead electric railway/ tram, then this ought to have won, streets ahead of anything else. I read that many people were frightened to travel on it; the Brighton area does get some fearful storms during the year.I once had a late-Victorian atlas (c 1900), and it marked this railway with a black line drawn in the sea. Rottingdean once had the prospect of a conventional railway. The South Eastern Railway planned a route running to Lewes, going south at Falmer down “Happy Valley” past Woodingdean to Rottingdean, then running near the coast to a terminus at Kemp Town. But the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway built the very expensive short branch to “Kemp Town” ( actually, in a poor part of east Brighton) to counter this, and the project never came to anything.
There was also something like this in the french city of Saint Malo between 1873 and 1923. It was unfortunately severely damaged after a boat rammed into it and closed permanently afterwards.
I used a have a big poster, a reproduction of the advert, in my room when I was a teenager. Its always fascinated me. Thanks, Jago.
Fun fact: Volk's Electric Railway still exists, with 1.64 km track length.
Hang on... "He wanted to extend it to Rottingdean, meeting his son's Seaplane Hangar along the way" - for an 1890s railway? Pre-Wright brothers? that needs some further explanation!
Maybe a sea plane is just a very cold ice rink
A seaplane is not a plane in the usual meaning of flying through the Sky. They use ground effects to 'fly' over the sea at high speeds.
Different technology and physics, but from the practical use imagine something that looks a bit like big cargo plane and goes across the sea with a mix of hovercraft and hydrofoil movement.
@@reappermen seaplane does refer to a plane in the sky, just on floats. I’ve never heard of it referring to a ground effect vehicle. Even if it did they weren't a thing until well after seaplanes on floats.
Wikipedia says George Volk had a seaplane station in this area 1910-1912, so a slight timeline mix-up.
@@electricalmayhem Well, the timeline mixup is an explanation as well, though at least i nthe UK ground effect vehicles for the sea were refered to as seaplanes around and before the second world war, and they were aorund for a suprisingly long time as well (they came up during early efforts to make real planes as a side effect).
The name generaly used seemed to have changed to ekranoplane at some point during the cold war when the soviets did massive research and investments into it and build stuff like their 400 ton lun-class (Ekroplane is an Anglicanisation of the russian word).
And while it took unill the cold war for GEV's to really take off, they existed longer than normal planes partly because they were easier and safer to build and, as said, appeared as a by-product of trying to make real planes.
Brighton is famous for its many and fine groynes. People come from miles around to gaze lovingly upon them.
😄😄😄
There's a special part of the beach dedicated to groyne appreciation.
In the small coastal town Marstrand (it once was a free port and had city privileges) in Sweden there actually is a ferry called The Tram, shaped like a tram, blue like the trams in Göteborg (Gothenburg for you anglophones) AND it is electric. Still in service on occasional special events. 😊👍🏼
Tack/thanks - interesting!
deutsch und schwedisch sind englischsprachige Sprachen
Here in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis & St Paul, Minnesota, US), our local streetcar (tram) company used to run "express boats" on the many bays and inlets of Lake Minnetonka from 1906-1926. They were steam powered, not electric. But they were painted yellow and maroon like the Twin City Lines streetcars, and had the exact same kind of windows and seats -- thus people called them "streetcar boats".
Most of them were scrapped in 1926 (half of them by being scuttled in the lake), after competition from cars and better roads had killed the boats' traffic. One was sold to a private owner, who eventually scuttled it too in 1949. But in 1980, one of the scuttled boats (the Minnehaha) was raised from the lakebed, and was restored in the 1990s. Since then, it's run in the summer as a historic attraction, shuttling back and forth between Excelsior and Wayzata.
Though right now, it's not running at all. After 2019, its owners lost access to the boat ramp they'd been using to get the Minnehaha in and out of the lake. As of 2022, they're still looking for a new launch site.
(more info: steamboatminnehaha.org/ )
I absolutely love the brief but thorough coverage and comprehensive information concerning the old Volk Electric Line. I remember learning of this device when I was in second grade
That is a glorious piece of insanity. I really love that design.
My great grandfather, James John Barker, worked on both the "Daddy Long Legs" and the Electric Railway. A local newspaper called James "Mr Volk's right hand man" . I'm immensely proud of him.
Volk is such a perfect name for someone who loved electric
If only he'd also designed some sort of car! 😁
When I hear the word volk I just think of Volksgrenadier
@@aborted4196 How oddly specific! 😁
The Daddy Long Legs story. It’s an intrinsic part of Brighton’s history. I grew up in the area and only learned about this eccentric railway in later years. Great that you have made this unique history available to a wider audience.
It is similar to my idea of having the London Eye moved to the river bank and then sending the lower part of the wheel dipping down into the Thames.
That would be an engineering nightmare and also cool as hell.
Does scuba gear for the passengers figure anywhere in your plan?
@@caw25sha I think that would frighten people!. I had not considered having the cars/eggs opened to the water...even though Brunel the younger took his mother with him in a diving bell to inspect the hole in the roof of the Thames tunnel.
They have one of those in Falkirk.
@@johnjephcote7636 your idea is dumb and will never happen because it would cost too much for very little return
What an age that must have been to live in Jago, to be able to aspire and see that aspiration become reality. Yep I know it happens today but it doesn't feel quite so, well kind of close, if you know what I mean. Thanks again, informative and funny as ever.
Mean your puns, dangit!
Also, the more you said groynes, the more funny it got...
Why can't we have more insane railway ideas like this nowadays?
Are you familiar with the concept of a gadgetbahn? If anything we've got way too many insane railway ideas, they're just insane in really lame ways and not the cool ways things used to be insane.
A very 'Heath Robinson' contraption. (Heath Robinson was an early 20th century cartoonist who liked drawing ridiculously silly overcomplicated inventions and trains) Another cartoonist, Rowland Emett, who did similar work, imagined (and built) beautifully silly locomotives for the 'Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Branch Railway' in Battersea Pleasure Gardens to transport visitors during the 1951 Festival of Britain. The FT&OC Br.Rly might indeed make a worthy topic for Mr Hazzard - if he hasn't already done it.
@@frglee he has
@@frglee Jago has done it: czcams.com/video/Tct3ly_qyG8/video.html
Hyper loop?
Brilliant!!! Thanks so much! I lived in Hove/Brighton for 15 years in the 80/90s and the locals still told folk stories about Daddy Long-Legs! Volks seafront railway is my favourite line in the whole world. East Sussex is a very surreal place. Really appreciate your work pal. Keep on chooglin!
I grew up in Brighton, so thank you for this bit of history.
Tremendous. I never picked up on this. I'll be looking for the few surviving remnants next time I'm in Brighton.
You can see the line of concrete sleepers between the marina and Rottingdean. They are quite visible at low tide, along with a couple of stumps of the power poles. Any trace of the Brighton landing stage was obliterated by the construction of the marina.
You can also visit the museum, there's lots of information on the daddy longlegs.
Brilliant video! I was absolutely enthralled. Well done - keep them coming!
At 3:19 I think I see a horse in the back left of the car.
This Volk fellow was amazing, he should be fictionalized as the hero of a Steampunk novel. Something Michael Moorcock could have done wonders with.
rather genius to be honest.
would have massive fun to ride one of those
Your sense of humour really brightened up my locked down day, thanks.
B&R.S.E.R, The time where the more insane side of Volk got the better of him, but his genius side still managing to kind of pull it off.
Shhhh! Don't say "Pull it off!"! We've already had "extending groynes" and that's quite enough innuendo... aaargh damnit! 😆
@@Aengus42 in your endo 🤪
Really enjoyed this video. When I drive into Brighton and the tide is out, I can see the line of the tracks stretching out into the distance towards the marina. Hard to imagine what this beast would have looked and sounded like when running, let alone what a journey on it must have been like.
How extraordinarily stem punk for an electric railway! Another amazing adventure into the eclectic world of Jago Hazzard.
That's mental. I can't believe this is the first I'm hearing about this.
That was an absolutely cracking episode! Thank you
Fascinating! Volk was a genius way ahead of this time! Thank you for these high quality mini-docs. Love and peace.
there is film footage of the line in operation on youtube
Wow! An amazing story I had never heard before. I used to spend quite a lot of time in Brighton and have been on the Volk's railway but this is a revelation.
Thanks for another fascinating 8 minutes.
This is just demented enough to be legitimately beautiful.
Seems to me that with modern technology Brighton could entirely realistically design a new roadbed, lay new, infinitely more stable and durable track, and, as long as they took their time about it and kept the engineering solid and the quality high, bring this back within another twenty years as a new, permanent Neo-Edwardian delight of the region.
As someone from and who lives in Brighton this would be amazing if it still exists
Finally! It was a groynes train. Badum tsh.
Thanks JH. I was curious about this and had to restrain myself from a Google search.
You are by far one of my favourites on here. Educational and very entertaining.
This reminds me of a boat-train from the anime "One Piece."
Reminds me of the ferries on rails we used to have in The Netherlands. They worked in a similar fashion, with tracks on the bottom of the canal/ river.
Amazing, I lived just up the road from the Pier in the 70s, never knew anything of this before.
My history teacher had a poster of this up in her classroom at school. I've always wanted to know more about it. Now I do so thanks.
If they ever invent time travel the would definitely be on my must see list
Thank you for bringing this obscure railway, out of obscurity even though for some it’s not obscure, but for most it is indeed obscure. Brilliant episode. Bravo sir 👏👏👍😀
Truly this is the weirdest, most bizarre thing I have ever seen and I love it! I want one!
Such an incredible little railway! I do wish we could rebuild it even simply as a testament to the industrial madness of that age! Of course it’s impractical, costly, and unreliable - but frankly who could genuinely claim to dislike it?
This was a fascinating watch. My grandad had a postcard showing this, I never knew what it depicted, now I wonder "did he ride on this"? I hope so.
"No pun intended" he says,disingenuously...
I was lucky to have been told of a commemorative jug for this line,for sale at a charity shop...it's now safely in my flat.
Great history lesson.😊👍
I'm absolutely amazed anything remains of this railway, considering the environment it was built in.
They built things to last back then, I guess.
Brilliant video Jago! This was about one of the craziest inventions to my knowledge. If it wasn't for the unfortunate storm and the groynes, it might of still been around today. Brighton beach is a lousy pile of shingle. Something like Pioneer would have upped the interest factor in Brighton by many times. I would have certainly gone on a voyage in It!
If this isn't "cool" I don't know what is. Never heard of this one before, you are slowly becoming a Techmoan of transportation. Amazing.
One of the most eccentric things that i`ve seen about transport, what a great story
I remember this underwater above-water railway from a book I had as a child. Fascinating thing, shame it is no more.
As ever, an informative snippet to watch, the commentary is brilliant and I hope many more follow. Keep it up Jago
Whenever our geography teacher said groynes, we’d end giggling.
A New Zealander asks, why?
@@mozdickson its a homophone to the word groin, a sensitive part of human body
and then when they talked about groyne extensions, it sounds like a guy getting an erection or somehow getting a larger piece of equipment
I can't imagine where Jago got the idea his viewers have such a juvenile sense of humor...
(Groynes, he he..)
Ta Jago.
Volk...A name so near yet so far :)
That's the spirit! No little storm can stop one's idea!
Amazing - never knew this. Brightonian here and big fan of the Volks Railway!
Totally fascinating, I lived in Brighton for a few years and had no idea this ever existed, It must have been a really amazing experience to have travelled on it.
A very unique method of transport, especially for the time.
This would be a cool attraction at something like a theme park.
Fascinating! 😲 A brave and innovative achievement of Victorian engineering 😊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😊👍👍
Jago, this is my favourite video of yours. The Victorians were absolutely incredible futurists.
So Jago is on a roll, the last video had talk of balls dropping and this one had groynes extensions...
3:55 Albert Einstein in the clouds, top right of screen!
I wish you had explained how it was powered. Yes, I know, by electricity, but were there engines underwater, engines up in the main "ship" with long chains down to drive the wheels, etc? I can't imagine that underwater electric engines are going to work too well in the 1890s.
Especially sea water
It's probably easier to keep the motor dry in the water than it is to keep it dry in the sea spray above the water.
The two electric motors were located on the deck in enclosed compartments. The drive was by propeller shafts inside two of the legs with drive gears in the feet. The other two legs contained the braking shafts.
@@JohnTheRails Thank you, came here to look for exactly this information 👍
Amazing railway thank you from New Zealand very good presentation
weird but wonderful - thanks for the gander
This creativity which you could see as a bit freakish is the base of British engineering and I feel remembered of the spleen which was allowed for a gentleman. Diversity gives the opportunity to choose the best solution out of a choice. Let's admire this entrepreneur for his spirit and audacity... 👍
Every time I think I've seen all of the mad Victorian inventions a new one pops up
The most brilliantly bonkers railway ever to be built, or at least in the running for that title.
Fine vid as always, sir. :)
Certainly a different commission for Gloucester RCW, usually employed in churning out wagons for the railway companies.
A great video again. I knew this was coming when you mentioned it in the previous video. It is this type of content that keeps me coming back time after time to your videos.
What an absolutely Groin - er - Grand railway!!!
I knew NOTHING of it before now.
Thank you SO much for this.
1:44 - "No pun intended" - I don't believe you for a second there, Jago.
What a fascinating history. I'd seen photos, but never knew much about the Daddy Long Legs. (No 1960s Ashburnham Sunday School Outing to Brighton was complete without a ride on Volks' Electric Railway.)
The perfect combination of sea water and electricity - no one else would have dared to do it. Brilliant !
That is Very Cool!! Lot of people would want to ride it.