Sea tractor

[bigstraight6]

This unique machine links Bigbury on the south Devon coast and Burgh Island, famed for it's art deco hotel. The two locations have a tidal causeway between them and this device is used for ferrying hotel guests and their luggage when the tide is in, it's possible to wade across as we did yesterday, though we did get the sea tractor back just for the experience!

[Tayne]

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[HillmanImp]

That reminds me of the thing that used to be on Brightons West Pier. It had been left deralict for many years and i often wondered what this odd bit of pier was about 100m away from the main structure. When i was at secondary school the art teacher had an advert for the contraption on his wall. It was a moving bit of pier that used to go backwards and forwards out to sea. I don't know if it fell down or was pulled down but it disappeared in the early 90's.

[Jozza]

When I saw the thread title I wondered if this was going to about the County Seahorse:

 

 

A Fordson Super Major converted to be amphibious and using the oversize tyres as paddle wheels. Quite what the purpose was I don't know. It seems to be result of a question that shouldn't have been asked, although one did make it across the Channel, long before Top Gear managed it in a Nissan pick-up .

 

That reminds me of the thing that used to be on Brightons West Pier. It had been left deralict for many years and i often wondered what this odd bit of pier was about 100m away from the main structure.

 

When i was at secondary school the art teacher had an advert for the contraption on his wall. It was a moving bit of pier that used to go backwards and forwards out to sea. I don't know if it fell down or was pulled down but it disappeared in the early 90's.

That would be the Volk Electric Sea Railway- it was destroyed in a storm a week after opening in 1897 and then lasted (with surprising success) until 1900 when the sands shifted and damaged the trackbed. Bizarre.

 

http://www.urban75.org/railway/brighton ... ilway.html

[HillmanImp]

That would be the Volk Electric Sea Railway- it was destroyed in a storm a week after opening in 1897 and then lasted (with surprising success) until 1900 when the sands shifted and damaged the trackbed. Bizarre.

 

http://www.urban75.org/railway/brighton ... ilway.html

Thats the thing. I have been trawling t'interweb for about an hour trying to find that. Thanks for putting my mind at rest. I knew i was not imagining it. However, it is saying that it was scrapped and sold over 100 years ago. I swear the car used to be there until relatively recently. However I am now doubting myself and am wondering if my memory is playing tricks on me.[list=]

[Guest Manfred_Kreuzwirth]

you mayworld of warcraft gold be an introvertworld of warcraft goldI love you.

[morris_ital_lover]

Now listen Manfred, whilst you do appear in possession of greater linking ability your grammar is appauling.On another note, does anyone know if the tractors runs all year round, I only ask as I might be venturing down to a place near to there and methinks that if I get the chance I might as well have a gander at this crazy tractor thing!m0rris

[garethj]

[RetroRides mode] Needs lowering[/RetroRides mode]

[Jack_Harpers_Teeth]

 

[Torsten2001]

When I was a lad in the mid to late 1970's there used to be something similar on Bognor Regis beach, it would drive people out to sea and back again, seemed pretty pointless but I still wanted to go on it, I didn't of course!

[barrett]

That would be the Volk Electric Sea Railway- it was destroyed in a storm a week after opening in 1897 and then lasted (with surprising success) until 1900 when the sands shifted and damaged the trackbed. Bizarre.

 

http://www.urban75.org/railway/brighton ... ilway.html

Thats the thing. I have been trawling t'interweb for about an hour trying to find that. Thanks for putting my mind at rest. I knew i was not imagining it. However, it is saying that it was scrapped and sold over 100 years ago. I swear the car used to be there until relatively recently. However I am now doubting myself and am wondering if my memory is playing tricks on me.[list=]

It was the other end of the prom from the west pier, to the east of the palace pier, so it can't have been that that you saw. However, there were/are various odd bits of structure that used to belong to the west pier sticking up around there. I'd love it if they built a new improved version of the daddy longlegs, it'd be so much better than the fuggin stupid 'Brighton Eye' thing they are trying for now.

[HillmanImp]

It was the other end of the prom from the west pier, to the east of the palace pier, so it can't have been that that you saw. However, there were/are various odd bits of structure that used to belong to the west pier sticking up around there. I'd love it if they built a new improved version of the daddy longlegs, it'd be so much better than the fuggin stupid 'Brighton Eye' thing they are trying for now.

I know, it was definately pulled down over 100 years ago, and the photos i saw of the railway were very close to the shore, the bit i remember was right out past the pier. I remember wondering what this bit sticking out was when i was a kid, then seeing the poster in school and it would seem putting 2+2 together and getting 5. Am wondering if it was simply some of the outer walkway that used to go round West Pier

 

 

But i am sure it was bigger. Have spent ages looking through old photo's on t'interweb but cant find anything. Have even checked Worthing and Bognor piers incase i had got muddled but suspect it was just the remains of the outer walkway.

 

*edit* sorry for thread hijack

[Jack_Harpers_Teeth]

Bugger Bognor!

[Volksy]

What a delightfully mental idea that Brighton sea-rail idea was. Shame its not still around!