Brighton's Volks Electric Railway

There's no smoke or steam on Brighton's Victorian electric beach railway - one of the world's oldest - though you might need to watch out for the occasional nudist

This interesting film from the Suter collection shows Brighton's famous Volk's Electric Railway in action not long after its centenary year. Running for just over a mile from Madiera Drive to Black Rock, we travel along the beach front, in all weathers, passing tiny stations, the funfair and a solitary nudist along the way. Driven by both men and women, the little railway crosses points and loops along its course while Brighton Marina is being constructed in the distance.

Brighton's Volk's Electric Railway, created by Magnus Volk, has undergone many changes over the century and more of its existence. Begun as an experimental 2ft gauge line running for a quarter of a mile in 1883, it was soon extended by half a mile and re-gauged to 2ft 8½ inches. After the closure of Volk's other less successful line, the Brighton & Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway, his original line was extended to Black Rock. Having been shortened, in 1930, by 200 yards to a new terminus close to the Palace Pier, the eastern end was also trimmed, five years later, to accommodate Brighton's new lido. The 1937 built Black Rock station is the line's present day eastern terminus.