Southend - Page 1 - Southend Pier - Ferry Photographs - Ferry Postcards


This is one of a series of pages devoted to the Thames and Medway Estuaries. This page shows postcards and photographs of Southend Pier and the pier railway. Southend Excursion Vessels shows the pleasure boats of Southend.

The first (wooden) Southend Pier was opened in 1830, and lengthened in 1845 and 1846. In 1885 it was decided to replace if with a new iron pier. Work began in 1887 and the pier was opened in 1889. It was extended in 1898 when a new pier head was added. In 1908 and upper deck was added, and the Prince George extension was completed in 1929. A tramway was built along the railway, and new modern streamlined cars were built in the 1930s. The pier head was badly damaged by fire in 1976, and the railway closed in 1978. At one point it looked as if the pier would be closed altogether, but a transfer to private ownership prevented this, and a new railway was opened in 1986, using two small diesel trains. In the same year, the breech was breached by a ship, but the gap was bridged. A subsequent fire destroyed the entertainment complex at the pier entrance, and in October 2005 the pier head railway station and shops were destroyed by a fire which started in the public house. The pier reopened fully in August 2006. On a more positive note, a stylish new RNLI lifeboat station was built at the pier head and an impressive new entrance in the style of the lifeboat station was opened more recently.


Sections on this Page:- Southend Pier - Postcards Southend Pier - Photographs 2005 - Pier Fire 2006 - Pier Rebuilding 2006 - Pier Reopened Southend Pier Railway Severn Lamb Diesel Trains Railcar No.1835 RNLI Lifeboats & Hovercraft
Thames & Essex Pages:-
Southend Page 1 - Southend Pier - This page
Southend Page 2 - Southend Small Excursion Boats
Southend Page 3 - Southend Motor Navigation Co - Fleet List
Southend Page 4 - Southend Motor Navigation Co - Company History
Southend Page 6 - Southend Cliff Railway
MV Balmoral - 2006 cruise past Southend Pier
PS Waverley - 2005 cruise past Southend Pier
Thames Boats Header Page
Essex Piers
Kent Piers
Brightlingsea - River Colne port
General Steam Nav - London & Thames Estuary excursions
Harwich - River Colne port
Invicta Line - Southend-Medway services
New Palace Steamers - London & Thames Estuary excursions
Tilbury-Gravesend
Wivenhoe - River Colne port

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Southend - Page 1



Southend Pier Postcards Postcard of Southend Pier. Postcard of Southend Pier. 'Life boats' by Southend Pier. Click to open larger image in new window Postcard of Southend Pier. Click to open larger image in new window Postcard of Southend Pier. Click to open larger image in new window Postcard of Southend Pier, with large and small local excursion boats. Click to open larger image in new window Postcard of Southend Pier. Click to open larger image in new window Southend Pier Photographs Southend Pier Fire - 9th/10th October 2005 On the night of 9th/10th October, a fire started in the pub by the station on Southend Pier. The station, pub, and a cafe were destroyed, although the metal structure was not badly damaged. The fire was at the original end of the pier (it was lengthened some years after original construction). PS Waverley was due to call at the pier on 10th October on a cruise to Whitstable. She sailed as close as possible as the pier, which continued to smoke. The full length of the pier was not reopened until August 2006. Pier damage after the fire of 9th/10th October 2005. . The fire was at the original end of the pier (it was lengthened some years after original construction). PS Waverley was due to call on 10th October. She sailed as close as possible as the pier continued to smoke Photo: � Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005 - images link to larger copies Undamaged pier extension. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005 - images link to larger copies Tug Corringham which attended the fire on 9th/10th October 2005. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 10th October 2005 - image links to larger copy Southend Pier Being Rebuilt After Fire May/June 2006 The 2005 fire on Southend pier prevented access beyond the site of the old station. A temporary station was built whilst the burnt section was rebuilt. The full length of the pier was not reopened until August 2006. Southend Pier - the new pier entrance. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier, after re-opening the train service following the October 2005 fire.Access to the end of the pier was not possible until August 2006. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier - view along the pier from the temporary station in May 2006. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier - with work continuing to reopen the end of the pier. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier - the new lift to the pier entrance. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier, with the jetty used by local excursion boats in the foreground. I do not believe that any pleasure boats ran in 2006 or in subsequent years Photo: � Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier - the new pier entrance.Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier Seen from MV Balmoral before repairs were completed following the 2005 fire - the pier re-opened in August 2006 Photo: © Ian Boyle, 8th June 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier after reopening September 2006 Southend pier was not reopened fully until August 2006 after the 2005 fire, in time for PS Waverley's September/October visits. Southend Pier seen from PS Waverley - the repaired section of the pier damaged by fire Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier seen from PS Waverley - the repaired section of the pier damaged by fire Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th September 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier in 2013 New 2012 pavilion on Southend Pier Photo: � Ian Boyle, 1st January 2013 Southend Pier Railway Postcard of Southend Pier Train - image links to larger copy Southend Pier - Severn Lamb Trains (1986) The railway was reopened by Princess Anne on 2 May 1986 after rebuilding to 3 ft (914 mm) gauge. Two new diesel trains were built by Severn-Lamb and introduced on a simplified line comprising a single track with a passing loop and twin track terminal stations. As originally delivered, the trains were liveried in all-over burgundy with a white waist-band, but were repainted to a two-tone blue in 2006, retaining the white waist band. Southend Pier Train - one of the 1986 trains in original maroon livery. Photo: � Ian Boyle Southend Pier Train - temporary station following October 2005 fire.Access to the end of the pier was not possible until August 2006. Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier Train - at the pier entrance station.Photo: © Ian Boyle, 24th May 2006 - images link to larger copies Southend Pier diesel train Sir John Betjeman Photo: � Ian Boyle, 1st January 2013 Southend Pier diesel train Sir John Betjeman Photo: � Ian Boyle, 10th November 2013 Southend Pier - Railcar No.1835 A battery powered single passenger car, built by Castleline of Nottingham, entered service in November 1995 for service in winter. This car is numbered 1835, the year that Southend Pier first appeared on Admiralty charts. I had never seen this vehicle outside of the gloomy station before. A major fault of the current station at the end of the pier, built after the latest fire, is its lack of any protection from wind and rain. On 1st January 2013 1835 it was being used as a mobile waiting room. Southend Pier battery railcar No.1835 Photo: � Ian Boyle, 1st January 2013 Southend Pier battery railcar No.1835 Glass screens have finally been installed to afford some protection against the wind on the platform. However, the battery railcar 1825 is still being used as a mobile waiting room. Photo: � Ian Boyle, 10th November 2013 Southend RNLI RNLI hovercraft HL-004 In addition to lifeboats maintained at the pier head, RNLI have a hovercraft at the promenade for use on the sands and shallow water. Photo: © Ian Boyle, 4th June 2006 - images link to larger copies New RNLI lifeboat/hovercraft boathouse at Southend Pier Photo: � Ian Boyle, 1st January 2013 Southend Page 1 - Southend Pier - Southend Page 2 - Excursion Boats - Southend Page 3 - SMNCo Fleet List - Southend Page 4 - SMNCo HistoryUK Excursion Ships - Ferry Postcards - Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards Top of Page - Simplon Postcards Recent Updates - Simplon Postcards Home Page �1999-2013 Copyright Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards (all pages on web site) All Rights Reserved Free Web Counter Times viewed since 14/09/2007: