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Waterside Echo

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Just come across this in one of Dads old scrapbooks, W/E.

....first thoughts ...could have been made by Cravens , Darnall. ??????

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....first thoughts ...could have been made by Cravens , Darnall. ??????

I suppose the question could be. Could it be anybody else except Cravens? Did any other company build such vehicles.

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Just come across this in one of Dads old scrapbooks, W/E.

This is a Shefflex Railmotor, made by the Shefflex Motor Company, a subsidiary of the Sheffield Simplex Coompany. A brief history is here:

http://tractors.wikia.com/wiki/Shefflex

The Shefflex Railmotor is basically a 1.5 or 2 ton truck chassis & motor fitted with railway wheels and a bus body with 23 seats. They were run back to back, and sometimes with a truck in between.

I do not know how many were made (I suspect only 2): the only ones I am aware of operated on the Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Tramway (thankfully known as the Selsey tramway) which ran from Chichester to Selsey and was operated by Colonel Stephens. They were delivered in 1928 and scrapped in 1935 after the Tramway Closed.

The Selsey Tramway has recently been the subject of a two volume book: The Selsey Tramway, by Laurie A Cooksey: (Wild Swan Publications, 1996 ISBN 1-905 184-15-8 and ISBN 1-905 184-16-6 for volumes 1 and 2 respectively). There is a chapter on the Shefflex railmotors, as well as many photographs of the railmotors at work. The line also had similar motors made by Ford.

Somewhere in my collection I have another book about the Railmotors, but at the moment it is eluding me.

Online there are a few images and a bit of background to the railway here

http://www.colonelstephenssociety.co.uk/STWSR.htm

and a few snippets here, as well as more information about Colonel Stephens and his railways: There is a lengthy article about the Ford Railmotors on here as well, but no more detail about the Shefflex.

http://www.hfstephens-museum.org.uk/

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Waterside Echo said:
Just come across this in one of Dads old scrapbooks, W/E.

 

As expected, within a few minutes of sending the last post, I found the book in question.

 

Colonel Stephens Railmotors, by Stephen Garrett and John Scott-Morgan (Irwell Press, 1995 ISBN 1-871608-46-5)

 

From this I can add the information that the bodies were built by W J Flear Ltd of Burton Road Sheffield.

 

In addittion to the Selsey Tramway machines, the Kent and East Sussex Railway also had a pair, in service from 1929 until 1938. Apparently this pair cost £750 and had a larger body, also built by W J Flear.

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As expected, within a few minutes of sending the last post, I found the book in question.

Colonel Stephens Railmotors, by Stephen Garrett and John Scott-Morgan (Irwell Press, 1995 ISBN 1-871608-46-5)

From this I can add the information that the bodies were built by W J Flear Ltd of Burton Road Sheffield.

In addittion to the Selsey Tramway machines, the Kent and East Sussex Railway also had a pair, in service from 1929 until 1938. Apparently this pair cost £750 and had a larger body, also built by W J Flear.

Hi `madannie` Thankyou very much for your rapid and detailed response. I can now update the scrapbook. As children we did not live far from Burton Road so I will try and find out where abouts the factory was. Regards, W/E.

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62-64 Burton Road- Flear J.W. motor car body makers

.

between Hicks Street- Percy Street, same side as Neepsend Police Station.

62 Flear William Allinson wheelwright.

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62-64 Burton Road- Flear J.W. motor car body makers

.

between Hicks Street- Percy Street, same side as Neepsend Police Station.

62 Flear William Allinson wheelwright.

Couple of typos (underlined) typos in amongst this lot :

John Wm. Flear, 1901 Census, Wheelwright, aged 26, 13 Douglas Terrace (I know where Douglas Road is/was - should be close by); born Lincoln.

John William Flear, 1911, Wheelwright & Blacksmith, 64 Barton Road; home 105 Vale Road

James B Flear, 1919, Wheelwright (J W Flear Ltd), home 131 Vale Road

John William Flear, 1919, Wheelwright & farmer, Norwood Rise, Shirecliffe Lane

J W Flear Ltd, 1919, Wheelwrights & Motor body builders, 62 & 64 Burton Road & 12 Victoria Arches, Furnival Road

J W Flear Ltd, 1925, Motor body builders, 62 & 64 Button Road & 12 Victoria Arches, Furnival Road

John William Flear (J W Flear Ltd), 1925, Motor body builder, home Osgathorpe Road

J W Flear Ltd, 1957, Commercial Motor body makers, 60/68 Burton Road

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Despite the film quality, absolute magic! I have seen photos of these (I was a member of the K&ESR society for some years and remember reading about them then) but I have never seen a moving film of one. Thank you very much for posting this.

I've a notion that similar vehicles operated on some French secondary rural lines, where the quality of their ride led to them being dubbed "sauterelles" (grasshoppers).

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