Trolley bus control boxes

How many people have noticed the black box in the grass area at the bottom of The Level?  It has survived the refurbishment of the area around the cafe and store shed (now an office) and is actually a control box from the old Corporation tramway system.

There were until quite recently two (as far as I know) trolleybus control boxes still in situ at the side of two roads in Brighton. There was one on the east side of Lewes Road, just south of the St Pauls Street bus stop, but this was removed 3 or 4 years ago when the street was “improved” with built out corners and crossings.

The last one has just disappeared from Ditchling Road, where similar road “improvements” have been taking place. This was on the east side, just south of the Semley Road bus stop (between Fiveways and Rugby Road) and looked to be in quite a bad state.

Comments about this page

  • I recall another ex-tramways control box in the hedge to the south side of the Chalet in the centre of Preston Park! A rather long way from the nearest tram route (B) in Preston Drove/Beaconsfield Villas; I assume that the Corporation re-used it for another purpose, but it was slill emblazoned “Brighton Corporation Tramways”. I doubt it is still there, but it might be.

    By Martin Nimmo (22/02/2007)
  • On the “Vogue Gyratory” on the Lewes Road, check out the “Quickfit” building. The front of it is the old “tram shelter”.

    By Briantist (25/03/2007)
  • I’m fairly sure there is one next to Gossips cafe on the Steine. I have spotted one which looks remarkably like the one next to the Level.

    By Alex (08/03/2010)
  • The box next to Gossips Cafe actually controls the lighting on the fountain. There was a control box outside Lyons’ at the bottom of St James’s Street, and I think there may have been one on the pavement outside the public conveniences (now Gossips).

    By Martin Nimmo (11/02/2011)

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