'Lion' Running Weekend Gala Day One

The first day of our 'Lion' Running Weekend Gala has went down a treat!

With the morning Sun shining, Peckett & Sons locomotives 'Lion' and 'Ashington No.5' are stabled for steam raising.

Aadil then commences cleaning of 'Ashington No.5', finishing with buffing the smokebox door.

After running round at Percy Main, 'Lion' waits for the green flag from the freight guard with the first train of the day hauling coal wagons back up to Middle Engine Lane.

With a break in the timetable down at Percy Main, the crews of both 'Lion' and 'Ashington No.5' couldn't pass up on the opportunity of a photo on their respective locomotives.

With passenger and freight demonstration trains concluded for the day, Robert guides 'Lion' in marshalling the coal wagons for the photo evening event.

'Lion's' crew are pictured before heading down to Percy Main with photographers awaiting their arrival for staged run-bys as part of the photo evening schedule.

Tank Wagon and Yard Shunt

Preparation work for winter maintenance on numerous locomotives has begun with a shunt of Middle Engine Lane yard and workshop.

This coincided with the first snowfall of 2026 - 08915 sits outside as the locomotive completing shunting duties.

One of the vehicles that was brought into the workshop was the Charles Roberts Tank wagon in readiness for Norman to resume cosmetic restoration.

Shunting with No.35 and Consett No.10

Robert at the controls of T.I.C. No.35...

...marshalling wagons ready for tomorrow's photographic evening.

Coupled onto the carriages ready to haul them into Middle Engine Lane loop.

Robert shunting ACC5, 401 and 08915 into the shed...

...with Michael driving No.10.

No.10 propelling stock into the south headshunt.

Michael D at the controls of No.10.

Both locomotives back in the shed. It makes a refreshing change to see a duo of industrial diesels in the running shed rather than the usual BR blue combination of 03078 and 08915!

Delivery of T.I.C. No.35

We’re excited to announce that 1958-built T.I.C. No.35 has returned to North Shields for the first time in over three decades today, thanks to our friends at Tanfield Railway. No.35 will be the star exhibit of our ‘North Shields by Rail’ Exhibition (1st-29th June) before appearing in our Photographic Evening (4th July) and Diesel Gala (5th & 6th July). 

The Tyne Improvement Commission (T.I.C.) owned a sprawling network of tracks covering Whitehill Point and the docks, fanning out across the land almost immediately south of our current Percy Main terminus. No.35 was one of five diesel electric locomotives purchased by the T.I.C. to replace the steam engines at Albert Edward Dock in North Shields (the area now covered by Royal Quays Marina).

No.35 being carefully driven onto the low loader at East Tanfield station.

Robert and Aaran helping to dissasemble the ramp.

Ready to depart for North Tyneside. This is No.35's first trip away from Tanfield in preservation!

Joe, Robert and Aaron headed back to NTSR to shunt the yard ready to unload No.35.

No.35 arrives at Middle Engine Lane.

Back in North Shields for the first time in over three decades!

After assembling the ramp, the loco is carefully driven off the lorry.

Tanfield's diesel locomotive foreman, Ben, driving No.35 down to Percy Main on a proving run.

Loco and van at Percy Main.

No.35 sat at the bottom of Percy Main headshunt, only yards away from the once-boundary with the T.I.C. owned tracks that led down to Whitehill Point and the docks. 

Driver's eye view.

Joe driving No.35 away from Percy Main.

Back at Middle Engine Lane after a successful proving run.

03078 fired up to move the various wagons stabled on the flat road over to the crossover...

...so that the parcel van can be extracted from the museum.

Local railway history recreated: two ex-North Shields T.I.C. railway vehicles reunited at NTSR.

No.35 then shunted T.I.C. bolster wagon No.21 into the museum, where the two will be on display throughout June in our 'North Shields by Rail' exhibition - our contribution to the 'North Shields 800' celebrations.

03078 at rest after shunting the stock back onto the flat road.

Today's Work on ACC5

Richard and Michael cutting a section of ACC5's new ashpan down to size whilst Robert and Aaran remove the blanking plates fitted to the regulator to enable the hydraulic exam to be carried out.

Robert fitting and splitting split pins in the brake rigging.

Richard welding the ashpan together.

Later, Joe and Aaran used 08915 to shunt the pit road.

The Sentinel being shunted to the bottom of the workshop so ACC5 can be stabled over the pit to allow the ashpan to be finished.

Bolting of Ashington No.5's tank to the frames

Now that the hard work of lifting, manoeuvring, and then lowering the Ashington No.5's tank back onto the locomotive is complete. Aaran and Robert have spent the afternoon securing the tank on it's support brackets with new bolts and nuts.

The new bolts and nuts fastened tight to the front of the tank on the Fireman's side of the engine.

Before finishing for the evening, a final bit of shunting was required to move the wagon in which the tank was sat upon back out into Middle Engine Lane yard.

Preparing for Re-Opening

Volunteers have been tidying up the site today ready to re-open to the public on Sunday.

03078 fired up and having its radiator topped up on the pit road.

Being used to move stock on the flat road...

...to allow Railway Manager David to rearrange this area of the apron. 

Pony shunted onto the apron for public display. 

Various components of the Sentinel that had been scattered in and around the apron have been tidied up and stacked in one corner. 

David and Michael assembling the new lamps for Middle Engine Lane platform...

...and later installing them.

    Michael D and Joe then shunted the carriages into the platform for live filming with Look North's Jim Scott, who has today been reporting on the recent track material thefts that that the railway has suffered: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crld8e53wr9o