A very happy 40th birthday to the Tyne and Wear Metro! Today’s history lesson is all about the origin of our shed which was originally the Metro Test Centre.
In 1971 the Tyneside Passenger Transport Executive commissioned a report into reducing congestion and poor public transport in the Tyneside area. This report led to the suggestion of an integrated bus and light rail network. The Metro would take over the former electrified Tyneside loop and the South Shields line, linking them with a new section below the city centre and a new bridge over the Tyne.
The Tyneside Metropolitan Railway Bill was passed by Parliament in July 1973. Construction began in October 1974 and by 1980 the project had cost £265 million and at its peak the system carried 59.1 million (1985/6). The system was later extended to the Airport and Sunderland.
As part of the development of the Metro system a test track was constructed, it was also used to test the two prototype cars, 4001 & 4002. Metro-Cammell delivered the two prototypes to the test track in 1975, along with a small Hunslet shunter. (Later a prototype Hong Kong metro car was tested here too).
The track was laid on the track bed of Blyth & Tyne, Seaton burn and Backworth Waggonways. The test track was 2.4km long, with a shed, station, 1 in 20 gradient, level crossing, tunnel and a reverse curve loop. The system was used to not only test the cars, but also the overhead lines and control systems. Visits were also organised for local schoolgroups.
The test track was closed in 1980 and in 1986 the extended depot building and part of the trackbed was used to create the North Tyneside Steam Railway. In the corner of the museum stands a slightly more modern exhibit. Built-in 1978, is the cab and front of Metro Car 4000. It was supplied by Metro-Cammell, the builders of the new metro fleet as an example. It was placed on a mock-up platform near Manors Station. And could be visited by the public and used for evaluation purposes. It was then placed onto a road trailer and toured local schools and businesses as part of Metro safety campaigns before being retired and stored at Gosforth depot, and as part of the Metro 20th birthday celebrations, it was donated to the museum. It is now the only metro car to have the old-style drivers desk and manual destination blinds and numbers.
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
NTSRA Archive
Neil Clifford
David Grindley
No comments:
Post a Comment