Railways in the North East

Three brilliant maps which show the scale of railways in our area. Showing the BR and colliery lines. Plus a bonus J27 image!

 

North Tyneside Electrics

Five pictures of the North Tyneside electrics for you today. 4 of the locations shown are still in use with the Tyne & Wear Metro. Can you guess them? Answers are at the bottom of the post.

The first photo shows the new disused Jesmond station, converted into a pub and restaurant!

 

1. Jesmond
2. Percy Main
3. Benton
4. Tynemouth
5. Gosforth car sheds

Conflat wagon work

Work has begun on the Conflat wagon which we acquired back in 2019. So far work has involved cutting off the old handrails and today saw the wagon being lifted off its bogies to allow the bogies to be overhauled and new bearings installed, once manufactured

 

69's wheelsets return

69's wheelsets returned this afternoon from Coalville after undergoing tyre turning

 

The Norseman

A brilliant view of the Norseman leaving Commissioners Quay, passing the Percy Main shed coaling stage. This is just beyond the Southern end of our running line.

 

Clear out

Aarvind clearing out the old red box van body

 

Cutting up cabinets

Michael cutting up old running shed lockers/cabinets

 

Albert Edward Dock

A mixed bag of images showing the area around our Southern Terminus. With Whitehills, flatworth and later Albert Edward Dock all represented.

Unloading coal at Whitehills

High Flatworth Mill

Artists impression of Whitehills

Grand opening of Edward Albert Dock

Seaton Deleval staiths

Albert Edward dock

 

Backworth Locos

Two recently acquired postcards showing Backworth Colliery railway 1 & 3. Note the distinctive Backworth cab, with its rounded side windows.

 

03078 shunting

03078 has been out and about today carrying out a small shunt. This involved hauling A.No.5 and Meaford No.1 out of the Museum so that contractors could remove their Christmas decorations from inside the Museum

 

NER No.724

A beautiful photo showing NER number 724 at Percy Main shed, built by Robert Stephenson & Co in 1871 and seen here upon withdrawal in 1906.

 

CIC10 after restoration

Thank to Colin Alexander we can see Consett 10 fully restored in the early days of the railway. The loco currently awaits maintenance work to allow it to run again

 

Hartley Main No.21

The wonderful Hartley Main 21 or Skiddaw Lodge, built as the Cleator & Workington Railways number 10, before becoming LMS 11568. Sold to Hartley Main in 1932 she was cut up on site in 1956.

Photos courtesy of Billy Embleton

 

401 in 1970

A newly acquired photograph of 401 (Vulcan) taken on the 17/5/1970 in steam at a Tyseley Depot open day. Still in her Austin Motor Co livery. This is prior to her delivery to the West Somerset Railway, as she retains the full size buffers and bufferbeams.

 

401 tank lift and washout

Today 401's tank was lifted and taken away to be copied by the manufacturer to make a brand new one. Later in the day the boiler was also washed out

 

Ashington No.5

Today we look at Ashington Colliery No.5, built by Pecketts, the loco worked for the Ashington Coal Co and NCB. She was sold in 1969 to the North Norfolk Railway PLC and remained there until returning to 'Northumberland' in 1991, carrying the distinctive Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway livery. The Peckett is seen under overhaul (as she is at the moment) and running in her original Ashington Coal Co livery.