Down the Line

All photos below courtesy of Ian Cowan:

Stu, Matthew & Angela at work ET bank

Easter Sunday Ops

Fireman Dan cleaning Twizell this morning
(photo courtesy of Malcolm Parker)

Saturday down the line

 Still a bit to do

Easter Saturday Ops

All photos below courtesy of Malcolm Parker:

Henry cleaning Twizell .....

Good Friday in the woods

Start of the day Chris, Angela & myself

Good Friday Ops

All photos below courtesy of Malcolm Parker:

Mark & Chris on Twizell

Easter Weekend Trains

Twizell will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday - see Events on the main TR web for timetables.   There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.   AW No.2 will be Causey pilot loco, and HL No.2 may see some use.

Matthew (199x) cleaning Twizell (RS 1891) outside
Marley Hill shed (PJR 1854) in early March
(photo courtesy of John Turnock)

Thursday was a better day, we had some sun!!!!

 Ryan and Richard having a laugh

Wednesday in the Workshop

Bob & Steve working on Horden's wheelsets
(photo courtesy of Nigel Wheeler)

No.2's Back in Use

Hawthorn Leslie No.2 has hauled its first train since becoming a centenarian (actually 102).

The photographs below were all taken on Sunday by Ken Snowdon (click for more of Ken's shots):

Heading out light engine from Marley Hill, on test

No improvement in the weather, indoor work for some volunteers

Walter and Peter lapping in No2's
steam brake valve.

Another bitterly cold sunday, but spirits were good

 Angela measuring expansion gaps

Sunday Work at TR

HL No.2 on test on the service train ......
(photo courtesy of John Turnock)

Tomorrow's Trains

Sir Cecil Algernon Cochrane will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.30, 2 and 3.30 pm.

There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

Cochrane in the snow on 27 January
(photo courtesy of John Turnock)

In addition, AW No.2 will be Causey pilot loco, and HL No.2 may be doing further running in trials.

A Couple of Jobs

Richard using the shot blast cabinet

Houghwell Burn Bridge Work

Houghwell Burn bridge requires maintenance and a thorough inspection.    The opportunity to do this is being taken while the bottom section of the line is already closed.

Vic watching Ian dismount the digger at engine curve

Video Tracks

I found a couple of interesting videos of track relaying on Youtube, although neither is akin to TR.

Britain 1956

More recent European

EHSI Ceremony

Today saw the second annual North of England Civic Trust's Engineering Heritage Skill Initiative (EHSI) award ceremony, held at the Discovery Museum.   Among others, Ryan (2012/3) and Richard (2013/4) from Tanfield Railway were there.

Richard (centre) and Ryan (top right)
listen to John Grundy .....

Back at Marley Hill

Last Wednesday, Geoff, Bob & ??? turn Horden's
frames (photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

HL No.2 on the Move

Last Wednesday, No.2 on the traverser
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

A very cold and wet Monday

Jim making a new clack valve for Twizell

A few hardy volunteers at East Tanfield

 Luke holding a sleeper in place!

Trackwork

The youth team with some not-so-young dismantling panels to retrieve rails for the East Tanfield job (all photos courtesy of Carl Chambers and taken on 3 Feb)::

Training

Bobby showing James how to free seized nuts retaining No.6's blastpipe (all photos courtesy of Carl Chambers and taken on 3 Feb)::

Tomorrow's Trains

Cochrane will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.30, 2 and 3.30 pm.

There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

The coal train will not be running today - it will be run later in the year - tba.

Cochrane at Andrews House on 30/12/2012
(photo courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

Me & My Manning Wardle

Actually, it's not mine, although I did covet Sir Berkeley during the 2010 Tanfield Gala; and there was a fireman somewhere ..... (all photos courtesy of Brian Attewell)

From the Archives

From Tanfield Gala Saturday 8 September 2012 - all photos courtesy of Alan Padley:

Visitors stroll past 49 in Marley Hill shed (1854)

Twizell on Sunday Last

All photographs taken at spots used infrequently for photography, and courtesy of Dave Hewitt

Twizell entering Sunniside station .....

Trackwork on Tuesday

The last waggon of 30' panels passing Causey

A Very Cold Snowy Sunny Monday

Vic at Engine Curve removing a sleeper .....
(Engine Curve was once the site of a stationary
engine, at the top of East Tanfield bank)

A Cold Snowy Sunny Sunday

Chris cleaning Twizell this morning

Feedback

I would welcome feedback about this blog - please talk with me or email

TR Facebook may be the best method of interactive commenting.   I haven't generally enabled commenting on posts, because this blog is a simple daily pictorial rather than deep thought, and I want to avoid junk or having to moderate.   I spend much of my time working at the railway and maintaining this blog - let me know if you want to assist with either.

It would be particularly helpful to receive photos (800 pixels max if poss) of people doing normal useful stuff at the railway.   Good shots of locos are elsewhere, notably on TR Flickr.   I am grateful for and include train shots from regular photographers, but otherwise err away from shots without people, or where volunteers are being shown in a poor light.    I apologize if I stray from these principles - let me know if I should remove or amend any post which offends.

I attempt to maintain a set of useful links according as I see the Tanfield Railway locally (about 5 miles radius), within NE railways, and as a feature of NE England.    There are a few associated national links, plus photographers who work with us.   Please let me know whether you use these links, and of any other links which may fit.

Obviously you can have your own blog with a complementary or alternative tack - and we'll probably want to cross link.

If you have ideas on how to improve things, let me know.

Derek

Tomorrow's Trains

On Mothering Sunday, Twizell will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.15, 1.45, 3 and 4.15 pm.

There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

Twizell raising steam last August,
before we started using Welsh coal
(photo courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

East Tanfield Track Work

Unfortunately, I misinterpreted the need for 5 panels as 5 x 30' panels, whereas we need enough temporary 30' sections to replace 5 x 60' panels on ET bank.   We therefore need to make another 5 x 30'.   Nothing is lost, we just need to do more work than I thought .....

Mark, John & Malcolm stripping out a 30' panel .....

On the Way to East Tanfield Again

John and Mark fishplating a panel

Similar Stuff, Some Progress

The gang start to assemble the last five panels (we think)

Back on the Bank

Unloading Vic this morning .....

Usual Monday Work

Vic Malcolm and Malcolm setting out CS1s .....

Another Sunday Assortment

Malcolm (DO) and Ryan (signalman) oversee shunting
(photo courtesy of Matthew Pickering)

Tomorrow's Trains

Cochrane will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.30, 2 and 3.30 pm.

There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

Cochrane in Causey bay as AW No.2 draws
the train forward - last Sunday
(photo courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

A very quiet Friday

Vic repairing the culvert entrance