Around the Rattler on Facebook & a Bike

Many historic photos are being added to Tanfield Railway Facebook timeline photos album.   Recently, there have been several photos of the Marsden Rattler (SSM&WCR) & Harton electric locos, intermingled with the North Sunderland Railway.

An 18" RSH on a public passenger train at Westoe Lane station in the early 1950s
(TR Facebook timeline photos album)

Antipodean "Beamish"

Neil Morgan visited Ferrymead Heritage Park in South Island, NZ in February & took the photos below:

Manning Wardle H class 1841 of 1914 in Ferrymeads exhibits store

Some Hartlepool History

Continuing to look at old footage, this silent film turned up about the attack on the NE coast by the German Navy early in WWI.

(still from film - Yorkshire Film Archive)

Hartlepool had a naval gun battery on the Headland which was targeted, & the town was a considerable port, industrial & railway centre at the time.   The bombardment continued to the undefended fishing ports of Whitby & Scarborough.   The film shows the aftermath which could be made public without affecting wartime secrecy & security, while increasing anti German feeling.

A Bad Month

Two boiler explosions occurred at Marley Hill and Andrews House collieries within about a month of each other in 1866.   The Newcastle Courant reported as follows:

Newcastle Courant June 1 1866

A Visit to a New Zealand Heritage Railway

Neil Morgan recently visited & took these photos at the Pleasant Point Railway in South Island, New Zealand:

 At Pleasant Point station, a railcar replica / rebuild on a model T truck chassis
These were tried on NZ branches around the 1920s -  unpopular at the time, but now cherished
(Google Colonel Stephens model T railcar for photos of UK examples)

Films at British Film Institute

BFI have a few films freely available on line - in your spare moments start from  https://player.bfi.org.uk/search/free

Use the search facility, eg to find  films about NE England  or try :

1901 Herring Harvest at North Shields  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-north-sea-fisheries-north-shields-1901-1901-online

1929 Rocket replica  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-rocket-1929-online

1957 Swan's Launch  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-ship-is-launched-1957-online 

1962 Tyne  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-your-heritage-the-river-tyne-1962-online

1967 Dawdon Colliery  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-dawdon-colliery-1967-online

1970 Big Geordie  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-big-geordie-1970-online

1976 Norman Cornish  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-lifestyle-the-shapes-of-cornish-1976-online  

1984 Metro  https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-metro-the-way-ahead-1984-online

Horden Features

Work has stalled for the moment, but Horden is still in the news .....

Horden at Shotton Colliery in 1971
(photo copyright Gordon Edgar - see PreservedBritishSteamLocos.com)

Old Track in South Shields

See the previous post of 5 January 2019 about South Shields Stations for some background.

There are still rails in Shadwell Street, looking west towards Wapping Street .....