North Pole Express Day 1

The express waiting for passengers .....
(photo courtesy of Bob Payne)

Various Jobs

Vic discusses his day's work at Causey with Ian

This Weekend's Trains

The North Pole Express runs on Saturday and Sunday.   All seats for the NPE to visit Santa have been pre booked.   Note that trains start at our main site at  Marley Hill  NE16 5ET - please arrive 20 to 30 minutes before departure, and dress for a winter outdoor event.   Email queries to santa@tanfield-railway.co.uk.

Santa awaits the next train .....

Twizell will haul trains northwards, and HL No.2 will take trains south

An Assortment of Tasks

Malcolm checking and freeing gauges for use
on locos including Horden's axleboxes

More Track Maintenance

Same job as yesterday, different place, another team:

The team replacing sleepers near the foot crossing
at Causey Bridge End Farm

Track Maintenance

Spot sleeper changing at Andrews House station today:

Due to the proximity of the bankside & other track,
Rob, Steve & Colin have to dig out the ballast .....

Monday @ Marley Hill

Eric, Malcolm, Dave, Dave & Phil adding toeboards ...

Causey Ballast Packing

The track team (Angela, Anthony, Callum, Craig, Dan, David, Ian, Jon Paul & Steve) have been lifting and packing north of Causey bay turnout:

Jon Paul jacking to the cross level; Ian raising the sighting board

(photos courtesy of Callum Gilchrist)

Sunday People

Chris cleaning HL No.2 while Matthew checks the boiler water level  .....

Tomorrow's Trains

Hawthorn Leslie No.2 will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.30, 2 and 3.30 pm this Sunday.  There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

Dan & Ian on HL No.2 at Andrews House on 25/07/13

Horden

Works photo of Horden

Horden was built in Kilmarnock in 1904 by Andrew Barclay, works no.1015, and worked in the East Durham coalfield from 1904 to 1972.

HL No.2 Last Sunday

John Turnock took some photos of Hawthorn Leslie No.2 on test last Sunday:

Tom & Chris preparing No.2

North North Pole Near Completion

Dave, Ian & Rob completing the sub structure .....

Platform Progress

Bob & Bill adding front stays .....

Mainly Platform

Dave, Colin & Steve bracing the platform scaffold

Monday Work

Walter checking Cochrane's clack valve

Sunday at Marley Hill

George & Chris on Cochrane propelling its
empty stock around Marley Hill curve ......

Tomorrow's Trains

Cochrane nearing Terrace Junction last Sunday
(photo courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

Sir Cecil A Cochrane will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.30, 2 and 3.30 pm this Sunday.  There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

Drawing Workshop

Steelworks Drawing Space will hold a drawing workshop at Tanfield Railway on Saturday 23 November 2013 from 10 am to 1 pm.   Book by Wednesday 20 November.

Details, organisational information and how to book at
http://www.cultureworks.info/durham-creatives/articles/49

Some Progress

Dave & Geoff fetching materials .....

Four Team Jobs

Nigel & Bob sizing up the job of replacing
the axle for the Jacker Packer

Two Jobs

Rob, Dave & Steve recovering from the lineside
defective sleepers which have recently been replaced .....

Another Week Begins ....

Dave milling flutes in a clack valve for HL No.2

Sunday Stuff

Ryan & Matthew cleaning Cochrane this morning

Black, Hawthorn & Co

Black Hawthorn & Co were Gateshead-based builders of industrial locomotives of the mid Victorian period.   Following in the vein of the 30 October post about the Robert Stephenson works, I was reminded of BH's importance to the Tyneside Locomotive Museum Trust's collection by a photo recently sent by Dave Hewitt:

Wellington (BH 266, 1873) at Andrews House
(photo from 1990s courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

Tomorrow's Trains

Sir Cecil A Cochrane will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.30, 2 and 3.30 pm this Sunday.  There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

Cochrane passing the coal dock ramp
for Bowes Bridge shed last Sunday
(photo courtesy of Ken Snowdon)

Platform Preparation

In order to build and gain access to the temporary north North Pole platform, there are several hundred tons of material to shift:

Henry fetching ballast in the hired dumper ....

Basalt Ballast

Ian adapting the ballast waggon side chute .....

Sleepers

Not raining, and  a bigger team, so more sleeper changing heading for Causey today:

Bill, Bob, Dave, Ken & Malcolm remove a sleeper

Tuesday Tasks

Dave, Dave & Ian collecting scaffolding for the support
of the decking of the temporary platform .....

Monday Matters

Dave making a stainless steel seat
for a clack valve on HL No.2

Sunday Around Tanfield

James cleaning & Tom oiling Cochrane .....

Tomorrow's Trains

Sir Cecil A Cochrane will haul trains from Andrews House for Sunniside and Causey at 11 am, 12.30, 2 and 3.30 pm this Sunday.  There will be no passenger trains beyond Causey due to track relaying on East Tanfield bank.

Cochrane leaving Andrews House for Sunniside
on the first train operating day of 2013

End of the Week

Brian sharpening a drill