Guess who

Preparing for inspection

Tuesday the hottest day this year!!!

Steve measuring invert depth at East Tanfield to enable

further calculations on the drainage scheme

Vic's Back

(photo courtesy of Ian Cowan) 

Charter Photos

The photos below were taken during the private charter of the railway on Friday 19 June 2015, and are all courtesy of Ken Snowdon:

Friday morning raising steam outside Marley Hill shed

Sunday Stuff

HL No.2:
 Todays engine being Prepped...

Tomorrow's Trains

Nobel's Explosives No.2 is scheduled to take passenger trains from Andrews House at  10.30 am, 11.45 am, 1 pm, 2.15 pm & 3.30 pm  for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return.

Pontop Canteen will be open in the carriage shed, alongside art & craft market stalls - see the main TR web for details.

No.2 running round its train at Sunniside last month

Friday Cleaning & Preparation

Dennis cleaning carriage windows

Several Jobs

Jack lining up the brooch while chain drilling Horden's buffer beam

Legends of Industry 2015 Gala Videos

Dave Dixon's Video 

There are many more Youtube videos of the 2015 gala, eg:

• Tanfield Railway Legends of Industry 2015by 60007james31 views
  7:48
• Tanfield Railway 'Legends of Industry' Gala - 20th June 2015by SAYFILMPRODUCTIONS106 views
  5:58
• 3:53
• Legends of Industry Steam Gala Tanfield Railway 2015by Alan Chun19 views
  2:24

More Maintenance

Dave trying strip lighting in the canteen
- we've also going to try shaded lamps

Bowes Railway Blog Updated

Merlin being delivered to Bowes 

Mainly Maintenance

Steve sealing leaks in the workshop roof

Sunday Gala Volunteers

The photos below were taken by Stu Armstrong on Sunday:

Dan cleaning No.2 .....

Saturday Gala Volunteers

The photos below were taken by Stu Armstrong on Saturday:

Luke & Ben on coal duty

Front Page News - Updated

On the front page of the Newcastle Journal this morning
Story inside the Journal and on line 

Related press articles:

Chronicle 16 June 2015 

Chronicle 19 June 2015 

Chronicle 22 June 2015 

ITV 18 June 2015 

Northern Echo 18 June 2015 

Sunniside LHS Visit

Jonathan Wallace took photos yesterday while visiting the railway with other members of Sunniside Local History Society:

There are more photos on Jonathan's Flickr site 

Gala Sunday

The red visitors outside Marley Hill shed this morning

Gala Saturday

The photos below are all courtesy of David Reed:

Gala Tomorrow

Mike topping up the Planet .....

Even More Gala Prep

Diesels galore - but which one is working?
(photo courtesy of Nigel Wheeler)

More Gala Prep Again

Bill, Steve & Bob spreading ash ballast in Andrews House

Gala prep: day 2

Owen painting the frames and wheels of the
plywood van.

More Gala Prep

Loading ash ballast near Terrace Junction .....

Bicentary of S&DR

The Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2025.   Friends of the S&DR are holding a conference at NRM Shildon this week to plan the celebrations, which includes a bid for world heritage status.   A few of our volunteers are manning a stall during the conference to advertise Tanfield Railway (which will celebrate the tercentenary of the Tanfield Waggonway in the same year).

The Brusselton Incline Group are also attending the conference.   The Incline fed coal onto the S&DR, and a walk was organised to view the recently excavated stone sleepers on the route east from the site of the stationary engine.

Looking east down from Brusselton engine; looking west up to the site of the engine

(photos courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Usual Monday + Gala Prep

Malcolm measuring a cross head slipper

Sunday at TR

Cochrane & David oiling No.2

Saturday work

Luke with the ticket shed for the Gala
Bobby trying to avoid the camera.

Inside Marley Hill Shed

All photos below taken on 7 June, courtesy of Ken Snowdon 

Marley Hill engine shed was built by 1854 for the Pontop & Jarrow Railway extension to Byermoor.   It is the oldest engine shed in the world still in use for its original purpose of housing steam locomotives.

On the left, Keighley Gasworks No.2, which is in use today

Last Sunday's Trains

The photos below were taken last Sunday by Ken Snowdon:

Dave (guard) & Ian (duty officer) chatting at Marley Hill station
before the departure of the empty stock

Tomorrow's Trains

Two green Newcastle-built 4 coupled steam locomotives will double head passenger trains from Andrews House at  10.30 am, 11.45 am, 1 pm, 2.15 pm & 3.30 pm  for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return .....

No.2 & Cochrane running round their train at East Tanfield last month

..... and the new Pontop Cafe on Marley Hill shed site will be serving hot food & drinks for the first time .....

The cafe opens directly into the carriage shed

A Bit of Shunting for the Gala

Ian moving yellow on track plant .....

More Gala Prep & Maintenance

Bill trimming Andrews House east platform

Gala Prep & Maintenance

Dave with his electrician's kit .....

Leading up to the Gala

Martin working on cabinet fronts and floor covering in the cafe, which will be in use at the gala

Continued Jobs

Malcolm making plinth panels for the cafe counter

Sunday on the Footplate

Richard testing boiler water for free oxygen

Tomorrow's Trains

A green Newcastle-built 4 coupled steam locomotive will haul passenger trains from Andrews House at  10.30 am, 11.45 am, 1 pm, 2.15 pm & 3.30 pm  for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return .....

..... but it won't be this one - L&HC No.14 seen in Marley Hill shed

Pontop View Café

Painting the cafe floor on Thursday

The cafe at the side of the carriage shed is due to come into use next weekend, as a practice run before the gala the following weekend.   Thanks to all those who have worked on it in the past few weeks.

Work Continues

30 tonnes of Welsh coal delivered this morning to see firemen through the gala

Café Takes Shape

Dick & Kevin sanding the counter ......

Fitting Out the Café

Rob & Colin fitting wall panelling 

Several Jobs

Dave installing electrics in the cafe .....