Search

Saturday 30 September 2017

Shunting Saturday- 456 Move Pt2

Today saw the move of NER Carriage 456 into the Woodworking Shed- this involved clearing the Andrews House Branch.
David on Aw.No2

Sunday's Trains

Tomorrow, Sir Cecil A. Cochrane is due to head trains from Andrews House at 10.30 am, 11.50 am, 1.15 pm, 2.35 pm & 3.55 pm for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return.
Cochrane leaving Marley Hill shed in October 2015 ......

Friday 29 September 2017

Bowes Bridge Footnote

I posted an article about Bowes Bridge on 6 September in which I mentioned that the cylinder from the engine was in the NRM at York.
Cylinder by Murrays of Chester-le-Street in the main hall at York

Thursday 28 September 2017

At East Tanfield Today

The photos below are courtesy of Dave Dixon:
Ian spreading cold planings at the end of ET bay platform

Wednesday 27 September 2017

Sitting Down, Mainly

Geoff painting the toilet entrance door
(Photo courtesy of Geoff Lowe)

Tuesday 26 September 2017

Cabling & Shunting

Tom oiling stock before shunting
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Monday 25 September 2017

In the Workshop

The photos below are courtesy of Ian Cowan:
Dave & Jim carrying Horden's new drawhook ....

Saturday 23 September 2017

S&DR 192nd Anniversary

The market held today in Stockton High Street was extended to include a marquee holding railway oriented stalls to celebrate the 192nd anniversary of the first steam loco hauled public railway in the world.
Commemorative plaque (due for repair) from the 1925 centenary of the S&DR
The Stockton & Darlington Railway's Locomotion No.1 hauled passengers from Darlington to Stockton for the first time on 27 September 1825.
There will be a celebratory railway event at Stockton, Darlington or Shildon each year until the bicentenary of the S&DR in 2025, when at Tanfield we will celebrate our tercentenary.

Tomorrow's Trains

Tomorrow, Sunday, Keighley Gasworks No.2 is due to head trains from Andrews House at 10.30 am, 11.50 am, 1.15 pm, 2.35 pm & 3.55 pm for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return.
In September 2016, No.2 outside Marley Hill shed, with stonework of the gable to complete

Friday 22 September 2017

Progress with 49's Boiler

49's inner firebox being lowered into the outer ......
(photo courtesy of John Eastwood at Israel Newton's via Richard Charlton)

Thursday 21 September 2017

Some of Today's Work

The photos below are courtesy of Dave Dixon:
Ian & John preparing for another pour of concrete at East Tanfield

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Cabling & Ducting

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe:

Ian, Nigel & John drawing cable through the ducting

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Continued from Yesterday plus

Steve, Ian, Steve & Dave preparing for delivery .....
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Monday 18 September 2017

A Couple of Projects Continue Today

The trench has been dug for the electrical feed to the new machine tools in the workshop
(photo courtesy of Ian Cowan)

Saturday 16 September 2017

RSH Four Wheel Steam Locos

The information, photos & text in this post have been kindly supplied by Eric Maxwell.

Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns was a combine between Hawthorn Leslie of Forth Banks, Newcastle and Robert Stephenson of Darlington.   The new name was registered on the 10th of July 1937 with the chairman being Edward C Straker, who had been the chairman of Hawthorn Leslie from 1921.   Darlington became the works where the larger locos were built and the smaller and industrial locos were Newcastle’s main output.   Hawthorn Leslie remained in business building ships and their engines.

The Newcastle works was in use until 1961 and Darlington until 1964.   The business continued in Lancashire.
A brochure from the late 1940s illustrating the wide
range of locomotives available for home & abroad

Tomorrow's Trains

Tomorrow, Sunday, Sir Cecil A Cochrane is due to head trains from Andrews House at 10.30 am, 11.50 am, 1.15 pm, 2.35 pm & 3.55 pm for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return.
Cochrane visiting NRM Shildon last September
(photo courtesy of Ken Snowdon)
For more photos of Cochrane at Shildon, see the blog posts for Friday 23 September 2016 & Saturday 17 September 2016 

Friday 15 September 2017

Thursday 14 September 2017

Wednesday 13 September 2017

The Big Shunt

The five road shed is being reorganized to improve access & display, and create space for the NER bogie carriage.
Nigel putting the Southern van out of the way

Leading to S&D 200 Anniversary 2025

Monday 11 September 2017

Sunday 10 September 2017

TR Volunteers Weekend Away

This weekend saw a few of the TR volunteers enjoy a trip to the Pontypool And Blaenavon Railway, Dean Forest Railway and the Gloucester And Warwickshire railway. This is a few photos from the trip. 
David, Mark, Matthew, Bobby, Callum, Luke and Antony wait for the next tour round Big Pit.

Heritage Open Day - Sunday

Richard & Logan moving No.49 while working on axlebox oilers

Saturday 9 September 2017

Heritage Open Day - Saturday

Jonny inching forward No.49

Tomorrow's Trains

Tomorrow, Sunday, HL No.2 is due to head trains from Andrews House at 10.30 am, 11.50 am, 1.15 pm, 2.35 pm & 3.55 pm for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return.
No.2 at East Tanfield last month

Friday 8 September 2017

Thursday 7 September 2017

Heritage Open Day - Thursday

Susan talking to visitors about our carriages

Heritage Open Days

Today is the first of four Heritage Open Days at Marley Hill
Walks, talks & tours are available 11 am to 3 pm Thu & Fri, 10 am to 4 pm Sat & Sun

Wednesday 6 September 2017

Some of Today's Work

John using a headlight while tapping into a lighting circuit

Bowes Bridge

I am  unsure of the origin of the name Bowes's Bridge.   There is no map showing a bridge nor a feature which needed bridging, but it lies between Sunniside & Marley Hill.

Bowes Bridge from an 1895 OS 25" map 
(reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland)

Tuesday 5 September 2017

Wet Concrete etc

John, Andrew, Dave & Steve in "waterproof" overalls, shovelling concrete in the rain .....

NLS on line OS Maps

On line National Library of Scotland OS maps now have 89800 maps covering England & Wales at 25 inches to the mile, which provide tremendous detail.   There are 3 series of 25" OS maps for the NE of England, dated around 1895, 1914 and 1939.
Andrewshouse Colliery from a 1914 25" OS map - note signal posts, garden sheds, netties, etc
Track details are interesting - eg Marley Hill shed is connected to the Andrewshouse branch
(Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland)
The NLS are providing a tremendous free service to historians and interested parties across the whole UK in publishing OS maps, and continue to increase coverage & enhance functionality.

Monday 4 September 2017

Monday Mechanics

For Horden - Dennis marking plate & Eric cleaning a buffer housing

Saturday 2 September 2017

Harton Electric Railway

A still from the British Coal video "The End of the Line", newly posted on YouTube
(courtesy of Richard Youll)

Trains This Weekend

Today, the last Saturday of summer running, HL No.2 will head trains from Andrews House at 10.30 am, 11.50 am, 1.15 pm & 2.35 pm for Sunniside, Causey, East Tanfield & return.
HL No.2 entering Sunniside in late August 2015
(photo courtesy of Stu Armstrong)

Friday 1 September 2017

Redheugh Gasworks

Another industrial landmark will disappear with the imminent demolition of Redheugh Gas Works, which has connections with Tanfield Railway:
  • the works were adjacent to the Tanfield Branch at the Teams
  • Sir Cecil A Cochrane was built for & spent all its industrial life at the works
  • Cochrane was registered with the Railway Executive to run on BR, so is one of only three existing locos (NER 1310 at Watergate, AB 32 Stanley at ET) to have worked on the Tanfield Branch
Looking south west into Redheugh Gasworks on 20 August 2017,
with demolition contractor's paraphernalia appearing
The Tanfield Branch ran where the trees are on the left