Springwell Bank Foot to Jarrow

Today I followed the last 3-4 miles of the P&JR / Bowes Railway, the former loco-worked section from Springwell Bank Foot to Jarrow staiths.

Austerities at the south west end of Springwell Bank Foot Shed, May 1964.
I think the locos usually faced chimney to the south west.
(photo Ron Fisher)

Harz Mountain Railway

Thanks to John Turnock, who contributed these photos & this feature:

2-10-2T 99 222 leaving Drei Annen Hohne with a train for Brocken in October 2010

Post Coronavirus Appeal

David delivering the Tanfield Railway's appeal for funding ......

Connecting Scotswood & Marley Hill

Thanks to Dave Dixon, who contributed this feature.

Scotswood Tunnel is just west of Scotswood Station on the North Wylam loop which was built as the Scotswood, Newburn and Wylam Railway between 1872 and 1875.

The bricked up eastern portal of Scotswood Tunnel on the North Wylam route .....
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Sunderland North Dock & Branch

North Dock by Meik, 1849

Where's this?

I wrongly thought this bridge had been infilled.   It has been widened for road traffic.
Where is it, who built it originally, & what was its purpose?

If you don't know, the next couple of photos are clues - but don't look unless you need to .....

Thomas Elliot Harrison

Blue plaque on a house in Whitburn Village

Where is it?

I stumbled upon this double slip in concrete this afternoon.
Where is it?
For those who know, what's its use & history?
Answer via the comments below .....

Following a correct answer, this post has been extended with added railway items, especially E1 / J72s, courtesy of Alan Thompson .....

La Trochita

I received some photos from John Turnock, a regular photographer at Tanfield Railway, of his March 2012 visit to the Argentinian 750mm line which runs from Ing. Jacobacci  across the semi arid Patagonian plateau to Esquel in the foothills of the Andes.

No.104 heading away from Ing. Jacobacci on the dual gauge 5'6" / 750mm section
(The locos were all mikados built by Henschel or Baldwin in the 1920s)
(photo courtesy of John Turnock)

Brian Sefton Art

Local artist Brian Sefton visited Tanfield many times in the early days of our railway, and produced work such as:

Irwell, 32, 38 in Marley Hill shed

Neil in New Zealand

More North Island New Zealand photos taken earlier this year, courtesy of Neil Morgan:

Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, Kawakawa, North Island NZ

1949 Drewry & 1959 Price diesels

Signalling Record Society

Thanks to Rob Fallon, who mentioned the interesting web site of the Signalling Record Society which gathers & shares information about railway signalling.


In particular, it presents videos of signalmen & their memories, one of whom is Michael Rising, a Tyneside signalman born in 1937, at work around Tyne Dock, Boldon & Washington from the 1950s.

Michael Rising recording his memories of Pontop Crossing 

The site also contains mainline signalling notices & diagrams for the NE of England. 

Bits of Brandling Junction by Bike

The common seal of the Brandling Junction Railway Company

Early Tanfield Passenger Trains

An advert for passenger trains operating over our East Tanfield to Sunniside section

Visits to a North Island Railway

Rob Fallon took the photos below on visits to the Goldfields Railway in North Island, New Zealand:

Waihi station on a section of main line cut off by a 1978 tunnel

Houghwell Burn Bridge

The photos below are courtesy of Derek & Andrew Knott:

After removing the rotten deck & original cast iron beams, the first reinstatement of Houghwell Burn Bridge by the Tanfield Railway took place during 1992.

Tommy Shield ready .....

Tommy Shield - Colliery Blacksmith

The photos below are courtesy of Ian Cowan:

Tommy heating rivets to complete Wellington's front tubeplate repair

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)