Today at Marley Hill & East Tanfield

Antony, happy in his work .....
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Heritage Open Days September 2021

Tanfield Railway will be taking part in Heritage Open Days on Sundays 12 & 19 September 2021 by providing guided walks from ET to Causey, during which we'll describe the coal industry & railways of the area.   It will be an opportunity to promote TR, our history, our tercentenary plans, & volunteer opportunities.   Train journeys & refreshments will be available, but are not part of the free offer.

Thursday Tasks

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe (except as shown):

Bill painting a lamp post .....

Another View

The photos below are courtesy of Dave Dixon:

Steve continuing work on the brick arch over a window .....

Assorted Work

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe:

Steve mixing mortar for window work

Windows

The photos below are courtesy of Dave Dixon (except as stated):

Steve sawing a support ......

Live Stream Events from the Common Room

In addition to Les Turnbull's Tanfield Waggonway talk this Thursday evening, the Common Room is advertising on line events about modern engineering, including job adverts & careers.   Note that these live events from around the world are in many different time zones!

From Our Correspondent

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Ian working on his mower's starter motor pinion

From Marley Hill

Jim & Mick trying to free brake rigging from HC 38

A Guard's View of TR

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe:

Guy's in charge at East Tanfield as the train arrives

William Lane's Foundry

Angela took patterns to William Lane's Foundry at Middlesbrough, from which firebars for our locos will be cast.

It's great to see casting continuing in Ironopolis
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Around Marley Hill

Mick making a new dome cover gasket for Horden

More MH Shed

Cameron plasma cutting a template, under instruction from Ian

Shed Work

Cameron chamfering box section ends .....

Live Stream Book Launch

Les Turnbull is a local historian with a particular interest in the waggonway era.   He will talk about his most recent book The First Tanfield Railway at the Mining Institute at 6 - 7.15 pm on Thursday 29 July 2021.   This free talk is being live streamed.  Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-first-tanfield-railway-live-streamed-public-talk-by-les-turnbull-tickets-163029596913 

Work Today

Jim making another spring pin for HC 38

Sunday Stuff

David oiling No.2 this morning .....

49 Last Friday at North Tyneside Gala

49 using the run round loop at Percy Main
(photo courtesy of Bob Payne)

Thursday Tasks

Jim making another of HC 38's spring hanger pins

Wednesday - Windows, Weeding & Other Work

Ian & Ian lifting an unused frame out of a shed window opening

Today's Stuff

Ian removing more rendering

A Couple of Shots

Dennis tidying up plate for stock material

Sunday Trains

Logan cleaning while Chris prepares to oil Horden

A Tanfield Waggonway History

Because the Tanfield Railway runs on part of the route of the Tanfield Waggonway, we state that we are the oldest railway in the world.   This is true because we are the oldest still working, & our route has significant civil engineering which has been used since 1725.   Competitors for the 'oldest' title, including Middleton and Stockton & Darlington, lay claim to much later & different stories which follow on from developments at Tanfield.

We are going to celebrate our tercentenary in 2025, but parts of the Tanfield route are older than 1725, and to understand our history we need to look at why waggonways were used & developed.

49 at North Tyneside Gala

The photos below are courtesy of Alfie Gascoigne:

Raising steam

Thursday at TR

Jim making a brake hanger pin for HC 38

49 Goes on Holiday

No.49 being winched up the ramp at East Tanfield in the wet .....
(photo courtesy of Oliver Humphries)

Some Wednesday Work

Temporary fill from the shed floor which we dumped earlier being dug out by Ian ....
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Last Pour of the Floor

Ian keeping an eye on the concrete delivery

Monday at Marley Hill

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Malcolm tidying up

Sunday around Marley Hill

David oiling Horden

Tomorrow's Trains

Tomorrow, passenger trains hauled by the recently overhauled 1904-built loco Horden are running from East Tanfield to Andrews House, with compartments bookable on the main TR website.

Steve, Horden's driver, waits for departure from ET last Sunday
(photo courtesy of Jack Hannah)

Pociąg Parowy

Pociąg Parowy at East Tanfield .....
(photo courtesy of Arkadiusz Makowski)

More Concrete

Mick sawing a groove in the head of a screw made by Jim for HC38