Frank Sutcliffe

Frank Sutcliffe was a resident of Whitby who in the late 1800s & early 1900s took a great many photos of Whitby & its people, particularly at work.     I came across those below in the book Frank Meadow Sutcliffe: A Second Selection.     This & other publications are commonly available, via the internet & in Whitby.

Laying a cable across the River Esk c1910 - but the 4-wheel carriages behind are of note

Thursday

The photos below are courtesy of Peter Weightman:

Jim setting up a job in the lathe ..... 

Mince Pie Specials Day#2

A visitor being greeted by Martin & Dorothy at East Tanfield

NPE 2022 Day#12 Christmas Eve

David filling 49's bunker outside Marley Hill shed
(photo courtesy of Alex Tyson)

Merry Xmas Everyone!

NPE 2022 Day#11

 Outside MH shed, Alex fills Cochrane's tank while raising steam for today's NPE .....
(photo courtesy of Oliver Humphries)

Thursday

The photos below are courtesy of Peter Weightman:

Brian checking & adjusting the fit of stays to smoke chute diameter .....

NPE 2022 Day#9 - Tuesday by Angela

The photos below were taken on Tuesday 20 December, courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Matthew cleaning Horden, ready for work

NPE 2022 Day#9

Antony driving Horden on Causey Embankment, heading for the North Pole .....
(photo courtesy of John Turnock)

RS Works Bicentenary

In the continuum of the industrial revolution & the development of railways, we should expect many railway & industrial bicentenary exhibitions over the next few years - more so than tercentenaries & quadricentenaries (we missed the Tanfield route of 1621 around Lobley Hill).    Another for our region is Robert Stephenson's works at Forth Street, opened in 1823 as the world's first workshop dedicated to loco production.

Eventbrite link to free RS bicentenary exhibition at the Common Room
(Does anyone recognize the loco depicted?)

NPE 2022 Day#8

Presents for the day arriving at the North Pole

NPE 2022 Day#7

The photos below are courtesy of John Turnock:

Horden heading away from East Tanfield with a North Pole Express (NPE)

Thursday

Geoff stirring .....

Wednesday

Priming hinges for the electrical cupboards by Colin .....
(photo courtesy of Geoff Lowe)

Tuesday

Steve & Ian adding fittings to the electrical cupboards .....

Monday

The photos below are courtesy of Peter Weightman:

Richard lagging Horden's pipework - the temperature in the shed is near freezing

NPE 2022 Day#6 featuring No.49

George on 49 taking the North Pole Express towards the Pole
(photo courtesy of Geoff Atkinson)

NPE 2022 Day#6

Chris filling 49's tank outside MH shed

NPE 2022 Day#5

David driving Horden heading the North Pole Express on Causey West Incline
(photo courtesy of John Turnock)

It's up!

Christmas tree from Tanfield Railway in our parish church of  St Margaret's, Tanfield Village
(Tree, decoration & photo thanks to & courtesy of Angela Pickering)

GoFundMe Appeal

Marley Hill Engine Shed in 1954 & 2022

I've created a new GoFundMe appeal to help us complete the renovation of the core structure of our 1854 engine shed, the oldest in the world still in use for steam loco stabling and repair.   We aim to present the shed as it was in the early 1930s, housing working steam locos while improving public access.   We've already done much of the structural work.   Now, we have to install smoke chutes to keep the shed cleaner & ensure the roof structure lasts longer; reconstruct the forge because the walls were collapsing & the chimney leaking; rebuild the sand, oil, wood & coal stores; paint the internal walls, etc.

Please help us get the shed into full use by donating  - we received large donations towards lime rendering the walls, but smaller donations accumulate & become equally valuable - they funded the new electrical installation, glazing & putty, timber for window cills & lantern louvres, and so on.

Thursday

Mick milling plates for ends to Horden's new blast pipe

Wednesday

Colin cleaning the wood workshop floor at day's start
(photo courtesy of Geoff Lowe)

A Cold Tuesday

Ian chopping wood for electrical cupboards

Monday

The Planet being inspected for potential hire
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

NPE 2022 Day#4

Tom cutting plate to be used on HL No.2

1990s TR Videos

Dave Dixon noticed a couple of YouTube videos of Tanfield by Nick Tozer:

1990 video - still shows Gamma, FGF, No.16 & MH shed roof in poor condition

This 18 minute video shows operation between Marley Hill & Sunniside, with Andrews House & Causey under construction.   Spot the offloading siding at Bowes Bridge, 3 boards at Terrace Junction, Irwell's shed at the drops, etc

Tomorrow's North Pole Express

Last Sunday, driver George on 49 passing Causey car park with an NPE .....
(photo courtesy of Henry Elliott)

Thursday

Steve freeing another point clamp

Wednesday's Work

Terry & Geoff planning work on a shed doorway

Tuesday

Ian continuing construction of electrical cabinets for MH shed .....

NPE 2022 Day#2 pt2

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Coaling 49 for the day's work

NPE 2022 Day #2 pt1

Andy cleaning 49 while building up steam

Thursday

Mick making another cotter pin for HC 38

A Wet Wednesday

Geoff preparing for his day's travails

Tuesday

Webster's Haulage taking Twizell's boiler to Newton's in Derbyshire for firebox repairs

Monday Works

The photos below are courtesy of Peter Weightman:

Jim threading the end of a cotter pin for HC 38

Sunday Prep

Andrew watching locos being moved from MH carriage shed .....
(photo courtesy of Alex Tyson)

Saturday in Tent

The photos below are courtesy of Alfie Gascoigne:

Sweeping out the hired marquee at the North Pole

A Very Wet Thursday

Mick continuing his work .....

An Uplifting Wednesday

No.2's chassis inside while its boiler is outside, ready to lift from the bogie
(photo courtesy of Kelly Walsh)

A Wet Tuesday

Aligning wiring .....

Monday

Ian making a wooden cabling duct for MH shed
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Sunday

Jim working from spec to produce signalling parts

Thursday Afternoon

Matthew & Antony being prepared for their film debut .....
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Thursday Morning

Antony oiling Cochrane
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Twizell a Half Century Ago

Twizell being stripped in the early 1970s
(photo by Bobby Hunter, via Alex)

Twizell was at Marley Hill during the 1970s.   The photo shows removal of tanks in those early days.   Derek Knott is on the bunker & Peter operates the Smith Rodley steam crane (which is now at Beamish).   I'm unsure of the others, does anyone know?

Twizell's water tanks were renewed at Beamish.   Note the very open aspect.   I think the overhead wires in the foreground are shed telephone, in the distant background is the high voltage feed to Marley Hill Colliery

Wednesday

Twizell's cab top being removed
(photo courtesy of Alex Tyson)

Tuesday

Ian refitting parts on an air receiver .....

Sunday

Station transformation under way, ready for NPE 2022
(photo courtesy of Alfie Gascoigne)

No Trains Tomorrow

There are no passenger trains scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday 6 November.   Volunteers will instead concentrate on North Pole preparation, loco maintenance, tree trimming at Causey, etc.   In the meanwhile, here are some photos of last Sunday's trains, courtesy of Henry Elliott:

Cochrane between the foot crossings on Causey West Incline