Saturday 17/10 Gala

49 & Horden making smoke at the back of Marley Hill shed
(photo courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

Saturday 17/10 - Ken Hemmings

Around 1960 Ken Hemmings, a school leaver from Dunston who was keen on railways, started as a post boy for BR in Gateshead.   His bicycle round was the Tanfield Branch, daily delivering mail & notices to every signalbox, crossing cabin & yard bothy on the line.   Seeking a railway career, his next job was as a cleaner at Greenesfield shed, where he soon progressed to passed cleaner, firing as required on yard shunting, main line trips, at Dunston staiths, and the Tanfield Branch.

Ken on a J72 in the yard for Dunston staiths
(photo courtesy of Ken Hemmings)

Friday 16/10

Callum setting back during shunting at East Tanfield
(photo courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

Thursday 15/10

Peter working on cleaning up and checking fuel pipework on 
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Wednesday 14/10

Martin planting a hlder for a removable fence post
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Tuesday 13/10

Andy preparing locos for the gala this weekend
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Monday 12/10 featuring Eric again

Eric working on altering the Armstrong's radiator filler
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Thursday 8/10

Geoff completing the vac application valve

Wednesday 7/10

Barry setting up the scaffold tower in ET carriage shed
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Tuesday 6/10

Ian threading an exhaust pipe for 49's vacuum ejector

Sunday 4/10

Guy & Steve watching Cochrane backing into Marley Hill station,
before fetching its carriages from the shed
(photo courtesy of James Gray)

Thursday 1/10

Neil chasing threads of bespoke nuts for buffer guide blocks of the engineer's saloon

Wednesday 30/9

Alan fitting hand rails in MH carriage shed toilets
(photo courtesy of Geoff Lowe)

Tuesday 29/9

Dave mowing the welcome hut picnic area

Monday 28/9

Richard adding tannins to 49's water tank
Fancy helping with loco maintenance on Mondays?

Sunday 27/9

Oliver shunting carriages with No.2 & Euan as 49 backs onto the extra bogie carriage

A Day at Bobgins Crossing Sunday 27th Sept

Logan, Oliver and Ben heading south towards Causey woods

Thursday 24/9

Ian filling a hole outside the workshop

Wednesday 23/9

Geoff painting a stand for fire beaters .....

Tuesday 22/9

Richard shunting, inter alia, Hendon & Irwell's frames .....

Monday 21/9 with Eric

The photos below are courtesy of Peter Weightman:

Richard sorting sets of spanners for general shed use

Sunday 20/9

Phil in charge of propelling his train from Marley Hill onto the branch .....
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Thursday 17/9

Dennis reforming a point motor cover

Wednesday 16/9

Colin adjusting MH shed toilet doors

Tuesday 15/9

Ian fixing a fuel leak & checking over AW2

Sunday Bonus

Ben on Horden with the freight train passing over Causey car park exit bridge
(photo courtesy of Dave Hewitt)

Sunday13/9

No.2 & Horden raising steam in a smoky Marley Hill shed this morning

Thursday 10/9

Jim making lubrication fittings

Wednesday 9/9

Alex & Martin on lineside fencing repairs
(photo courtesy of Roger Smith)

Tuesday 8/9

Dave clearing the lineside north of MH signalbox .....
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Monday 7/9

Eric drilling a bracket for Horden's drain cock lever .....
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Sunday 6/9

Twizell raising steam outside MH shed .....
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Brandling Junction Railway (BJR)

The Brandling Junction Railway developed routes south of the Tyne around 1840.   At a time when there was no railway bridge over the Tyne or the Wear, the BJR joined Gateshead to South Shields & Monkwearmouth.   More importantly for TR, the BJR modernised the Tanfield Waggonway with iron rails & standard gauge, and stationary engines replacing some horse-drawn sections.   It operated our TR route on a wayleave basis, ie ownership remained with local landowners.

I have come across a description of the BJR in a reprint of an 1842 edition by Francis Whishaw, a railway civil engineer, which I reproduce below.   This book looks at early Victorian standalone public railways, pre "Railway Mania", in which the relatively small BJR features alongside segments of future UK mainline routes.

Thursday 3/9

Dennis sorting out under-bench storage

Wednesday 2/9

Graham checking Stanley's firebox tubeplate thickness .....

Tuesday 1/9

Dave fitting a new sign at Andrews House
(photo courtesy of Barry Duncan)

BH Monday 31/8

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Richard & Elise watering 49

Sunday 30/8

Trevor making a rubber gasket for a section of Stanley's tank

Thursday 27/8

Mick cleaning up the hacksaw

Wednesday 26/8 ET Carriage Shed Block Paving Relaying

Roger removing & cleaning blocks from a path which has sunk
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Wednesday 26/8 ET Carriage Shed Display Wall Renewal

The photos below are courtesy of Alan Gibson:

Colin tidying up before installing display boarding

Wednesday 26/8 'Letting Off Steam' in MH Carriage shed

David & Barry carpeting MH carriage shed

Tuesday 25/8

Steve working on the lineside north of MH signalbox .....
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Monday 24/8

Eric fettling leaking pipe joints on Twizell's vacuum ejector
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Sunday 23/8

Guards James & Matthew waiting for
Oliver to couple Twizell to its train .....

Saturday 22/8

Ben & Twizell in steam outside Marley Hill shed
(photo courtesy of Steve Easton)

Lakeshore Railroad, South Shields

Lakeshore Railroad, my local steam railway, is about 5 minutes away by bike.   It's a 9.5" gauge miniature railway which steams over 200 days a year, weather permitting.   Running on demand around the boating & water bird lake in the South Marine Park, its 5-10 minute journey is usually well-patronised at £2/head.

The now 50 year-old loco Adiela runs its train into the station on an evening service

The railway competes with the fairground across the road for much of the year.   Its staff seem well-capable & knowledgeable, even keen, about steam - they have to be, with many long days, weeks & months of continuous public service.   Recently they've switched from coke to smokeless compressed fuel, but know the locos' idiosyncrasies well enough to handle the usual ensuing steaming & ash problems in a small firebox, grate & ashpan.

Spot the AW2 look alike in the website header photo cycle!

Thursday 20/8

Dennis cleaning up under a lathe before .....

Wednesday 19/8

Blacksmith demo in MH shed

Tuesday 18/8

Barry gathering up his cuttings