Wednesday 4/11

Martin & Alex digging a hole .....
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Tuesday 3/11

Jim setting up his morning's work

Monday 2/11

Eric using a jet wash to clean dirt out from between the vanes of AW 2's radiator
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Sunday 1/11

Erecting a tent at the North Pole

Thursday 29/10

Richard making a replacement gasket for 49's valve chest cover

Wednesday 28/10

Roger checking a distribution board

Tuesday 27/10

Steve & Colin stripping bark from a fallen curved tree limb, to be used as a brake handle

Monday 26/10

Eric tightening bolts on AW2's compressor
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

Sunday 25/10

Tommy has sold out to Santa

Thursday 22/10

Jim making a part for HC 38's lubrication system

Wednesday 21/10

Peter controlling water flow .....

Tuesday 20/10

Ian retrieving a two-lever ground frame from stock
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Monday 19/10 featuring Andy

Alex helping Richard remove plugs from 49's smokebox, ready for annual inspection
(photo courtesy of Peter Weightman)

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