New Book & Talk

Coxlodge Waggonway viaduct over the Ouse at Gosforth (by TH Hair)

His latest book  Doon the Waggonway  will be the subject of a free talk by Tyneside historian Les Turnbull at the Mining Institute on Thursday 23 April.

This early 19th century waggonway traversed the whole of Newcastle from Coxlodge across Gosforth, past the RVI,, through Heaton to the Tyne at Wallsend.   It is also linked to people behind much of the mining & railway development on Tyneside - Blenkinsop, Brandling, Brunton, Buddle, Stephenson, etc.

Tuesday

Dave mowing

Wednesday

Steve dismantling the stand for the previous heating oil tank

Wednesday

Dave investigating  a fault on the mower

Wednesday

Julian & Roger continuing construction .....

Wednesday

Roger & Julian assembling track panels

Wednesday with Waggonway Work

Barry continuing manhole construction

Tuesday

The photos below are courtesy of Dave Dixon:

Colin & Brian discussing work on the chaldron waggon

Monday (starring Peter)

Peter & Eric discussing the gap between Twizell's new door & smokebox ring,
which is reducing the vacuum & hence the blast & efficiency of the loco

New Waggonway Book

Les Turnbull makes the point that waggonways precede the Stockton & Darlington by over 200 years, & that the development of waggonways for collieries in NE England is the true beginning of the railway revolution.   He also states that the S&DR is celebrated due to successful high profile NER marketing, continued by the LNER & BR, & now the Friends of the S&DR.   

To hear about Les' book & championing of waggonways, there is a launch at 6pm this Thursday at the Mining Institute, repeated at 1pm on Wednesday 31 January at the Lit & Phil.   These are free events bookable via Eventbrite.   

The S&D 2025 bicentennial has top level support, promotion & events which should bring many visitors to NE England.

For 2025 it's up to us at Tanfield to connect & celebrate 300 years of the Sunniside to Causey section of our railway.

Western Way II extant through Gibside

The photos & info below are courtesy of Luke Griffiths, who recently visited Gibside:

This is a man-made bankside .....

Tanfield Waggonway with Horses

1983 recreation of a waggonway at Causey Arch,
to be recreated again for our 2025 tercentenary
(from Pit Ponies by John Bright, Batsford 1986)

There was always horse work above ground, but it gravitated underground as pits developed .....

Causey Waggonway

Ian using the dumpy ......
(photo courtesy of  Angela Pickering)

Causey Waggonway Preparation

Ian & Ian moving the jacker packer

Near Seaton Sluice

I published a post on 24 July, to which Neil Morgan replied that there had been a Newcomen engine & waggonways south west of Seaton Sluice.   I took a short walk in the area today.

Walking up stairs on the west side of Holywell Dene, I hadn't expected this scene.

This large embankment was obviously a former important waggonway - but it finished abruptly high up on the side of the dene, which isn't navigable.