A Few from Today

Mick & Jim locating some thick walled tube from which to make collars

An Award for TR

Today (Saturday), Angela & Martin attended an award ceremony on behalf of TR following an invitation from Liz Twist, MP for Blaydon (which includes Marley Hill & Sunniside).   Liz made the award  to Tanfield Railway  In recognition of your outstanding contribution to our community.

Martin showing the framed certificate, on which Liz also writes:
Thank you for all you have done.   You have made a real difference.
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Tommy's Cuttings #4

North Pole Express from 34 years ago
Chester-le-Street Advertiser 19/11/1987

Thursday's Stuff

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

ITMA - preserving

Today's Work

Some time today, someone made the 2 millionth view of a page on this blog.   Thank you for your interest, but sorry no prize - I don't know who it was!

Dave preparing sockets

Today's Tuesday

Rob removing a broken pane

Monday at Marley Hill

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Peter cutting a gauge glass

Heaton History Group

Googling for info about WP Collier, a well-known photographer of Northumberland based in Bellingham, I stumbled upon the Heaton History Group.   This contains some fascinating details of people, industry & invention in Heaton, as in the page where I'd unknowingly searched for Grubb Parsons.

Try skipping over the photographers Thompson, Hart & Collier, then past Armstrong, Parsons &Arup to find out about the theoretical & very practical engineer Gerald Stoney, then read on to find the optical engineers David Brown & David Sinden.

To find articles of interest to you, either click on a word such as Ouseburn in the tag cloud on the right, or use the search box;  eg searching for corn or "Grand Allies" (NB use quotes to surround a phrase) reveals the part played by the Grand Allies in the Newcastle corn riots of 1740.   I'll leave you to find your way around the Heaton History Group.

NPE Preparation

Rod & helper decorating the North Pole

Tommy's Cuttings #3

Gibraltar Bridge reconstruction (former designed by Stan Weightman) was an essential part of the Causey & ET extension.   Below are local press cuttings (basic info fed via Derek Charlton) from 12 February 1987 courtesy of Tommy Knox:

Newcastle Journal 12/2/1987

Some Tasks from Thursday

Peter cleaning up after painting Cochrane's toolbox
(photo courtesy of Geoff Lowe)

Wednesday Daytime

Colin working on shed doors .....
(photo courtesy of Geoff Lowe)

MH Shed

Ian & Steve re-extending the scaffold on Marley Hill shed
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Loco Prep

David preparing the former for Horden's brick arch
(photo courtesy of Alex Tyson)

Steaming Again

The photos below are courtesy of Alex Tyson:

Graham checking Horden's boiler in steam

Today around Marley Hill

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe:

Graham Morris inspecting Horden's front tubeplate
(Graham Morris Engineering Ltd, 07734560802)

Wednesday Daytime

Bill, Geoff & Colin in the woodwork shop

Tuesday's Tasks

Ian removing render from the outside wall of MH shed
(photo courtesy of Dave Dixon)

Today's Jobs

Jim making replacement nuts to repair 49

Today

The empty stock arrives at a wet Andrews House under Bob's watchful eye

Tommy's Cuttings #2

The cuttings below were collected & provided by Tommy Knox:

Note - Ian on the Poclain first made & later removed a route for farm access
(Northern Echo 8 August 1986)

Today at Marley Hill

Martin & Colin working on the top of a door
(photo courtesy of Geoff Lowe)

Wednesday Daytime Workers

Dave starting to dismantle the walls of the SE offshoot to MH shed

Monday's Engineering

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Ian grass cutting - for the last time this year?

Hetton Colliery

As part of the bicentenary celebration of the winning of Hetton Colliery, together with George Stephenson's steam railway linking the pit with the Wear, NEIMME has organised a free talk at the Common Room this Thursday - on line from 6 pm.

Hetton Colliery, from a drawing by TH Hair 

The Winning of Hetton Colliery on 28 October 2021 from 6 pm until 7 pm on YouTube - register at eventbrite.

Clickat the top of any blog post for modern & historical engineering & other local & online Events.

Sunday Views

Jim making parts for HC 38

Starting to prepare Horden .....

..... for annual boiler inspection

Alex cleaning Horden's smokebox
(photo courtesy of Oliver Humphries)

The Collier John Bowes

On a visit to South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, I discovered a model of the iron steam collier John Bowes, built in 1852 at Palmers shipyard in Jarrow:

The model of the John Bowes 
(South Shields Museum & Art Gallery)

Geoff's Snaps Today

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe:

Malcolm giving Martin & Colin a hand with a new shed door

Marley Hill Today

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe:

Sarah about to line one of Cochrane's sandboxes

..... & Dave's Viewpoints

The photos below are courtesy of Dave Dixon:

Ian reducing the height of part of the offshoot, while saving bricks for reuse

Furnace Work

The photos below are courtesy of Dave Dixon:

Ian preparing .....

A Few from Today

Mick removing a valve motion weighshaft bearer
to true it up with HC 38's main frames

Signalman's Sunday

The photos below are courtesy of Angela Pickering:

Kyle cleaning No.2

Fireman's Sunday

George oiling No.2 this morning

Sylvan Scenes

The photos below, taken last Sunday, are courtesy of Dave Hewitt:

Horden on Causey West Incline .....

Tommy's Cuttings #1

Tommy has handed me some press cuttings which he collected about 30 years ago.   The first I'll reproduce is from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle of 20 August 1987:

The accompanying photograph follows :

A Mixture

Brian progressing the rebuild of the Gardner-powered crane power pack

Around TR

Escucha being loaded onto a Webster's wagon for restoration off site

Today's Progress

Steve assisting & watching Ian & Dave rebuilding the furnace

Monday at Marley Hill

Ian mowing the bus stop layby (above the P&JR route)

TR Sunday

Jim machining a centre on the Husky's compressor crankshaft, the main bearings requiring regrinding

John's Sunday Views

The photos below are courtesy of John Turnock:

Horden on today's first train from .....

HRA Visit

As reported last Wednesday, we were visited by Steve Oates (chief exec of the Heritage Railway Association).    He published some photos from his visit on HRA Facebook.  Thanks to Jonny for spotting & Tommy for mentioning.   Please note - Chris is away, Richard was there.

St Peter's, Newcastle

Peter on Favourite at St Peter's Basin
(see NEMT for info on their boats)

Today's Mix

Mick setting up to cut a drive slot in HC 38's new handbrake screw

Today's Work

Ian & I clearing an old drainage channel outside MH shed
(photo courtesy of Angela Pickering)

Wet Weather Work

Rob checking the PAT database

Some Sunday

The photos below are courtesy of Geoff Lowe:

Dorothy serving Martin with a hot drink

Some Seaham

In 1971, early in Dave Dixon's career as a Tyne Tees TV cameraman, he filmed Johnny Morris at Seaham in Costa del Coal.

Johnny Morris riding around Dawdon colliery on the front of a diesel loco
(still from Costa Del Coal)