borderreiver
Well-known member
In NERA Express Magazine, issues 87 through 89, from back in 1982, J.B.Dawson wrote about his recollections of country station life at Eastgate, on the 1895 Wearhead extension to the Weardale branch. He mentioned several locomotive classes, often with numbers and I have been working on them.
G5 0-4-4T - No. 1881 operating from Wearhead and No. 408 operating from Stanhope, with No. 1737 as a spare, he thought at Shildon.
Class A 2-4-2 No. 41 (F8 by the time of the LNER) seen for several weeks, probably in the pre-grouping period due to JBD recalling it as a Class A.
J21 0-6-0 - No. 16, 1323 and 1553 were regular performers.
J25 0-6-0 - Nos. 25 and 29 being regulars on goods and mineral trains.
G6 0-4-4T - No numbers but according to JBD one operated a special livestock train on at least one occasion.
H1 4-4-4T - No number but according to JBD one came up the branch on Christmas morning bringing passengers and parcels, returning ECS.
D20 4-4-0 - No numbers but rare visitors on officer's saloon trips - could not be turned at Wearhead but was able to propel officer's saloons.
Tennant 2-4-0 - made one trip up the branch one day to JBD's recollection.
Class 398 0-6-0 - No numbers but appeared now and then.
Also, 4-wheel "birdcage" brake vans on the pick up goods - Wear valley Junction being allocated six, one for each guard - so that informs me that there were likely six daily diagrams out of Wear Valley Junction.
According to Yeadons, allocations were, with the January 1923 grouping allocation first:
F9 - No. 41 - West Auckland, moving to Shildon in December 1929, but quickly moved on to S. Blyth in Apr 1930.
G5 - No. 1881 - Wearhead shed, moving to Darlington in July 1935.
G5 - No. 408 - Stanhope shed, moving to Wear Valley shed in May 1930 and then moving on to Darlington in July 1935.
G5 - No. 1737 - Shildon shed, remaining there until January 1935, when it went to Darlington.
J21 - No. 16 - West Auckland shed, to Shildon shed by August 1924, back to W Auckland by January 1925. Shildon shed welcomed her back in January 1930 and then in July 1935 back to W Auckland
J21 - No. 1323 - Shildon shed, to W Auckland in January 1930 but back at Shildon by April 1931. July 1935 saw her once more back at W Auckland.
J21 - No. 1553 - Wear Valley Junction, Shildon by September 1925 but back to Wear Valley Jcn by April 1926, where she stayed unitl July 1935, when she went to W. Auckland.
J25 - No. 25 - Wear Valley Jcn, moving far afield to New England shed in March 1934
J25 - No. 29 - Shildon, moving to North Blyth in January 1930
The following are not mentioned by JBD, but might be relevant:
G6 - No. 605 - Moved to West Auckland by December 1923, so could have been the loco seen by JBD on the livestock special.
G6 - No. 952 - Moved to West Auckland by January 1924, so could be an alternative to No. 605.
J21 - No. 93 - Shildon shed, moving to W. Auckland in July 1935. No. 93 was Westinghouse fitted, so like 1323 could also have worked a passenger turn on the branch.
J21 - No. 582 - Darlington, moving to Shildon in Apr 1930, then to W. Auckland in July 1935. No. 582 was Westinghouse fitted, so like 1323 could also have appeared on the branch.
J21 - No. 1507 - Shildon shed at grouping, then to W. Auckland in July 1935. Unlike No. 1323 No. 1507 was unfitted, so not as likely to turn up on the branch as No. 1323.
J21 - No. 1512 - Darlington, moving to Shildon in Apr 1930, then to W Auckland in July 1935. No. 1512 was Westinghouse fitted, so, like No. 1323 could also have appeared on the branch.
J25 - No. 1961 - Shildon in January 1930, so might have done duties previously done by No. 29.
J25 - No. 1968 - Also moved to Shildon in January 1930, so may have also done duties previously done by No. 29.
G5 0-4-4T - No. 1881 operating from Wearhead and No. 408 operating from Stanhope, with No. 1737 as a spare, he thought at Shildon.
Class A 2-4-2 No. 41 (F8 by the time of the LNER) seen for several weeks, probably in the pre-grouping period due to JBD recalling it as a Class A.
J21 0-6-0 - No. 16, 1323 and 1553 were regular performers.
J25 0-6-0 - Nos. 25 and 29 being regulars on goods and mineral trains.
G6 0-4-4T - No numbers but according to JBD one operated a special livestock train on at least one occasion.
H1 4-4-4T - No number but according to JBD one came up the branch on Christmas morning bringing passengers and parcels, returning ECS.
D20 4-4-0 - No numbers but rare visitors on officer's saloon trips - could not be turned at Wearhead but was able to propel officer's saloons.
Tennant 2-4-0 - made one trip up the branch one day to JBD's recollection.
Class 398 0-6-0 - No numbers but appeared now and then.
Also, 4-wheel "birdcage" brake vans on the pick up goods - Wear valley Junction being allocated six, one for each guard - so that informs me that there were likely six daily diagrams out of Wear Valley Junction.
According to Yeadons, allocations were, with the January 1923 grouping allocation first:
F9 - No. 41 - West Auckland, moving to Shildon in December 1929, but quickly moved on to S. Blyth in Apr 1930.
G5 - No. 1881 - Wearhead shed, moving to Darlington in July 1935.
G5 - No. 408 - Stanhope shed, moving to Wear Valley shed in May 1930 and then moving on to Darlington in July 1935.
G5 - No. 1737 - Shildon shed, remaining there until January 1935, when it went to Darlington.
J21 - No. 16 - West Auckland shed, to Shildon shed by August 1924, back to W Auckland by January 1925. Shildon shed welcomed her back in January 1930 and then in July 1935 back to W Auckland
J21 - No. 1323 - Shildon shed, to W Auckland in January 1930 but back at Shildon by April 1931. July 1935 saw her once more back at W Auckland.
J21 - No. 1553 - Wear Valley Junction, Shildon by September 1925 but back to Wear Valley Jcn by April 1926, where she stayed unitl July 1935, when she went to W. Auckland.
J25 - No. 25 - Wear Valley Jcn, moving far afield to New England shed in March 1934
J25 - No. 29 - Shildon, moving to North Blyth in January 1930
The following are not mentioned by JBD, but might be relevant:
G6 - No. 605 - Moved to West Auckland by December 1923, so could have been the loco seen by JBD on the livestock special.
G6 - No. 952 - Moved to West Auckland by January 1924, so could be an alternative to No. 605.
J21 - No. 93 - Shildon shed, moving to W. Auckland in July 1935. No. 93 was Westinghouse fitted, so like 1323 could also have worked a passenger turn on the branch.
J21 - No. 582 - Darlington, moving to Shildon in Apr 1930, then to W. Auckland in July 1935. No. 582 was Westinghouse fitted, so like 1323 could also have appeared on the branch.
J21 - No. 1507 - Shildon shed at grouping, then to W. Auckland in July 1935. Unlike No. 1323 No. 1507 was unfitted, so not as likely to turn up on the branch as No. 1323.
J21 - No. 1512 - Darlington, moving to Shildon in Apr 1930, then to W Auckland in July 1935. No. 1512 was Westinghouse fitted, so, like No. 1323 could also have appeared on the branch.
J25 - No. 1961 - Shildon in January 1930, so might have done duties previously done by No. 29.
J25 - No. 1968 - Also moved to Shildon in January 1930, so may have also done duties previously done by No. 29.
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