North East England - Steam Days Screenshots - Large Screenshots Possible

[borderreiver]

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.

 

[JackDownUnder]

Just because I do not always comment does not mean that I do not follow your posts.
Glad to see a revival of you activities.
Keep up the good work

 

[borderreiver]

Cab shots from the fourth down branch passenger train of the day bound for Wearhead. Starting at Darlington as set 189 Darlington Link C, travelling with set 190 as far as Wear Valley Junction, where they were separated.
This train stopped at Wolsingham at 4.30 p.m. in the 1923 timetable, and remained the same in the 1926 and 1932 carriage Rosters since the 3.57 p.m. departure ex-Wear Valley Junction did not change in the carriage rosters.
However, in the 1932 CR this train only has a strengthening Third attached on Saturdays. Therefore, however many schoolchildren travelled to school on the morning strengthened 3-carriage train they had to make do with the unstrengthened 2-carriage set for the return home.

In one of his three articles, J.B. Dawson mentioned various locomotives and in the course of my research I determined that as well as the alternatives he had recorded there were other possibilities for showing up on the branch. For whatever reason he may not have recalled them or just not seen them that day, due to being at school in Wolsingham, or some other reason.

Today, the fourth down branch passenger train is in the hands of N9 0-6-2T No. 1646 of West Auckland shed. Both No. 1646 and 1651 were at West Auckland at the grouping and remained there for some years. No. 1646 actually moved to Wear Valley shed in April 1931, but this shot must be pre-February 1929, since it was then that she emerged from Darlington works with a vacuum ejector fitted.
No. 1451 moved to Shildon shed in April 1928 and received her vacuum ejector under the unification of braking scheme in December 1929.

Whether the Darlington Link C arrangement was in place by 1928 is unclear to me. JBD mentioned that while he was at Eastgate that clerestory coaches appeared in the branch trains and recalled the strengthening coach on the morning passenger train, which was not required by the July 1926 Carriage roster. I might be pushing it with a changeover as early as 1928, but if a 1928 CR ever emerges we may be enlightened.

With the J21, J24, J25, N8, N9 and N10 all sharing the diagram 67 boiler No. 1646 and 1651 each had the power to take the train from Darlington to Wearhead.

 

[borderreiver]

JBD mentioned that Eastgate sent around five wagonloads of gannister out daily and that between the station, Greenfoot Quarry's output, as well as wagonloads from the two private sidings at Blackey's Isle and Billings Shield normally sent out 50 wagon loads a day, which elevated the station to grade 3.
According to JBD, Blackey's Isle could stand 10 wagons each side of the loader, while Billings Shield siding could accomodate a few more than Blackey's Isle. He does not mention the capacity of the sidings and Greenfoot but a drawing in the NERA digital archive has the siding arrangement and when I laid it out on the DEM route the exchange loop could accomodate 16 wagons, though the three sidings under the loader could only accomodate 8. If Greenfoot sent out 8 a day, then that leaves about 15 wagons a day coming out of one or more of the quarry sidings.

JBD specifically mentioning J25s operating on the line on "goods and mineral" trains makes me think that there might have been a daily mineral train somewhere in the timetable.

Some hours later.......

I laid in loops at Harperley station, Wolsingham station, Bishopley and Wearhead with rough track between them in order to run a test session.

Provided that a 25-wagon mineral train could get itself in to the down loop at Harperley station ahead of the arrival at Harperley station of the 3.57 p.m. Down branch passenger train out of Wear Valley Jcn, it would then subsequently be able to proceed to Wolsingham once the 3.57 down had cleared the section and cross paths there with the 3.52 p.m. Up branch passenger train from Wearhead around 4.30 p.m.

Despite there being a passing loop at Wolsingham and Stanhope the 3.52 p.m. Up passenger train ex-Wearhead and 3.57 p.m. Down passenger train ex-Wear Valley Junction crossed paths on the double track section laid in between Bishopley Junction signal box and Broadwood signal box. There was no station there on that double track section but the line to Bishopley quarries branched off at Bishopley Junction.
The mineral train could reach Stanhope after the 3.57 p.m. ex-Wear Valley passenger train's departure from Stanhope at 4.36 p.m. but then could not enter the single track section through Eastgate until 4.52 p.m.

While the path did exist to accomodate a mineral train there is a human resource problem. During the morning, a porter from Eastgate would travel to Blackey's Isle and Billings Shield Private Owner to mark up the tags for the wagons heading out. At 5 p.m. there was no Eastgate Porter available to go to either PO siding that late in the day. What the situation would be at Stanhope, which provided the porter to administer operating Greenfoot quarry earlier in the day, I do not know.

 

[TrainLords]

JBD mentioned that Eastgate sent around five wagonloads of gannister out daily and that between the station, Greenfoot Quarry's output, as well as wagonloads from the two private sidings at Blackey's Isle and Billings Shield normally sent out 50 wagon loads a day, which elevated the station to grade 3.
According to JBD, Blackey's Isle could stand 10 wagons each side of the loader, while Billings Shield siding could accomodate a few more than Blackey's Isle. He does not mention the capacity of the sidings and Greenfoot but a drawing in the NERA digital archive has the siding arrangement and when I laid it out on the DEM route the exchange loop could accomodate 16 wagons, though the three sidings under the loader could only accomodate 8. If Greenfoot sent out 8 a day, then that leaves about 15 wagons a day coming out of one or more of the quarry sidings.

JBD specifically mentioning J25s operating on the line on "goods and mineral" trains makes me think that there might have been a daily mineral train somewhere in the timetable.

Some hours later.......

I laid in loops at Harperley station, Wolsingham station, Bishopley and Wearhead with rough track between them in order to run a test session.

Provided that a 25-wagon mineral train could get itself in to the down loop at Harperley station ahead of the arrival at Harperley station of the 3.57 p.m. Down branch passenger train out of Wear Valley Jcn, it would then subsequently be able to proceed to Wolsingham once the 3.57 down had cleared the section and cross paths there with the 3.52 p.m. Up branch passenger train from Wearhead around 4.30 p.m.

Despite there being a passing loop at Wolsingham and Stanhope the 3.52 p.m. Up passenger train ex-Wearhead and 3.57 p.m. Down passenger train ex-Wear Valley Junction crossed paths on the double track section laid in between Bishopley Junction signal box and Broadwood signal box. There was no station there on that double track section but the line to Bishopley quarries branched off at Bishopley Junction.
The mineral train could reach Stanhope after the 3.57 p.m. ex-Wear Valley passenger train's departure from Stanhope at 4.36 p.m. but then could not enter the single track section through Eastgate until 4.52 p.m.

While the path did exist to accomodate a mineral train there is a human resource problem. During the morning, a porter from Eastgate would travel to Blackey's Isle and Billings Shield Private Owner to mark up the tags for the wagons heading out. At 5 p.m. there was no Eastgate Porter available to go to either PO siding that late in the day. What the situation would be at Stanhope, which provided the porter to administer operating Greenfoot quarry earlier in the day, I do not know.

Is your NER Carriages availabe to download?

 

[KotangaGirl]

Is your NER Carriages available to download?

They are payware carriages by Paulz Trainz.