North East England - Steam Days Screenshots - Large Screenshots Possible

There are a few "artifacts" going on in TRS 2019. Opaque glass (mentioned elsewhere), coronas etc. The blazing noon day sun is another "feature" I am trying to sort out on my routes. NW Durham at midday looked like Arizona in the height of summer. Here is Bishop Auckland route at 10 a.m. Shildon yard.

Below, the west end of the yard looking east. Full coal trains arrive on the left, where the locomotives leave them for sorting. Shunters take them on to the central part of the yard, where they are sorted in to longer rakes for the haul down to Newport on the south bank of the Tees via the former Clarence Railway route through Redmarshall. Some may also go to Billingham and Hartlepool and one or two via Darlington North Road and Croft yard. From there they will head south along the East Coast Main Line to York. Empties arrive on the right, where they will be sorted in to shorter rakes to be taken on to the local collieries. Wagons bound for Shildon works also arrive on the right.



Below, at the east end of the yard, a Q6 0-8-0 prepares to depart with a 1200 ton load for Newport. A Q5 0-8-0 is backing down on to its load, which will follow the Q6 out as soon as the signals permit. Empty hopper wagons are stored in the sidings on the left.

 
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ECJS Vans at Newcastle

Northeast England during the steam era. Pre-grouping Newcastle Central in TRS 2019. E Class 0-6-0 shunting two E.C.J.S. Diagram 37 six-wheel vans. Twenty were built during 1883 and a further eight were built during 1893. Disposal information is incomplete but at least nine (the 1893 batch plus one 1883 van which is recorded as destroyed in 1915) were in E.C.J.S. stock during the summer of 1914.



 
Thanks Rob.
The EC Diagram 37 still had a rostered duty each way between London and Scotland during the summer of 1914, despite lacking corridor connections, a rarity among E.C.J.S. carriages by then.
In the Down direction, one was meant to be attached to the rear of the 2:20 p.m. London - Edinburgh, running as far as Newcastle, where it was taken off, then attached later in the small hours to the 11:45 p.m. from London and going to Edinburgh.
In the Up direction it returned on an N.E.R. train, the 5:00 p.m. from Glasgow to Leeds via York. It was attached at Edinburgh, joining an E.C.J.S. Corridor Bogie Brake carriage to E.C. Diagram 35. The vans were detached at York and then went forward to London attached to a G.N.R. train.

On Saturdays there was meant to be no E.C. Diagram 37 van attached to the 2:20 p.m. Its place was taken by a G.N.R. Corridor Bogie Brake Composite carriage which was detached at Newcastle. However, the Through Carriage Working Instructions still had an E.C. Diag 37 van being attached at Newcastle to the 11:45 p.m. ex-London during the small hours of Sunday. Similarly, the T.C.W.I. also required it for the Sunday 11:45 p.m. ex-London in the small hours of Monday. Usually, van operations are "Mondays Excepted" so operationally it would appear that the E.C.J.S. found a need for the van space to Edinburgh to be strengthened from Newcastle around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday and Monday. I guess that we'll never know now why that was. It would have meant that Newcastle may have had at least one van on hand to attach Sunday and Monday since none was rostered to travel from London by E.C.J.S. express. I know of one example where an E.C.J.S. van left London behind the G.N.R. 4:30 p.m. so it is possible that an E.C. Diag 37 van made its way to Newcastle on Saturday using the G,N.R. to York, the N.E.R. from York or a G.N.&N.E.J.S. express between London and Newcastle. The Monday morning van's origins are even more obscure, since in 1914 there was no daytime express passenger train out of London for Scotland and neither the G.N.R. nor G.N.&N.E.J.S. ran out of London for York/Newcastle either. Perhaps two came north on Saturday.
 
E.C.M.L. Newton Hall Junction 1959

Northeast England during the steam era. Circa 1959, veteran Raven 3-cylinder 0-8-0 Class Q7 63460 heads south past Newton Hall Junction signal box with a former L.N.E.R. Toad B 20T brake van.



Built during 1919 as T3 Class number 901, five of the class were delivered during this year. A further ten were built during 1924, which was a strange decision by the L.N.E.R. given that surplus WD 2-8-0s were available in large numbers.
Axle load meant that the T3/Q7 were not able to cross on to colliery tracks, which meant they were not as useful as their T2/Q6 eight-coupled siblings. No.901, was one of four of the first batch which were allocated on delivery to Hull Dairycoates for heavy freight duties. A further six of the second batch were also allocated to Dairycoates shed. Tyne Dock shed gained No.903 of the first batch on delivery while four of the second batch went there in 1924.

The class must have been useful at Dairycoates, since that shed's allocation did not move on until the later 1920s, with sheds on Tees-side the predominant destinations. A couple found their way to Selby for a couple of years during the early 1930s, though this was a period of crisis for the L.N.E.R. and heavy freight haulage due to the great depression. Several others also spent the early 1930s wandering around various north-eastern sheds as the N.E. Area tried to find them suitable work.

Tyne Dock shed clung on to a hard core of class members and by the later years of WWII the policy of concentration of classes found them all allocated there. It was there, post-war that the class found the work for which it is now associated with, the hauling of heavy iron ore trains between Tyne Dock and Consett. At first the trains were made up of 21 Ton iron ore hoppers but in 1954 British Railways introduced the 56 Ton bogie hoppers which required Westinghouse pumps to operate the air-driven hopper doors. Westinghouse pump fitment was shared with Class O1 2-8-0s and both classes were superseded by the B.R. Standard 9F 2-10-0s. Both the Q7s and O1s would then find work banking the ore trains from South Pelaw Junction for several years. This was a brief "time in the sun" for the class and since they were neither as useful or numerous as the Q6 they were relatively early victims of withdrawal, all going during 1962.
 
E.C.M.L. 1919 - P3 Class 0-6-0 on class H freight

North east England during the steam era. One of Wilson Worsdell's large boilered P3 Class 0-6-0s at work on the East Coast Main Line hauling a long train of loose coupled wagons to class H. Typically, York would pair up train loads so that a loco would take a long train to make the most of the paths available across the Vale of York. At this time, just after WWI, the E.C.M.L. north of York remained double track and capacity was an issue. The Leeds Northern route between Leeds and Northallerton via Ripon was a busy route for freight, particularly that bound for Tees-side and along the Durham coast to West Hartlepool, and Sunderland. In this case the front portion is general merchandise bound for Croft yard and sorting for onward destinations while the rear portion is empty wagons of various types bound for the steel works at Consett. The portions would be separated at Croft yard. Several trains ran daily between Croft Yard and Consett Low Yard. The other main destinations northwards from Croft were Gateshead Park Lane, Newcastle Forth and Heaton.

Below, the train crosses the River Tees dividing County Durham from the North Riding of Yorkshire.



Below, passing through Croft Station.



Taking the loop line for Croft Yard.



Passing the works on the Croft branch.



Entering Croft yard.



Standing in Croft Yard.

 
E.C.M.L. Summer 1919 - Up Freight from Croft yard

Northeast England during the steam era. A summer evening, 1919. The pre-grouping era. A Worsdell P3 0-6-0 has a challenging duty, lifting a heavy loose-coupled freight out of the Up loop at Croft yard and hauling it at 25 mph to York. While the daytime express passenger trains are mostly past (the 5 p.m. Glasgow to Leeds has yet to call at Darlington), it will not be a straight run for the train. It may well be diverted on to the former Leeds Northern route at Northallerton and run via Ripon and Starbeck, reaching York from the Knaresborough line. No. 1004 needs some attention from the cleaners and fitters but there is a backlog of all kinds of repairs even though the war has been over for almost nine months.

Leaving the loop, taking care to draw the long train out slowly and evenly.





Running through Croft station and approaching te Tees River bridge.



 
Thanks Annie. If I recall correctly the line limit for the Vale of York section was 96 wagons ( a "wagon" for the count being a 10 Ton 4-wheel open general merchandise wagon ). Coal hoppers and bogie wagons were counted differently. The absolute limit through Newcastle Central via the King Edward bridge was 54, which was a pinch point on the E.C.M.L. My guess is that Heaton, Low Fell, Blaydon/Addison and Gateshead Park lane yards expended some effort splitting longer rakes for crossing the Tyne.

Whether any effort was expended making them up again after crossing might not have taken place, at least for Up trains. Heaton may well have remade long down trains for heading north to Tweedmouth and Scotland. Sorting for Up trains could be left to Croft yard for trains passing Darlington and to Newport yard for trains passing Stockton on their way towards Northallerton.

There was a choice of at least three lines heading south from the Tyne

1. The E.C.M.L. through Durham, Ferryhill and Darlington.
a. The E.C.M.L. as far as Durham, then diverting off the E.C.M.L. via Bishop Auckland and Shildon to regain the E.C.M.L. at Darlington.
2. The Leamside line from Pelaw to Tursdale, then to Ferryhill and back to the E.C.M.L.
a. The Leamside line from Pelaw to Tursdale, then to Ferryhill and via Redmarshall and Stockton to reach the Leeds Northern route and rejoin the E.C.M.L. at Northallerton.
b. The Leamside line from Pelaw to Tursdale, then to Ferryhill and via Redmarshall and Stockton to reach the Leeds Northern route and continue on via Northallerton and Ripon, regaining the E.C.M.L, at York.
3. The Coast Line through Sunderland, West Hartlepool and Stockton to reach the Leeds Northern route and rejoin the E.C.M.L. at Northallerton.
a. The Coast Line through Sunderland, West Hartlepool and Stockton to reach the Leeds Northern route and continue on via Northallerton and Ripon, regaining the E.C.M.L, at York.

The traffic people on the E.C.M.L. were rather strict on getting freight out of the way of express passenger trains. Freight meant for sorting at Croft yard just to the south of Darlington would keep to route options 1, 1a and 2.
 
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E.C.M.L. Northumberland

Northumberland in N.E.R. days, with a P3 Class on humble pick up goods duties. The road wagon for the line between Morpeth and Alnwick, wagonload traffic for the stations en-route, domestic coking coal for Alnwick and a rake of loco coal wagons for Alnmouth shed.

In the down independent line north of Chevington station, the P3 is passed by a T.W. Worsdell G Class 4-4-0 accelerating away to make its next call at Acklington while en-route to Alnwick.





The branch passenger train from Chevington to Amble in the hands of a T.W.Worsdell A Class 2-4-2T.



Waiting for the road past Amble junction for the north.





 
1948 - Back to Brandon

North east England during the steam era. Post-nationalisation in 1948, All of the former N.E.R. Worsdell J27 0-6-0s passed in to British Railways ownership, with most concentrated either side of the River Tyne and doing what they had done for years, hauling coal trains and short-distance goods services.

Below, during the early six til two morning shift, a J27 from Sunderland shed hauls coal empties towards Brandon on the Durham - Bishop Auckland branch in County Durham.








Below, the J27 passes through Brandon Colliery station.




Shortly afterwards, a grubbier classmate heads the other way through Brandon Colliery station heading towards Relly Mill junction and Durham. From there it could head along the E.C.M.L. towards Low Fell yard, or take the Sunderland branch at Newton Hall junction, which could mean that either Sunderland, Tyne Dock or even Gateshead Park Lane could be the destination.



 
Thanks Annie. While nationalisation happened at the beginning of 1948 there was a transition period which had not been completed by mid-1949 when changes came in with the early BR logo, and then slightly later during 1950 with smokebox shedcodes. "Summer 1948" can have J27s with LNER lettered tenders and LNER numbers, several with E-prefixes to cabside numbers and BRITISH RAILWAYS tenders (but neither smokebox shed code no smokebox number plate) and 6XXXX cabside numbers, BRITISH RAILWAYS lettered tenders and smokebox numberplates (mid-1948 onwards) but no smokebox shedcode plates. As far as coaches are concerned some came out of the shops brand new in 1948 and 1949 in teak paint. Carriages produced before 1948 did not get carmine livery or carmine and cream livery until as late as 1952. Geberally, locomotives and carriages employed on the premier east coast express passenger trains received attention first but it was not entirely the case. Because it was a process limited by the capacity of the works and the schedule of works visits it inevitably took time to repaint all of them. Sheds did some painting of numbers, with varying results.

Steve Banks even has some shots on his website from 1967 recording Bradford portions for Kings Cross where two maroon BR Mk1 carriages are present along with one in blue and grey behind an ex-LMS 2-6-4! Such a consist will get some folks all in a lather but the 1960s, like 1948-52 was a period of transition.
 
Yes it certainly was an interesting time with everything in transition and that's what I like about it. My own layout Middle Vale is dated 1949-1952 with a small number of engines carrying the first BR totem, but most still with BRITISH RAILWAYS on the their tender and tank sides. A lot of my goods wagons are still carrying the markings of their former owners as well.
 
1947: A hard day's night

North east England during the steam era. Towards the end of the 2 til 10 late shift there's a rake of empty coal hoppers to be moved from Low Fell yard to Pelaw, ready to be taken onwards to Fencehouses first thing on the morning shift.

Below, 5884 starts the climb to King Edward Junction. Running tender first since Low Fell yard has no turntable.



 
1925 Leamside Line

Thanks Annie.

Most mineral operations across the N.E.R. and later the N.E. Area of the L.N.E.R. were ad-hoc, determined by the orders received the previous day/overnight from the colliery agents for empty wagons and loads for collection. These would be forwarded to the sheds and yards where the foremen would allocate the locos, wagons, footplate crew and guards required to accomplish the day's work. Generally, there would be greater demand during the colder months of the year, but even then the workload varied. Minerals were moved from the collieries between 6 a.m. Monday and 2 p.m. Saturday, though periods of emergency could demand seven-day working.

Below, a TS12 shot. Circa 1924, Worsdell J27 0-6-0 number 2339 is on the Leamside line (connecting Ferryhill on the E.C.M.L. to Pelaw on the Gateshead to Sunderland Line). The loco has empty coal hoppers the Adventure Pit, located to the north of Leamside station.



No. 2339 was built at Darlington in 1921, entering traffic in December that year. Turned out as a superheated engine. This was in vogue with the N.E.R. at the time. Twenty-five J27s were built with superheating between 1921 and 1922, with a further ten arriving in 1923. However, while longer distance and higher speed runs justified the expenditure on fitting the equipment, the nature of local mineral workings, with short runs, slow speeds and long periods standing around waiting in yards or colliery exchange sidings, meant that it was a waste of money on the J27s. Removal began from 1943, though five actually kept it until withdrawal between 1959 and 1963! (Nos. 65866 (2344/5866), 65871 (2349/5871), 65883 (2361/5883), 65887 (2384/5887) and 65890 (2388/5890). A further example, No. 65880 (2358/5880) probably kept it since the R.C.T.S. record was compiled in late 1966/early 1967 (page 182 of Part 5 reports: "it is anticipated that the J27 class will continue to work this traffic until 1968". The last J27 was withdrawn in September 1967.


A further
 
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