North East England during the steam era.
This screenshot is almost as far removed in time from the Ivatt screenshot as the current day is from the Ivatt screenshot.
An NER Thomas W. Worsdell J Class 4-2-2 with express lights takes a morning NER Passenger train northwards on the down East Coast main line.
It has slowed below the 40 mph limit imposed by the tight curve to the southwest of Morpeth station.
The train is made up of six-wheelers, which were the main style of carriage available for express work in the early to mid-1890s.
The trailing load for this train is about 130 Tons, which is a lot less than an express passenger locomotive such as an A3 4-6-2 would be expected to haul just 30 years later..
While built as a compound locomotive TW Worsdell's brother Wilson was no fan of compounding and in January 1895 began to convert the J Class to simples when the first conversion, No. 1519 was only five years and two months old. All ten of the class were converted by October 1896. No. 1522 was converted in May 1895.
The arrival of bogie passenger carriages and more powerful locomotives spelt the end of singles on main line expresses.
During the early years of the 20th century they gravitated to sheds at Hull and Scarborough but all made it through WWI, finally being withdrawn between August 1919 and August 1921.
No. 1522 was withdrawn from Hull at the end of March 1921 at age 30 years and 4 months.
In the background at left, a figure stands on a footbridge.
This crosses the East Coast main line on the original alignment of the NBR Wansbeck section line from Rothbury and Reedsmouth Junction.
On opening in 1862, a NBR train from Rothbury would cross the East Coast main line, join Blyth & Tyne metals to the south east of Morpeth and then reverse in to the Blyth & Tyne station, which was just to the south of the North Eastern's Morpeth railway station. An NBR train departing Morpeth for Rothbury would have to reverse out of the Blyth & Tyne's station until past the junction with the NBR and then head west.
Between 1862 and 1864 any passengers on the NBR train bound to Newcastle would have to cross to the adjacent NER station and take an NER train.
However, from 1864 the B&T had opened a branch in to Newcastle, with the terminus at New Bridge Street, adjacent to what would become Manors North station in 1909.
Twelve years after the NBR line opened, during 1874, the Blyth & Tyne was absorbed by the NER.
In May 1880 the NER closed the B&TR station at Morpeth to passengers, making it the town's goods station.
The NBR line was diverted in to a new platform face on the far northwest side of the NER station's down platform with a trailing connection from the down East Coast main line to the east of Morpeth station.