UK Screenshots for Pre BR Blue. High resolution warning.

lewisner said:

Seaton Bank Head was the top of the gruelling 1 in 39 climb from Ryhope station and although the box here closed in 1937 through the magic of Trainz it liveth again. I have a copy of a line plan from 1875 and at that time it had a network of sidings connecting with the Rainton & Seaham Wagonway. Here's V2 60975 passing southbound with a diverted passenger train, regular services having ceased in 1952.

V2 at Seaton Bank Head 24.04.24 by A1 Northeastern, on Flickr

Click to expand...

I see from the 1896 25 inch to the mile map in the NLS that "The Long Run" of the Rainton and Seaham Railway was present but that it had gone by the time WWI started, with the 1914 survey being published in 1919.
It was not the first, nor by no means the last colliery branch to succumb to closure in County Durham.

Johnson's "North Eastern Steam" (Ian Allen 1989) has a shot of J27 No.65869 taking the gradient at the other end, near Ryhope. The regulator is fully open and the trailing load is around 12 empty 21T hoppers with a brake van. I imagine that it was not a favourite turn for Sunderland shed Firemen.

the same book also has a shot of a hard working snowplough-equipped Q6, No. 63395 with a trailing load of 16T mineral wagons bound for South Hetton Colliery taken between the sie of Seaton station and Seaton Bank Top.

A Q6 crosses the A19 at Seaton. Sadly when I started building this route my research was poor and the road wasn't built till 1975 but I got carried away and put a huge amount of effort into building the roads and bridges so it will have to stay.

Q6 near Seaaton 24.4.24 by A1 Northeastern, on Flickr

The V2 heads towards Sunderland through Ryhope station at the bottom of Seaton Bank. The footbridge is my crude attempt at a reskin of the Tyne and Wear Metro liveried NER footbridge.

V2 at Ryhope 25.4.24 by A1 Northeastern, on Flickr

I have gone in to my County Durham TransDEM route and rustled up an interpretation of Seaton Bank Top pre-WWI.
A Worsdell T Class 0-8-0 is bringing a trailing load of empty 11, 12 and 17 ton hopper wagons past the signal box.
To the left of the screenshot you can see the eastern end of "The Long Run" from the Warden Law Engine.
On the right of the screenshot are the loops at the top of the bank which ran down to Seaham Colliery and Seaham Harbour.