If I had the $ and room I'd model this intriguing rail facility, here in the US..I love the trackage, tunnel(s), and machinery, and even the sooty look to it..I'm a 'point to point' switchback guy, not a roundy-rounder. This is my style.. with lots of necessary moves to be made to run a RR realistically....
Amazing stuff. That system of letting the empty wagons run down a gradient and through a set of spring point, to run back in the opposite direction was used on the Coal Tips, at Garston when I worked there in the early 90`s.
I live in South Shields and moved here long enough ago to see parts of the system in operation. It is sad to think there is no trace of the railway nor the colliery left. We in the North East seem very good at erasing our industrial heritage.
Perhaps someone should show some of this old footage in the local schools, especially as some of the kids dads and granddads will have worked at the pits. Or perhaps it could be shown at a museum.
I reckon the line, with its loop round to near the beach, should have been kept as an add-on to the metro, adding a couple of extra stations for the town.
Someone should make a working model layout of this old system, unless someone somewhere already has. And it should have live overhead working which would have plenty of arcing just like the real thing.
No.10, No.9, No.4, No.2 and No.1 survived into preservation, however No.1 was scrapped at Bowes Bridge in 1979. None of the English Electric Locomotives (No.11 - No.15) survived and were scrapped between 1989 and 1992. No.10 and No.4 are in much better condition than the others, as No.4 can run on batteries, No.10 is reliveried into NCB Green. No.9 has started to be restored as well.
If I had the $ and room I'd model this intriguing rail facility, here in the US..I love the trackage, tunnel(s), and machinery, and even the sooty look to it..I'm a 'point to point' switchback guy, not a roundy-rounder. This is my style.. with lots of necessary moves to be made to run a RR realistically....
My granddad used to work at westoe colliery and harton colliery untill he retired
Amazing stuff. That system of letting the empty wagons run down a gradient and through a set of spring point, to run back in the opposite direction was used on the Coal Tips, at Garston when I worked there in the early 90`s.
I live in South Shields and moved here long enough ago to see parts of the system in operation. It is sad to think there is no trace of the railway nor the colliery left. We in the North East seem very good at erasing our industrial heritage.
Perhaps someone should show some of this old footage in the local schools, especially as some of the kids dads and granddads will have worked at the pits. Or perhaps it could be shown at a museum.
I reckon the line, with its loop round to near the beach, should have been kept as an add-on to the metro, adding a couple of extra stations for the town.
A hidden gem this. Fascinating.
Someone should make a working model layout of this old system, unless someone somewhere already has. And it should have live overhead working which would have plenty of arcing just like the real thing.
It’s mad to think that an industry that was king was completely wiped out in just 30years
@James Henderson why would that matter
Model railways curves on a real size railway.
I was thinking just that. You could model it realistically for a change 😂
@@captainboing Absolutely - my railway is inspired by this line (not copied I hasten to add!)
Great video - thanks for sharing.
Brilliant video, wish it could have lasted longer.
Really don't know what to say, pure history wish I had visited when I was in Newcastle bored
What happened to the electric loco? Please tell me it got preserved.
No.10, No.9, No.4, No.2 and No.1 survived into preservation, however No.1 was scrapped at Bowes Bridge in 1979. None of the English Electric Locomotives (No.11 - No.15) survived and were scrapped between 1989 and 1992.
No.10 and No.4 are in much better condition than the others, as No.4 can run on batteries, No.10 is reliveried into NCB Green. No.9 has started to be restored as well.
Hold on 1988 4 years ago????????
Great video. thank god most of this industry has gone.
yes great now we have to hope its windy , or our good friends in norway or qatar keep the energy on.
You havnt got a clue