Axlebox

Peckett W4 works number 521 of 1891 I'm hoping you good folks in Peckettland may have come across a picture of works number 521. she started life In the docks at Swansea in 1891 working for contractor Christopher Rowland subsequently being sold to Broomhill collieries, Northumberland in 1910. Broomhill sold her (prior to 1922?) to the Weardale Steel Coal and Coke company who rebuilt her at Thornley Colliery (Durham) in 1922 and sent her to work on the Weatherhill and Rookhope and Rookhope and Middlehope Railways in Weardale. She is recorded as working from all 3 sheds on these systems, at Heights quarry, Rookhope and Bolts Law. She was laid up when the system closed in 1923 and she was finally scrapped in 1941, possibly at Thornley Colliery. Due to an extremely low bridge at Rookhope, locomotives on these lines had distinctive cut down cabs, see link below... https://www.facebook.com/tanfieldrailway/photos/pcb.10158653625200312/10158653549500312/ I doubt she was built with a low cab, but probably ended her life with one similar to the above. So, has anyone seen Peckett 521? Thanks Duncan

https://www.flickr.com/groups/1408456@N24/pool/page7 With our American cousins, its sometimes difficult to work out what has been abandoned and what hasn't...don't blame me if you get addicted to this, I just sent you the link!

...Sunset over the Cheviot this evening.

I'm sure we've seen this before...but the thought of trawling through nearly 160 pages to look for it! Its got to be worth a replay and B557510 is the star of the show.

Hi Richard, there are a number of photographs taken on the same day. Its a West Auckland J39 and the line up to the quarry has been lifted, so the exchange sidings must have been in use for stone loading. I don't remember where this view came from and will remove if anyone objects...but there is the rail you can see in street view

...your probably right (If nothing else, I'm good at thread drift!)

...Something literally 'off the wall'...but still a remnant of what once was...this is where the litter bin was attached to the wall of the up waiting room on Acklington station before someone nicked it. However you can see the NER Brown and Stone colour scheme, the LNER Green and Cream, the BR (NER) Blue and off White and the current Grey and off White

NER buffer stop at Coanwood, Northumberland

NBR buffer stop at Aberfoyle in the Trossachs.

Great show folks, I could spend the best part of a day just browsing. Can you post a link to the show here?, otherwise there is a big entrance button on this page... https://www.scalefour.org/ Enjoy, and don't blame me if the lawn doesn't get done today!

Thanks Jon, and thanks to everyone who replied to my original question. Duncan

10am Sunday, come along and find out...I booked 10am Uncle P as thats about the time we sober up after a Saturday night in Wakey...and bring some croissants, I'll be starving by then.

Richard, there was still track in the exchange sidings until at least 1980. I had a friend who had a caravan just up the road and of course we explored every inch of the railways around Stanhope...sadly I didn't have a camera back then, but I can tell you the fields up to Parsons Byers quarry were the best mushroom fields for miles around...but you had to get up just before dawn to beat the locals to the best of the days crop. I've just checked it out on Street view... https://www.google.com/maps/@54.7352258,-1.992354,3a,75y,306.7h,55.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZPnrclyn1MnADqSCBxIO7A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 ...and you were right, there is still at least one rail down by the crossing

Back to the factory floor, in Leeds... https://www.google.com/maps/place/Leeds/@53.7924709,-1.5585193,71m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x48793e4ada64bd99:0x51adbafd0213dca9!8m2!3d53.8007554!4d-1.5490774 No idea what the factory was, but you can clearly see the rails from the train as you leave the west end of Leeds station

...it could almost be the real Blackgill. (Just to get back on topic Uncle P)

Paul, thats a bit too upmarket for the lads from Blackgill...you'll find that lot at the mouth of the Ouseburn in the Cumberland, the Cluney, the Tyne or most probably the Free Trade Inn. Another picture from Jess's phone, this time looking up the Colliery exchange sidings with a string of empties waiting to be taken up to the colliery, a brakevan awaiting the next full load and over in the shed yard, a Q6 being fed and watered...

Folks A quick question around dates... Dogfish were built to diagram 587 however some 221 were converted to diagram 588 by adding a 9" steel strip around the top...this conversion appears to have been done for the NE region who were still using slag ballast. As the slag was lighter than stone ballast the volume was increased by adding 'greedy boards*' round the top. The good Mr Bartlett has many and various examples of both here... https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brdogfish The question is, when did the conversions take place? Also, some Trout were similarly treated, again thanks to Mr Bartlett we can compare the 2... https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/troutzfo Any suggestions gratefully received Duncan * the term 'greedy boards' dates back to chauldron wagons with an extra board added to increase capacity.

The shed foreman at Blackgill was telling me there might be a 2nd K1 coming to the shed... Blackgill from ground level, photo from Jess's phone. Also, count me in to any outings along the Ouseburn.

https://ngon30.weebly.com/closed-narrow-gauge--miniature-passenger-lines.html There is something really sad about a closed miniature railway...

West Cornforth County Durham from Jamie M's flickr site. This is the view looking east along the course of the Great North of England Clarence and Hartlepool Junction Railway that once linked Ferryhill with Hartlepool. West Cornforth station is directly behind the photographer. The through route was closed in the 1960s, but a couple of 3 miles was retained to serve Raisby quarry at Coxhoe and Kella pit (East Hetton colliery) at Kelloe. The crossing in better days from 6089 Gardener's flickr site. https://www.google.com/maps/@54.7034212,-1.5265263,3a,75y,317h,79.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slxXoBzicU5Q_cy8Y9Z007g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

...Helland crossing from Neil Smith's flickr site. The same crossing today, pity about the shutters. https://www.google.com/maps/@50.5105725,-4.7300259,3a,75y,218.33h,78.85t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2xENl18m3fS9Q3v-p5Swjw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 more here... http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/boscarne-jct-to-bodmin-northalso-the-wenford--ruthernbridge-branches.html

Love this thread, its Industrial Archaeology in the raw...and remember, one day nobody will be able to remember why those rails were there... This one is seriously obscure, as you can see from this screen grab from 'Britain from above', the corner of this house in Durham has been chamfered to accommodate what looks like a narrow gauge railway... This is the same house today... https://www.google.com/maps/@54.7749761,-1.5751966,3a,75y,323.88h,86.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2d9plDAFLqyV2cpG08bJ1Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 The house in Owengate in Durham and backs onto the castle... https://www.google.com/maps/@54.7750438,-1.5750921,3a,75y,300.26h,87.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNj9_-QEZ1BdQZAv4i3lcZA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 ...and if we zoom in we can see what looks like a blocked up door into the castle (with 2 pipes coming out)...and you can just make out a length of rail infront of the door... https://www.google.com/maps/@54.7750438,-1.5750921,3a,15y,302.1h,93.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNj9_-QEZ1BdQZAv4i3lcZA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 This was a tramway built to load coal into the boiler room of the castle (for the central heating system). The rails are still there and next time you walk up to the Palace Green in Durham, lean over the wall and you should be able to make out the rails still in situ...

I really hope its made by Aardman animations and surely Rob Brydon won't be in it...hes in just about everything west of the Severn...(other Welsh actors are available).

https://www.google.com/maps/@54.6919659,-1.7001988,148m/data=!3m1!1e3 County Durham once had an extensive number of industrial railways and very little now remains, however, there is the odd length of rail still set in concrete, as here at West Hunwick brick works...

https://www.google.com/maps/@54.9674692,-1.5814737,147m/data=!3m1!1e3 Meanwhile just along the Tyne from Central station in Newcastle, there is still quite a lot of the historic Quayside branch still set in concrete...including a double slip set of pointwork. https://tanfield-railway.blogspot.com/2020/04/where-is-it.html