60s Industrial Steam (i.e. non-BR)

[Trev52A]

After BR steam finished on Tyneside in September 1967 I began to explore my local area for something else to observe and photograph. The NCB line to Ravensworth Park Drift Mine, near the Team Valley Trading Estate, was a short cycle ride from my home at the time in Gateshead.

When I first arrived on the scene the usual working loco was a cute little 0-4-0ST (Peckett no 1748 of 1928), in a clean light green livery with the NCB number 66 and named 'Charles Nelson'. The following three pics were taken in 1968:

 

No 66 propels its train of loaded coal wagons towards the viaduct over the Trading Estate. This area is now covered by the car park for 'Retail World'.

 

No 66 starts the run over the viaduct. The loco propelled the wagons whichever direction it was travelling.

 

The viaduct crossed the main dual carriageway of Kingsway. There is now no trace of it, although remains of the approach embankments can still be found. 

 

More to come, including the next loco to arrive on the system and some views of the regular crew.

 

But feel free to add any pictures which fit the brief!

 

Trevor

 

 

Edited December 22, 2019 by Trev52A
typo

[russ p]

Thanks for posting that Trevor,  I'd heard of the viaduct but never seen it . When was closed and demolished? 

[Trev52A]

More from the Ravensworth Park mine line:

 

Loco No 81 was another 0-4-0ST, this time from Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns (No 7604 of 1949)

 

The regular driver was a lovely chap called Jimmy McIvor, and many an enthusiast has had an unofficial cab ride over the viaduct and been welcomed in the crew's cabin when the kettle was on! This was taken on 29th July 1969.

 

No 81 starts the run back to the viaduct with a loaded train from the mine. I think the chap hanging on the front is his regular mate Alan - I stand to be corrected by anyone else familiar with this line.

Both the undated ones were probably taken towards the end of 1968.

 

Trevor

[Trev52A]

16 minutes ago, russ p said:

Thanks for posting that Trevor,  I'd heard of the viaduct but never seen it . When was closed and demolished? 

 

I've read somewhere that the line closed in April 1973 but I don't know when the viaduct disappeared.

 

Trevor

[russ p]

12 minutes ago, Trev52A said:

 

I've read somewhere that the line closed in April 1973 but I don't know when the viaduct disappeared.

 

Trevor

 

Oh I didn't realise it lasted that long, was that connected to the team valley system?  Not sure when that finished either or where it connected to BR

[Trev52A]

18 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

Oh I didn't realise it lasted that long, was that connected to the team valley system?  Not sure when that finished either or where it connected to BR

 

The NCB line was still physically connected (I think) but the connection had not been used for several years by the time I started taking pictures. I'll check with various book I have to confirm this. I do have a shot from 1965-ish of a loco on the TVTE system which I'll dig out in due course.

 

Trevor

[Trev52A]

No 66 alongside the crew's cabin (on the opposite side of the valley to the mine) with the loco shed (officially called Shop Pit Loco Shed) in the distance on the left of the train. Just beyond here was the changeover point to cable haulage up the valley side.

 

Looking south to a loaded train starting the climb off to the left (by cable haulage) over the ECML, with Tyne Yard in the background.

 

About half way up the climb from the Team valley on the Allerdene Incline (as it was known)

 

All from 1968

 

Trevor

[russ p]

Didn't realise there was another rope worked line at tyne.

An I right in thinking the one that went under the old reception sidings was the bowes railway 

 

Edited December 22, 2019 by russ p
Double post

[Trev52A]

Aboard No 81 with Jimmy McIvor approaching the mine in 1968

 

Aboard No 66 at the mine, with Jimmy probably applying the brakes on a rake of empties we have just delivered in 1968

 

Jimmy in action again with No 81 near the shed area on 29th July 1969

 

Happy days!

Trevor

Edited December 23, 2019 by Trev52A
The date for the last picture should be 1969, not 1979 of course. Whoops!

[DLT]

What wonderful photos Trev, please keep them coming! 

Judging by the quality of the images, you must have used a pretty decent camera.

Many thanks, Dave.

[DavidLong]

As Dave said, the quality of the photographs is quite outstanding. The composition of each one is sympathetic to the subject. No comparison to my own smudgie Brownie shots of the same period!

 

David

[Trev52A]

No 81 prepares to buffer up to another rake of empties bound for the mine on 29th July 1969

 

Inside the loco shed with No 66 (closest) and No 81 in residence in 1968

 

Whoops! A rake of empties has just run away down the incline and derailed shortly after crossing the bridge over the ECML. The chap on the phone in the doorway is no doubt trying to explain to his boss what has just happened! Taken on an unrecorded date in 1968, probably.

 

Trevor

Edited December 22, 2019 by Trev52A

[Trev52A]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

Didn't realise there was another rope worked line at tyne.

An I right in thinking the one that went under the old reception sidings was the bowes railway 

 

 

Hi Russ

Yes, the Bowes Railway line passed under Tyne Yard (is that what you mean?).

My pics are of what was latterly the 'Pelaw Main Railway' (A separate line for most of its life). In the 1950s a link had been built connecting the two and stock could move freely between the two systems (hence the 'Bowes Railway' wagons in some of these views.) The link meant that the lower end of the Pelaw Main (down to the Tyne) could then be closed, and traffic could use the Bowes outlet, (That is a simplified explanation!)

 

Trevor

[Trev52A]

1 hour ago, DLT said:

What wonderful photos Trev, please keep them coming! 

Judging by the quality of the images, you must have used a pretty decent camera.

Many thanks, Dave.

 

Thanks you for the kind comments, Dave (DLT) (and David Long).

The 1968 shots were taken on a second-hand Kodak Retinette 35mm camera which I had been using to catch the end of BR steam in 1967/68.

Since this had been bashed by taking a tumble onto the concrete floor of Lostock Hall shed in August 1968 (but still worked, amazingly!) I bought a new Zorki 4 35mm rangefinder camera in 1969. I was developing and printing my own pictures by then. I find It is now far easier to produce a good picture digitally once the negs have been scanned than by the darkroom process alone. It's like magic in comparison!

 

Cheers

Trevor

[Trev52A]

3 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Oh I didn't realise it lasted that long, was that connected to the team valley system?  Not sure when that finished either or where it connected to BR

 

I've sorted some pics which might show what you are after, Russ (but not answer 'when')

 

Here's No 66 setting off for the mine in 1968. The wagons on the right are on the line which used to connect with BR just south of Low Fell station, but which by this time was just used for storage.

 

Here's No 81 propelling fulls from the mine across the viaduct showing that it was double track. The left hand line leads to where the wagons were standing in the previous picture. I think this was in 1969.

 

This view back the other way to the mine shows the abandoned track on the right in 1968.

 

No 81 sets off for the viaduct with fulls in 1969 (probably). The far track has been lifted by now, At one time this would have lead north through the TVTE eventually to Norwood Coke Works. I'll try and find out when it closed.

 

Cheers

Trevor    

[DLT]

2 hours ago, Trev52A said:

Since this had been bashed by taking a tumble onto the concrete floor of Lostock Hall shed in August 1968 (but still worked, amazingly!)

 

They were made of tougher stuff back then!

[david.hill64]

Brilliant! Thanks for starting this thread.

[doilum]

Excellent. I particularly like the human interest approach to the photography. Is there enough for a book? 

[Northmoor]

18 hours ago, DavidLong said:

As Dave said, the quality of the photographs is quite outstanding. The composition of each one is sympathetic to the subject. No comparison to my own smudgie Brownie shots of the same period!

 

David

Totally agree, well done Trevor.  Nice to see a photographer who concentrated on more than just the locomotive; you can learn a lot about a whole system of working from these photos.  If I didn't know otherwise I would have credited these shots to Colin Gifford (the third in your last post in particular).

Edited December 23, 2019 by Northmoor
Extra text

[tractionman]

Another big thumbs up from me for posting these photographs here, superb images, very evocative and atmospheric. 

 

Really appreciated, and inspirational for those of us seeking to conjure up something of the industrial railways of yesteryear in model form.

 

cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

[Trev52A]

Three more from 1968 which include Jimmy McIvor.

Looking back it's amazing how these working men tolerated enthusiasts just turning up and (in some cases) wandering around their place of work! Thank you Jimmy and others.

 

No 81 gets another shovelful of coal as it waits near the shed

 

Taking a breather on top of No 81

 

A general view of Ravensworth Park Drift Mine (from the cab of No 81) as Jimmy heads towards another rake of wagons to deal with

 

Trevor

Edited December 23, 2019 by Trev52A
typo

[Trev52A]

A nice portrait of No 66 near the shed area. Passing In the background on the left hand side can be seen a train of coal hopper wagons and an empty bogie bolster wagon on the East Coast main line 

 

Considering its proximity to the Team Valley Trading Estate the drift mine was in quite a rural setting, as seen in this view of No 66 setting off with a loaded train

 

Here is No 66 again, on the embankment approaching the viaduct

 

Trevor

[Trev52A]

Here's a general view of the shed area from 1968

No 81 has just propelled a loaded train up past the loco shed (off-centre, right) to the point where cable traction takes over for the pull up the valley side. The small white building to the right of the shed is the crew's hut. The viaduct can (possibly) be made out above the loco 

 

No 81 is glimpsed between wagons on the storage siding (mentioned earlier) at it sets off with empties

 

No 81 is about to cross the viaduct heading for the mine - a view into the low afternoon sun

 

Trevor

[Alcanman]

The quality and composition of your photos always amazes me. Quite superb.

 

Like yourself, when BR steam ended in Sept 1967 in the North East, I took to photographing NCB locos at the local collieries.

 

I took these on a wintry December day in 1967 at Bates Colliery, Blyth.  By this time I'd progressed from a Brownie 127 to a Kodak Colorsnap 35mm camera.

[montyburns56]

Thanks for all of the great pics Trevor! I was looking online at maps to to find the line and I noticed how it was also connected to the Team Valley Estate and when I searched for those words I found these on Flickr, which I'm guessing are from the 60s??