The Tyne dock Consett thread.

[9FEd]

Tried again on my PC rather than tablet and no problems. Definitely looks like the unloading gantry, this map covers the loading facilities: 

 

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/434963/565707/13/101329

 

The old-maps link should work without a subscription, it does for me...

 

 

Edited May 4, 2015 by 9FEd

[shawty]

Hi All,

 

I've been watching and reading this thread for quite some time now.

 

For the past 3 or more years, I've been working on a project off and on (as time permits) to create a Digital Map and 3D model of what Consett Used to look like.  Being a Native of Consett, I remember first hand what a lot of it looked like, and while I'm not old enough to have worked there, I do remember roaming around the various derelict sites, messing about on the then empty railways (Prior to them being pulled up) and watching the various construction crews pulling the place apart and dismantling everything.

 

I'd just like to say to all who have contributed to this thread so far, there's some amazing photos and descriptions have been posted, esp John and the South Pelaw Junction stuff.

 

One of these fine days, I might actually get the entire Tyne Dock to Consett Line Mapped, I have the OS Coverage from the periods in question, and it's fully geo-referenced in my GIS/Mapping tools, for me it really is just a question of time (I own and run an I.T Consultancy).

 

For now however, I'd like to share a couple of things with the forum.

 

First a link to my Flickr page, with an album where I post samples of some of the work I'm doing and an idea of the project.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/18885387@N00/sets/72157653372497261/with/7290131732/

 

I still have a MASSIVE amount to do, most notably the fell coke works, the Temple-Town brick works and the Delves tar plant, all still only exist as 2d plans in the mapping software, and as you can see from the pictures there's still a lot of texturing (Filling in the brick patterns and painting the models) to be done.

 

The second thing I'd like to share is my Railway Map, attached to this post as a Google Earth KMZ file.

 

It only goes as far out as Leadgate, but it's track accurate.  Every siding, every head shunt, every passing loop (or at least the ones I know of are on there, there was quite a bit more too, up on the top fields between Consett and Crookhall where High Yard and the Coke Washeries where, but that was all dismantled before my time.  I may add that in at a later point, but for now I'm concentrating only on what I know of from the 1970's on wards.

 

I'm currently in the process of Digitizing Railway buildings such as the station, signal boxes and Signal Post locations.

 

Finally, starting this week, I have to sadly announce that Durham County council will be closing the road between Consett and Leadgate at Villa Real to demolish the last remaining vestige of Consett's proud industrial past.  Leadgate bridge has faithfully carried Consett Road over the site of the old track bed (and now C2C route) for at least the past 60 years that I know of, if you live in or near, then I would strongly suggest that if you wish to get any photos, now is the time, the road will be closed starting from Wednesday next week, and demolition and rebuilding of the road is expected to take about 6 months.

 

I had a journey up to the site yesterday (Saturday 23rd May) and myself and a friend took a loot of good photos, and some video footage, I've not yet gotten them off my camera however.  Eventually I'll add a model of the bridge to my ongoing project, but I need to either try and obtain plans for it, or get over there in the next day or two with a laser measure and measure it.

 

I've tried to attach my Railways map to this post but I keep getting told I'm not permitted to attach "That Type of file", so for now I've put the file on my Microsoft One-Drive, which you can get too using this link:

 

http://1drv.ms/1ITmOKf

 

I don't know if you'll need an MS-One drive account to download it, I've made it fully public, if anyone has any problems however, or if the site mods can tell me why Zip file containing a Kmz are not allowed and what format I can use, I'll happily attach it direct to a post, drop me a PM if you can get a hold of it, or if you use Twitter ping me at @Shawty_ds

 

Cheers

Shawty

 

[shawty]

This map shows what i believe is the triangle that fed the unloading gantry at Consett as it was in 1963:

 

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/410267/549970/12/100954

 

I've got some photos here:

 

http://southpelawjunction.co.uk/wp/?page_id=2473

 

John

 

Just to confirm things for you, that is indeed the Ore Unloading gantry, and the triangle use to allow one train to exit as another one was arriving.

[shawty]

Really Interesting thread - I've cycled down part of the route when I was completing the coast to coast cycle. Suitably inspired, I'm musing on the viability of a future layout based on the Consett ore trains.

 

I'd really like to get a track plan/map for the iron ore loading facilities at the quay and the unloading gantry at Consett. Can anyone recommend the best source for those or does anyone have anything they would be happy to share?

 

The track map in google earth KMZ format attached to my first post has the track layout for the Ore Gantry as part of it.

[shawty]

It appears that the bridge at Leadgate is hanging on in, I'm told that the company that had the contract to demolish it have now gone bust...

 

John

 

If you come through leadgate in the next few days, you'll yellow road signs have been erected, stating road will be closed from the 26th for about 6 months while they remove it :-(

 

I do intend to try and get some pictures as it's taken apart however, depending on my available time.

[shawty]

Can anyone (Porcy perhaps?) tell me exactly where Carr House East and Carr House West signal boxes were located - I know they were either side of Consett station but haven't been able to find anything to nail down the locations...

 

John

 

Yep I have them on my map, currently in the process of digitizing those into google earth overlay's at the moment.

 

I have all of Consett's Signal boxes.

[shawty]

Good spot - the map does have it marked as a Signal Box so I guess that must be the one.

 

Thanks again.

 

John

 

Here's a google KML file containing the locations and names of all the signal boxes.

 

The actual building footprints I've not completed yet, but I can calculate the centers, so that's what's in the file.

 

http://1drv.ms/1AsuNuI

Edited May 24, 2015 by shawty

[Raised On Steam]

Hi All,

 

I've been watching and reading this thread for quite some time now.

 

For the past 3 or more years, I've been working on a project off and on (as time permits) to create a Digital Map and 3D model of what Consett Used to look like.  Being a Native of Consett, I remember first hand what a lot of it looked like, and while I'm not old enough to have worked there, I do remember roaming around the various derelict sites, messing about on the then empty railways (Prior to them being pulled up) and watching the various construction crews pulling the place apart and dismantling everything.

 

I'd just like to say to all who have contributed to this thread so far, there's some amazing photos and descriptions have been posted, esp John and the South Pelaw Junction stuff.

 

One of these fine days, I might actually get the entire Tyne Dock to Consett Line Mapped, I have the OS Coverage from the periods in question, and it's fully geo-referenced in my GIS/Mapping tools, for me it really is just a question of time (I own and run an I.T Consultancy).

 

For now however, I'd like to share a couple of things with the forum.

 

First a link to my Flickr page, with an album where I post samples of some of the work I'm doing and an idea of the project.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/18885387@N00/sets/72157653372497261/with/7290131732/

 

I still have a MASSIVE amount to do, most notably the fell coke works, the Temple-Town brick works and the Delves tar plant, all still only exist as 2d plans in the mapping software, and as you can see from the pictures there's still a lot of texturing (Filling in the brick patterns and painting the models) to be done.

 

The second thing I'd like to share is my Railway Map, attached to this post as a Google Earth KMZ file.

 

It only goes as far out as Leadgate, but it's track accurate.  Every siding, every head shunt, every passing loop (or at least the ones I know of are on there, there was quite a bit more too, up on the top fields between Consett and Crookhall where High Yard and the Coke Washeries where, but that was all dismantled before my time.  I may add that in at a later point, but for now I'm concentrating only on what I know of from the 1970's on wards.

 

I'm currently in the process of Digitizing Railway buildings such as the station, signal boxes and Signal Post locations.

 

Finally, starting this week, I have to sadly announce that Durham County council will be closing the road between Consett and Leadgate at Villa Real to demolish the last remaining vestige of Consett's proud industrial past.  Leadgate bridge has faithfully carried Consett Road over the site of the old track bed (and now C2C route) for at least the past 60 years that I know of, if you live in or near, then I would strongly suggest that if you wish to get any photos, now is the time, the road will be closed starting from Wednesday next week, and demolition and rebuilding of the road is expected to take about 6 months.

 

I had a journey up to the site yesterday (Saturday 23rd May) and myself and a friend took a loot of good photos, and some video footage, I've not yet gotten them off my camera however.  Eventually I'll add a model of the bridge to my ongoing project, but I need to either try and obtain plans for it, or get over there in the next day or two with a laser measure and measure it.

 

I've tried to attach my Railways map to this post but I keep getting told I'm not permitted to attach "That Type of file", so for now I've put the file on my Microsoft One-Drive, which you can get too using this link:

 

http://1drv.ms/1ITmOKf

 

I don't know if you'll need an MS-One drive account to download it, I've made it fully public, if anyone has any problems however, or if the site mods can tell me why Zip file containing a Kmz are not allowed and what format I can use, I'll happily attach it direct to a post, drop me a PM if you can get a hold of it, or if you use Twitter ping me at @Shawty_ds

 

Cheers

Shawty

 

The bridge demolition's been on the cards for a while now. I suppose we should be thankful for the cycle track retaining as much of the old track bed as it does! Many other sites get built on leaving no trace. Like Consett station for example.

 

Earlier this year I popped up to say farewell to the bridge I'd cycled under many times, although in better weather.

 

 

 

[johndon]

Hi All,

 

I've been watching and reading this thread for quite some time now.

 

For the past 3 or more years, I've been working on a project off and on (as time permits) to create a Digital Map and 3D model of what Consett Used to look like.  Being a Native of Consett, I remember first hand what a lot of it looked like, and while I'm not old enough to have worked there, I do remember roaming around the various derelict sites, messing about on the then empty railways (Prior to them being pulled up) and watching the various construction crews pulling the place apart and dismantling everything.

 

I'd just like to say to all who have contributed to this thread so far, there's some amazing photos and descriptions have been posted, esp John and the South Pelaw Junction stuff.

 

One of these fine days, I might actually get the entire Tyne Dock to Consett Line Mapped, I have the OS Coverage from the periods in question, and it's fully geo-referenced in my GIS/Mapping tools, for me it really is just a question of time (I own and run an I.T Consultancy).

 

For now however, I'd like to share a couple of things with the forum.

 

First a link to my Flickr page, with an album where I post samples of some of the work I'm doing and an idea of the project.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/18885387@N00/sets/72157653372497261/with/7290131732/

 

I still have a MASSIVE amount to do, most notably the fell coke works, the Temple-Town brick works and the Delves tar plant, all still only exist as 2d plans in the mapping software, and as you can see from the pictures there's still a lot of texturing (Filling in the brick patterns and painting the models) to be done.

 

The second thing I'd like to share is my Railway Map, attached to this post as a Google Earth KMZ file.

 

It only goes as far out as Leadgate, but it's track accurate.  Every siding, every head shunt, every passing loop (or at least the ones I know of are on there, there was quite a bit more too, up on the top fields between Consett and Crookhall where High Yard and the Coke Washeries where, but that was all dismantled before my time.  I may add that in at a later point, but for now I'm concentrating only on what I know of from the 1970's on wards.

 

I'm currently in the process of Digitizing Railway buildings such as the station, signal boxes and Signal Post locations.

 

Finally, starting this week, I have to sadly announce that Durham County council will be closing the road between Consett and Leadgate at Villa Real to demolish the last remaining vestige of Consett's proud industrial past.  Leadgate bridge has faithfully carried Consett Road over the site of the old track bed (and now C2C route) for at least the past 60 years that I know of, if you live in or near, then I would strongly suggest that if you wish to get any photos, now is the time, the road will be closed starting from Wednesday next week, and demolition and rebuilding of the road is expected to take about 6 months.

 

I had a journey up to the site yesterday (Saturday 23rd May) and myself and a friend took a loot of good photos, and some video footage, I've not yet gotten them off my camera however.  Eventually I'll add a model of the bridge to my ongoing project, but I need to either try and obtain plans for it, or get over there in the next day or two with a laser measure and measure it.

 

I've tried to attach my Railways map to this post but I keep getting told I'm not permitted to attach "That Type of file", so for now I've put the file on my Microsoft One-Drive, which you can get too using this link:

 

http://1drv.ms/1ITmOKf

 

I don't know if you'll need an MS-One drive account to download it, I've made it fully public, if anyone has any problems however, or if the site mods can tell me why Zip file containing a Kmz are not allowed and what format I can use, I'll happily attach it direct to a post, drop me a PM if you can get a hold of it, or if you use Twitter ping me at @Shawty_ds

 

Cheers

Shawty

 

Thats a quite a project you've got going there...

 

John

[runs as required]

For the past 3 or more years, I've been working on a project off and on (as time permits) to create a Digital Map and 3D model of what Consett Used to look like.  Being a Native of Consett, I

 

That looks a really difficult task to tackle: 'then and now' superimposed on the same graphic. It is easy if you are able to click between layers, otherwise on a static image you have to decide on a superimposed 'ghost' image of either today's dual carriageways etc. or of the former steel works and its infrastucture.

For legibility with printed media, I prefer to opt for 'then and now' images side by side .

 

I wish you luck on a great project.

 

I've lived in former NW Durham since just before the 1974 boundary changes.

Always the highlight of showing a bunch of new Newcastle university students around the NE was to return back to Newcastle through Consett at dusk!

 

dhig

[shawty]

Thanks for the comments so far all :-)

 

@Runs as required:

 

I have to confess, I do have access to a very good source of accurate OS Maps showing everything I need, the map snippet in my flickr stream for example, does have the OS Map behind it allowing me to see outlines etc (That's how I've managed to get the tracks so accurate), for copyright reasons however I had to turn the background off while I did the screen grab hence why you can only see the vector work I've drawn.

 

Essentially to get things accurate, I've picked known landmarks and points that still exist on both maps, what I've then done is gone out with my GPS to those locations and recorded the lat/lng values at those locations (Usually on grid lines)

 

Back at the computer, I then feed those locations into a modern map (I use mostly the Ordnance Survey Open map stuff), and I load those points and the modern map into the Opensource program "Quantum GIS"

 

I then scan in using a flatbed scanner sections of the maps I'm interested in, and once done I line them all up and stitch them together using a program called MIcrosoft ICE.

 

Once I have a large map made up of the scans as a digital image, I then load that into Qauntum GIS, and then using QGis's georefrencing tools, tell it to match the known points on the scanned map to the actual points recorded from the ground by GPS and already matched to the modern map.

 

Click a few buttons, leave it over night and in the morning I end up with a scanned map that's correctly matched to the modern day map, anything I now trace using my vector tools is now in the correct place.  I draw the geometry using either Autocad Map3D or Quantum GIS, and I draw them directly into a PostgresGIS Mapping database, this database can then output my drawn lines, points and polygons into all manner of different formats (Such as google earth), but more importantly because the database runs on a separate server, I can actually have one PC displaying a modern map with my vector tracing drawn over it, and I can make that update in real time as I trace over the scanned map on another machine.

 

The hardest part of the entire process is actually the time it takes to manually digitize everything, the railway lines map for example took me about a week and a half in total.

 

Once the maps drawn, I then export the 2D "floor plans" (Which is essentially what the map is) then I load the 2D vectors into Google Earth, from Google Earth I export the vectors into Google Sketch-up, and at that point it's where the 2D plans start to become physical 3D objects.

 

The objects as long as I keep everything square while drawing, are already geographically referenced from the mapping process, so they automatically sit in the correct place in Google Earth once drawn.

 

It takes a massive amount of time and commitment, so I only get little bits done here and there, when and where I can steal a day or two all to myself, which is why it's taken me so long so far to get this far.

[runs as required]

I worked with a technician/cartographer some years ago who designed maps for things like museums, stately homes and gardens open to the public.

 

She explained to me that since the privatisation of the Ordnance Survey there are now all sorts of little 'mistakes' put into OS material to protect their copyright (though since OS data was amassed over the decades with 'Hard Working' taxpayers' money, this to me seems downright theft)..

 

Instead she used out of copyright old OS mapsas a base and 'mapped' in her necessary updates.

 

dhig

[shawty]

I worked with a technician/cartographer some years ago who designed maps for things like museums, stately homes and gardens open to the public.

 

She explained to me that since the privatisation of the Ordnance Survey there are now all sorts of little 'mistakes' put into OS material to protect their copyright (though since OS data was amassed over the decades with 'Hard Working' taxpayers' money, this to me seems downright theft)..

 

Instead she used out of copyright old OS mapsas a base and 'mapped' in her necessary updates.

 

dhig

 

That's exactly what I do.  The maps I scan are all either out of copyright, or licensed for certain types of reproduction.

 

Most notably, the licences on many of them permit derived works as long as that derived work is done by hand and not by "Straight Copying", I scour online auctions, car boot sales and many other places looking for physical maps I can use, and as long as I don't reproduce the exact map as an identical copy I'm usually ok.

 

I'm also a member of "Geovation UK", which are a government assisted body helping the OS to open up Britain's maps back into public ownership.  Recently the Ordnance Survey was taken back into government control, and where already starting to see the fruits of it's labor in the form of the OS Open-data scheme.

 

It will still be a long time before all the maps that place like "old-maps.com" and "The National Library of Scotland" make their maps free for uses such as those described here, but a huge amount of the modern day maps are now completley free for use, for any purpose by any one who wishes to use them.

 

I guess this means, those of us who are still here on RMWeb (or at least our ancestors) in 100 or more years time will have no problems obtaining maps from this era to carry on the good work :-)

 

@John (From South Pelaw Junction) 

 

I checked the maps I have this morning, and I pretty much (Apart from a few areas between towns and other built up zones) have the entire route of the Tyne Dock to Consett line, and mores the point the ability to turn it into a geographically/location correct Google Earth line map.  It's going to take me a little while to digitize it though, I am however happy to do it, for the members of this discussion who've been looking for it.

[johndon]

Here's a shot of 37093 under the bridge at Leadgate during the track lifting (Photo copyright Stephen McGahon) looking from Leadgate towards Consett:

 

 

and another a bit further away:

 

 

and, for contrast a Google Street View of the same location today...

 

 

 

John

[MarkC]

I remember driving along that road & over the bridge many times on Sundays in 1979 & 1980, on my way to/from Derwent Reservoir to go sailing. If only I knew then, as the saying goes...

[johndon]

A bit of a rarity this one, the site of Beamish Station (looking towards Consett) and the only Class 56, 56080, ever to have travelled the branch.  Rumour has it that there are some colour photos of the loco on the line but I've not been able to track any down. Strangely, there are fewer trees at the site now than there were in May 1984 when this photo was taken.

 

 

John

 

[johndon]

More unusual traction courtesy of Stephen McGahon, as part of the Rail 150 celebrations in 1975, DMU railtours were run up the line to Consett.

 

First up on 6 September 1975, a 6 coach consist passes the site of Stella Gill sidings.

 

 

And on 13 September 1975, a DMU approaches Consett station.

 

 

 

John

[Raised On Steam]

How different those views are nowadays!

[johndon]

How different those views are nowadays!

 

Indeed, here's a 'now' pic of the first location (take a little further to the right):

 

 

A now photo of the second location would require standing in the middle of a main road...

 

John

[Raised On Steam]

Aah cycled that way many timed. I still maintain they should have a huge sculpture of a 9F or Q7 made from railway sleepers. Hell I'd even build it myself if they wanted!

[johndon]

It is a shame that none of the sculptures that are on the line relate to the railway itself...

 

John

[Raised On Steam]

You're right there. They're impressive but you get the feeling that interest was lost in them along the way. More likely that the money ran out?

There aren't even any 'info boards' of the sort you find along the N Tyneside waggonways and the N Wylam track.

I was reading in a cycling guide that there's a 'sculture' of a ladle/smelt wagon up at Lydgetts junction he he. If that's a sculture it's a very accurate one lol.

[runs as required]

Personally I think the giant transformers are excellent  public art - kids love them too of course. They really do seem to express what the Consett blast furnaces were all about

 

Aah cycled that way many timed. I still maintain they should have a huge sculpture of a 9F or Q7 made from railway sleepers. Hell I'd even build it myself if they wanted!

The nearest you'll find is a Red ! Royal Scot at Swallwell

This is a quote from the cycleway leaflet:

Andy Frost's Derwent Walk Express is probably the only locomotive which tows its own passing landscape behind it.  

This colourful sculpture acts as a sign for the Swalwell entrance to Derwent Walk Country Park, an area restored and landscaped as an urban improvement scheme.  

The painted plywood construction (2.5 x 33 metres) combines a steam train with slices of countryside - plants, birds, animals, insects and a distant power station. Mounted on the bridge abutment of a railway viaduct on the former Derwent Valley branch line, the sculpture reflects the area's great railway heritage and its present regeneration as a country park.  

Installed in 1987 but has been recently refurbished in 2005.

 

It currently looks well overdue a refurb.

I reckon cash strapped Gateshead would welcome your Q7 offer with open arms (a rust streaked 9F would rather lower the tone of what the developers have been trying to rebrand "Low Whickam" )

[Mallard60022]

I was last stood on Consett Station in 1962! I remember it like it was last week.

Phil

[Raised On Steam]

You wouldn't stand long in that location now, it's a main road he he.

The red derwent walk engine is just the size I was thinking about. I do like the transformers and king coal but the chrome theodolite thingy up at Consett leaves me non-plussed!

I was just up at Lydgetts/Hownsgill this afternoon on my bike. I couldn't believe the prison-like railings they've plonked on Hownsgill viaduct. It looks horrendous.