Ford Paper Mill/Newalls Lime Quarry. Penshaw-Sunderland Line

[46444]

Reading John Hooper's excellent book on the Clayton Class 17's I came across a chapter on the Ford Paper Mill/Newalls Lime Quarry which I understand is now part of the Tyne & Wear Metro Route.

 

To me it looks like a cracking layout project and with Class 17's what's not to like?

 

Does anyone have any further information on these two locations.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Mark 

 

 

[Caledonian]

Google tells me that there's a 1948 image on https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW014479

 

However it aint part of the Tyne and Wear Metro. The Penshaw line was lifted many years ago and the alignment gritted over to become a cycle track. An extension of the Metro line was then built on top of it nearly 30 years ago, but there's no trace of the quarry or any links from it into the site. A nice cutting through the limestone, but that's all.

[D9020 Nimbus]

Tyne and Wear Museums published a book "Railways of Sunderland" by Ian S. Carr which featured a photo of the location — but with a class 24 (D5100, which was done by Bachmann some years ago and is on Farish's "to-do” list). No idea if this book is still available or how you might get hold of a copy, though.

[Fat Controller]

12 minutes ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

Tyne and Wear Museums published a book "Railways of Sunderland" by Ian S. Carr which featured a photo of the location — but with a class 24 (D5100, which was done by Bachmann some years ago and is on Farish's "to-do” list). No idea if this book is still available or how you might get hold of a copy, though.

You could try the museum's shop site:-

https://shoptwmuseums.co.uk/

[46444]

Thanks for all the replies...

 

The photographs of the Class 17's at Ford Works/Newalls Lime Lime Quarry are in this book published by Booklaw..

 

 

 

 

A brilliant book and well worth a read for those interested in Class 17's. My copy was purchased directly from Booklaw.

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark 

[Caledonian]

The Limestone cutting seen in the background of the bottom left photie still exists and Metro cars run through it, but everything else has gone [in an earlier existence I helped survey the Metro line] and not only has the spur and sidings gone but they have been obliterated by a broad new road - "European Way" which compelled us to swing the track northwards before rejoining the original alignment at the cutting.

[Pinza-C55]

It used to be my home area and I've built some of it in the Trainz 2019 rail simulator. I can post pix on Flickr if you want. The line closed as a through route between Ford Works (the signalbox controlling the sidings to the quarry and mill) and Penshaw in 1967. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1971 and subsequently the line was reduced to a single track from Ford Works to to Hendon Junction at Sunderland South Dock and all signalling was removed. Rail traffic from the quarry ceased in 1976 and the line was cut back to Pallion station.

Edit* here's a V2 passing Ford Works with a diverted ECML train while a Clayton shunts in the background. The mill is "Work In Progress"

 

V2 at Ford Works 22.4.24 by A1 Northeastern, on Flickr

Edited April 22 by Pinza-C55
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