Pelaw Main Railway

[Nick Holliday]

The current "Archive" Issue 68 (Lightmoor Press) has a fascinating article on the Pelaw Main Railway with 18 photos from around 1905 - an absolute chaldron-fest for those who like them - and there was a lot of recent correspondence on this topic recently.

Even though its sister "Railway Archive" takes the lion's share, "Archive" still manages to have several railway itmes in each issue - this one also has coking oven sidings, a narrow gauge line at Rye for sea defence work, Swansea and Mumbles trams and a superb close-up of a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST (even if it is narrow gauge!) The back catalogue is well worth digging into as well, on their website.

[Lambton58]

There have been some Backtrack articles on the Pelaw Main, and the Lambton System. Must try a dig them out.

Ralph

Lambton58

[Lambton58]

Finally got myself organised and found them!

 

The Pelaw Main Railway Parts 1 & 2, Colin E. Mountford, Backtrack - December 1999 & January 2000.

 

I suspect these back numbers are possibly easier to get hold of than his history of the Bowes Railway, which doesn't seem to be available at present. My copy dates from 1966 and was published by the Birmingham Locomotive Club, Industrial Locomotive Section. Am I correct in thinking that this became the Industrial Railway Society?

 

Mountford also co-compiled the IRS Handbook L, Industrial Locomotives of Durham, which has a lot in about the

Pelaw Main/Bowes Railways (and the Lambton! )

 

Also of interest:

Two articles from Railway Bylines

Get the Drift. NCB Ravensworth Park Drift Mine - recollections of the final days of steam on the Pelaw Main/Bowes Railway Peter Johnson (April 2005)

Bowes Railway - a Photographic Accompaniment - (February 2008)

 

Ralph

Lambton58