How do you cross the line with a Giant Dragline

[The Bigbee Line]

In 1977 we lived in Acklington, Northumberland.  The local Opencast Coal Mine was run by Derek Crouch.  It was in use at the Acklington site when we arrived.  During 1977 it was moved to Butterwell.  To get there it 'walked'.  As the route crossed the ECML, there was an 'engineers possession' and a small P Way crane lifted some track panels.  Big Geordie walked across and the track was re-instated.

 

 

I took a couple of snaps, now on Flickr;

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55938574@N03/9841474433/in/set-72157635696792364

 

[jonhall]

Alongside the Aachen - Cologne mainline they are building a new motorway and internal railway system because of the open cast coal mining - the digger isn't walking across those existing formations, its digging straight through to extend the hole 

 

Its not even the first motorway section in the area that has closed to allow the digging to continue..

 

Jon

[LNERGE]

Sundew did the same, crossing the Peterborough - Leicester line whilst out for it's stroll from Exton Park to Corby. I seem to remember it being featured on BBC Blue Peter?

[Gordon A]

And what looks like a steam crane in the picture as well!

 

Gordon A

Bristol

[Arthur]

We had a bit about Sundew on an earlier thread, I posted this photo, I'm not sure if it's actually Sundew but it is a W1400, Stewarts & Lloyds had three of them, plus a slighly larger W1800.

 

 

And a few notes about it's epic walk,

,

"The most famous exploit was in 1974 when one of the W1400's, Sundew, walked 12 miles from the exhausted Exton Park quarry to Shotley quarry. Taking two months at one mile in ten hours, crossing roads, rivers and railway lines, it was cheaper and quicker than dismantling it and moving it in bits. At the half way point the six mile power cable was 'unplugged' at Exton Park, run ahead to Shotley, and 'plugged' back in. A shilling in the meter, and off they went!!"

[Campaman]

I seen Sundew on its final walk in 1980 when it went to its final resting place to be scrapped, I am currently sat just off Steel Road in Corby at work, which was originally part of the original steel works.

[HitchinLoco]

I seen Sundew on its final walk in 1980 when it went to its final resting place to be scrapped, I am currently sat just off Steel Road in Corby at work, which was originally part of the original steel works.

Here are a couple of shots I managed to get when it was parked up. Not sure where now. Hope they are of interest>

[idance4upgrades]

Good morning everyone, I visited the Rocks by Rails museum yesterday with my wife and unbeknown to us I think it was their last "Driver for a fiver" day this year which means you can climb aboard one of their wagons and get taken up the tracks via a steam train, I was absolutely loving it as Ive never been on a Steam train before? That was about the 8th time we had been to Rocks by rail and the people there are really lovely, Such hard working and nothing is too much trouble for them, I am a Youtuber who has thousands of subscribers on my channel, I have asked the manager 'Andy' yesterday if it was ok to take footage and use it for my next video for my channel and I said that I really love what they do there and I am going to donate 100% of whatever the video makes to the museum.

 

Andy and other staff I spoke to was really happy about this, So I am looking around for any photos or footage but I doubt there will be much footage of the old Sundew Dragline to use on the next video for the Sundew which will be started next month, I paid a small fortune for the book and will donate some money from that video as well to the museum,

 

So I wanted to kindly ask if anyone on here had any photos they would kindly allow me to use on my channel for either Rocks by Rail (Old pics would be great) or any of the Dragline please?

 

Many thanks.

 

Keith.

[Ian Smeeton]

Hi Keith.

 

I was on the footplate while you were talking to Andy, yesterday.

 

Of course we would all love to see anything you put on Youtube about us.

 

Any chancee of a (cheeky) link to your channel?

 

Regards

 

Ian