MattDitch Posted December 18, 2022 Author Share Posted December 18, 2022 New Video - Darjeeling Himalayan Railway B class No.19 at Statfold Barn. For this week's video, we take a look at the late Adrian Shooter's Darjeeling Himalayan Railway B class No.19 during its visit to Statfold Barn for the "Sweet Indian Steam" event in June 2022. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted February 7, 2023 Author Share Posted February 7, 2023 It's been a little while since I've updated this thread. I've not had a chance to get out with my camera yet this year. So, here are a few new (old) galleries from a couple of years back that I've finally uploaded to my website Up first is a look back to April 2018 with Robert Stephenson 0-6-0T "Twizell" on the Tanfield Railway Up next is Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST "Wissington" visiting Beamish museum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsmb Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 twizell actually ran trains at beamish till about 1979/1980, 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted February 26, 2023 Author Share Posted February 26, 2023 The engine with many names - North Tyneside Steam Railway Freight demonstration day 26/02/23 Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST “Illingworth” is currently visiting the railway from its current home, The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway in Yorkshire. “Illingworth” was built in 1916 for use at the Ministry of Munitions at Gretna Green, during the First World War. In 1922, it was sold to Bradford Corporation for use on the Nidd Valley Light Railway, where it was initially named “Mitchell”. From 1930 it was named “Illingworth” after William Illingworth, who opened the Nidd Valley Water Supply Scheme. The engine was sold again in 1936 to Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd who renamed the engine “Harold”. It was used in the construction of Ebbw Vale steelworks in Wales. 4 years later in 1940 it was again sold, this time to Mowlem’s who renamed it “Swynnerton”. Following sale to them, the locomotive was used at a variety of industrial locations. Including, Workington breakwater project and Mowlem’s Braehead power station. In 1957 the locomotive was sent for scrap. But, was thankfully saved. The loco returned to steam in 2017 once again named “Illingworth”. In 2022 the locomotive was once again renamed “Seacole/Nightingale” after two famous Nurses. Full gallery >> https://www.mattditch.photography/rail#/north-tyneside-steam-railway-freight-demonstration-day-260223/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted March 1, 2023 Author Share Posted March 1, 2023 And here's the video Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 I spent an enjoyable, but cold few hours at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway on Friday for their 2023 steam gala. The full gallery can be found here. But enjoy a few of my favourites below first. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted March 19, 2023 Author Share Posted March 19, 2023 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted March 22, 2023 Author Share Posted March 22, 2023 Head, Wrightson & Co No.21/ Seaham Harbour Dock Company No.16 No.21 was built in 1870 by Head, Wrightson & Co as No.21 at their Teesdale Ironworks in Stockton-on-Tees for the Londonderry Railway to work at Seaham Harbour in County Durham, just south of Sunderland. In 1899 the Londonderry Railway became part of the North Eastern Railway. And in 1900 the Seaham Harbour Dock Company Ltd was formed and the locomotive passed into their ownership, where it became No.16. It remained at Seaham until 1959 when it was sold back to Head, Wrightson & Co. Who restored it to how it would have looked when built. Today the loco is on static display in Preston Park near Stockton. Sister engines No.33/17 and No.1 are based at Beamish museum. No.1, which is nearly identical to 21 is operational and steamed regularly (pictured below). Full gallery 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 I had my first visit to the Ribble steam railway this weekend for their steam gala. The railway runs through mostly industrial and former industrial areas so isn't the most scenic railway. The railway is fairly short but this did mean that the trains were very frequent and they did seem to stick to the timetable. My only issue was that the locos often ran bunker first, even when top & tailing. Which meant it was hard to get a good head on shot. Anyway the full gallery can be found here. and below are some of my favourite shots. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 *Video* Grant Ritchie No.272 of 1894 & Hawthorn Leslie 3931 of 1938 "Linda" cross the level crossing at Lockside road with a mid-afternoon train with FR 20 on the rear Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted April 2, 2023 Author Share Posted April 2, 2023 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted April 3, 2023 Author Share Posted April 3, 2023 I was at Beamish museum on Saturday for the museums Steam Gala. The weather wasn't great But, I feel like it's gave my pictures a bit of atmosphere! The full gallery can be found here. But, firstly here are a few of my favourites. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted April 9, 2023 Author Share Posted April 9, 2023 Unfortunately due to a fault with my video camera, I could not capture any meaningful footage from the recent Steam gala at Beamish. I have therefore put together this video slide show to show off a selection of the images I was able to capture at the event. But, this has given me the opportunity to experiment with a new type of video. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted April 12, 2023 Author Share Posted April 12, 2023 My previous visit to Beamish was in less-than-ideal conditions (rain!). So, when I found out visiting Andrew Barclay No.1219 would be running during the week I decided to make another visit. thankfully the weather was much nicer! And, I was able to record a video of it shunting. Which I'll release this weekend on my Youtube channel (Matt Ditch Photography) The attached image shows 1219 passing by the colliery engine shed with a rake of Chaldron wagons. The full gallery can be found here 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 New Video! Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST "Caledonia Works" on the Beamish Colliery railway on the 11/04/23 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted May 1, 2023 Author Share Posted May 1, 2023 (edited) Here are my pictures from River Esk's 100th centenary gala on 29/04/23. As always the full gallery can be found here. But, below are a few of my favorites. Edited May 8, 2023 by MattDitch 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted May 8, 2023 Author Share Posted May 8, 2023 And here's the video, 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted May 14, 2023 Author Share Posted May 14, 2023 New Gallery - Walking the Brampton Railway. The Brampton Railway was originally constructed in 1798. And, was primarily designed to transport coal from Tindale Fell to Brampton staiths. Initially, it comprised various short segments of wooden railways that had been built earlier. In 1836 the route was altered to meet the newly opened Newcastle and Carlisle Railway at Brampton Junction. The section from the junction to Brampton was later transferred to the North Eastern Railway, carrying passengers and goods, but it closed in 1923. The remaining portion of the railway was exclusively dedicated to serving collieries and other mineral-related activities. Over time, it experienced several extensions in the remote hills located to the south of Brampton. Its prosperity was closely tied to the success of the collieries. However, following the nationalization of the pits in 1947, a significant decline set in, ultimately leading to the closure of the line in 1953. Throughout its existence, the railway was known by various names, including the Tindale Fell Railway, the Midgeholme Railway, the Hartleyburn & Brampton Railway, and simply the Brampton Railway. More pictures can be found here >> https://www.mattditch.photography/disused-railways#/brampton-railway/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 New Gallery - The Whittonstall railway The Whittonstall railway was a narrow gauge overhead electric railway built in the early 1900s to link the drift mines at Whittonstall, around 2 miles west of Chopwell with the Colliery at Chopwell. Where the coal presumably would have been transferred to the standard gauge Chopwell and Garesfield Railway. The railway was the first electric railway in County Durham and had a small fleet of centre cab overhead electric locomotives built by Siemens and Hano. The railway didn't just transport coal it also carried wood that was used to build pit props. And a number of branch lines were built to serve this industry. Locomotive haulage was phased out during the 1920s and all the locomotives had been scraped by 1930. By this time the full line had been converted to rope haulage. Whittonstall Drift closed in 1940 due to WW2 but was reopened by the National Coal Board in 1953. The railway was rebuilt and some of the more serious gradients were eased. Another of the NCB's changes was to end men riding in coal tubs. Instead, a purpose-built 3-car train was built by Wickham & Co. Mining ceased at Chopwell in the late 1950s as mining had moved so far west that it was easier to extract the coal from the Whittonstall end. A new drift was opened (West Drift) in 1960. Although this closed 6 years later in the winter of 1966. The track was taken up shortly after and the remaining buildings and mines were bulldozed and sealed off. Today it is possible to walk some sections of the tracked. The full gallery can be found here Looking up the incline towards Whittonstall Drift The trackbed heading towards Chopwell. There was another drift mine located on the right. Fishplate 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted June 6, 2023 Author Share Posted June 6, 2023 Multi gauge running on the Beamish Colliery railway. 05/06/23 Beamish Colliery Railway running day featuring visiting Andrew Barclay 1219, the boiler of new build North Eastern Railway K class No.559 and narrow gauge Andrew Barclay “Glyder” Full gallery >> https://www.mattditch.photography/rail#/beamish-colliery-railway-050623/ 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 And here's the video 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted June 12, 2023 Author Share Posted June 12, 2023 Statfold Barn Railway - "Summer spectacle of steam" 10/06/23 The full gallery c an be found here. But in the meantime please enjoy a few of my favorite shots from the gala 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted June 16, 2023 Author Share Posted June 16, 2023 New video - Statfold Barn Railway's Summer Spectacle of Steam 10/06/23 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 New gallery - Tanfield Railway "Legends of Industry Gala" It was my locals first gala since before lock-down. It featured two visiting locos, Andrew Barclay 1219, which has been at Beamish for the past few months and Marston, Thompson & Evershed No 3 from Foxfield. Another attraction at the gala was the launch into service of Andrew Barclay "Stanley". The full gallery can be found here 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattDitch Posted June 21, 2023 Author Share Posted June 21, 2023 And here's the video... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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