jwealleans Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 I've been given permission to show this picture from the collection of Owen Russell. D49 368 "The Puckeridge", probably in the 1930s, but where is it? The signal box has been identified as an NER Central Division type, the leading vehicle behind the loco is a postal carriage and the train appears to have run wrong line towards the photographer. None of these have helped locate it up to now. Any ideas welcome. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micknich2003 Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 A friend of mine, a native, tells me it is Darlington Springfield. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGR Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 21 hours ago, micknich2003 said: A friend of mine, a native, tells me it is Darlington Springfield. Being born & bred not so far from there, I would agree with Springfield Box. The photographer is standing on the 'UP' side of the main line, facing south, at the foot of the embankment where Thompson Street East crosses over the ECML by an overbridge. The train is crossing over from the goods relief line that comes into / out of the north end of the GN sidings, crossing onto the UP main. A further crossover beneath / to the north of the overbridge would allow the train to continue northwards on the DOWN main. The line running up towards the photographer is just a headshunt at the end of the relief. Not visible in the photo, Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn's locomotive works is to the left behind the signal box, at right angles to the main line. Weirdly, all of the lines in / out of the RSH works turned towards the north, connecting together and running parallel to the main line ending in a headshunt also just short of Thompson Street East and just out-of-shot behind the 'box. The exit from the works was then at the southern end of this and joined on to the relief. What I'm not sure of is if the relief was bi-directional, allowing access between RSH and the GN UP sidings (Parkgate signal box) without getting in the way of the through mainline traffic. Unfortunately RSH is long since gone, as the 'box and everything other than plain two track ECML with auto colour light signalling. The area is now a 'new'ish estate full of little houses and streets with railway themed names giving some clue of the area's former heritage. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 GN sidings? Tell us more! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted May 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 17, 2021 17 minutes ago, HGR said: The train is crossing over from the goods relief line that comes into / out of the north end of the GN sidings, crossing onto the UP main. A further crossover beneath / to the north of the overbridge would allow the train to continue northwards on the DOWN main. Such a crossing ladder seems unusual at this date? I went and checked on the 25 in OS map on the National Library of Scotland website and it was there all right in 1913. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGR Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 12 minutes ago, 62613 said: GN sidings? Tell us more! North of Darlington Bank Top station, on the UP / east side of the main line there (were) goods sidings that we used to refer to as the GN sidings. Previously Darlington steam shed was also alongside these sidings. This was opposite side of the line than the later DMU depot built on the west side of the line. 'GN' = Great North of England Railway. This was the original 'main line' in 1841 from York to Darlington. The original Bank Top station of 1841 was a small affair on the alignment of the present main line. It was rebuilt larger (I think in the 1860s ?). The present (and much larger) Bank Top station was built in 1887 on a loop alongside to the west of the main line. If you look at the brickwork of the wall on the platform 1 side roughly opposite the station buildings you can see the remains of the west wall of the previous station - it's a different pattern to the rest of the station outer walls. The GN sidings were thus to the north of Bank Top and ended just short of where the Stockton & Darlington ran east-west. The GN engine shed building still remains just to the north of Haughton Road on a curve. When the main line was extended north towards Newcastle, it crossed the S&D at the infamous flat crossing. The GN engine shed being now a south to east curve in the crossing layout. Springfield was the next 'box to the north. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Thank you! I know that pre-grouping railways had running powers over the lines of others, especially to reach isolated goods yards, but I just couldn't see the Great Northern having a yard so far from their parent system. I take it that the GNoE became part of the York Newcastle and Berwick in due course. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted May 17, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 17, 2021 4 minutes ago, 62613 said: I take it that the GNoE became part of the York Newcastle and Berwick in due course. After several intermediate steps! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HGR Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 39 minutes ago, Compound2632 said: After several intermediate steps! ... and several intermediate stations that are a not insignificant distance away from the present route of the ECML. The first main line took a rather different route to get north to Newcastle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micknich2003 Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 (edited) Thanks to John Midcalf here is the layout and signalling. Unfourtantly, RM Web as turned it on end. Edited May 18, 2021 by micknich2003 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smart Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 I may have the working for D49 368. Given the wrong line working, it is almost certainly a Sunday. The 9.25am from Leeds to Newcastle picked up an empty TPO at York on its way north. John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted May 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 18, 2021 5 hours ago, John Smart said: Given the wrong line working, it is almost certainly a Sunday. I though it had been established that this was not wrong line but crossing from goods relief to up in order then to cross to down? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smart Posted May 19, 2021 Share Posted May 19, 2021 I suggest you re-read what HGR said. The Down train is leaving the Up Independent, crossing onto the Up Main and then will regain the Down Main over a further crossing behind the photographer. The Up Independent is not a bi-directional line. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted May 19, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 19, 2021 9 minutes ago, John Smart said: I suggest you re-read what HGR said. The Down train is leaving the Up Independent, crossing onto the Up Main and then will regain the Down Main over a further crossing behind the photographer. The Up Independent is not a bi-directional line. Being pernickety in turn, HGR said: On 17/05/2021 at 20:21, HGR said: What I'm not sure of is if the relief was bi-directional, allowing access between RSH and the GN UP sidings (Parkgate signal box) without getting in the way of the through mainline traffic. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken.W Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 On 18/05/2021 at 10:27, micknich2003 said: Thanks to John Midcalf here is the layout and signalling. Unfourtantly, RM Web as turned it on end. Unfortunately not the location being discussed here, Springfield Darlington, but Scotswood bridge, west end of Newcastle, and formerly the Newcastle - Carlisle mainline, crossing the Tyne between Scotswood and Blaydon. The main line is labeled as from Carlisle / to Newcastle, and the branch labeled as to Consett (ie the Derwent Valley branch) and connection shown as engine shed Indicate this as being the southern, Blaydon end of the bridge. (Scotswood at the north end was also a junction, for the North Wylam branch). It was the condition of this bridge that resulted in closure of this part of the N&C in the early 1980s, and diversion by the present route using former goods lines via Dunston. Still interesting to see how complicated this location had been, I only knew it as plain double track. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smart Posted May 24, 2021 Share Posted May 24, 2021 I have had a letter from Owen Russell, he wishes to thank everyone who has helped to identify the location. John 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now