The LNER Encyclopedia

I'm hoping somebody will give me an idea of the likely loco types that were seen in the Hexham area around 1920-1925.

Am I right in expecting there to be North Eastern and North British types to be seen there and would there have been many express passenger or heavy goods trains using the Newcastle-Carlisle route?

I gather there was an engine shed at Hexham, would there likely be a list of locos stationed there around the time of the grouping?

Many thanks in advance.

Good Morning

Firstly, the following books are helpful, and you might be able to find second-hand copies.
'The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway' - G Whittle - ISBN 0 7153 755 4
'North Eastern Locomotive Sheds' - K Hoole - ISBN 0 7153 5323 3

There are also several other books, many published by the North Eastern Railway Association, ...website here... (You will find their publications listed under the 'Shop' tab.)

Secondly, I am not an 'expert' on the N&C, but the line carried (and carries) several traffics:-
Through trains - Newcastle/Carlisle
Local trains - mostly to Newcastle
Branch Trains (but not any more) to Alston and Allendale.
North Tyne line - created by the NBR

Hexham shed (built in the late 1860s,) was, I think used to support the local and branch trains, and not even all of those.
According to Ken Hoole (op cit)

• Allocations were - 1923 1939 1954
  G5 0-4-4T 4 4 6
  J21 0-6-0 1
  J36 0-6-0 (NB) 1
  Y1 0-4-0T 1

(You can find more about these locomotives from the Home Page on this forum.)

Most services were supported from Gateshead, Blaydon, and Carlisle sheds, all of which had large allocations of NER locomotives.
So, and I am not an expert, through Hexham would have run:
Worsdell 4-4-0s (surviving example No.1621 at Locomotion, Shildon)
Worsdell 4-4-2s
Many varieties of NER freight locomotives (especially the smaller ones like J21s)
LNER D49s
and later
LNER V2s and even Pacifics

The N&C was and is a fascinating line, and worth some research.
Do I gather from your name that you are fortunate to live near it?

(The Whittle book is showing on Amazon for £9 and would be a good starting point.)

Many thanks for that info mrdmditch.

All of what you say is really good information. Getting any information at all from the 1920's is proving particularly difficult- 1950's and 60's is so much easier!

You are correct, I do indeed come from the area. In fact I live on the N&C next door to the old Forstones station masters house.

The reason I am looking for these details is that Iam looking to build an OO scale reconstruction of Fourstones railway station and the adjacent coilliery and limeworks (I live on the site of these). The coilliery closed in 1926 so I have a very limited window to model.

I wanted any stock to be in either North Eastern or North British liveries and some in LNER too. It looks like I will have to get building because I don't think any of the likely loco's that I need are produced ready to run. The exceptions could be J26's and J27's from Oxford Rail, and at a push Q6 - this is the one I was really unsure of!! The info on the Hexham shed is really useful - I had an inkling that G5's would be likely, so that's good news.

The J36 is available RTR, a rather fine model too.

The rolling stock will be the greater challenge, especially the coaches.

4Stones wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:02 pm Many thanks for that info mrdmditch.

All of what you say is really good information. Getting any information at all from the 1920's is proving particularly difficult- 1950's and 60's is so much easier!

You are correct, I do indeed come from the area. In fact I live on the N&C next door to the old Forstones station masters house.

The reason I am looking for these details is that Iam looking to build an OO scale reconstruction of Fourstones railway station and the adjacent coilliery and limeworks (I live on the site of these). The coilliery closed in 1926 so I have a very limited window to model.

I wanted any stock to be in either North Eastern or North British liveries and some in LNER too. It looks like I will have to get building because I don't think any of the likely loco's that I need are produced ready to run. The exceptions could be J26's and J27's from Oxford Rail, and at a push Q6 - this is the one I was really unsure of!! The info on the Hexham shed is really useful - I had an inkling that G5's would be likely, so that's good news.

I saw many years ago a beautiful framed LNER enamel street sign "LNER STATION ------> FOURSTONES". Can't remember whether it was in an auction or in the Jiggery Pokery antique shop near Hexham.

4Stones wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:02 pm Many thanks for that info mrdmditch.

I wanted any stock to be in either North Eastern or North British liveries and some in LNER too. It looks like I will have to get building because I don't think any of the likely loco's that I need are produced ready to run. The exceptions could be J26's and J27's from Oxford Rail, and at a push Q6 - this is the one I was really unsure of!! The info on the Hexham shed is really useful - I had an inkling that G5's would be likely, so that's good news.

Well, you can't really go wrong with a J21 (C1 before 1923), which were pretty much mixed-traffic engines if you model one with 'passenger brakes', such as mine ....here..... They did have a complex build history however, with a lot of variation by your chosen period.

G5s would always be good.

Not sure about the J36; would they have worked west of Border Counties junction?

With rolling stock you have to look at building your own. There are kits available for quite a lot of goods and mineral vehicles, but passenger stock the current situation is more difficult.

By-the-way, 'A History of the Newcastle & Carlisle 1824 to 1870' by Bill Fawcett and published by NERA might be interesting for you, and does contain a lot of detail which survived through into the 20th century.

drmditch wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 1:32 pm ...Not sure about the J36; would they have worked west of Border Counties junction?...

Based on what I read while in Hexham last summer, the working pattern after grouping remained in the established pattern; NBR locos - and the J36 was specifically mentioned - normally terminated at Hexham, and would then return to their 'home rails'. So not really appropriate for Fourstones unfortunately...

PinzaC55 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:31 am

4Stones wrote: ↑Thu Jan 21, 2021 7:02 pm Many thanks for that info mrdmditch.

All of what you say is really good information. Getting any information at all from the 1920's is proving particularly difficult- 1950's and 60's is so much easier!

You are correct, I do indeed come from the area. In fact I live on the N&C next door to the old Forstones station masters house.

The reason I am looking for these details is that Iam looking to build an OO scale reconstruction of Fourstones railway station and the adjacent coilliery and limeworks (I live on the site of these). The coilliery closed in 1926 so I have a very limited window to model.

I wanted any stock to be in either North Eastern or North British liveries and some in LNER too. It looks like I will have to get building because I don't think any of the likely loco's that I need are produced ready to run. The exceptions could be J26's and J27's from Oxford Rail, and at a push Q6 - this is the one I was really unsure of!! The info on the Hexham shed is really useful - I had an inkling that G5's would be likely, so that's good news.

I saw many years ago a beautiful framed LNER enamel street sign "LNER STATION ------> FOURSTONES". Can't remember whether it was in an auction or in the Jiggery Pokery antique shop near Hexham.

That would be an amazing thing to find !! I don't suppose it's close by anymore.

I think he wanted £400 for it, which is probably what it would be worth in an auction. I bought an NER letter rack from him which came from Langley On Tyne station and sold it a few years later in an auction for £710.
I looked on Google Earth and the shop is still there at Mickley on the main road but it seems to be just books and haberdashery now.

At the time of Grouping, in addition to the the J36 at Hexham, the NBR had two more locos allocated to NER sheds. Willie Yeadon's 'LNER Locomotive Allocations 1st January 1923' tells us that D31 No 312 and J37 No 161 were at Blaydon. At the time of the General Strike the D31 was reportedly given the name 'Jesmondine'. Unfortunately I cannot now find the reference but I'm sure someone will help.