Tynemouth Station Restoration

This forum is for news and announcements concerning the LNER, or this website.

Moderators: 52D, Tom F, Rlangham, Atlantic 3279, Blink Bonny, Saint Johnstoun, richard

User avatar
Percy Main
LNER J39 0-6-0
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: North Shields

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by Percy Main »

PinzaC55 wrote:I seriously doubt that the bay platforms would have been much used for excursion trains. If the south end ones were so used they would need crossovers to release the engines and I think they would mostly be used for the Riverside trains.
If an excursion came from the Newcastle direction I think it is more likely it would run through to Monkseaton and be stabled in the extensive carriage sidings there.
My view exactly.

Scheduled Glasgow holiday trains served both Tynemouth and Whitley Bay and would have used the through platforms. I think it is likely most excursions would have done the same.

There do not even seem to have been that many Riverside trains starting or finishing at Tynemouth - so probably only one of the south bays would have seen much passenger traffic (until ironically the Metro was being built).

The north bays hardly seem to have been used at all.

It is sometimes suggested that the existence of the bays at Tynemouth means there was once a lot of trains terminating or originating there. I think it is more likely that when the station was being planned the NER thought of it as replacing the two previous terminuses to which they were adding through platforms. In practice it just became an outsized through station. It would be interesting to know whether in the two decades before electrification it was operated more as a terminus with some through trains.
PinzaC55
LNER A3 4-6-2
Posts: 1375
Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 2:36 pm

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by PinzaC55 »

Well I have just looked at my 1975 Ian Allan reprint of Bradshaws April 1910 and the Riverside Branch had trains every hour in each direction all of which terminated at Tynemouth, and an additional two trains each way on Sunday.
However in 1978 I photographed this BR(NE) enamel sign at Cullercoats - though it seems to imply through trains it may just mean you had to change at Tynemouth?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3273751937/
User avatar
Percy Main
LNER J39 0-6-0
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: North Shields

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by Percy Main »

PinzaC55 wrote:Well I have just looked at my 1975 Ian Allan reprint of Bradshaws April 1910 and the Riverside Branch had trains every hour in each direction all of which terminated at Tynemouth, and an additional two trains each way on Sunday.
However in 1978 I photographed this BR(NE) enamel sign at Cullercoats - though it seems to imply through trains it may just mean you had to change at Tynemouth?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3273751937/
An hourly service is hardly a very intensive use of the three bay platforms at the south end!

After the 1937 stock was introduced I think most of the Riverside trains continued round the loop at least as far as Monkseaton. Both my 1948 and 1965 timetables show only one train a day starting and finishing at Tynemouth.
PinzaC55
LNER A3 4-6-2
Posts: 1375
Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 2:36 pm

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by PinzaC55 »

Actually although there were 3 platforms at the south end my 1950's photo shows that the easternmost one was used for box vans/parcels. It had a makeshift (wooden?) wall at the end of the canopy which went so close to the edge that it would have been dangerous for passenger trains to use it due to limited clearance.
User avatar
Percy Main
LNER J39 0-6-0
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: North Shields

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by Percy Main »

PinzaC55 wrote:Actually although there were 3 platforms at the south end my 1950's photo shows that the easternmost one was used for box vans/parcels. It had a makeshift (wooden?) wall at the end of the canopy which went so close to the edge that it would have been dangerous for passenger trains to use it due to limited clearance.
I am sure I can remember all three of them being used for fish or parcels into the early 60s. What I have doubts about is that they ever saw much passenger traffic, and I think the north ones saw even less.

It is often assumed that the mere existence of the bays is itself evidence of extensive traffic using them, but there is little - if any - evidence (photographic of timetabled) that this was ever the case. It's good to see Tynemouth station restored, but what may be being commemorated is a mistake on the part of the NER about the facilities needed there.
PinzaC55
LNER A3 4-6-2
Posts: 1375
Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 2:36 pm

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by PinzaC55 »

True. Its hard to see what the point of the centre through lines was? It would be interesting to speculate what it would cost to build a station like this now?
User avatar
Percy Main
LNER J39 0-6-0
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: North Shields

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by Percy Main »

PinzaC55 wrote:True. Its hard to see what the point of the centre through lines was?

They look like fast passing lines at a mainline station, but I think they were really more like access lines to the former Blyth and Tyne station which was retained as a coal depot. Mineral trains coming and going there could pause in them to await a gap between the electric trains.

I remember in the 60s there was an express train via Benton that used to start at Cullercoats at 0826 (in the 1965 TT) having waited in the north through line for preceding trains to pass. It appears to have arrived as empty stock via Wallsend.

I also remember our annual school trip trains to places like Edinburgh and Keswick which picked up hundreds of schoolchildren at Cullercoats in the 20 minutes or so between electrics. I think they would also have waited empty in the centre lines at Tynemouth for stoppers to pass.

Like the bays the centre tracks could easily mislead one into thinking that Tynemouth had once been a much more important station that it really was. In fact they are evidence that it really wasn't. Why would a station that was so important that it needed all those bays also need passing lines for trains that were not stopping there? In fact the bays weren't really needed and the 'through' tracks had another explanation.
Trestrol
GCR D11 4-4-0 'Improved Director'
Posts: 447
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:48 pm
Location: Earsdon Grange signal box

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by Trestrol »

I can remember (just) these bays being used for parcel and goods trains in the 70's, which never made sense as the parcel compound was at the other end of the station where the bays had been removed. I can remember that a rough shunt had taken place one day and a box van was sitting on top of the buffers. The buffers were never repaired and were forever at an agle until the bays were filled in.
third-rail
GCR O4 2-8-0 'ROD'
Posts: 567
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:47 pm
Location: Earsdon Grange sub station

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by third-rail »

i thought the north bays where intended for the blyth /ashington/newbiggin services ,but it never made any money so the services where cut back to monkseaton.
the 7-30pm at carville from newcastle [unadvertised]terminated at west monkseaton the guard would start coming through the train after tynemouth asking who was getting off where if there was no passengers for any of the remaining stations it would pass that station
User avatar
Percy Main
LNER J39 0-6-0
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: North Shields

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by Percy Main »

third-rail wrote:i thought the north bays where intended for the blyth /ashington/newbiggin services ,but it never made any money so the services where cut back to monkseaton.
That's probably right. The layout and scale of Tynemouth do not reflect past glories but past dreams.

The north bays were discussed extensively here:viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3317
User avatar
52D
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 3968
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:50 pm
Location: Reallocated now between the Lickey and GWR
Contact:

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by 52D »

As an aside to this thread the Scottish excursions to Tynemouth and Whitley Bay from the Borders ran at weekends in the summer often throwing up some beautiful motive power and travelling over three different routes on alternate weekends. The routes were via The Berwickshire Railway to Reston and ECML, the Tweed Valley route via St Boswells, Tweedmouth and the ECML (Im not sure which way these trains went nearer Tyneside) and finally the Border Counties line via Riccarton and Hexham.
I have a rather nice pic of two Glens heading one of these excursion trains.
Hi interested in the area served by 52D. also researching colliery wagonways from same area.
User avatar
Percy Main
LNER J39 0-6-0
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: North Shields

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by Percy Main »

52D wrote:As an aside to this thread the Scottish excursions to Tynemouth and Whitley Bay from the Borders ran at weekends in the summer often throwing up some beautiful motive power and travelling over three different routes on alternate weekends. The routes were via The Berwickshire Railway to Reston and ECML, the Tweed Valley route via St Boswells, Tweedmouth and the ECML (Im not sure which way these trains went nearer Tyneside) and finally the Border Counties line via Riccarton and Hexham.
I have a rather nice pic of two Glens heading one of these excursion trains.
Do you think the Glens got as far as Tynemouth?

Excursions in the other direction often seem to have involved a local electric train to Newcastle. That said, our school trips from Cullercoats (to York or Keswick) brought large steam locomotives to the loop - if I remember correctly, empty via Wallsend and then on to the mainline at Benton SE curve. An Edinburgh trip (a DMU by then) took the Blyth and Tyne from Monkseaton to Morpeth where it reversed, the teachers kidding us we were were going back home because of bad behaviour .
User avatar
52D
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 3968
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:50 pm
Location: Reallocated now between the Lickey and GWR
Contact:

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by 52D »

[quote="Percy Main"]

Do you think the Glens got as far as Tynemouth?

The pic which i have just looked at shows two Glens on an excursion from Peebles with GLEN GYLE leading and carrying an early style LNER headboard marked Whitley Bay, Its thrashing up the Berwickshire railway just after Duns and the only place to engine change would be Tweedmouth.
I surmise there would not be an Engine Change and the crew and loco would be from St Margarets as that depot would have the relevant route knowledge(Waverley, Peebles loop, Berwickshire railway and ECML) possibly with the addition of a conductor at Morpeth to take the crew off the ECML to the coast.
Glens and Scotts were known to work into Newcastle.
Hi interested in the area served by 52D. also researching colliery wagonways from same area.
User avatar
60041
GCR O4 2-8-0 'ROD'
Posts: 559
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2007 8:36 pm
Location: 20 feet from the ECML, 52D, Northumberland

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by 60041 »

Princess Anne has re-opened the restored station, attached is an article from todays Journal:
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east ... l:20120703
PinzaC55
LNER A3 4-6-2
Posts: 1375
Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 2:36 pm

Re: Tynemouth Station Restoration

Post by PinzaC55 »

I've just received my copy of the new book and it is large format softback , 78 pages with mostly colour photo's but a number of historic black and white shots, many of which I haven't seen before. There are a few of my shots in there, including one miscaptioned "1960's" - I was even big enough to hold a camera then!
Post Reply