Newcastle Avoiding Line

52D · Post by **52D** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:48 pm

Apparently in NER days there were plans afoot to construct an avoiding line mainly to bypass Central station for freight trains although i should imagine the non stops would also use this proposed route in LNER days.
I believe that a lot of the land was purchased for this route. Can people comment on the route and where did it run to and from. I wonder if it would be of use today.

52D · Post by **52D** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:54 pm

Further to the above the plan seems for the line to run from Heaton to Pelaw and points South via the Leamside line bridging the Tyne at St Anthonys. Land was purchased but the LNER dropped the scheme

silver fox · Post by **silver fox** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:01 pm

Non stops wouldn't nessecary use an avoiding route, althoughnthey did have to slow, they went straight though York, due to the avoiding line coming off at a right angle to the station.

redtoon1892 · Post by **redtoon1892** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:41 pm

Your right 52D several years ago while I was a local govt officer I saw a set of plans close to what you describe, the main line would use the Leamside with a major interchange with the Tyne & Wear metro at Pelaw the idea being the passengers for Newcastle would change to the Metro, the main line would then be bridged over the Tyne from Pelaw to Walker picking up the main line roughly where the old Wills factory is. I wish I had "borrowed" a copy then. the idea was abandoned as "impractible"
On another subject I had a walk through the development which was once Gateshead 52A Greensfield MPD, The coppersmiths and brass foundry are now high class apartments, the old Northern hotel is also being converted to the same, multi story apartments stand where the depot was, the old BRSA club is now apartments.Only one building of the original NER shed remains as contractors storage but will be demolished soon, the signal box is gone also. the developer has named the roads after N,E,R, engineers, Raven, Wordsell, Fletcher and the blocks have been named after A3s Colombo & Fairway. Gatesheads railway heritage has all but disappeared now.