Newcastle Quayside Branch

This forum is for the discussion of the LNER, its constituent companies, and their histories.

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

seacoaler
LNER N2 0-6-2T
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:42 am
Location: reedkerr n.yorks

Re: Newcastle Quayside Branch

Post by seacoaler »

No track but tunnel in good nick in 1990 , in fact wagon drivers said they had driven full length in earlier years .
We filled quayside end up to roof with layers of dolomite hard core in 1990 for about 100 feet in length.
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52H
NBR J36 0-6-0
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 10:53 am
Location: chester-le-street

Re: Newcastle Quayside Branch

Post by 52H »

Hi all
I remember as a fireman at Heaton,I worked the quayside pilot,one of the drivers showed me a picture of a runaway that occurred at the bottom of the tunnel. The tunnel ended with sidings that had buffers up against a solid rock face. The picture shows the wagons hit the buffers and went vertically up the rocks,and remained vertical buffer to buffer. I often wondered how they got them down. Has anyone else seen this picture,I believe it was a cutting from a newspaper,it was probably from the Journal or Evening Chronicle.
52H
kkrash
NER Y7 0-4-0T
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2014 4:34 am

Re: Newcastle Quayside Branch

Post by kkrash »

With regards to the Victoria Tunnel, i am one of the guides in the tunnel, we run regular tours and you can book via the ouseburn trust website.

We actually pass under a re-inforced section of the tunnel, at this point we are standing under an iron bridge, which was built to stradle the Victoria Tunnel, which in turn has a tunnel on it, so when standing at this point of the Victoria Tunnel, you are effectively in a tunnel, under a bridge thats in a tunnel! Quite unique!

The old railway tunnel fills up with water when it rains and then passes through the earth into the victoria tunnel, because this water is making contact with an Iron Bridge we have soft iron oxide ooozing out of one of the points in the wall...it looks pretty gruesome and the kids take to calling it dragon snot or dragon poo.

Its worth a visit (but then i'm biased)
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Rlangham
LNER P2 2-8-2
Posts: 916
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 2:52 pm
Location: GWR Territory
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Re: Newcastle Quayside Branch

Post by Rlangham »

ES1 seen in action at the Tanfield Railway at the weekend!

Image

Image
Author of 'The North Eastern Railway in the First World War' - now available in paperback!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/North-Eastern-R ... 781554552/

Happy to help with anything relating to the railways in the First World War, just ask
sbrindley
NER Y7 0-4-0T
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2018 2:54 pm

Re: Newcastle Quayside Branch

Post by sbrindley »

My Grandad Billy Hardy born 73 Stepney Lane and who lived there, 3 Shieldfield Lane then 115 Weldon Crescent High Heaton drove the electric lane engines on the Quayside Branch line. Sadly he died 1950. Here is a photo of one of them by Red Barns Tunnel with New Bridge Street just behind.
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sbrindley
NER Y7 0-4-0T
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2018 2:54 pm

Re: Newcastle Quayside Branch

Post by sbrindley »

This is a message for Bill Donald in Dublin. Bill I believe you have eyesight problems now judging from the internet so hope you get this.
My Grandad Billy hardy (b 1903) and my cousin Dave’s Grandad Harry Hardy (b 1905) were born and lived at 73 Stepney lane which was a house that stood on a narrow piece of land between the lane and the railways at the east end of what I believe was Trafalgar Yard. It backed into the lines and I believe was a railway house.They were born into a railway family that lived in that house from The 1860’s to the 1940s. Their Dad and Grandad worked on the railways as did their brothers Fred and Cecil Hardy. Living there until they got married they would have seen so much go by their house. Billy drove those two ES engines on the Quayside line. I know that as my uncle told me. And Billy was driving an electric passenger unit into Central Station in March 1950 when he died of a heart attack. There were problems with the brakes. He had called ahead from Wallsend and when he got to Central the brakeman saw him collapse in the cab. My cousin Dave Hardy is a Driver for Northern Rail and when his bosses heard this story last year they decided to name a train after him. The William George “Billy Hardy” 156483 was named at Central Station on 14 January 2019. Its inaugural journey was to Morpeth and back as a passengers service with lots of Billy’s descendants on board.
Dave Hardy and I would be very interested in any material you have about the Quayside line in particular the Trafalgar Yard End. We do not yet have a single
Photo showing 73 Stepney Lane from New Bridge Street or the Railway for example.
We would also be very happy to give you the information we have about the Dryburgh and Hardy families whose house overlooked the railways at the top of theQuayside line where I believe your mother played on the brake and in the1930’s. And on the naming of the Billy Hardy this year. will be in Dublin area for a wedding in June and might just be able to meet you but I appreciate it is short notice and I may be limited for time. Kind regards. Simon Brindley.
billdonald
NBR J36 0-6-0
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:10 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Re: Newcastle Quayside Branch

Post by billdonald »

My sincere apologies for the prolonged delay in responding to your post. I don't get on her much as the site is not very good for visually impaired users. My email address is wdonald at pandon dot org where you and others can contact me directly on any aspect of the NER/LNER/BR Tyneside electrification.

Bill Donald,
Dublin, Ireland.
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