21st August 2009

I had a couple of days off this week to fire at the nearby (about 1 mile!) Tanfield Railway. The line, like so many others, is experiencing an upturn in passenger numbers and on Wednesday an additional coach was marshaled to cope with demand, giving Sir Cecil Cochrane (seen below) five coaches to pull over the sharply graded line. Thursday was quieter and four coaches sufficed. It is on days like this that one realises how lucky we are to have so much steam around us and to be given the opportunity to fire and drive it in this day and age!

Below: At the start of the day. Cochrane is prepared for pulling out of the shed and lighting up – the Armstrong diesel can be seen outside in readiness.

Below: The Tanfield are putting the finishing touches to the superb restoration of Beamish’s R. Stephenson 0-6-0T ‘Twizell’ which is on long term loan to the railway. This is a big loco and one which many are waiting with baited breath to see in action once again. It has seen use at Beamish in the early years of the railway here (mid 1970s) and also saw some action as a stationary boiler for the museum’s colliery winding engine.

Below: An overall view of the shed with Twizell dominating the scene on the right. To the left is ‘Stanley’ a locally used Barclay 0-4-0ST which is in the final throes of restoration.

Below: Cochrane at Andrews House Station, where journeys start and finish despite its location in the middle of the line. The uniform livery of the stock adds the feeling of a light railway operation or colliery train. Despite its small size this engine is a willing performer and is a pleasure to work on.