Any work involving digging is exciting!  It brings about quick results and often remarkable changes in a very short amount of time.  The work to add the turnout to create an additional siding on the narrow gauge system also involved extending the headshunt (drivers will be pleased as it was a tight squeeze before!) and this forms the first part of the north western leg extension of the triangle of track that will form the core ‘main line’ of the narrow gauge system.  Here are some notes explaining what is happening and what is planned.

Below: This view, looking down the new cutting (actually cut through tipped materials rather than ‘living earth’) shows the point at which the two gauges meet.  The chaldrons are stood on the stub of standard gauge which will eventually extend through the cutting towards Pockerley.  The narrow gauge formation descends here, and there will be a turnout just to the left of the buffer stop, enabling the ng line to run eastwards alongside the sg track in a widened cutting.

Below:  Looking east, the standard gauge trackbed is to the left, now a cutting but once an embankment (the land form at Beamish having regularly changed over the years!) with the narrow gauge formation running to the right of this view.  Eventually this intersection will have the cutting widened and sg/ng tracks share the route, with a turnout for the ng about where the photograph was taken from.

Below:  A closer view of the ng line’s arrival into the Colliery area, crossing a very wet patch of land that is currently being drained and culverts dug to assist with the water run off in the future.  Darren is operating the JCB whilst Mark supports it from the ground!

Below:  The finished cutting, which will soon turn green with vegetation again.  The bucket of the excavator is visible to the right, giving the location of this view in reference to the other pictures.  The gradient here is such that the engines will bark a bit when climbing up into the yard area.

Below:  Darren is creating the level into which the turnout will be placed, this being the location of the headshunt previously.

Below:  Stepping back and with the JCB returned to bed, the route through is clearly visible, with the turnout and existing track visible in the foreground.  The new siding will run to the left of this vantage point, accessing a stockyard and new area demosntrating shaft sinking, which we hope to open in 2014.  To the left of this view is the site of the proposed brickyard/works, which will be rail served – refer to the map at the end of this post.

Below: A second view from a wider angle showing the gentle curve of the railway through the new cutting and down to the original standard gauge formation.

Below: In readiness for the winter, and whilst its injectors are away being overhauled for its owner, Edward Sholto has been drained down and vented.  The tell tale pool of water in the foreground confirms the boiler and saddle tank are draining towards the photographers feet!  This shed will be primed and painted this winter, making it blend rather better into the background.

Below: A reminder from a previous post of the ‘grand plan’ for the Colliery Railway network (on both gauges).  The current works focus on the area just above that marked ‘B’ on the map below, and this perhaps makes better sense of the descriptions above as to the anticipated layout of the narrow gauge route around the Colliery.