Seaham scenes…
While working through the collections cataloguing recently, Julian Harrop came across these scenes of Seaham Harbour, showing work on the construction of the concrete staithes in the South Dock area.
Below: This scene appears to show the Hunslet 0-4-0ST ‘Dick’ which was owned by the contractors and latterly was sold to the Seaham Harbour Dock Company. The tipping waggons are noteworthy, and of a different style to the more usual MSC type of waggons usually employed on such contracts. I take this to be the concrete support for the bridge onto the later concrete staithes that were such a feature of Seaham Harbour. I am guessing the photos were taken in around 1925, when the South Dock was being expanded.
Below: The sheer wall of concrete in its new stage is quite impressive! The details are very useful here – note the huts built for the workers – this being the style of building we based our narrow gauge locomotive sheds on. Note also the track about 1/4 of the way down the concrete, passing behind the wall.
Below: This view shows what has to be one of my favorite waggons ever! Looking very much like the Corris Railway’s 2 ft 3 in gauge brakevan, this van body on dumb buffered chassis is very appealing – of classic chaldron construction with inside bearings, but notable for the heavy solebar to support a full width body.
Below: A close up of the van – something to replicate in the future perhaps… (anyone fancy sponsoring this?!)
Below: Referring to the scenes above for the location, this view shows the relative position of the concrete wall, which reveals it to be a series of walls, enabling the multi-level tracks to pass through it. I may be mistaken but the right hand line, to the right of the girder construction, would appear to be the top end of the notorious 1:11 Dogger Bank, upon which numerous photos of No.18 have been taken! More views, dated from 1925 can be found on our flickr page at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/beamishmuseum/sets/72157624230085613/detail/
Below: We’ve featured these two views previously, but they add some context, showing the completed concrete staithes that sprang from the initial junction at the top of the dock, crossing onto the staithes via a bridge, the supports for which are shown above. The first view shows No.18 on the bank, whilst the second shows it atop the staithes and illustrates the complex levels on the sidings – bearing in mind the height of the dock sidings and their varied positioning vertically above the quayside, that there were numerous rope worked inclines terminating at the top of the dock and also the need to serve the existing geology, particularly between the North and South Docks.
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