A bit of a mix this week (looking back at last week), starting with a look at the original Samson’s haunts at Cornish Hush…

Samson

While Samson is progressing on various fronts, last week a group of interested souls ventured up to Cornish Hush to further explore the route of the tramway there and to try and identify the site of the mine shop (workshop) and location of the single photograph of Samson.  We think we found it…

Below: Looking up the track towards Cornish Hush, on what is believed to be the original road over the moors to Bollihope where the crushing and processing mills were located.

Below: The group gather, with Bryan, Dave, Me and Mike seen in discussion and captured by Andy Martin who took these photographs.

Below: This is where we believe the photo of Samson was taken, located according to some small land features still visible and reference to late 20th century OS maps which show a building of the same shape and size as is apparent in the photograph of Samson.

Below: 140 years after the original photograph was taken, Dave adds himself to the line up!

Below: A reminder of the same scene 140 years ago…

Below: Walking back along the tramway, still revealing features of its construction including this slight stone revetment approximately half way along its length. I am working on a detailed article on the tramway and Samson and hope to include a copy of this on the blog in due course.

Below: Meanwhile, in anticipation of the forthcoming Power from the Past event and visiting narrow gauge rolling stock from the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway, work continues on some improvements to our little system…

NER coach body removed

After several months of waiting, the NER grounded saloon body in the Colliery was removed, heading for a new home as a platform amenity on the Aln Valley Railway at Alnwick.  The extraction was carried out remarkably quickly and smoothly, proving, perhaps, the structural integrity of the body, though the roof and cladding are rather sorry looking.  This body had originally come to Beamish, in lieu of a container, to save it from destruction after the effects of the Poll Tax became known and so second ‘homes’ or holiday properties, based on old railway carriages and buses, were suddenly available in some number as owners sought to divest themselves of the liability.  Here are some photos showing the coach’s departure on Monday…

 And finally…

This is well worth a look, found on Youtube and possibly previously seen in another format (can anyone confirm this?) but deserving of a wider audience.  The colour section featuring a drive around Newcastle is as remarkable not just for the vehicles that are visible, but the rather chaotic highway etiquette between vehicles and people!