1355

s the front of the train reached (bunker ahead). (Pictures by Ian Mortimer.)

BELOW: The front of the tour at Blidworth Colliery with the track ahead lifted in the distance.

ABOVE: This is where the front of the tour reached at Rufford Colliery, just short of the loading pad.
BELOW: The ex-Midland Railway Rufford Colliery Sidings Box from the south. Left is the MR line to
Clipstone Colliery; at the point ahead left are Rufford Colliery Empty Wagon sidings and right the
Loaded Wagon Sidings. The headstocks are right of the signal box. (David Blower, 21 Sep 1980.)

ABOVE: The same location at a different angle in Apr 1981 with loaded wagons in Rufford Loaded
Wagon Sidings. The single track to the Empty Wagon Sidings curves round to their left and was worked
as a 1,010 yards long branch with its own 'Train Staff' kept here. Line of sight 'Yard Working' would be
difficult with the long single line and curve. The MR Clipstone Colliery line is left. The ancient MR
signals are a delight. Rufford Colliery was surrounded by Sherwood Forest with no habitation at all.

BELOW: The previous tour to Bevercotes Colliery, on 13 Apr 1982, at its limit of working, with the
bunker behind the photographer. This was a remarkable tour in itself, as it ran on a weekday - the
Tuesday after the Easter Weekend - some of the lines were not open at weeeknds. This was very
unusual in those days, and covered a number of highly sought after lines, in particular Stairfoot to
Cudworth. https://bit.ly/2VdICuW Also, it was unusual for a Trans Pennine unit to be used on
railtours. Your BLN Editor noted that, unusually on a tour in those days, he did four sections of new
track on it. As well as the Bevercotes Branch and Stairfoot to Cudworth there was the realignment of
the Leeds - Selby line at Hambleton and also Kirk Sandall Jn to St Catherine's Jn for the first time.
Graeme Beedle is walking in front of the two British Rail staff to the right of the front of the unit.

ABOVE: 19 Mar 1975, the view from the brake van as Loco 25101 hauls a train of empty coal wagons
from Rotherwood Sidings to Mansfield Concentration Sidings from the main line (towards Tuxford
and once Lincoln) around Clipstone West Jn to Clipstone South Jn curve. Clipstone West Jn Signal Box
is in the background, actually about halfway round the outside of the curve and inside the former
Clipstone triangle. It is still operational but now completely trackless, controlling only the main line.

BELOW: Until 1980 access to Silverhill Colliery from Butcherwood Sidings (on the Westhouses to
Pleasley Colliery branch) involved a double reversal and the use of the end of the short Great Northern
branch from Skegby to Teversall (the station name was spelt 'll' - the village and colliery had one 'l'!).
The view here is on 11 Sep 1980 from the brake van of a train of empty coal wagons being propelled
into the headshunt south of the station (so you needed to be in the brakevan to reach the end of line),
and shows Teversall (Great Northern) station, remarkably intact given that it only ever saw
unadvertised workmen's services (possibly in the early 1940s) and later occasional excursions by which
time it had become Teversall East. [There is no passenger opening or closure date in Quick.] Silverhill
Colliery can be seen in the background left, as can the spoil heap next to it mentioned in the report.

After reversal the train will draw forward through the platform to Silverhill. This section closed in 1980
after Teversal Colliery closed, replaced by a direct line (per tour map) to Silverhill on the course of a
former NCB line connecting Teversal and Silverhill Collieries which the 1989 IMinE tour did.

BELOW: Silverhill colliery with the rapid loading bunker commissione
The bunker line was actually at right angles to the original rail acces

ed in 1980 and associated conveyor belts, the headstock is top right.
ss to the colliery. This is where the tour reversed at the end of line.



ABOVE: 17.00 on 23 Apr 1989 and the tour runs through Sutton Colliery (which closed four months later).

1928] Blyth & Tyne Signal Box visits; 28 Jun 2019, Part 3: (BLN 1354.1794) Anthony Gray & Nick Jones.

❸Marcheys (no apostrophe) House Signal Box: (1m 41ch from Bedlington Jn) A new signaller was
being trained here by an experienced colleague, so we only had a short visit. The unusual name refers
to a local farm house. [Note there is no apostrophe on the box, but it has one in the Sectional
Appendix as does the junction!] The direct double track curve between here and Winning once carried
regular alumina traffic from North Blyth to Lynemouth Alcan Smelter. Since the smelter closed in
2012 it is rarely used, but is maintained to operational standards and sees occasional track machines
and railtours (if you needed the curve it would, of course, be a 'winning' tour).

The Down direction is from Bedlington Jn to Lynemouth. The box, dating from 1895, controls the
adjacent full barrier crossing and the double track junction from Winning. It also monitors Green Lane
Automatic Half Barrier Crossing (2m 43ch) towards Ashington, between North Seaton and Hirst Lane.

Absolute Block working applies to Bedlington South and Winning using standard British Railways block
instruments. The double line to Lynemouth (via North Seaton & Hirst Lane crossings) is controlled by
telephone. There are 15 levers; nine are operational, five of the latter being shortened levers.
All signals are semaphores except No12, a colour light, which is the Marcheys House Down distant
from Bedlington North as well as the section signal from Bedlington North (No46) to Marcheys House.
Depending on conditions this signal can display a red, yellow or green aspect as required.

The Up lines are track circuited from the berth approach to No1 & 2 signals from Lynemouth to beyond
the junction fouling points. The Down lines are track circuited from the Down homes (No10 from
Winning, No13 from West Sleekburn Jn) to just beyond the crossing. The junction points (No7&8) are
motor operated. There is a trailing crossover between the level crossing and the junction points.
Unusually this crossover is operated by a single lever ground frame released by an Annetts key which
normally resides in a lock attached to Lever 9. There is only one stop signal per line per direction, the

distant signals are fixed semaphores except for the colour light distant from Bedlington (as above) a
colour light capable of displaying a green aspect if, amongst other conditions, No12 lever is reversed.
Line clear release is provided only on No2 signal to Bedlington North. The North Seaton Crossing
Down fixed distants are mounted below signals 10 & 13. Relays controlling electrical locking are
mounted in glass fronted wooden cabinets on the operating floor. The frame, stamped WB&S Co Ltd
(1937) - Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co Ltd - is a reconditioned McKenzie & Holland frame.

❹North Seaton: (1m 76ch from Bedlington Jn) The drive here afforded an excellent view of the very
impressive North Seaton Viaduct across the River Wansbeck. Originally a wooden trestle structure,
built for the Blyth & Tyne Railway in 1859, the present bridge dates from 1926 according to the
website of the Cleveland Bridge Company who built it. Known locally as 'The Black Bridge', it has
14 spans on steel trestles. Work began in 1925 for the L&NER; it is 1,042 feet long between abutments
and cost £90,000. The Blyth & Tyne line was originally intended to run north to Ellington, Widdrington
and Amble on the coast but only continued to Ashington with a sharp right turn round to the coast at
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. This town was originally to have been on a branch off the proposed main line.

North Seaton, a gate box (not a block post), is near the north end of the viaduct; the crossing keeper
has a clear view across it to Marcheys House box, half a mile away. The building is thought to date
from 1872. It controls the adjacent A196 barrier crossing (Lever No1) and the protecting signals, No17
on the Down line and No10 on the Up line. The distant signals in both directions are fixed. There are
21 levers (18 are spare!) in the McKenzie & Holland frame which dates from 1950. North Seaton
station (CP 2 Nov 1964 with the line) - was immediately north of the crossing but nothing remains of it.

BELOW: Telephoto view from North Seaton box over the viaduct to Marcheys House Signal Box.

BELOW: In the other direction, view north across the viaduct from Marcheys House Signal Box of
North Seaton Gate Box (left of centre in the distance). All pictures by Nick Jones Fri 28 Jun 2019.













OW: North Seaton Gate Box showing the three working leavers in the frame

e (the bottom left corner blue one is included) and 18 spare.





BELOW: Our Sat 7 Mar 2020 Fenny Crompton railtour crosses from the U

Up Slow to the Up & Down Cannock at Rugeley North Jn. (Chris Pindar.)

:Details must be checked 1355 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] .Please mention BLN.

1929] Liverpool and Manchester Railway Atlas; First Edition: Described by the publisher (Crécy) as
A new atlas from perhaps the most acclaimed railway cartographer currently at work. Looking at the
quality and meticulous but clear detail of our member Joe Brown's London and West Midland Atlases,
few would disagree. As well as Merseyside and Greater Manchester, the maps will cover most of the
historic county of Lancashire extending to Blackpool, Fleetwood, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Colne,
Chorley, Warrington, Chester, Northwich and Buxton. Many tram systems are included as are the very
extensive colliery and industrial railways. A4 hardback, 256 pages; 181 map pages & a 70 page index
(more than the London Railway Atlas has). See http://bit.ly/2KKTSKN available 31 Oct 2020 and it is
currently on schedule. The cover price is £30 but please don't order it yet; await further news in BLN!

1930] Scunthorpe, AFRPS: (BLN 1354.1803) Public trips restart Sat 27 Jun to book https://bit.ly/3dIJ8bA

1931] STOP PRESS: Civil servants (many rail commuters) are to work from home for another 6 months.

CONTACT DETAILS: See BLN 1350 centre pages, e-BLN 1350 second & third pages or PDF on our website.

●Editor: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX. 01684562862 07790652351. [email protected]
●Printed by Willow Printing & Design Ltd, 75/79 Back Cross Lane, NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS, WA12 9YE [email protected]

01925222449 https://goo.gl/X6aQBA ●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.

X.129] Mystery Location BELOW: These two old two 14-ton Fuel Oil/Benzene tank wagons sitting on
track were spotted recently on a circular walk from Henley-on-Thames. The nearest Google map
location is Homer House, Fawley Green, Fawley, Henley-on-Thames RG9 6JA, but they are not on
Google Earth so may be recent arrivals. It's close to the Fawley Hill Railway Museum but seems to be
unconnected. Presumably they were brought there to provide storage for a local farm? Do any
members have any information please - the wagon expert, Mick Cottam would also be very interested.