On the Tanfield Branch -Wagon riders rode on the end of the wagons on Baker.s Bank and Lobley Hill bank in all weathers -no protective clothing in the early 60s and the Health and Safety would have a heart attack seeing what these men did every day.
In 1979 if you had told the then 13 year old train spotter that was me that railways were still being run like this I would have laughed my socks off. Strange then that every day round that time I was being driven down the A19 to school under this very line! Brilliant to see this film. Thanks for sharing.
Brilliant. Spent most of my childhood down the harbour, or near the White House watching this, or going to Hawthorn to catch a lift from driver Jack Bearam. Lovely.
This is the incline from Cold Hesledon down to the Seaham docks, the trucks are full off stone waste from South Hetton pit and Hawthorn washer, the coal went in larger British rail 20 ton trucks on the line that runs through the top of Murton to Sunderland, I'm not sure if it was Hawthorn or Seaham that was in charge of the incline but I know it wasn't South Hetton as I worked there from 1975 until it closed in 1983.
Wow I was a bus driver at this time, the SDO bus company had been taken over by Northern and I worked out of their Philadelphia depot which was situated between Herrington Burn and Newbottle. The service 45 would run from Newcastle through Washington, Shiney Row, past the Depot and into Houghton le Spring before heading up through Hetton le Hole and Easington Lane. Then down past South Hetton where this video (35mm film) was taken and on to Easington Village. Into Peterlee, then Horden, Blackhall, past Crimdon Dene and into Hartlepool. Thanks for the memories, this brought it all back to me, many thanks.
A great piece of Durham history. Wonderful to see the inclines at work and even one of the North British diesels at work too. The Loco foreman at South Hetton didn't rate them highly as I remember - I guess he liked his seam fleet better!
As it goes I believe it was quite common on inclines, think it was called gauntleting. As the wagons were always going to pass in the same place it makes sense to save on steel
Great to see this fantastic memories this section of the line is all in Seaham from the Harbour up to Dawdon then up to stoney cut top of Parkside then the locos would take over from there and make the journey to Hawthorn mine grew up right next to this in Dawdon crescent
I note the gravity trucks are in sixes formation whilst the addition of the manned diesel loco only increases the formation to twelve! Wonder what the cost differential was? `Free' gravity versus diesel power fuel cost, manpower cost, maintenance cost - must have been eye-watering!
Hello @ncbgricer3001 , I am putting together a podcast episode about the coal railways of the North East and I wanted to ask if I could please use this footage in the TH-cam version of the episode? I would of course credit it back to you. Please do let me know, thank you.
Nahhhh! A size 3 pickrose would have managed them nee botha. Whether the brake would have held them on the bank is another matter. But with the inclines being self acting and no prime mover being require, all of this is academic.☺
@@PorcyMane i didn't mean unable to cope i meant those things are dangerous if not maintained correctly, the rope the lived outside was prone to snapping at times and come and greet you ...but only once !
Gravity is a low cost, free, source of power. As already told, dangerous, and certainly not allowed nowdays. Health and Safety would have an oppinion....
Only in England. In US, unions wouldn't allow it. OSHA wouldn't allow it. Too one off, so management wouldn't allow. Have to admit, England is a weird place. Often too hidebound and traditional to allow any variation. Yet, other times open and supportive of unusual creative thinking. Its an odd mix of conformity and freethinking.
They had big drums underground where the haulage rope ran around it and I remember they had these big brake shoes around the drum they could stop and control the speed of the wagons
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Very cool, I'm American and love watching British railroads
Dangerous job. Those boys earned every penny of the pittance they were paid.
On the Tanfield Branch -Wagon riders rode on the end of the wagons on Baker.s Bank and Lobley Hill bank in all weathers -no protective clothing in the early 60s and the Health and Safety would have a heart attack seeing what these men did every day.
In 1979 if you had told the then 13 year old train spotter that was me that railways were still being run like this I would have laughed my socks off. Strange then that every day round that time I was being driven down the A19 to school under this very line!
Brilliant to see this film. Thanks for sharing.
Brilliant. Spent most of my childhood down the harbour, or near the White House watching this, or going to Hawthorn to catch a lift from driver Jack Bearam. Lovely.
I watch this happen many times, what simple system. All the from Hetton-le-Hole to Sunderland power station and the drops at the river (Wear)
This is the incline from Cold Hesledon down to the Seaham docks, the trucks are full off stone waste from South Hetton pit and Hawthorn washer, the coal went in larger British rail 20 ton trucks on the line that runs through the top of Murton to Sunderland, I'm not sure if it was Hawthorn or Seaham that was in charge of the incline but I know it wasn't South Hetton as I worked there from 1975 until it closed in 1983.
Wow I was a bus driver at this time, the SDO bus company had been taken over by Northern and I worked out of their Philadelphia depot which was situated between Herrington Burn and Newbottle. The service 45 would run from Newcastle through Washington, Shiney Row, past the Depot and into Houghton le Spring before heading up through Hetton le Hole and Easington Lane. Then down past South Hetton where this video (35mm film) was taken and on to Easington Village. Into Peterlee, then Horden, Blackhall, past Crimdon Dene and into Hartlepool. Thanks for the memories, this brought it all back to me, many thanks.
From Worswick [wers-ick] Street bus station?
@@rachelcarre9468 Yes from Worsick Street bus station. We had to put chocks behind the frontweels to stop the bus rolling backwards.
@@peterrichards7387 I’m not surprised, i remember standing in long queues for buses and them being packed. 😀
That was one of the most interesting films that I have watched in a long while. Thanks for sharing it. James.
So much haulage was done on gravity inclines even in the days of loading inland barges . All history now .
1979 and high viz suits,
this is amazing footage, thanks 👍
Best film footage of rope working in the Durham coalfield I've ever seen.
Brilliant, but now all gone 😢
OK thanks Darren.
A great piece of Durham history. Wonderful to see the inclines at work and even one of the North British diesels at work too. The Loco foreman at South Hetton didn't rate them highly as I remember - I guess he liked his seam fleet better!
I lived up here and though I took thousands of railway photos I never bothered with industrial lines in my backyard.
Fascinating film, thanks for posting this.
02:20 a very unusual compromise between single and double track
As it goes I believe it was quite common on inclines, think it was called gauntleting. As the wagons were always going to pass in the same place it makes sense to save on steel
Not remotely unusual. Mainstream, in fact.
love all this old industrial stuff
Cheers for posting 👍👍👍
This is really awesome!
Bloody good show.
Enjoyed this via very much! Thank you!!!
Great to see this fantastic memories this section of the line is all in Seaham from the Harbour up to Dawdon then up to stoney cut top of Parkside then the locos would take over from there and make the journey to Hawthorn mine grew up right next to this in Dawdon crescent
Incredible to see it all working and making the most of gravity and graft.
Scary for the lads operating it though! I know a few died in their time.
Brilliant footage, subbed and shared....
love this thank you i,m sure my dad worked in this area he lived in seaham😁
I note the gravity trucks are in sixes formation whilst the addition of the manned diesel loco only increases the formation to twelve! Wonder what the cost differential was? `Free' gravity versus diesel power fuel cost, manpower cost, maintenance cost - must have been eye-watering!
Wow. Interesting.
Hello @ncbgricer3001 , I am putting together a podcast episode about the coal railways of the North East and I wanted to ask if I could please use this footage in the TH-cam version of the episode? I would of course credit it back to you. Please do let me know, thank you.
No, I'm not able to let you use my film in your video, Sorry.
@@ncbgricer3001 No problem, thank you for letting me know :)
if those wagons are being pulled by a pickrose haulage then watch out. bloody dangerous in the wrong hands / poorly maintained !!
Nahhhh! A size 3 pickrose would have managed them nee botha. Whether the brake would have held them on the bank is another matter. But with the inclines being self acting and no prime mover being require, all of this is academic.☺
@@PorcyMane i didn't mean unable to cope i meant those things are dangerous if not maintained correctly, the rope the lived outside was prone to snapping at times and come and greet you ...but only once !
Gravity is a low cost, free, source of power. As already told, dangerous, and certainly not allowed nowdays. Health and Safety would have an oppinion....
Only in England.
In US, unions wouldn't allow it.
OSHA wouldn't allow it.
Too one off, so management wouldn't allow.
Have to admit, England is a weird place.
Often too hidebound and traditional to allow any variation.
Yet, other times open and supportive of unusual creative thinking.
Its an odd mix of conformity and freethinking.
This was 45 years ago. Safety standards were different then, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Should of had a couple of brakes pinned down.
They had big drums underground where the haulage rope ran around it and I remember they had these big brake shoes around the drum they could stop and control the speed of the wagons