Bowes Railway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bowes Railway |
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| Pontop & Jarrow Railway | |
The Bowes Railway at Springwell Village, City of Sunderland
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| Locale | Tyne and Wear |
| Terminus | Dipton Colliery to Jarrow Staith (preserved Springwell - Wrekenton) |
| Coordinates | 54°55′25″N 1°33′29″W / 54.9236°N 1.5580°W |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Robert Stephenson, designed by George Stephenson |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Stations | 2 (Springwell & Blackhams Hill) |
| Length | 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1826/1855 |
| Closed | 1974 |
| Preserved era | 1975- |
The Bowes Railway is a very special railway built by George Stephenson in 1826. It's the only working standard gauge (which is the normal width for train tracks) cable railway system left in the world!
This railway was built to carry coal from mines in Durham to boats on the River Tyne. Today, the railway site is a protected historical place. You can visit the Bowes Railway every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from Easter until October. They also have special event days throughout the year.
Contents
History of the Railway
Why the Railway Was Built
A group of businessmen, including John Bowes, opened a colliery (a coal mine) in Springwell, Durham. They needed a way to move the coal from the mine to the River Tyne.
Their plan was to build special sloped tracks called "inclined planes." They would use a mix of steam power and gravity to move the coal wagons. The famous engineer George Stephenson designed this railway. He had also designed the Hetton colliery railway, which opened a few years earlier in 1822.
Building the Tracks
The Bowes Railway was built between Mount Moor and Jarrow, passing through Springwell village. The first part of the railway, from Springwell to Jarrow, opened on January 17, 1826. The section to Mount Moor opened in April 1826.
When it first opened, the railway had four inclined planes. Two steep slopes went from Mount Moor to Blackham's Hill, and then from Blackham's Hill to Springwell. At Blackham's Hill, which was the highest point, there was a "hauler house." This building held powerful engines that pulled the ropes to move the wagons up and down the slopes.
A long, self-acting slope ran from Springwell. This meant the weight of full wagons going down pulled empty wagons up. Nearly 5 miles (8.0 km) of track was used by locomotives to reach Jarrow. There, a final slope helped load coal onto boats. The railway was later extended in 1842 and completed in 1854. This allowed coal from mines in Dipton to be moved.
How the Railway Operated
From January 1, 1947, the National Coal Board owned and ran the railway. After 1974, the special inclined planes were no longer used. Only the section north-east of Wardley was still working. The very last day the inclines were used was Friday, October 4, 1974. This historic moment was even filmed by BBC and Tyne-Tees TV crews!
The last part of the Bowes Railway that was still in use closed on January 10, 1986. This was just a few days before its 180th birthday. This smaller railway system was called the Monkton Railways.
The Preserved Railway Today
In April 1975, a group called the Tyne & Wear Industrial Monuments Trust took over the railway around Springwell. They wanted to save this important piece of history.
Today, the preserved Bowes Railway includes the Springwell Colliery workshops. It also has a one-mile passenger railway and another mile of the special rope-hauled inclines.
Visitors can explore the old Victorian workshops. They can even see demonstrations of engineering and blacksmithing. You can take a tour of the railway buildings, see the collection of old wagons, and visit the small museum, cafe, and shop at Springwell.
In the future, the railway hopes to offer passenger rides again. They also want to show how the rope haulage system worked for everyone to see.
How Rope Haulage Worked
The Original System
When the Bowes Railway was fully working, it used eight rope-operated inclined planes. Two of these, the Springwell and Birkheads inclines, were "self-acting." This means the weight of full wagons going down pulled the empty wagons up using a rope that went around a wheel at the top of the hill.
On the other six inclines, the ropes were pulled by powerful steam or electric engines. These engines were located at the top of the slope. This way of moving trains is very old. George Stephenson designed it in 1826, long before modern locomotives were common. The last four inclines stopped working on October 4, 1974.
The Preserved System
The railway that is saved today includes two rope-worked inclines: the Blackhams Hill East and West inclines. Both are operated by the Blackhams Hill engine. This powerful engine was started on July 30, 1950.
This engine works both the East or Flatt Incline (about 1,170 yards long with a slope of 1 in 70) and the West or Short Bank (750 yards long with a slope of 1 in 13). The preserved railway uses these inclines to show one of the oldest and most unusual ways railways operated. It's now the only place in Britain where you can see this! However, the inclines are not currently working due to damage and needing repairs.
Locomotives and Brake Vans
The Bowes Railway has several interesting locomotives (train engines) and brake vans.
Steam Locomotives
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST W.S.T. (built in 1954): This engine is waiting for repairs and needs new parts. It used to work at other mines before coming to Bowes Railway.
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No 22 (built in 1949): This locomotive was made for the Bowes Railway! It was one of the first engines used when the railway was preserved. It's also waiting for repairs.
Diesel Locomotives
- Planet 0-4-0 No 101: This was the first locomotive regularly used for moving wagons and freight trains when the railway was preserved. It is currently in use!
- Hunslet Engine Company 0-4-0 No 6263: This is the most powerful shunter (an engine used for moving wagons short distances) on the line. It's used for freight trains and shunting. It needs new brake parts and a small repair.
- Ruston & Hornsby Class 88 0-4-0 No 476140 "Redheugh": This engine has been restored and is used for both passenger rides and demonstration coal trains.
- Ruston & Hornsby Class 165 0-4-0 locos "Pinky" (1953) and "Perky" (1954): These engines were given by the Port of Sunderland. They were some of the last industrial locomotives still working in County Durham. Perky is currently working, while Pinky is being repaired.
Passenger Stock
- Lambton Hetton & Joicey Collieries Brake van No 1: This brake van is currently in use.
- L.M.S. No 2: This brake van was built in Derby and is currently in use.
- L.M.S. No 3 Brake van: This brake van is waiting for repairs.
- B24 - The Queen Mother's wagon: This wagon is waiting for repairs and to have handrails added.
Wagons The railway also has a collection of 45 original Bowes Railway wagons. These wagons date from 1887 all the way up to 1963! They also have seven similar wagons from other industrial sites in the North East of England.
