No.49 Delivers The Goods on the Tanfield Railway - 'Freight In February' - 26/02/2023

The Tanfield Railway near Gateshead claims to be the ‘world’s oldest railway’, being constructed in 1725 as a horse-drawn wagonway to transport coal from the collieries of County Durham to the staithes on the River Tyne at Redheugh. With dozens of settlements en-route, it operated freight and occasional passenger services until 1964. In 1970, the Tanfield Railway Company moved into the desolate shed at Marley Hill to preserve a slice of North East England’s industrial heritage, since blossoming into a delightfully rustic railway with a charm all of its own.
Having last visited in 2015, I decided to return to Andrews House this year to sample the line’s ‘Freight In February’ event, when traditional goods trains are recreated to demonstrate practises from the railway’s heyday. Furthermore, shunting demonstrations would be taking place around Marley Hill yard, with various wagons and locomotives on display. Operating the main passenger set was Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No.49, built in 1943. Also in action was fellow RSH stablemate 0-4-0ST ‘Sir Cecil A. Cochrane’, on a running-in turn after winter maintenance. Assisting in shunting manoeuvres were two of Tanfield’s diesels: Ruston & Hornsby’s 0-4-0DE ‘T.I.C No.35’ and Armstrong Whitworth 0-4-0DE No.2.
Four return trips were run between Andrews House and East Tanfield. The northern section to Sunniside is currently closed for permanent-way work. The weather was typically wintry, with dull skies for much of the day, although the sun did make a fleeting appearance in the afternoon. In this video, we see No.49 and the rest of the fleet at various points up and down the line. Special permission was reached with the railway to go lineside for certain shots, wearing the appropriate safety equipment and maintaining a safe distance at all times.
I hope you all enjoy the video. Thanks go to all at the Tanfield Railway for an excellent day, particularly to Duncan and Elizabeth for going the extra mile in making this video come together. Thanks also to Ken Monkman of PlanesTrainsAutomobiles for his company on this visit. I hope you all enjoy the video. Feel free to comment and subscribe!

[@SimonTog]

Very good done video :)

[@SecondValveSteam]

Many thanks SimonTog.

[@europe0017]

1000th subscriber here

[@SecondValveSteam]

Thanks for helping me reach this milestone Aviation23! Hope you enjoyed the video.

[@europe0017]

@@SecondValveSteam No problem at all! Im a volonteer there so i appriciate anyone who records it. Well deserved 1000 subscribers Hope to see you round tanfield soon!

[@europe0017]

I was there Yesterday, I am a up coming volonteer

[@SecondValveSteam]

Thanks for commenting. I hope you enjoyed your day. Kind regards.