Hetton colliery railway: Difference between revisions
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The '''Hetton colliery railway''' was an 8 |
The '''Hetton colliery railway''' was an {{convert|8|mi}} long [[private railway]] opened in 1822 by the Hetton Coal Company at [[Hetton Lyons]], [[County Durham]], England. |
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==History== |
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The first railway to be designed from the start to be operated without animal power, and was [[George Stephenson]]'s first entirely new line. When it closed in 1959 it was the oldest mineral railway in Britain. It ran from Hetton Colliery, about two miles south of [[Houghton-le-Spring]], to a landing stage on the [[River Wear]].<ref name="TIDec59">{{cite journal |
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| title=Talking of trains: First mineral railway closed |
| title=Talking of trains: First mineral railway closed |
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| first=G. Freeman |last=Allen | authorlink=Geoffrey Freeman Allen |
| first=G. Freeman |last=Allen | authorlink=Geoffrey Freeman Allen |
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}}</ref> |
}}</ref> |
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After [[Lambton Collieries]] merged with Hetton Collieries in 1911, the companies merged their railway operations, and the still rope-incline worked Hetton system was merged with the locomotive-operated [[Lambton Railway]]. The company additionally connect Lambton staithes to the Hetton staithes within [[Sunderland Docks]].<ref name=LLTHist/> |
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| ⚫ | In 1947 control of the line passed to the new state-owned [[National Coal Board]]. Because extraction of coal from this area had been concentrated at the Hawthorn Combined Mine (adjacent to the former [[Durham Sunderland Line|Durham and Sunderland Railway]]), the Hetton system closed on 12 September 1959.<ref name="TIDec59"/> A further spate of closures occurred in 1967 with Lambton Staithes being closed in January and the line to Pallion closing in August of the same year.<ref name=LLTHist>{{cite web|url=http://www.lambtonlocomotivestrust.co.uk/History2.htm|title=Brief History of the Lambton Railway|publisher=LambtonLocomotivesTrust.co.uk|accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> |
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==Locomotives== |
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The first five locomotives were built by Stephenson between 1820 and 1822, as a development of those at [[Killingworth]] - [[0-4-0]] types with chain-coupled wheels. Four of them had names: Hetton, Dart, Tallyho and Star. |
The first five locomotives were built by Stephenson between 1820 and 1822, as a development of those at [[Killingworth]] - [[0-4-0]] types with chain-coupled wheels. Four of them had names: Hetton, Dart, Tallyho and Star. |
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The Company acquired limited liability in 1884 and later built two more locomotives, "Lyons" and "Eppleton", [[0-4-0]]T, gear driven, with vertical boilers. |
The Company acquired limited liability in 1884 and later built two more locomotives, "Lyons" and "Eppleton", [[0-4-0]]T, gear driven, with vertical boilers. |
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| ⚫ | In 1947 control of the line passed to the new state-owned [[National Coal Board]]. Because extraction of coal from this area had been concentrated at the Hawthorn Combined Mine (adjacent to the former [[Durham Sunderland Line|Durham and Sunderland Railway]]), |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1822]] |
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1822]] |
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[[Category:Early steam locomotives]] |
[[Category:Early steam locomotives]] |
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[[Category:Industrial railways]] |
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{{NorthEastEngland-railstation-stub}} |
{{NorthEastEngland-railstation-stub}} |
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Revision as of 00:25, 18 March 2013
The Hetton colliery railway was an 8 miles (13 km) long private railway opened in 1822 by the Hetton Coal Company at Hetton Lyons, County Durham, England.
History
The first railway to be designed from the start to be operated without animal power, and was George Stephenson's first entirely new line. When it closed in 1959 it was the oldest mineral railway in Britain. It ran from Hetton Colliery, about two miles south of Houghton-le-Spring, to a landing stage on the River Wear.[1]
After Lambton Collieries merged with Hetton Collieries in 1911, the companies merged their railway operations, and the still rope-incline worked Hetton system was merged with the locomotive-operated Lambton Railway. The company additionally connect Lambton staithes to the Hetton staithes within Sunderland Docks.[2]
In 1947 control of the line passed to the new state-owned National Coal Board. Because extraction of coal from this area had been concentrated at the Hawthorn Combined Mine (adjacent to the former Durham and Sunderland Railway), the Hetton system closed on 12 September 1959.[1] A further spate of closures occurred in 1967 with Lambton Staithes being closed in January and the line to Pallion closing in August of the same year.[2]
Locomotives
The first five locomotives were built by Stephenson between 1820 and 1822, as a development of those at Killingworth - 0-4-0 types with chain-coupled wheels. Four of them had names: Hetton, Dart, Tallyho and Star.
They incorporated his steam springs in an attempt to compensate for the reaction to the vertical cylinders which had caused previous locomotives to rock excessively, and were not entirely successful. For a while a section of the line was an inclined plane[1] operated by stationary engines. The 1822 engine however continued in service until 1912, being rebuilt in 1857 and 1882, and is now preserved in the Shildon Locomotion Museum.[3]
The Company acquired limited liability in 1884 and later built two more locomotives, "Lyons" and "Eppleton", 0-4-0T, gear driven, with vertical boilers.
References
- ^ a b c Allen, G. Freeman (December 1959). "Talking of trains: First mineral railway closed". Trains Illustrated. Hampton Court: Ian Allan.
- ^ a b "Brief History of the Lambton Railway". LambtonLocomotivesTrust.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ Industrial Railway Society (2009). Industrial Locomotives (15EL). Industrial Railway Society. ISBN 978-1-901556-53-7.
- Lowe, J.W. (1989). British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing
54°48′59″N 1°26′35″W / 54.81629°N 1.44306°W
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