(Image: Gary Williamson; inside the Tanfield Railway’s Marley Hill engine shed)
Spanning three miles between Gateshead and County Durham, the Tanfield Railway is understood to be the oldest working railway in the world. The line itself was built on the route of an earlier horse-drawn wagonway used to transport coal from surrounding mines to the River Tyne, and was established as early as 1647.
(Images: Gary Williamson)
Now a heritage railway operated by preservationists, the Tanfield Railway includes four stations between Sunniside and East Tanfield. The original wooden wagonway was replaced by standard steel rails in 1837, and the line (latterly opened by the National Coal Board) remained in use until 1964, after which the track was lifted and – like so many others in the UK during that period – the railway abandoned.
(Images: Gary Williamson)
But by the early 1970s preservation was on the cards and steps were taken to reopen the Tanfield Railway as a heritage line. Initial work revolved around Marley Hill engine shed, which contained an impressive collection of vintage machinery that was capable of completely overhauling locomotives and the line’s 19th century rollingstock.
(Images: Gary Williamson)
Today, the preserved Tanfield Railway, in North East England, passes close to the Causey Arch (near the County Durham coal town of Stanley), the world’s oldest surviving railway bridge. These striking photographs by Gary Williamson illustrate the range of stock owned by the heritage railway, from beautifully preserved steam engines to more decrepit locomotives awaiting restoration.
(Image: Gary Williamson)
Related: Beautiful Photograph of Rusting Cape Cod Railroad Coach
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