NORTH-EAST ENGLAND

(Above) A quiet moment in Sunderland South Dock Shed 54A shows Class J27 65861 awaiting its next job in summer 1961.

(Above-Below) A Sunday morning visit to Sunderland South Dock on 22nd April 1966 found us barred from entering the main part of the shed. There had been an accident. An ash wagon had been fly shunted into the roundhouse, but as the turntable had not been set correctly, the wagon ended up in the turntable pit and the staff was discussing ways of retrieving it before the Depot Manager found out - he didn't work Sundays. We were told - 'no cameras, no photographs!' In other words, the staff didn't want any proof that an incident had taken place! Therefore we photographed what we could in the shed yard and avoided the roundhouse and the diesels. (Above Left) Class Q6 No 63458 undergoing boiler washout with a tenderless 63346 behind. (Above Right) Two Class J27 are undergoing maintenance. (Below Left) Long withdrawn Class J27s Nos 65831 and 65832 await their fate.
 

(Above) The unlikeliest candidate for preservation is this rusty-looking Class Q6 63395, but the very opposite turns out to be the case. The loco is now enjoying a new lease of life on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. (Below) The smartest loco on shed that day was WD 'Austerity' Class 8F 2-8-0 No 90434...

Tyne Dock 54B

(Below) Darlington shed 51A - Now preserved on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Fairburn Class 4MT 2-6-4T No 42085 is coupled to Stanier 2-cyl 2-6-4T 42477. The locos are heading to Darlington shed from the south in July 1965. 

(Above-Below) Following displacement by diesels and the rundown of Darlington North Road Workshops, six ex-WD 0-6-0ST Class J94s stand withdrawn outside Darlington shed in July 1965. They are 68023, 68060, 68011, 68062, 68043 plus one too dirty to identify. (Below) Class A1 60124 Kenilworth does 'Thunderbird' standby duty by Darlington turntable in July 1965.

(Above) Another  'Thunderbird' 1964 steam style. Gresley Class A3 60036 Columbo standing by Darlington Shed turntable in 1964. (Below) Class J27 65859 in Darlington Shed Yard on 12th July 1965

Gateshead Shed 52F was difficult to access due to 3rd rail electrification running past it at one end and a very steep ash bank at the other plus a large contingent of security staff. The only sure way of seeing some of its contents was by being lucky enough to be on a passenger train using the High Level Bridge into Newcastle. These were usually the Liverpool-Newcastle trains, but it was potluck as they were routed whichever way the signalling staff decided. You could pass the shed one day on a particular train, but be routed via the King Edward Bridge on the same train the next day. These 2 photos were taken one winters day in December 1965 from a moving train with Ilford colour slide film. They are far less than perfect but are a memory for me. Class V2 60976 stands by the coaling stage with part of a diesel brake tender in the foreground. Class A1 60141 Abbotsford stands centre stage surrounded by EE Co Type 4 D329, two Class 2s (later Class 24) and a Class 47.

West Auckland 51F was the main shed in South-West Durham.  Its allocation included many Class Q6 0-8-0s, and Standard 2-6-0 steam locos.  Its main work was around the collieries in South-West Durham and the then (1950s) huge complex at Roddymoor near Crook.  This complex included extracting various chemicals from coal and producing coke. Prior to 1962, it provided the majority of locos for the haulage of coal & coke over Stainmore to the factories and mills in Lancashire.  It also had on allocation one Class J 26 No. 65735 which was the regular performer on the daily goods up the Weardale Branch.  It was also allocated to freight (mainly coal) on the Deerness Valley Branch near Durham, Durham to Bishop Auckland line, Darlington - Bishop Auckland-Crook - Tow law line, Bishop Auckland- Barnard Castle, The Simpasture branch (Shildon- Stockton) as well as many occasional passenger excursions including Durham Miners Gala and various summer sunday school outings from the colliery villages in its area.

Polite reminder. All Roy Lambeth's photos are copyrighted. Reproduction prohibited