Car hits Metro (again)

[flymo]

We should show a lot more old pics of the line and the old Riverside - I'm desperate for some pics of Walker, St Anthony's Point Pleasant Willington etc. Ive got very few in a book I got off Amazon by Alan Young (ironically the name of my minder driver when I started !)

For photos of the riverside branch please check out the very informative Subbrit website of disused stations in the UK. You may well have seen these before.

Byker is here and there is a link near the bottom of the page to other stations on the line. Happy viewing.

 

[142094]

http://erniesphotos.fotopic.net/

Think that site has a few pictures on of the Riverside branch.

As for ECS just the empty run to the likes of Benton sidings, Regent Centre sidings - half the time told to change on platform anyway, Stoneyhurst siding between South Gosforth and Ilford Road (was there sidings here with BR ? I'd say there were some just down from South Gosforth just in front of the building, gone now) and the run down to St James via Old Jesmond Station - closed 78 I think - past the big Northumbria uni building towards old Manors, and a sharp left angle 10kph onto new Manors platform, onto Stoddart St sidings watching out for an annoying 15k speed limit magnet just before, and another 15k entering sidings - two little interesting facts here. The 4 sidings have reds that DON'T bring down the track brake going past them. No magnets. Only one other place is like this on the whole system. There is an old tunnel that was used when going down the Quayside, we only use for remarshalling. I personally have only used it once. Different. then change ends in siding, take out towards St James, there'll be a little signal in a small theatre box, you're out across to the other platform at Manors, and up empty (I used to pick up, we aren't allowed to now) to St James.
This is done during match days now, and theres some down to Sunderland sidings to do the same for Sunderland matches.
A few rare ones, running empty to start here or there, unscheduled I suppose.
Then theres the ones where we have to use the "avoiding line" behind the depot to get from Longbenton line to Regent Centre line, although we've even taken passengers through there too.
And of course changeovers for a problematic train !

Seen the Stoddart St sidings used a few times for trains terminating at Manors during the day. Also seen that tunnel you mention used once, and that was for the stroage of an on track machine of some sort, looked like a Unimog I think.

Reason I asked was that I wondered how the first train from St James got there, thought it could have either come down from the depot to Jesmond, used the stock curve and reversed at Manors. Or IIRC some early morning trains start at Longbenton and go all the way around to St James to form the first trains from there?

 

[Person A]

http://erniesphotos.fotopic.net/

Think that site has a few pictures on of the Riverside branch.



Seen the Stoddart St sidings used a few times for trains terminating at Manors during the day. Also seen that tunnel you mention used once, and that was for the stroage of an on track machine of some sort, looked like a Unimog I think.

Reason I asked was that I wondered how the first train from St James got there, thought it could have either come down from the depot to Jesmond, used the stock curve and reversed at Manors. Or IIRC some early morning trains start at Longbenton and go all the way around to St James to form the first trains from there?

Yeah which was my long winded description of the trip via Old Jesmond station - platforms are still there, most of them anyways, and until a few years ago, the grotty old waiting room on the otherside from the signal box (which is an Indian Restaraunt now the station building The Carriage pub) boarded up it was, and thats gone
Yeah, the Longbenton early morn and afternoon trains via Longbenton via East End Depot to St James, some to Monkseaton and one early one to Tynemouth, changing ends and back across the crossover back to South Shields.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Ta for the links yeah did know the disused stations one, but that pic of Byker - sure it wasn't there when I last looked. Not bad pic, never saw the station of course, but it would have been handy for Byker Morrisons as it was situated where the car park is now !

 

[142094]

I remember reading (possibly on that site) that the footbridge went to a preserved railway somewhere. Would have been good for them to keep the line and use it for some sort of service, even an hourly DMU I bet would be used well, since the bus services along Walker Road are near enough non existant. I also don't understand why they didn't keep Heaton station as well and use it on the Morpeth stoppers, as it is a bit of a walk to Byker or Chillingham Road. There was a good site with pictures of Heaton and the old Manors BR station, although can't find the link.

Was on a Metro today from Whitley Bay to town, it had the information screens lit up but only showing Nexus Metro and 4 random letters. Still think they look very much out of place. Plus seems silly to fit them when they are going down to Donny, could have probably fitted them there and made them look better.