Diversions back when the ECML was getting wired up

[ReverendFozz]

Hi, can someone help me, what diversions was used when the ECML was getting electrified, I ask because the village where I live had a little used single freight line used by coal trains till the late 80s or very early 90s.

To this day I am absolutely adamant I once saw and HST pass through one day, I was wondering would BR at the time have such single track lines as diversions, it was a line that ran off the Durham Coast at Ryhope and ran down towards Hartlepool or across towards Ferryhill, I cant really remember.

I am sure I saw what I saw, although it may have been a figment of my imaginaton and I may just have seen this train going through Fencehouses or Seaham...

Can someone clarify this for me please

 

[34D]

The [url='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leamside_Line]leamside line[/url] perhaps?

 

[yorkie]

There were certainly diversions via Seaham, in fact there is a thread here somewhere, perhaps a search will find it...

 

[ReverendFozz]

Will search for it Yorkie, but my question was specifically about a rarey used single track line throught the village of murton and whether I imagined seeing an HST on that line...

Will have a root through the search facility though

Sent by Comrade Marxista Fozzski

 

[a good off]

Hitchin - Royston - Cambridge - Ely - March - Peterborough was used very often for ECML diversions during that period.

 

[sprinterguy]

To this day I am absolutely adamant I once saw and HST pass through one day, I was wondering would BR at the time have such single track lines as diversions, it was a line that ran off the Durham Coast at Ryhope and ran down towards Hartlepool or across towards Ferryhill, I cant really remember.

The line that you are thinking of is the route over Seaton Bank (originally worked by stationary engines). It diverged from the present Durham Coast line at Ryhope and served many of the collieries that existed in the Durham coalfields. The main line connected back into the Durham Coast route at Hartlepool and at Stockton, but the route also connected into the Leamside line via Hetton. It was often used by ECML diversions when it was active, but it closed as a through route in 1966 so there is no way that it was ever used for ECML diversions during HST days.

From the south, the section of line from Hartlepool survived to a point beyond Shotton Colliery to serve Pesspool Colliery until 1979. From the north, the section of line over Seaton Bank itself survived from Ryhope to South Hetton to serve South Hetton Colliery until 1991, and finally to serve Murton coal stockpile until the line finally closed altogether in 1993.

So it was extremely unlikely that an HST ever operated over the route. However the northern stub of the line over Seaton Bank was used to stable the Royal Train overnight, providing accomodation for Prince Phillip, in 1993.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The [url='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leamside_Line]leamside line[/url] perhaps?

I'm not sure that the Leamside line was maintained to passenger standard as late as the electrification of the ECML, given that the line was officially mothballed in 1993 and saw little or no regular traffic from 1991 onwards.

Certainly, HSTs operated over the route on ECML diversions, but the photos I have seen of these workings were at the start of the trains' lives in the late seventies and early eighties, when they were still sharing duties with the Deltics.

 

[ReverendFozz]

The line that you are thinking of is the route over Seaton Bank (originally worked by stationary engines). It diverged from the present Durham Coast line at Ryhope and served many of the collieries that existed in the Durham coalfields. The main line connected back into the Durham Coast route at Hartlepool and at Stockton, but the route also connected into the Leamside line via Hetton. It was often used by ECML diversions when it was active, but it closed as a through route in 1966 so there is no way that it was ever used for ECML diversions during HST days.

From the south, the section of line from Hartlepool survived to a point beyond Shotton Colliery to serve Pesspool Colliery until 1979. From the north, the section of line over Seaton Bank itself survived from Ryhope to South Hetton to serve South Hetton Colliery until 1991, and finally to serve Murton coal stockpile until the line finally closed altogether in 1993.

So it was extremely unlikely that an HST ever operated over the route. However the northern stub of the line over Seaton Bank was used to stable the Royal Train overnight, providing accomodation for Prince Phillip, in 1993.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm not sure that the Leamside line was maintained to passenger standard as late as the electrification of the ECML, given that the line was officially mothballed in 1993 and saw little or no regular traffic from 1991 onwards.

Certainly, HSTs operated over the route on ECML diversions, but the photos I have seen of these workings were at the start of the trains' lives in the late seventies and early eighties, when they were still sharing duties with the Deltics.

I guess I was imagining it then, I was more fascinated with trains as a young boy than I am now, so I guess it could be an easy enough thing to imagine in the mind of a child...

I remember the last days of the line itself, and when I stopped at my grandparents, I would sometimes be woken up by the noise of a coal train rumbling through at night...

I never knew about the Royal Train visit in '93

Sent by Comrade Marxista Fozzski

 

[Bald Rick]

Leamside was def used for ECML electrification diversions. As was just about everything else.

Last few trains every night were diverted also, and back then the first trains were much later than today, so mid week work was quite productive.

 

[brompton rail]

Away from the OP's point about diversionary lines in the North East, I did travel on the one weekend when the East Coast was closed south of Doncaster. I was travelling Doncaster to London on the Saturday morning. The HST went from Doncaster via Mexborough, Aldwark, Rotherham Masborough, old road to Chesterfield and then Erewash Valley to Trent junction, and thus MML to St Pancras. Returned the same way in the late afternoon. Similar diversions were planned for three weekends, but after the first weekend they were cancelled. I can't remember if we had same crew throughout, but Leeds crews would have signed MML. Can't even remember when the train originated. BR could organise such diversions more readily than now, of course.

 

[43106]

I'm not sure if the diversion I suffered in February 1991 was due to stringing up the ECML, but there were 2 types of diversion. London - Leeds services were being sent from Kings Cross via Lincoln to Doncaster then to Leeds, but London - Newcastle (& beyond) started from St. Pancras. Mine went non-stop to Trent Junction, then via Erewash and stopped at Chesterfield. We then went via a line that went East of Sheffield (past the site of Canklow depot???) and joined the Sheffield - Doncaster line somewhere near Rotherham and arrived at Doncaster before continuing as normal to Newcastle & Edinburgh.
As I said, I cannot remember if the diversion had anything to do with electrification, or if it was for some other reason.

 

[ReverendFozz]

Leamside was def used for ECML electrification diversions. As was just about everything else.

Last few trains every night were diverted also, and back then the first trains were much later than today, so mid week work was quite productive.

So I'm guessing the HST I saw as a child was probably on the Leamside Line, most likely at Fencehouses

Sent by Comrade Marxista Fozzski

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I would imagine some of the routes taken would be the Peterborough-Doncaster via Lincoln and the Newcastle-Carlisle lines?