Weardale Railway News 2010

Timetable changes from Sunday, July 11th:

Now that we have settled into the regular running into Bishop Auckland, it is time to tweak our timetable so that the community service integrates smoothly with our summer heritage operations.

The revised timetable will start on Sunday 11th July and will remain in effect until further notice.

The timetable incorporates two possible Sunday services.
One is the "Normal" service A which will operate unless an alternative has been notified on this website and at stations.
The alternative "Special" service B incorporates an extra return journey for the heritage stock, and will come into operation for certain special occasions throughout the year.

The new timetables can be seen here.

Timetable changes for Sunday, June 20th:

This Sunday sees our annual Fathers Day/Big Boys Toys event. (Poster here)
It also coincides with our next visiting railtour, a special charter from Tyneside. The special charter will pass through Bishop Auckland at about 1 pm to arrive in Stanhope around 2 pm. It will leave Stanhope just before 4 pm and pass back through Bishop Auckland around 5 pm.

The revised services by Weardale Railways will be: 

DMU = diesel multiple unit community service            73 = Class 73 diesel hauled heritage service (supplement payable)

Teddy Bears Picnic:
First photos from yesterday, courtesy J. Askwith.
Click to enlarge.

New website for new G5:
The group currently building a new G5 locomotive at Shildon have just launched their new website.

They expect that once complete it will prove extremely popular with heritage railways, and would be pleased to see it based in Weardale. See more about this project at www.g5locomotive.co.uk 

Photo: Neville Stead collection.

Stanhope - Bishop Auckland service:
First pictures of Saturday's promotional run, courtesy J. Askwith.

Stanhope - Bishop Auckland service ready to go!
The long planned daily community service to Bishop Auckland will start on Sunday 23rd May. Using the 141 railcars there will be 6 return runs each weekday, 5 on Saturdays and 4 on Sundays. In addition each Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday will see extra runs using our heritage coaching stock hauled by No.40 steam or class 73 diesel locomotive. All Weardale runs are timed to connect with Northern Rail services between Bishop Auckland and Darlington.
For now the Weardale service will terminate at a temporary platform accessed along the road past B&Q and the Post Office depot. However it is planned to refurbish the main station and make provision for all trains to connect there.

The timetable and fares are here.

There will be a promotional run on Saturday to celebrate the start of the service. Five coaches, No.40 and the class 73 will be at Bishop Auckland until 11:30am for a reopening ceremony, then the train will depart for Stanhope arriving at approximately 12:30, welcomed by Stanhope Silver Band. After speeches, refreshments and a press call the train will leave at 2pm to arrive back in Bishop Auckland at 3pm.

Weardale trains expected in Norway?
We have received an email from Kari Lindstrøm in Bø Randaberg, Norway (west of Stavanger) telling us that one of our warning signs is in place on the beach asking ramblers to "Stop Look Listen" in case a train is coming.
Opening the line to Bishop Auckland has been an achievement, but an extension to Stavanger.......?

A more mundane explanation would be that the sign found its  way into the river aided by floods or vandals, floated out to sea at Sunderland and was eventually washed up on a Norwegian beach. Any other ideas?

Weardale Railway in TV filming:
No. 40 appeared on April 19^th for a filming contract for the BBC George Gently series. It had been adapted to look more like a BR engine by sticking flexible magnetic coverings on the tank sides showing the BR logo and number 68692. The filming took place to the west of Unthank crossing and lasted for over five hours.

Stanhope - Bishop Auckland service creates jobs:
The imminent community service requires a number of paid full and part-time workers to supplement the volunteers, especially for the non-sociable hours of early and late shifts.

Details here.

Weardale Railway Progress Report:
WR management held an open meeting for volunteers and supporters in Stanhope  on the 8^th April to bring everyone up to date with progress and set out their aspirations for the future: 

Progress and Immediate Plans:
The coal loading planning application is underway. Success would provide revenue to plough back into the railway. Rejection would be disappointing but not a serious setback.
The community rail service is still targeted to open on May 23. A temporary platform will be provided at Bishop Auckland 400m short of the network platform, though we will run into a shared station as soon as its refurbishment can be undertaken. The journey time Stanhope - B. A. will initially be nearly 1 hour but this will reduce in the future as the line is upgraded for higher speeds. The fares on the community service will be comparable to usual train and bus fares, not at "heritage" levels. The anti-social hours (early and late shifts) will use paid staff while available volunteers will crew the runs in the middle of the day.
Further new business opportunities will be pursued to help make the operation viable.
At Wolsingham a passing loop will be installed in June to enable greater capacity on the line.
In future nationally accredited assessment procedures will be used to enable crews to transfer onto the national network.

Aspirations for the next 12 months:
Stone loading facilities at Eastgate,
A station at Witton-le-Wear,
Reinstate the second platform at Stanhope to current regulations,
Source extra rolling stock to support the expanding operations,
Replace the temporary platform at Bishop Auckland with an integrated, user-friendly station,
Raise the profile of the railway,
Commence apprenticeship schemes for rail-associated trades.

Mallard & Tornado come to Shildon:
On June 23^rd Mallard, the record breaking A4 class locomotive built by the LNER will be hauled from York to Shildon by the newly build Tornado . Mallard has been located at the NRM at York since 1975. It will stay at Locomotion for an unspecified period. More information later.

TV Company to film on Weardale Railway:
The fourth series of the ‘George Gently’ detective stories set in the 1960s and starring Martin Shaw is currently being filmed in the North East. Previous series were filmed in Ireland, although the stories are set in the Northeast. Earlier this week they were filming in Frosterley (Black Bull Inn), Stanhope and on the moors. Later No. 40 in guise of a BR engine, with the ‘blood and custard’  coaches will be provided for a scene, probably filmed between Stanhope and Eastgate - more details later.

Community Train Service - Stanhope to Bishop Auckland:
Details of the planned new train service to connect the Dale to the Network are still being finalised.  The service will operate between Stanhope and Bishop Auckland, not Shildon as was indicated earlier. Provisionally the basic service will be 7 return trips per day, Mondays to Fridays, with 5 trips on Saturdays and 4 on Sundays. It will be worked by the 141, with another unit being planned as backup .
Target opening date is May 23^rd with plans for a special reopening day ceremony on the previous day - further details to follow.

Heritage Services:
A knock-on effect of the above is that the "heritage runs" will use more steam. It is intended to use steam on eleven days in April - further details in Timetables area shortly.

Next incoming Railtour:
North East Railtours are now taking bookings for this tour on June 20^th. Tickets available from Alnmouth, Newcastle, Durham and Darlington. Full details - W S Miller, 0191 252 3774 or billmiller@tiscali.co.uk

£1M revamp for Bishop Auckland station:
The current run-down station at Bishop Auckland has no facilities. However, due to the impending increase in traffic Durham County Council have approved a £1M upgrade.

See the full story as reported by the Northern Echo here.

Spitfire Railtours Crewe - Stanhope, Saturday 27th Feb:
The "White Rose" railtour, our second visiting group, was another resounding success. This was another 12 coach train, but on this occasion it was double headed by a pair of class 37s and tailed by a class 47. Unfortunately its arrival in Stanhope was delayed so the stop was barely 10 minutes rather than the planned 30min +.
Feedback from passengers again complimented Trust volunteers, our railway, local people and Weardale in general. Hopefully we are making many friends who will return for a longer visit next time.