Just before the Waterfall Viaduct was a short branch serving the Spa Wood Ironstone mine.
The NER recorded a 9′ X 12′ brick signal cabin structure with a frame made up of twelve working levers and two spares.
Signal Box at Spa Wood Junction
1
Category Archives: Railways
Commondale Brickworks Railway Bridge with Masons Marks
Show on map A short branch ran north from Commondale railway station to connect the brickworks to the main railway line.
The brickworks was opened in 1861 by Stokesley printer John Pratt, before passing into the hands of the Crossley family in 1873, who operated it until 1947.
The bridge abutments still stand although the deck of the bridge is gone. The stonework is covered in a number of different masons marks
Hopetown Carriage Works, Darlington
Show on map Hopetown Carriage Works was built for the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1853 and operated until around 1884.
The building was Grade II listed in 1986 and restored in the 1990’s
Cleveland Railway Bridge, Flatts Lane
Show on map The Cleveland Railway opened in 1861 as a freight line for the local ironstone mines, but the route quickly became duplicated and redundant and closed in 1873, after only 12 years of use.
This sandstone wall marks where the line crossed over Flatts Lane as it turned North towards Middlesbrough.
An excellent account of the Cleveland Railway can be found in Andrew Pearson’s comment on this previous post
End of Paddy Waddells Railway – Glaisdale
Show on map The scheme to build Paddy Waddells Railway (or Cleveland Extension Mineral Railway to give its full name) was started in 1872 and intended to connect Kilton Thorpe to the ironworks at Glaisdale. The scheme struggled financially from the outset as the Eskdale mines and furnaces in the South all struggled, whilst iron mining and production became concentrated to the North in Cleveland. After year of inactivity the scheme was finally scrapped in the 1889. Glaisdale Ironworks having already closed by this point anyway.
Many parts of the infrastructure of the line were constructed, even though no trains ever ran.
This bridge was constructed at Rake House in Glaisdale to carry the road over the railway.
Aysdalegate Junction
Show on map The posting was originally one I made for my “Our Industrial Heartland” project
One of the critical factors in the success of the industry in our project area was the construction of the Cleveland Railway, this was opened in November 1861 between the Skelton Old Shaft mines and Normanby Jetty, extending toward Boosbeck in 1862. Branches were also constructed to Slapewath, Stanghow and Aysdalegate mines.
With the construction of the railways came numerous interesting bridges, tunnels and culverts.
This culvert (in orange) carries a stream under the branch line which went to Slapewath Mine
This small tunnel (yellow) went under the same branch line, but was dry for livestock and people to cross under the railway.
This much more sizeable tunnel (red) passed under the main line.
Considering they date from the 1860’s, they are all in excellent condition.
Billingham Beck passing under Railway
Show on map This impressive tunnel carries Billingham Beck under what was originally the Clarence Railway.
Not sure if this is the original 1830s construction or the bricks are later, there also seems to be a reinforcement or repair a short distance in on concrete.
Norton Water Mill – Tunnel
Show on map This tunnel carried the mill race for Norton Water Mill underneath the Clarence Railway embankment that was built in the early 1830s. The modern railway still passes above.
The mill itself stood about 500m South, now underneath the A19.
Cleveland Railway Embankment – Guisborough
Show on map Building work in Guisborough briefly revealed stonework from the original route of the Cleveland Railway which opened in 1861 as a freight line for the local ironstone mines, the original route continued west over a wooden viaduct and skirted the southern edge of the Eston hills.
In 1865 the Cleveland Railway, Middlesbrough and Guisborough Railway and Stockton and Darlington Railway were all taken over by the North Eastern Railway, the route quickly became redundant and closed in 1873 after only 12 years of use.
By mid-March the location was lost forever, although this old photo from Guisborough History Notes shows the same abutment
Hutton Hall, Guisborough
Show on map Hutton Hall was built in 1866 for Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease, the son of Joseph Pease one of the key players in the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Pease became first Baronet of Hutton Lowcross and Pinchinthorpe in 1882.
In 1902 a Bank crash forced the Pease family to sell the Hutton Hall estate, this photo is from the sale catalogue
During the Spanish Civil War the Hall was used to house Basque refugee children.