DarloRich
Veteran Member
A recent trip to Seahouses offered me the opportunity to visit a new Heritage railway in Northumberland: The Aln Valley Railway
They have ambitious plans to reopen the roughly 3 mile branch line from Alnwick to a shared station with the ECML at Alnmouth. Although the original railway station still exists in Alnwick, the A1 bypass and commercial developments make it impossible to rebuild the final section of the line. As a result a brand new railway station and visitor center has been constructed by volunteers on the outskirts of Alnwick from where the railway will follow the original trackbed all the way to Alnmouth Station.
The branch line opened by the North Eastern Railway on 5 August 1850 to both freight and passenger traffic. Passenger operations included direct Newcastle to Alnwick services ( how popular would they be today?), as well as regular shuttle runs between Alnmouth and Alnwick. The branch was well used initially but by the 1920's passenger numbers began to decline with the increase in car ownership. Despite other closures in the area the Alnwick branch remained open although the service was reduced.
The Bookworm Now Calling... by Andrew Gallon, on Flickr
Sadly by the mid 1960s the line was said to be losing money and an attempt was made to save money by reducing the branch to single track and dispensing with all signalling equipment. Surprisingly, despite direct trains to Newcastle going over to DMU operation steam locomotives continued to work the Alnmouth trains and most of the goods trains until 1966 when Alnmouth shed closed. Despite considerable local opposition the passenger service was withdrawn from 29th January 1968 with the goods service finishing the following October. The branch was one of the last the north-east of England to be lost as part of the Beeching Axe.
Conspiracy theorists point to the fact that the Ministry of Transport realised they could substantially reduce the cost of the A1 Alnwick by-pass, adjacent to the site of the new station, by eliminating the need for an expensive bridge to carry the line over the deep cutting to the east of Alnwick.
No. 9 Richboro.. by AlanP, on Flickr
It was to the new station at Lionheart Enterprise Park that I trundled in the van unsure what I would find with such a small operation. There was ample parking and some basic victor facilities like a shop and cafe. It is, of course, quite rough and very new but a station with two platforms and and NER style waiting room ( like Chathill) have been created along with an engine shed and stabling for stock. All of this has been created out of a greenfield site by volunteers in only a couple of years.
Andrew Barclay 615 by nigelmenzies, on Flickr
Stood in the platform was a blue former NCB 0-6-0 Diesel Hydraulic rolls Royce powered shunter no.615. This was built at Andrew Barclays at Kilmarnock in 1977 as one of a batch of 20 locos for the NCB and first worked at Bates colliery at Blyth. It continued to work in various colliery locations in the North East including Whittle Colliery near Alnwick. It was sold to RJB after 1988 and then to present owner being delivered to the Tanfield Railway in 2005. After some time at the Ribble Steam Railway and taking part at ‘Railfest 2012’ at the NRM York, it came to Alnwick on long term loan. Stood in the platform were a couple of Mki and Mkii carriages but passenger accommodation would be in a replica NER brake van which was built upon a redundant 16t van chassis and is used for carrying passengers over short distances.
The train now arriving... by Stephen Veitch, on Flickr
Short distances really describe the operation line at AVR at present as the run is only a couple of hundred yards long. Although for £5 you can’t really complain. Track laying has extended for about a mile beyond the current station but this is yet to be signed off for public use. A great deal of work has gone into building a curved embankment to take the line for the higher new terminus to the original track bed. My £5 ticket let me trundle up and down the track as often as I liked so I took a couple of trips backward and forward talking to the friendly staff about their plans for the line.
Brake Van ride... by AlanP, on Flickr
If the plan to reach Alnwick station comes off it will create a really useful link between the mainline and Alnwick which is a major tourist trap in its own right. The plan is to build the line in stages with the first target being Greenrigg Bridge, approximately halfway along the line. After getting a Transport & Works order the line will proceed down to the old branch platform at Alnmouth station, with cross-platform transfer to the main line for passengers. Plans allow for the other side of the trackbed to be a permissive cyclepath, which will connect the national coastal cycle route safely to Alnwick. The local planning authority approved the plans in the summer of 2010, which allowed the Trust to commence negotiations with Northumberland Estates, the landowners, for the lease of the field and trackbed.
New beginnings by Stephen Veitch, on Flickr
The railway have a couple of steam locos ( short wheel base tank engines being the only ones that can negotiate the curve and climb into the new station) with one, Hudswell Clarke & Co 0-6-0T – Richboro, in service on special occasions. At other times the diesel shunter fleet take the strain. They are a Drewery 0-6-0DM 'Drax' (Built at Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns of Darlington as in 1963 & used by Central Electricity Generating Board) and Class 11 shunter 12088 which was built at Derby in 1951.
I hope they manage to pull this off as the volunteers seem a committed and happy bunch and things seem to be cracking on with building the track. They hope to reach Alnwick by 202 and I look forward to getting off a mainline train there and having another ride along this line.
( sadly I have no pictures of the railway as my memory card malfunctioned and corrupted everything but I will add some links form flickr to illustrate the report - none of the pictures shown here are mine )
They have ambitious plans to reopen the roughly 3 mile branch line from Alnwick to a shared station with the ECML at Alnmouth. Although the original railway station still exists in Alnwick, the A1 bypass and commercial developments make it impossible to rebuild the final section of the line. As a result a brand new railway station and visitor center has been constructed by volunteers on the outskirts of Alnwick from where the railway will follow the original trackbed all the way to Alnmouth Station.
The branch line opened by the North Eastern Railway on 5 August 1850 to both freight and passenger traffic. Passenger operations included direct Newcastle to Alnwick services ( how popular would they be today?), as well as regular shuttle runs between Alnmouth and Alnwick. The branch was well used initially but by the 1920's passenger numbers began to decline with the increase in car ownership. Despite other closures in the area the Alnwick branch remained open although the service was reduced.
The Bookworm Now Calling... by Andrew Gallon, on FlickrSadly by the mid 1960s the line was said to be losing money and an attempt was made to save money by reducing the branch to single track and dispensing with all signalling equipment. Surprisingly, despite direct trains to Newcastle going over to DMU operation steam locomotives continued to work the Alnmouth trains and most of the goods trains until 1966 when Alnmouth shed closed. Despite considerable local opposition the passenger service was withdrawn from 29th January 1968 with the goods service finishing the following October. The branch was one of the last the north-east of England to be lost as part of the Beeching Axe.
Conspiracy theorists point to the fact that the Ministry of Transport realised they could substantially reduce the cost of the A1 Alnwick by-pass, adjacent to the site of the new station, by eliminating the need for an expensive bridge to carry the line over the deep cutting to the east of Alnwick.
No. 9 Richboro.. by AlanP, on FlickrIt was to the new station at Lionheart Enterprise Park that I trundled in the van unsure what I would find with such a small operation. There was ample parking and some basic victor facilities like a shop and cafe. It is, of course, quite rough and very new but a station with two platforms and and NER style waiting room ( like Chathill) have been created along with an engine shed and stabling for stock. All of this has been created out of a greenfield site by volunteers in only a couple of years.
Andrew Barclay 615 by nigelmenzies, on FlickrStood in the platform was a blue former NCB 0-6-0 Diesel Hydraulic rolls Royce powered shunter no.615. This was built at Andrew Barclays at Kilmarnock in 1977 as one of a batch of 20 locos for the NCB and first worked at Bates colliery at Blyth. It continued to work in various colliery locations in the North East including Whittle Colliery near Alnwick. It was sold to RJB after 1988 and then to present owner being delivered to the Tanfield Railway in 2005. After some time at the Ribble Steam Railway and taking part at ‘Railfest 2012’ at the NRM York, it came to Alnwick on long term loan. Stood in the platform were a couple of Mki and Mkii carriages but passenger accommodation would be in a replica NER brake van which was built upon a redundant 16t van chassis and is used for carrying passengers over short distances.
The train now arriving... by Stephen Veitch, on FlickrShort distances really describe the operation line at AVR at present as the run is only a couple of hundred yards long. Although for £5 you can’t really complain. Track laying has extended for about a mile beyond the current station but this is yet to be signed off for public use. A great deal of work has gone into building a curved embankment to take the line for the higher new terminus to the original track bed. My £5 ticket let me trundle up and down the track as often as I liked so I took a couple of trips backward and forward talking to the friendly staff about their plans for the line.
Brake Van ride... by AlanP, on FlickrIf the plan to reach Alnwick station comes off it will create a really useful link between the mainline and Alnwick which is a major tourist trap in its own right. The plan is to build the line in stages with the first target being Greenrigg Bridge, approximately halfway along the line. After getting a Transport & Works order the line will proceed down to the old branch platform at Alnmouth station, with cross-platform transfer to the main line for passengers. Plans allow for the other side of the trackbed to be a permissive cyclepath, which will connect the national coastal cycle route safely to Alnwick. The local planning authority approved the plans in the summer of 2010, which allowed the Trust to commence negotiations with Northumberland Estates, the landowners, for the lease of the field and trackbed.
New beginnings by Stephen Veitch, on FlickrThe railway have a couple of steam locos ( short wheel base tank engines being the only ones that can negotiate the curve and climb into the new station) with one, Hudswell Clarke & Co 0-6-0T – Richboro, in service on special occasions. At other times the diesel shunter fleet take the strain. They are a Drewery 0-6-0DM 'Drax' (Built at Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns of Darlington as in 1963 & used by Central Electricity Generating Board) and Class 11 shunter 12088 which was built at Derby in 1951.
I hope they manage to pull this off as the volunteers seem a committed and happy bunch and things seem to be cracking on with building the track. They hope to reach Alnwick by 202 and I look forward to getting off a mainline train there and having another ride along this line.
( sadly I have no pictures of the railway as my memory card malfunctioned and corrupted everything but I will add some links form flickr to illustrate the report - none of the pictures shown here are mine )
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