Hetton colliery railway

  • Thread starter Deleted member 27897
  • Start date


With more spare time on your hands, it's an excellent opportunity to do more local history.

So I've been looking some maps of Sunderland in the mid 19th century and was looking at the route of the Hetton Colliery Railway.

This was one of the first operational railways in history, and the first to transport coal heading up to the River Wear.

The route headed up from Houghton area, through Warden Law Hill into Doxford Park, through Farringdon and Gilley Law, Silksworth (what is now the park), Plains Farm into the Barnes and then towards the city to the river.

Its route can still be identified through the narrow pathways which still exist through these areas wedged between carved out banks.

The maps show what appears to be a former railway station existing next to what is now Farringdon School and adjacent housing.

The HCR was rope hauled and had no passenger trains AFAIK. What you describe as a railway station at Farringdon is actually a passing loop and the structure beside it is most likely a haulage engine.
 

Back
Top