The Weardale Railway is one of the UK's longest preserved lines, and yet also one of its least well known. In this video I travel from Stanhope to Bishop Auckland along the line, and explore the charming Dales town of Stanhope.
I did the line from Stanhope to Bishop Auckland a few years back, walked the few hundred yeards between the two stations, and hopped on the hourly National Rail service to Shildon to do the Locomotion and NRM museums there. Masses to see and find out about at at this very important historical transport site - it really makes a grand day out. The Weardale Railway itself is very scenic and a lovely run, it travels alongside the river some of the way and through woodlands and fields. Lots of bluebells when I went. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, too.
Quite a pleasing video giving a seductive view of the Dales countryside. This is a preserved line that I have never visited, so it is of interest. Thanks for uploading.
It may be of interest to know that Stanhope was the starting point of the Stanhope and Tyne Railway. This line almost bankrupted Robert Stephenson. A very early railway, (1834)it was similar to canals, by being built as a series of level (or almost !) sections powered by steam locomotives, with rope worked inclines to overcome gradients. In this it was similar to the Cromford & High Peak Railway in Derbyshire. Most of this line can be explored on foot although a car is needed to see a lot of it in a day.
I've been on that originally just from Wolsingham to Stanhope but last year I did the Bishop Auckland section.The Stanhope to Eastgate section pending and maybe pending for a long time but at least the track is still there!
Ooh.. there's something about a preserved line in the pouring rain takes me straight back to say trips in the early 80's.. I can almost smell those cheap plastic kagoules!
This line has had many false dawns and a lot of bad luck since the regular cement traffic from Eastgate ceased in 1993. Privately operated steam specials during the ‘90s failed to generate enough income to sustain it as a viable railway. In 2004 a private company launched an intensive service only to go bust months later. In 2008 a group of enthusiasts started a local service originally to Wolsingham then later to Bishop Auckland which was going great guns and provided not only leisure travel but a robust connection to National Rail at BA which the locals wanted. This ended when an opencast mining operation gained access to the line for freight traffic throwing the passenger timetable into disarray. This freight operation lasted only 2 years after which passenger traffic was lost. Hopefully the most recent reincarnation of this line will bear fruit for both locals and tourists and especially the hard working volunteers who’ve made it all possible. Ultimately I’d like to see the line reintegrated into the national rail network as has happened to the Okehampton branch in Devon. If this happened as far as Stanhope it would allow volunteers to reopen the Stanhope to Eastgate section as a heritage railway.
@@lakesandfells In my experience of living in different places around Britain if there is a "proper" way to say something and a "lazy" way, the locals will always say it the "lazy" way!
