Bowes Railway
| Bowes Railway | |
|---|---|
| Pontop & Jarrow Railway | |
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The Bowes Railway at Springwell Village Gateshead (Postal Address) Although it is within the City of Sunderland . |
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| Locale | Tyne and Wear |
| Terminus | Dipton Colliery to Jarrow Staith (preserved Springwell - Wrekenton) |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | George Stephenson |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved operations | |
| Stations | 2 (Springwell & Blackhams Hill) |
| Length | 1 1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Preserved era | 1975- |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1826/1855 |
| Closed | 1974 |
| Preservation history | |
The Bowes Railway at Springwell Village
The Bowes Railway, built by George Stephenson in 1826, is the world's only operational preserved standard gauge cable railway system. It was built to transport coal from pits in Durham to boats on the River Tyne. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The railway is open the first weekend of each month (February - December) and every week Tuesday & Thursday for static display and guided tours. Plus a number of event days throughout the year. Entry is currently by donation.
The Grand Allies, a partnership of businessmen including John Bowes, opened a colliery at Springwell in Durham. A railway was needed to transport the coal to the River Tyne. The plan was to build inclined planes and use a combination of steam power and gravity to move the coal wagons. The railway was designed by George Stephenson who built the Hetton colliery railway which was completed in 1822.
The railway was built between Mount Moor and Jarrow via Springwell village. The first section to open was between Springwell and Jarrow which opened on 17 January 1826, Mount Moor followed in April 1826. When the line opened it comprised four inclined planes: one steep incline from Mount Moor to Blackham's Hill, and one from Blackham's Hill to Springwell. At Blackham's Hill, the summit of both inclines, was the "hauler house", housing stationary engines to wind the ropes. A long self-acting incline ran from Springwell. Nearly 5 miles (8.0 km) of locomotive-worked line extended to Jarrow where a final incline served the coal staiths. The line was extended across the Team Valley to Kibblesworth Colliery in May 1842. The railway was completed in 1854 when a link from Marley Hill to Kibblesworth was connected enabling collieries in Dipton to be accessed.
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