North Sunderland Railway
The North Sunderland Railway was a small privately run railway that linked Seahouses in Northumblerland with the main coast line that runs from London to Edinburgh at Chathill, four miles west of Seahouses. As Seahouses began to grow as an important fishing harbour in the second half of the nineteenth century following the extension to the harbour in 1870, there was a need to improve transportation of fish from Seahouses to the main east coast line.
The roads between Seahouses and Chathill were not the best in the county at that time, so it was not surprise that local fishermen wanted an improved link between the harbour and Chathill. They had tried several times to covince the North East Railway Company that there was a need for branch line but always failed. In the end they formed their own railway company and in 1891 following a public meeting, The North Sunderland Railway was formed. Queen Victoria approved the venture a year later following a private Pariliamentary bill and the North Sunderland Railway officially opened six years later. Initiailly the railiway transported goods only, but it was not long before passengers could change at Chathill and arrive in Seahouses.
Just one locomotion was in service on the line initially, a steam locomotive named ‘Bamburgh’ pictured above but this was retired in 1934 when ‘Lady Armstrong’, a diesel train was built as a replacement, although the ‘Bamburgh’ was regulary called into service as the ‘Lady Armstrong’ was not the most reliable.
The line continued to operate after the second world war, but closed seven years later on 27th October 1951 as a result of financial viability. Today the station is the main pay and display car park in Seahouses and all that remains of the station is some of the single platform brickwork that makes up part of a wall, and the trackbed cutting at the west side of the carpark which is now a footpath.
This entry was posted on Monday September 29th, 2008 at 8:39 AM and is filed under Places to Visit. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.
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