Stockton and Darlington Railway

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Introduction

This line is mostly open. This was the first public line to employ steam power from its opening. Line line was 25 miles long, engineered by George Stephenson and opened in September 1825 from Witton Park Colliery to Stockton [1st]. The gauge of this line was accepted as standard gauge and is used in Britain and throughout the world.





Dates

  /  /1821Stockton and Darlington Railway
Company incorporated
  /  /1825Charles Tennant
Charles Tennant, one of the promoters of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway, visits the Stockton and Darlington Railway with his family. Local suppliers and mines further afield via the Monkland Canal were struggling to meet the coal demands of the St Rollox Chemical Works.
  /  /1825Stockton and Darlington Railway
Line opened from Witton Park (by Shildon) to Stockton Quay.
30/11/1841Stockton and Darlington Railway
Runs service from Darlington (North Road) to the Clarence Railway's terminus at Coxhoe. (This was in anticipation of the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway's opening.)
05/05/1842Stockton and Darlington Railway
Runs service from Darlington (North Road) to its South Church terminus. This was in anticipation of the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway opening.
16/07/1846Leeds and Thirsk Railway
Second Leeds and Thirsk Act gives powers to open a line from Northallerton to Billingham on the Stockton and Hartlepool Railway, Eaglescliffe on the Stockton and Darlington Railway and Stockton on the Clarence Railway.
31/12/1850Railway Clearing House
By this date, Ardrossan Railway, Caledonian Railway, Cockermouth and Workington Railway, Eastern Counties Railway, East Lincolnshire Railway, Fleetwood, Preston and West Riding Junction Railway, Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway, Great Northern Railway, Huddersfield and Manchester Railway (London and North Western Railway), Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, Maryport and Carlisle Railway, North British Railway, Preston and Wyre Railway, Dock and Harbour, Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, South Staffordshire Railway, Stockton and Darlington Railway, Stockton and Hartlepool Railway, St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway, Stirling and Dunfermline Railway, Whitehaven Junction Railway and York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway join.
30/07/1855Dearness Valley Railway
Act passed for line between Durham and Waterhouses. Line connected at western end with colliery line to East Hedleyhope and tortuous line to Crook [2nd] via the Stanley Inclines of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
30/06/1862Eden Valley RailwayStockton and Darlington Railway
Eden Valley Railway bought by the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
30/06/1862South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway
Absorbed by Stockton and Darlington Railway.
  /  /1863Stockton and Darlington RailwayNorth Eastern Railway
Stockton and Darlington Railway absorbed by the North Eastern Railway.
  /  /2004Stockton and Darlington Railway
NRM Shildon opened.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Stockton to Darlington to Witton Park Colliery




Stockton [1st]

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Stockton [2nd]

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Bowesfield Junction

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See also
Middlesbrough Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)
Brush Type 4 D1795 has just passed Bowesfield signal box, standing at the eastern apex of the triangle of lines to the west of Tees Yard and south of ...
Bill Jamieson 02/10/1970
A rake of what at first glance appears to be 16t mineral wagons passes Bowesfield box to the west of Thornaby in October 1970 behind class 37 No.  ...
Bill Jamieson 02/10/1970
2 of 2 images.





Allens West

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See also
Yarm Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)





Teesside Airport

This is a two platform station. Services are extremely sparse and public transport links to the airport no longer exist. ...

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Northern Pacer 142094, working from Saltburn to Bishop Auckland, runs through Teesside Airport (without stopping of course) on 24th June. In 2017 the ...
Mark Bartlett 24/06/2017
The epitome of Parliamentary services, this is Teesside Airport station, which only has one train calling in each direction per week. Opened in ...
Mark Bartlett 24/06/2017
2 of 2 images.





Oaktree Junction

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See also
Polam Junction to Oak Tree Junction (North Eastern Railway)





Fighting Cocks

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Lingfield Lane Siding

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Albert Hill Junction

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See also
Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway





Darlington [1st]

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Darlington North Road Goods

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Darlington North Road

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North Eastern Railway 2-4-0 1463 of 1885 on display inside Darlington Railway Museum.
...
Bill Roberton 05/06/2023
It may be a railway museum, but from this angle, it has a management training centre look about it. ...
Ken Strachan 03/08/2017
The exterior of Darlington North Road station, now a railway museum, in 1994.
...
Bill Roberton //1994
Platform view at the S&Ds 1856 North Road station, Darlington, looking north west towards Shildon in November 2007. The covered section of the ...
John Furnevel 04/11/2007
4 of 18 images. more





Hopetown Depots

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Hopetown Carriage Works

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Hopetown Carriage Works north wing seen in this view across Hopetown Lane in July 2021. This section of the former works is occupied by the North ...
David Pesterfield 08/07/2021
An 0-4-0 diesel shunter, from memory of BTH construction, is seen stabled in the compound for the north wing of the former Hopetown Carriage Works, ...
David Pesterfield 08/07/2021
The frontage of the refurbished Hopetown Carriage Works building, see image 77224, with the main office centre section and south wing seen in this ...
David Pesterfield 08/07/2021
The north wing of the former Hopetown Carriage Works, Darlington, built by the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1853. Photograph taken in October ...
John Furnevel 04/10/2008
4 of 7 images. more





Hopetown Junction

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See also
Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway
This junction North of North Road station was the first access (geographically) to the Stainmore line on leaving Darlington. Our exploration, from a ...
Ken Strachan 05/08/2017
1 of 1 images.





Darlington Locomotive Works

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A further shot of J21 0-6-0 no 65099 with D2053 in the works reception sidings at Darlington shed in late 1961 see image 41693. The lengthy ...
K A Gray //1961
J27 0-6-0 65796 looking resplendent in the yard at Darlington Works in early 1963. ...
K A Gray //1963
A gleaming B16 4-6-0 no 61434 in the sidings alongside Darlington Works, thought to have been photographed in January 1962. The locomotive would soon ...
K A Gray /01/1962
Gresley V3 2-6-2T no 67635 awaits its fate at Darlington in October 1963. Withdrawn from Thornton Junction on 30 September, the locomotive was cut up ...
K A Gray 26/10/1963
4 of 23 images. more





Rise Carr Rolling Mills

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Darlington and Simpson Rolling Mills

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Charity Junction

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See also
Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway





Heighington

This is a two platform station on a double track line. The platforms are staggered with the northbound platform south of a level crossing and southbound to its north. A signal box is on the west side, north of the crossing and an old inn is south of the crossin gon the east side. Heighington village is a mile and a half to the west.
...

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Looking south over the level crossing at Heighington towards Darlington on 18 March 2015. A new REB has appeared on the right next to the signalbox ...
John McIntyre 18/03/2015
Looking north over the level crossing at Heighington on 18 March 2015. This station is on the route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and ...
John McIntyre 18/03/2015
Scene at Heighington on 19 June 2013. A train has just departed for Bishop Auckland, with another about to leave for Darlington. Meanwhile a small ...
Brian Taylor 19/06/2013
Looking to Shildon. It was here that the Locomotion No 1 was assembled. ...
Ewan Crawford 29/02/2004
4 of 4 images.





Newton Aycliffe

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A Bishop Auckland to Saltburn train calls at Newton Aycliffe on 18 March 2015. ...
John McIntyre 18/03/2015
Hitachi Rail Europe celebrates the first Intercity Express (IEP) train to be built in the UK at its manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, County ...
Hitachi Rail Europe 09/12/2016
Leaving Newton Aycliffe for Heighington on 18 March 2015. What is not so obvious nowadays is the trackbed of the line that once ran towards Stockton, ...
John McIntyre 18/03/2015
3 of 3 images.





Simpasture Junction

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See also
Clarence Railway





Shildon Yard

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Looking east from Spout Lane towards Darlington. The National Railway Museum's 'Locomotion' museum is now located on the former sidings on the right. ...
Bill Roberton //1994
1 of 1 images.





Shildon South Junction

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See also
Shildon Tunnel (Stockton and Darlington Railway)





Shildon [1st]

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Masons Arms Level Crossing

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Stanier Pacific no 6201 Princess Elizabeth passing over Masons Arms level crossing, Shildon, in September 1975 as part of the celebrations ...
John Thorn //1975
1 of 1 images.





Brusselton Incline

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A plaque referring to the restoration of a retaining wall on a section of embankment, alongside South Terrace, supporting the Brusselton Incline on ...
David Pesterfield 20/12/2019
View looking south easterly over Brusselton Lane to the east side embankment on the restored section of the Brusselton Incline, on the former Stockton ...
David Pesterfield 20/12/2019
View looking almost north of the now rebuilt farm accommodation bridge on the now restored Brusselton Incline, on the former Stockton & Darlington ...
David Pesterfield 20/12/2019
View looking west of the short, with rail mounting blocks, west side restored section of the Brusselton Incline on the former Stockon & Darlington ...
David Pesterfield 20/12/2019
4 of 6 images. more





Gaunless Bridge

This bridge was near West Auckland on the Shildon to Witton Park Colliery portion of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
...

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West Auckland

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See also
Haggerleases Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)
The station site at West Auckland, looking south west on the line towards Barnard Castle in April 2018. Apparently there were two platforms here, but ...
Mark Bartlett 08/04/2018
The view east from the site of West Auckland station. On the right is the formation of the original Stockton and Darlington line to Shildon, via the ...
Mark Bartlett 08/04/2018
The North Eastern Railway Association May walk 'rolls' into West Auckland MPD on May 3rd 2014, part way through a Shildon, Brusselton, West Auckland, ...
Brian Taylor 03/05/2014
67636 at West Auckland on 13 October 1962, some 4 months after the station had lost its passenger service. The V3 had worked into nearby West ...
K A Gray 13/10/1962
4 of 4 images.





Etherley North Incline

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Witton Park Colliery

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Yarm Branch




Yarm Depot

More details

See also
Yarm Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)





Allens West

More details

See also
Yarm Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)





Croft Branch

Darlington to Croft Goods.




Albert Hill Junction

More details

See also
Croft Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)





Parkgate Junction

More details

See also
Croft Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)





Darlington Coal Depot

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Darlington Shed

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Wordsell design North Eastern Railway Class J25 3F 0-6-0 tender engine 65663 is seen on 51A Darlington Shed on 27 May 1962, during an organised tour ...
David Pesterfield 27/05/1962
Worsdell NER class J72 0-6-0T 68743 and sister loco 68747 stabled on 51A Darlington Shed on 27 May 1962. The Gresley V3 2-6-2T seen beyond the J72s is ...
David Pesterfield 27/05/1962
A pair of Thompson L1 2-6-4 tanks, nos 67780 and 67787, both built by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn, Darlington and both eventually withdrawn by BR ...
K A Gray //1963
A pair of Thompson L1 2-6-4 tanks, both built in the Darlington works of Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn, languish in the sidings alongside Darlington ...
K A Gray //1963
4 of 41 images. more





Darlington Bank Top

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Croft Junction

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See also
Great North of England Railway
Croft Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)





Croft Goods

More details

See also
Croft Branch (Stockton and Darlington Railway)






Books


Stockton & Darlington Railway Rail 150 Exhibition Steam Cavalcade: Souvenir guide
The Origins of Railway Enterprise: The Stockton and Darlington Railway 1821-1863
The Stockton and Darlington Railway: 175 Years (Britain in Old Photographs)

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