Hi List.
An massive old map, dated 1817, showing the route of the former Nesham
wagonway, has been donated to Sunderland Museum. Up to now the earliest
known map was one which was used when the wagonway and collieries were sold
to John Lambton, later first Earl of Durham, in 1822 and museum bosses had
no idea that this map existed.
This wagonway ran from the Nesham Collieries at Success, through
Philadelphia and West Herrington and then to the staithes at Sunderland.
On 13th July 1815 William Brunton's 'locomotive that walked' exploded on
this wagonway, killing fourteen people and injuring many others. Later, in
1818/19, stationary steam engines were introduced on the wagonway to haul
the wagons of coal to Sunderland.
Alan.
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