I have recently been loaned a photograph showing a locomotive at a colliery
which on very close examination is found to be Consett Iron Company 'A'
class No.1. The photograph is from a postcard which dates from between 1900
and 1910.
According to the Industrial Railway Society Durham Handbook and Colin Mountford's
article in the Industrial Railway Record No.31. June 1970, A No.1 was "always worked
at Consett, or on 'Bank Top Home Railways' as the Company called its works system".
This leads me to trying to identify the colliery in the photograph. The winding
engine house and screens all look recently constructed and this does not fit my
knowledge of the collieries on the works system at that time.A possible alternative
is the Chopwell and Garesfield Railway which the company acquired in 1891 and
extended to their new Chopwell Colliery by 1899. Whilst Chopwell Colliery is a likely
location, I have been unable to find any view of he pit which would confirm this.
Can anyone help me in confirming the location? I have placed the image on my
website at:
http://www.brocross.com/temp/collieries/durhampit.htm
Cheers,
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fearrmeox adlaž bręgen
)| David Kitching _____|______|_ ____
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