Burradon And Holywell Wagonway
In 1951 a link was put in to the line from Burradon Colliery to the Blyth and Tyne Railway at Fisher Lane crossing north of the old 'B' Pit. This enabled coal from the collieries around Burradon to be sent to the Backworth washer and then shipped via the Backworth railway. This railway had originally been built between 1911 and 1912 to replace the old Brinton and Shields wagonway down to the Tyne. Built to main line standards it was fully signalled and worked by the NER. The NCB, however, also had running powers over this line. Future developments at Backworth would now all centre on this line.
 An NCB Austerity hauling a train of either empties, or more probably coal, back up from Weetslade Washery to Backworth (Eccles) Colliery. |
 Burradon and Holywell wagonway today |
In 1970 the Backworth Washery collapsed due to metal fatigue, killing a man. A new loading bunker was subsequently built and all coal was now taken to Weetslade Washery, via the Burradon and Holywell wagonway.
All NCB traffic was now east to west, coal being sent to the new coal preparation plant at Weetslade near where a large new coal depot had also been developed during the 1960's to serve Tyneside household coal requirements. This traffic was hauled by Backworth locos and Backworth locos also brought return trains of stone for tipping on the old Backworth 'C' Pit heap.
In 1977 traffic to Weetslade ended and the line to Burradon lifted. The line to the 'C' pit stone heap was also abandoned at this time and stone tipping commenced in a field at the start of the Burradon line, the track being slewed to enable this to commence.
http://www.burradon-camperdown.co.uk/40.html
All NCB traffic was now east to west, coal being sent to the new coal preparation plant at Weetslade near where a large new coal depot had also been developed during the 1960's to serve Tyneside household coal requirements. This traffic was hauled by Backworth locos and Backworth locos also brought return trains of stone for tipping on the old Backworth 'C' Pit heap.
In 1977 traffic to Weetslade ended and the line to Burradon lifted. The line to the 'C' pit stone heap was also abandoned at this time and stone tipping commenced in a field at the start of the Burradon line, the track being slewed to enable this to commence.
http://www.burradon-camperdown.co.uk/40.html