The line running to Redmire is now the Wensleydale Railway, a heritage railway. There is a connection from that line to the East Coast line at Northallerton and I believe that WRA have plans to have a permanent connection at Northallerton at some point in the future.
The magnesian limestone mentioned earlier is thought to run from near Nottingham to just south of Northumberland. Outcrops of this limestone can be seen where the A1 passes Ferryhill.
Had not heard of Redmire Quarry until now. Its located in the Wensleydale, area roughly ten miles east of Catterick. Its currently described as a limestone quarry, but the presence of dolomite could fit in with the fact that it seems to be in the Magnesian Limestone belt that runs from Nottingham to Hartlepool. There still seems to be a rail connection to the East Coast Main Line
The line to Redmire is now part of the Wensleydale Railway and access to the East Coast Line is at Northallerton. The belt of Magnesian Limestone is thought to run to south of Northumberland from Nottingham.
Bill…I am pleased I got the diesel class right. But it sounds like I was wrong in thinking this was ballast. If this waggon load is going to Consett, would it be iron ore, limestone, dolomite or coke?
If the train was travelling from Redmire and is loaded, the likelihood is that it would be carrying limestone which was used as a flux in the blast furnaces.
Dolomite is also found at Redmire and that is used for making refractory furnace linings and building material and a source of carbon dioxide. Apparently Dolomite was used in the building of the Houses of Parliament.
Coke for Consett might well have been transported from the large coking ovens at Fishburn although some steelworks had their own coking ovens.
The train looks like the returning loaded train from Redmire, (now the Wensleydale Railway), when I was a Guard, I use to work trains to Consett, and always used two class 37’s working in multiple and got the nickname “Bill & Ben”, so this would have been a “Bill & Ben”, turn, happy day’s, now all vanished, into the history books and in the thoughts of the men that worked them.
I have always regretted that the ‘Torch’ (see picture) was demolished, it would have made a wonderful piece of civic sculpture’ and supported slogans such as Stockton’s Light on the World, Stockton the birthplace of British Railways, Stockton Shines etc. The Torch belonged to Cork Insulation and Asbestos Limited whose land it was situated on. Cork Insulation was owned by a company called Union International Limited, London, a company who owners The Vestey family, owned Dewhirst the Butchers and numerous farmstock slaughter houses situated in the UK including Smithfield Market, the Vesteys purchased this huge parcel of Thornaby land and the derelict former steelworks shown from the failed 1930s Thornaby steelworks owners. On its northern boundary this land closely adjoined the River Tees and it ran alongside the Thornaby to Middlesbrough railway line almost as far as the racecourse stopping at the Newport rail marshalling Yards.
The wagon’s behind the 37’s, are lime wagons, loaded at Redmire, and went onto Redcar Mineral works BSC, the train was worked with an air braked brake van for the Guard at the rear, this was for the number of level crossings on branch from Northallerton to Redmire, the Chargeman who rode with Driver opened the gates and the Guard closed once the train was through, happy day’s, though the job was a fairly top link job, I only learnt a few times.
A view from the east end of Thornaby Station c1989.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The line running to Redmire is now the Wensleydale Railway, a heritage railway. There is a connection from that line to the East Coast line at Northallerton and I believe that WRA have plans to have a permanent connection at Northallerton at some point in the future.
The magnesian limestone mentioned earlier is thought to run from near Nottingham to just south of Northumberland. Outcrops of this limestone can be seen where the A1 passes Ferryhill.
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Had not heard of Redmire Quarry until now. Its located in the Wensleydale, area roughly ten miles east of Catterick. Its currently described as a limestone quarry, but the presence of dolomite could fit in with the fact that it seems to be in the Magnesian Limestone belt that runs from Nottingham to Hartlepool. There still seems to be a rail connection to the East Coast Main Line
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The line to Redmire is now part of the Wensleydale Railway and access to the East Coast Line is at Northallerton. The belt of Magnesian Limestone is thought to run to south of Northumberland from Nottingham.
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Bill…I am pleased I got the diesel class right. But it sounds like I was wrong in thinking this was ballast. If this waggon load is going to Consett, would it be iron ore, limestone, dolomite or coke?
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If the train was travelling from Redmire and is loaded, the likelihood is that it would be carrying limestone which was used as a flux in the blast furnaces.
Dolomite is also found at Redmire and that is used for making refractory furnace linings and building material and a source of carbon dioxide. Apparently Dolomite was used in the building of the Houses of Parliament.
Coke for Consett might well have been transported from the large coking ovens at Fishburn although some steelworks had their own coking ovens.
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Fred, the load was lime stone from Redmire.
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The train looks like the returning loaded train from Redmire, (now the Wensleydale Railway), when I was a Guard, I use to work trains to Consett, and always used two class 37’s working in multiple and got the nickname “Bill & Ben”, so this would have been a “Bill & Ben”, turn, happy day’s, now all vanished, into the history books and in the thoughts of the men that worked them.
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Would these be ballast waggons for track repair, needing two puny Class 37s to pull this load? Trian buffs please respond!
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I have always regretted that the ‘Torch’ (see picture) was demolished, it would have made a wonderful piece of civic sculpture’ and supported slogans such as Stockton’s Light on the World, Stockton the birthplace of British Railways, Stockton Shines etc. The Torch belonged to Cork Insulation and Asbestos Limited whose land it was situated on. Cork Insulation was owned by a company called Union International Limited, London, a company who owners The Vestey family, owned Dewhirst the Butchers and numerous farmstock slaughter houses situated in the UK including Smithfield Market, the Vesteys purchased this huge parcel of Thornaby land and the derelict former steelworks shown from the failed 1930s Thornaby steelworks owners. On its northern boundary this land closely adjoined the River Tees and it ran alongside the Thornaby to Middlesbrough railway line almost as far as the racecourse stopping at the Newport rail marshalling Yards.
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The wagon’s behind the 37’s, are lime wagons, loaded at Redmire, and went onto Redcar Mineral works BSC, the train was worked with an air braked brake van for the Guard at the rear, this was for the number of level crossings on branch from Northallerton to Redmire, the Chargeman who rode with Driver opened the gates and the Guard closed once the train was through, happy day’s, though the job was a fairly top link job, I only learnt a few times.
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