07/06/2019
The importance of Hetton, Rainton and Pittington Rail lines
The Importance of Hetton, Pittington and Rainton Rail and Waggon Ways...................................................................................................................................
In 1819 the Third Marquis of Londonderry married Frances Anne Vane
Tempest the only daughter of Sir Henry Vane Tempest. Coming from a family
Who lived in Northern Ireland this was Londonderry’s second marriage. The Vane
Tempests were a coal owning family with considerable interests in the
Pittington, West Rainton and Fence Houses areas. The marriage to Lord
Londonderry brought importance to the Vane Tempests while Londonderry
Acquired considerable wealth. He was a man who recognised the importance of
The coal mining interests and together with his wife embarked upon a
Programme of expansion which brought the family great wealth long into the
20th century. In order to maintain the impetus of development he was
Responsible for the creation and growth of Seaham Harbour which would allow
The easier shipment of coals from the Rainton and Pittington Pits and ease the
Strain upon the River Wear and in particular on the staithes at Penshaw where
Most of his coal ended up.
At present day High Pittington, close to allotments lies the site of the
Pittington Colliery. Opened in 1826, it was the pit which influenced the decision
Of Londonderry and his wife to build Seaham Harbour on their estates at
Seaham. The construction, started in 1828, was completed four years later. A
New railway was also constructed from Pittington, over the Bendridge Bank
Crossing the Romney Road at the east end of West Rainton, then downhill to join
The existing Londonderry Railway to the North of both East and West Rainton.
It then turned east came through Rainton Bridge then up over the limestone
Ridge close to the existing Mines Rescue Station at Houghton before climbing up
Copt Hill and passing across the present day Houghton Golf Course on its way to
Seaham Harbour.
The expansion of the Londonderry Railway system, if it can be called
That, prior to the opening of the Seaham branch was a significant milestone for
The carriage of coal which led from West Rainton via Chilton Moor, Fence
Houses and Penshaw to the staithes on the River Wear. It was opened in
September 1827 and the guest of honour at the official opening was the Duke
Of Wellington, the hero of Waterloo and a good friend of Londonderry. A special
Car called the Wellington Car travelled the length of the line to the Wear. The
Line did not use locomotives but relied upon stationary steam engines throughout
Its length as well as the occasional incline. A little known fact related to this line
Was that a locomotive was tested on the line during the early part of 1822.
Close to the first pit at Pittington was a second, much smaller
Shaft known as the Buddle Pit. Named after John Buddle, a competent engineer
And mine manager, who took up the position of Viewer, then manager to the
Developing Londonderry collieries. He brought a steam adhesion locomotive to
The Londonderry line for trials. However it broke a number of rails due to its
Weight and slipped badly as it moved. Thus it was never adopted for use, even
though it was later demonstrated to the Duke of Wellington on his visit.
The waggonway ran downhill to Low Pittington before heading over to
West Rainton. Located within a mile or two of Londonderry’s Collieries at
Pittington were a number of collieries belonging to Lord Lambton. The nearest
Pit, known as Lambton Pit was a few hundred metres from the Buddle Pit. A
Short waggonway left the colliery to join up with another coming from
Littlestown Colliery before following the Londonderry waggonway down to Low
Pittington. The fact that both waggonways ran parallel to each other and only a
Short distance apart indicates the degree of non co-operation between the two
Coal owners. Once down at Low Pittington the Lambton line took a different
Route over to West Rainton and then on towards other Lambton Collieries in the
Cocken and Lumley areas.
Just to confuse the issue at Low Pittington, a further line was
Constructed in 1837. This was the Durham to Sunderland Railway line. It started
at the original Durham station in Shincliffe village before crossing fields to pass
Sherburn House Hospital then on to Sherburn itself and finally Low Pittington.
For about a mile close to Low Pittington it ran parallel to another branch of the
Londonderry line, namely the branch from Broomside Colliery close to Carville.
From Low Pittingington the D&S line ran along the valley to the north of High
Moorsley before passing through Low Moorsley (Peat Carr) on its way to Hetton
Station. This railway was worked entirely by eight standing engines and it wasn’t
Until the start of the 1880s that locomotives travelled along part of its length.
In 1842 it was described as “The longest public railway in the kingdom worked
Entirely by the fixed engine system.”
A picturesque line, it was principally built to handle mineral traffic
Although in later years it carried large numbers of passengers. More often than
Not the carriages were attached to coal trains coming from collieries along the
Route. During the first two years of opening it carried more than 77,000
Passengers. At some point the section in the west at Shincliffe was closed and a
New station for Durham City was built at Elvet and the line was diverted to this
Terminus following the building of a flat metal bridge over the River Wear in the
Vicinity of Old Durham in 1893.
By this time the principal station for Durham City was the present one
Which carries the main East Coast line from Darlington to Chester-le-Str**t.
After leaving Hetton station this line continued eastwards to Murton where it
Joined a further junction carrying the coast line north from Shotton in the
Direction of Ryhope and Sunderland. By the 1870s this line between Durham
City and Sunderland was really a secondary line, the major route being one which
Travelled from the present station in Durham to cross the River Wear in the
Woods close to Leamside before travelling on to Fence Houses Penshaw and
Running alongside the River Wear’s south bank into Sunderland.
The last train to use the Sunderland, Murton, Hetton, Pittington, Durham
Elvet line was in the early 1950s when an excursion to the Durham Miners Gala
Brought people to the event, and it finally close on the 5th January 1953. Today
The majority of the line forms part of a walk and national cycle route through
The area. For most of the first 50 years this line relied upon stationary engines
And an engine house on Murton Moor helped pull the traffic up from Hetton
Station. There was also another engine placed in the field close to Pittington
Station and another close to the Letch colliery. Reliability of movement along
The line was lacking due to ropes breaking or snagging while steam hauling gear
Needed constant attention. The D&S line in its latter years carried coal
Consignments from a number of pits close to it. This included coal from the Alexandrina pit, named originally after one of Londonderry’s daughters and later
To become known as the Letch Pit (named after a letch or stream).
Nestled in the vale below High Moorsley, opened in 1824 and close to the line it
Was in an ideal location for coal to be loaded on to chaldrons wagons for
Transportation.
Some four field lengths to the east of the Alexandrina pit was the
Moorsley Colliery. Opened in 1821 and closed in 1915 it was owned by the North
Hetton Coal Company. This pit did not use the D&S line which ran a short distance below it. Instead it crossed
The D&S line by a wooden bridge heading north in the direction of the Hazard
Pit lying to the east of the village of East Rainton.
The Hazard Pit and another the Dunwell Pit were also owned by the North
Hetton Coal Company. The traffic from Moorsley and Hazard ran underneath
The Londonderry waggonway coming from North Pit before joining another
Londonderry waggonway, close to Rainton Bridge. The waggonway then continued
Towards Chilton Moor and Fence Houses before arriving at the Londonderry
Staithes at Penshaw on the River Wear.
The coal from the Hazard, Dunwell and Moorsley collieries was later
Switched to run down hill, along a short length of way, before joining up with the
Londonderry line in the vicinity of the mill at Rainton Bridge and proceeding to
Seaham Harbour. The line to Seaham Harbour continued in operation carrying
Coal up the Copt Hill until it became defunct around 1896. For a short length it
Travelled in parallel on the Copt Hill with the Hetton line coming from the Lyons
Colliery before the latter swung north in the direction of Warden Law. Once the
Seaham line closed, the coals from the Hazard Pit and Moorsley pit were
Transferred to the Durham and Sunderland line for transport to Sunderland via Murton and Ryhope
Throughout the period of the 19th century there existed a rather
Confused picture regarding the transportation of coal along the lines between
Sherburn and Hetton due to the constant change in ownership of the collieries
Which used the waggonways and railway lines. Additionally collieries closed then
Occasionally re-opened, way leaf arrangements changed and new technologies
Developed throughout the time period. The Durham & Sunderland Railway faced
The same problems as coal waggonways in that it also relied heavily on the use of
Standing engines along the whole of its length. Standing engines although
Effective were slow and traffic moved at a pace slower than if they had been
Horse drawn. There were numerous delays when the waggons, and later
Passenger carriages were uncoupled and coupled at the intervening stages of
The route. They had one distinct advantage over lines used by locomotives in
That they overcame removed the need to build embankments and cuttings’ the necessity to make the line as level as possible and the section of line between Hetton station and Murton was one of the
Steepest gradients on the British Railway network and standing engines were
Used exclusively until the last decade of the 19th century at which time
Locomotives became powerful enough to take over the task of pulling the loaded
Trucks up the gradient.
There is no doubt that this part of the country was instrumental in
Fulfilling the early development of locomotives and standing engines which led to
The adoption of a wider industrial railway network through the United Kingdom.
Thus both Hetton and Pittington and Rainton can only be described as important points
Along this rail system.
