Line History

The Backworth Wagonway opened around 1818 and the track ran from Backworth A pit to the coal staithes in the Howdon area. It was extended to Backworth B Pit and then in 1838 as far as West Cramlington and became the Backworth Colliery Railway.

The section from Backworth to Allotment was initially horse-drawn, but had rope haulage by 1821. The Allotment to Percy Main section was converted in 1823 and the remainder down to the staithes near Northumberland Dock by 1827. It was the last wholly steam operated system in the North-East, eventually closing in December 1975. (Text from Sitelines).

There was a rope haulage engine in the Allotment to pull the waggons over Prospect Hill (on the Blyth & Tyne tracks), it was called the “Shiremoor Engine”, as in the shire moor, not the village of Shiremoor. The “Hill” was regraded for steam locomotives and the engine demolished.

Backworth siding and yard. Map ©NLS

Backworth Colliery Line – Backworth Junction

Backworth Station, the line then crosses Earsdon Road, now the entrance to Sainsburys car park. Map ©NLS

Benton Road Level Crossing

The level crossing keeper hut on the north side of the road. At a guess the photo was taken on a Saturday or Sunday morning and these three gentlemen in their best “bib & tucker” are watching for Hills front door to open, (Northumberland Arms). Image © Bob Booth

 

Level crossing hut location today (2025) © Jorja Walley 

 

---

Backworth Colliery Line – Staithes at the Riverside

As it enters the many coal staithes at Howdon (track is top left). Individual Colliery owners has their own staithes. Map ©NLS

Staithes

The tidal river made it difficult to load coal from the hoppers on the coal staithes into the colliers below, the solution was to build non tidal basins which used a system of locks and gates to maintain a constant water level inside the basin. Albert Edward Dock is still there (now Royal Quays Marina), the staithes having long gone. 

Northumberland Dock was infilled and the land redeveloped, if you look closely you can still see part of the East entrance lock on the riverside. Image Google Maps

Northumberland Dock on the left (North) riverbank – Image © Historic England

 

The METRO System – Test Track

The test track was used to trial the prototype cars on gradients and curves. It had a station and tunnel and proved a very effective system for monitoring the safety of vehicles and track. The test track was constructed between West Allotment and Percy Main to check the new trains. At one stage it was also used to test carriages built for the Hong Kong Light Railway System. At the centre of the image is the Metro carriage workshops, now the Stephenson Railway Museum. Image is Public Domain

Test Track Tunnel

Built to to test the carriage and overhead cable clearances for live running.

Image Graham Pearson

 

West Allotment Terminus – End of the Line

Image Graham Pearson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top image – The West Allotment Metro Terminus, looking North.

Middle image – the same location looking South in 2025 © Jorja Walley

Bottom image – Benton road crossing looking south with coal yard on the right © Jorja Walley 

---

Backworth Colliery Engine No 2

‘Backworth’ was built for Backworth Colliery, Northumberland in 1884 by R & W Hawthorn of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Backworth loco number 60 travels to the sidings at West Allotment with waggons of coal in June 1969.

Video footage from 1967, Backworth and a few other local pit lines. From Youtube, the short moovie gives your  areal feel for the atmosphere of the time, most of the pits were in managed decline.

 

 

 

 

 

Built by R & W Hawthorn of Newcastle upon Tyne.

For anyone keen you can buy a very high quality model kit of this loco for £330