Northumbrian Railways

North Sunderland Railway

• 1891 As the NER could not be persuaded to build a branch to the new harbour at Seahouses, it was decided to form a company locally to build the line.
• 1892 North Sunderland Railway Act authorises construction of a 4mile branch from Chathill to Seahouses with intermediate stations at Fleetham and North Sunderland.
• 1896 Construction begins. The planned station at Fleetham is abandoned to cut costs.
• 1898 NSR authorised, under the Light Railway Act of 1896, to extend the line from Seahouses to Bamburgh and to operate the line as a light railway.
• 1898 Line opens to freight on 1 August, and to passengers on 18 December.
• 1951 Line closed on 27 October.
• 1952 North Sunderland Light Railway Company Limited registered on 25 April, and a Winding-Up Order followed on the 16 June.
• 1953 Track lifted by the Motherwell Machinery and Scrap Company.

Motive Power

The NSR only owned 2 locomotives, Bamburgh and The Lady Armstrong, other locomotives were hired from the NER, LNER, and BR as and when required.

Bamburgh

Built by Manning Wardle & Co, Leeds in 1898, works number 1394. An 0-6-0 saddle tank with 3ft 6in diameter wheels, wheelbase of 10ft 9in, cylinders of 12in by 18in. Painted light green, lined in black edged with white, and red buffer beams. Remained in service until 25 September 1947 when a cylinder burst. The cost of repairs could not be justified and the engine was stored at Seahouses until sent to Glasgow for scrapping in October 1949.

Bamburgh at Seahouses (Unknown).

The Lady Armstrong

Built by Armstrong Whitworth & Co, Newcastle in 1933 and aquired by the NSR in 1934. An 0-4-0 diesel electric with 3ft 0in diameter wheels on a wheelbase of 5ft 6in, an 85bhp Saurer engine. Painted black with red buffer beams. In 1946 after major engine damage, the cost of repairs could not be justified and eventually scrapped in October 1949.

Lady Armstrong waiting in the bay platform at Chathill in 1936 (H N James).

Hired Locomotives

• NER Class H2 (LNER J79), 0-6-0T numbers 407 and 1787.
• LNER Class J71, 0-6-0 number 1690. This engine proved unsuitable due to it's long wheelbase.
• LNER Class Y7, 0-4-0T numbers 982 and 986 (BR 68089).
• L & Y Pug (LMS Number 11217).

Class Y7 No 68089 ready to leave Seahouses with a train for Chathill in 1950s (Unknown).

Rolling Stock

Passenger

• Five 4-wheel coaches bought from the Highland Railway in 1898. It is thought these were HR class G ribbed sided coaches and they were delivered painted in HR livery but bearing the initials NSR. Before entering service the vacuum brakes were removed and replaced with Westinghouse air-brakes. Of these 5 coaches only 3 were in regular use the other 2 being spares. About 1911 3 of the coaches were sold while the 2 remaining were converted to open wagons to carry quarry stone.
• Ex NER coach, no 1980, to diagram 58 bought in 1911. This coach was painted brown with yellow lettering and used as 1st, 2nd and 3rd class composite. Withdrawn from service in 1937, the body was sold and the underframe scrapped.
• Ex NER 4-wheel "bircage" brake 3rd to diagram X and painted as above. In 1934 underframe was scrapped and body used as a hut at North Sunderland.
• Ex NER saloon coach to diagram 61 bought in 1924. In 1934 the brake fittings from the scrapped "birdcage" were fitted. In 1943 the brakes were upgraded and the coach repainted and lettered NSR No 3. Continued in service until line closed.
• Ex GER bogie brake composite, LNER no 42871 was used until the saloon's brake system was upgraded.
• Three ex GER 6-wheel, Nos 60883 (NSR No 1) and 60916 (NSR No 2) compartment 3rds and No 62305 a brake 3rd. Problems with No 62305 led to it's scrapping in 1939, the body being used as a greenhouse at North Sunderland.

Goods

• Apart from the 2 modified coaches used for internal stone movement all goods vehicles were hired from NER�/� LNER�/�BR.