Historical Railway Equipment Preserved During Line Upgrade

Historical railway equipment has been rescued from being discarded by three groups of enthusiasts. These items were salvaged from the Northumberland Line, which is undergoing modernization to reinstate services between Ashington and Newcastle, a connection that has been absent for 60 years. The shift away from lineside signal boxes for controlling signalling meant that much of the existing apparatus was slated for disposal until community organizations claimed them. Fiona Blyth, representing Network Rail, noted that there is “always a clamour to get pieces of railway heritage,” but acknowledged the difficulties in donating certain items. She elaborated, “For practical and operational reasons we can’t keep or donate every piece of equipment that comes out of now-redundant signal boxes.” Blyth added, “We’re always thrilled when we can pass items over to groups who will lovingly preserve them.” Two diagrams from the Marcheys House and North Seaton signal boxes were given to the Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway and the Northumberland Line Heritage Community Group. Additionally, Choppington Parish Council received a sign from the Marcheys House signal box. Richard Wearmouth, deputy leader of Northumberland County Council, which collaborated with the groups to secure these items, stated: “While the Northumberland Line is very much looking to the future, it’s important to remember the proud history and heritage of the railway both in our county and the wider North East.” Once the line reopens, signalling operations will be managed from a central facility in Newcastle. For further updates, BBC North East can be followed on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. This content is copyrighted by BBC 2024. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Details on our external linking policy are available.