It’s my final day up North and this last trip is something quite different. It’s a photography special on the Weardale Railway. The train travels the length of the line but stops off at 6 different points on the day that you normally wouldn’t be able to get access to. At these stops you can stay on the train if you wish but like many of us did, we got off, walked the line a bit and took some photos. As railways seek new revenue streams and ways of diversifying, this was such an original idea and highly enjoyable. Only 4 of these services run in the year and pre-booking is essential.
Our motive power today is a Class 122 and we start our Journey at Stanhope and travel non-stop up the line to just shy of Bishop Auckland. The stop is not a station, but instead on the middle of the bridge which crosses the River Wear.
As long as you are wearing Hi-Vis and stay in sight of the staff on the day, there is no limit to where you can go when you get off the train. It’s very tricky to get into a position where there are no other people in your shots but this wasn’t a big issue. Once we have all finished walking the viaduct, the train is signalled to come and join us.
The next stop is directly outside the engine shed which most people fly past if they are on the regular train services. Getting off here allows you to get a good look at the state of the shed and yard. Speaking with the volunteers, they are hoping to get a grant to do the shed up as the roof has partially collapsed which makes the structure unsafe.
We are allowed to walk the line from the engine shed down to the next bridge which isn’t far away. As you’ll see, it’s a smattering of Hi-Vis and everyone is in different positions to get the shots they want. What was fascinating about this group of people is the diverse array of things people wanted to photograph. Some wanted to photo the trains, some the bridges, some the rivers, some the rocks and river banks. You don’t have to be a train lover to enjoy this day out…but it helps.
The next stop is what the railway refer to as their golden location. It’s the main place where PR photos are taken of the trains for their websites and social media. The train passes past Wolsingham station and stops on Broadwood railway crossing to allow us to alight. There is a foot bridge nearby where they recommend we go to get the best shots and I can’t disagree with why.
The final stop is Frosterly Station. Frosterly was significant in it’s heyday as it was the original terminus of the railway with a branch line into the nearby limestone quarry complex. One of these quarries had a particularly hard limestone which was rich in fossils and was called Frosterly Marble. It was highly prized for its decorative value and can be found in Durham Cathedral, Auckland Palace and the local church font. The quarries have long since gone and there is nothing else here at Frosterly but its history lives on.
That concludes not only this trip but also my trip up to the North. I’ve been to places I’ve longed to go for a while and so happy I’ve had the chance to do so. I’m looking forward to coming back to some of these in the future to see how they develop and grow.