Durham Station Bankers

[Beamish]

I travelled from Durham to York just after New Year 1959. ( 6th Jan) The train was heavily loaded and I think may have had extra stock added. It was the 10.02. I'm sure a banker would have been used but can anyone say what the bankers were at that point. I've done some research and know that there were two A8s for such work but they may have been replaced by V3 by early '59. Any ideas? Also, were these locos shedded at Durham or supplied from afar, ie Sunderland or Gateshead?

[52A]

Durham banker was certainly a Gateshead job with a V3 in the early 60s before it was abolished.

[52H]

Hi all
I remember working the Durham banker ,after Durham shed closed. We used V 3 from Gateshead.We worked a parcels to Durham,then worked as banker, I remember we used to occasionally take a wagon of bricks to the site of Frankland prison,that was being built,if my memory is right we worked a parcels back to Newcastle. I hope this helps.


52H

[Beamish]

All information gratefully received! When did Durham sub-shed close? They had two dedicated A8s there until the shed closed then they were moved to Sunderland to join others on the scrap line. But I'm just trying to clear up whether or not, in Jan 1959 the A8s had been replaced by V3s or not. I've seen pics of 67690 at Durham but I'm guessing that Gateshead would send along any V3 that was available?

[52A]

Durham closed December 8th 1958, I only ever saw V3s from 62, 52H may be able to help earlier than this.

[drmditch]

This may be to early for you.

LNER 150 - Whitehouse and StJohn Thomas has a picture on Page 9 of Durham Viaduct with a southbound train hauled by a C7 Atlantic No 717 and banked by G5 No 1751. The picture is dated May 1936.

Yeadon Vol 38 shows 1751 as shedded at Sunderland from 12/4/27 until withdrawal in 1954. Was Durham a sub-shed of Sunderland?

[52A]

Yes it was a sub shed of Sunderland.

[Beamish]

The day before it closed, at the end of 1958 Durham sub-shed's two A8s 69873 and 69883 are recorded as transferred to Sunderland. Could it be that for a few years, say 1959-61, Sunderland continued to provide the motive power for the Durham banker? It wouldn't have been a G5 that late on, so what?

[STAFFORDA4]

Tuesday 23rd June 1959
lunchtime at home from school in Middlesbrough. Elder brother John just in from morning shift asks would I like to go to the "Mainline" that afternoon? Yes please. So off we go by bus to Durham. It takes ages. At the station we go on the up platform and in the bay is a V3 (67688) as a banker, her crew are enjoying the sun on a platform seat. (opposite in the down bay is 67689) both locos are 52A stock. John gets chatting to the driver and fireman. He fancies a pint so off he goes with the fireman and leaves me for a while sat with the driver "talking engines". Of course I'm in my seventh heaven clocking A4s A1s A2s A3s etc. Soon John & the fireman return refreshed and for being a good lad I'm asked if I'd like a ride in '7688's cab.....wow! of course yes. So on instructions to keep my head down in the station area I'm in the cab like a shot as we push up behind an up express hauled by V2 60802. glancing out of the cab at a down express that had stopped opposite I was admired by a couple of smart ladies. I felt so grown up. Then off we go. The noise. The movement. The excitement. All too soon we are on the viaduct and very shortly the express is away very nicely behind the V2 up to Relly Mill leaving us to drift back to the peace of the up bay once again. Its now past my tea time and we should be getting home. So back on the United bus to "The Boro" and a good telling off for John from our Dad. He should know better apparently.... I had to tell my teacher (the gorgeous Miss Fowler) next day where I had really been.....she didn't think an afternoon at Durham was much of an education for a seven year old. How wrong adults can be!
POSTCRIPT the next time I was on '7688's footplate was in North Road scrapyard Darlington just 4 short years later

[drmditch]

Don't have a track diagram for Durham North Road at hand. How far up the bank to Relly Mill did the bankers go?
Did they run back 'wrong line'?

[strang steel]

What a wonderful story StaffordA4. I wish those opportunities had been open to me in those days, but unfortunately my father was a teacher and so he would have been the first to know if I decided to miss an afternoon.

[STAFFORDA4]

sorry drmditch I cant recall how far "south" we actually travelled nor on which line we returned. Eric

[PinzaC55]

Don't have a track diagram for Durham North Road at hand. How far up the bank to Relly Mill did the bankers go?
Did they run back 'wrong line'?

Durham North signalbox diagram. The Banker siding is just to the right of the box.

http://www.signalbox.org/diagrams.php?id=830

[52H]

Hi all
My recollections were we pushed to about halfway over the viaduct ,and went back facing road via ground signal into the bank siding.
52H

[drmditch]

Durham North signalbox diagram. The Banker siding is just to the right of the box.

http://www.signalbox.org/diagrams.php?id=830

Many Thanks.