Tiled maps of the NER

[PinzaC55]

It must have been a hell of a fire! By the time I first saw Tyne Dock station in 1975 there was nothing worth seeing, just a bus shelter.

[Postman Prat]

From what I remember there never was anything worth seeing!!!

[tomba]

On 30th October, 2008, I went to Morpeth station to see its tile map. It's awkwardly situated for photos, behind railings at the top of the subway steps.

Here's a starter:



The other 28 snaps, in two pages, are here:

http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo72 ... H-30OCT08/

Using zoom, I tried to capture as much detail as possible with my modest Canon Powershot A570IS.

To see the detail, click on a picture and scroll up-down / left-right.

Tom

PS - warning - the above link does not open in a new tab/window, so you may have to do many "backs" to return to the post...

[52D]

Morpeth was the first one i saw and that view has interested me so thats why i tried to get more info on them.

[PinzaC55]

I just had an interesting thought; my phone (Nokia N8) has a 12 megapixel camera so it takes excellent photo's close up. Take a photo of each tile, have them printed at Boots 30p per tile then put them on the wall?
"It's a crazy idea cap'n but it might just work!"

[60041]

I just had an interesting thought; my phone (Nokia N8) has a 12 megapixel camera so it takes excellent photo's close up. Take a photo of each tile, have them printed at Boots 30p per tile then put them on the wall?
"It's a crazy idea cap'n but it might just work!"

That is basically how I had my replica map made. The map at Tynemouth was photographed tile by tile and then printed out onto 4" tiles, thus making a half size replica.
Unfortunately I had to leave the bottom 2 rows and the left hand one in order to fit the space I had.

[redtoon1892]

The Tynemouth station one is still there.

[tomba]

That is basically how I had my replica map made. The map at Tynemouth was photographed tile by tile and then printed out onto 4" tiles, thus making a half size replica.
Unfortunately I had to leave the bottom 2 rows and the left hand one in order to fit the space I had.

Any chance you can make the map JPGs available for others to have a go?

Thanks, Tom

[PinzaC55]

I just had an interesting thought; my phone (Nokia N8) has a 12 megapixel camera so it takes excellent photo's close up. Take a photo of each tile, have them printed at Boots 30p per tile then put them on the wall?
"It's a crazy idea cap'n but it might just work!"

That is basically how I had my replica map made. The map at Tynemouth was photographed tile by tile and then printed out onto 4" tiles, thus making a half size replica.
Unfortunately I had to leave the bottom 2 rows and the left hand one in order to fit the space I had.

Cool. I was thinking more like photo's pasted onto a backboard hence less weight.

[60041]

That is basically how I had my replica map made. The map at Tynemouth was photographed tile by tile and then printed out onto 4" tiles, thus making a half size replica.
Unfortunately I had to leave the bottom 2 rows and the left hand one in order to fit the space I had.

Any chance you can make the map JPGs available for others to have a go?

Thanks, Tom

I did not take the pictures, the people who printed the tiles did.
I could photograph the map now that it is up if you want, but 49 photos at a reasonable resolution would be large files to upload onto this site. If you really want them I think the best way would be for me to either email them direct or burn them onto a disc.

[Strawberry_Lynn]

There was a tile map at Newcastle Central? NO WAY! If there was, it must have gone long, long ago. And I'll bet you that no one can point out exactly where it was.

[52D]

Page 3 of this thread lists the maps, locations and fate where known.

[Postman Prat]

Hi

A lot of my youth was mis-spent hanging around Newcastle Central (1959-64) and I don't recall having seen one there. I haven't been back many times since 1964 and memory after nearly 50 years..........?? Certainly I would not say that there wasn't one, only that I don't remember it.

[60041]

From the N E R A website:

"One of the features of several NER stations is the survival of a Tile Map showing stations served by the North Eastern Railway.

The polychrome tile map of the NER network dates from about 1903 when the company was at its peak. The map does not show the full network since a few mineral lines are omitted such as the line from Battersby junction to the ironstone mines at Rosedale East and West sides. It does show how, over much of its area, the NER was virtually a monopoly with competition from other companies confined to the periphery. It does however show some lines that were planned but not built. The map was manufactured by Craven, Dunnill &Co – a firm of encaustic and decorative tile manufacturers founded nearly 130 years ago. The company still exists and trades from its original premises now called Jackfield Tile Museum in Ironbridge, Shropshire.

In 1965, in correspondence with the then PRO and Stores Controller at York, it was said that tile maps were erected at the following stations: Hexham, Durham, Morpeth, South Shields, Tynemouth, Normanton, Leeds City South, Whitby, Scarborough, Beverley, Bridlington, Saltburn, Hull, Selby, York, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Goole. By that year, some, including Hexham, Durham, Leeds, Hull and Selby, had been withdrawn or broken up, and others had been covered up by restoration. At that time the correspondent was interested in buying one of the maps for preservation, though recognising that it would be costly to dismantle. Unfortunately, the Chief Civil Engineer advised that an examination of the map at Darlington revealed the tiles were an integral part of the wall and would be almost impossible to remove without damaging or breaking the tiles.

According to NER minutes of the period there were 23 NER Tile Maps in all, erected at the following stations: Hexham, Durham,. Morpeth, South Shields, Tynemouth, Normanton, Leeds City South, Whitby, Scarborough, Beverley, Bridlington, Saltburn, Hull, Selby, York, Darlington, Middlesbrough. Goole, Newcastle Central, Alnmouth, West Hartlepool, London Kings Cross and Tyne Dock. All the maps were on display by 1910 and NER minutes record the Kings Cross map was authorised in 1900.

In August 1987 Beverley, Morpeth, Middlesbrough, Saltburn, Scarborough, Tynemouth, West Hartlepool, Whitby and York were all in situ and on display. South Shields survived until at least early 1987, behind a wooden protective screen. The map at Bridlington was purchased by a private individual. The map at Tyne Dock was destroyed by fire in 1970, after the station had been reduced to "Pay Train" status. Three tiles from this map were saved, but the arsonists unfortunately damaged the others, prior permission for their removal having been obtained from BR."

Unfortunately it does not give the locations of the maps at the stations, but there must surely be someone on this forum who remembers where the Newcastle map was.

[Eden Blyth]

A gentleman who used to trainspot there in the 1950's told me that it was on Platform 10. It is also mentioned in a couple of issues of BLN in 1987, although no location is given. You are probably all already aware of this, though.
aware of this, though.