Trying to find photos

[henryevans]

Hello.

I'm trying to find photos, or a photo, or any information of the loading dock at Trafalgar Yard Newcastle upon Tyne, specifically at the Red Barns Tunnel end. My grandfather was born in a house that backed on to it, 73 Stepney Lane.

I think it must've been a railway house as my great grandfather was a BT policeman. My grandfather was the only one of four brothers that did not join the railway, saying that he 'didn't want to get stuck on them things'.

He drove for Holts Removals, then a bus driver at Byker Depot, then a printer for his father in law, Charles Holmes who had a shop on Byker Bridge End. That shop still exists but is now a barbers. His other brothers were Fred who worked on the S&T, Billy who was a driver at Heaton and Cecil who was also a driver at Heaton but transferred to West Hartlepool.

Cecil was the last to die in 1974. Billy died at Newcastle Central in 1950 after bringing a Tyneside electric unit to a stop in one of the East End bays, which is now the car park. 156483 was named 'William George 'Billy' Hardy in January after him.

Stepney Lane/Red Barns Tunnel area is very interesting to our family so any information would be greatly accepted thank you.

[PinzaC55]

The signalbox controlling the area was known as Argyle Street and there was an NER Cover Factory there which produced tarpaulin covers for wagons with perishable cargoes. A search on Flickr produced a couple of results. I took a couple of photos there in the early 80s.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=new ... e%20street

Another here https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p76403285 ... #h3a1e92cf

In the book "Rail Centres Newcastle" by Ken Hoole there's a 1930s photo at Trafalgar Yard with a long row of 3 storey terraced houses behind Argyle Street signalbox which may be the ones you are referring to.