The LNER Encyclopedia

A one for 52D as he likes pics that require a bit "detective" work.

Why would a mail packet be berthed at Dunston staithes which only handled coal and coke ? it looks like Dunston but is it ?
The pic states it is a Norwegian ship.
You can just see one of the many J52s that worked the staithes and exchange sidings.
This paper clipping may have something to do with it.

Should that read J72 instead of J52?

redtoon1892 wrote:A one for 52D as he likes pics that require a bit "detective" work.

Why would a mail packet be berthed at Dunston staithes which only handled coal and coke ? it looks like Dunston but is it ?
The pic states it is a Norwegian ship.
You can just see one of the many J52s that worked the staithes and exchange sidings.
This paper clipping may have something to do with it.

it could be further down river say northumberland dock area north shields [which is often termed newcastle for shipping purposes],as there seems to be a large expanse of water behind the rear staith as i did not think there was two staithes at dunston

I thought maybe Blyth but there looks like high ground in the background. Also believe it or not another interest i have is wartime shipping. I have just looked for Sterling and America on a Norwegian WW2 ship site and found nothing so far. I wonder if the period is first world war. http://www.warsailors.com/materials/sitemap.html

Fred Olsen Lines a name quite familiar on Tyneside had 2 vessels named Sterling both were involved with the Oslo - Newcastle run. Both vessels were withdrawn before the second world war. So it is starting to come together.

My mistake J72 a senior moment.
This is Dunston today, bear in mind a lot has changed and the footbridge across to the staithe was not there in its working days as the smaller colliers came into the basin, I personally dont think the pic is Dunston but I cant picture any other staithe on the Tyne which had such a large drop jetty, most ships came alongside the drops as at Harton & Pelaw.

Why would a mail packet be berthed at Dunston staithes which only handled coal and coke ?

Don't know anything about Dunston, but could the vessel be coaling?

Looks old enough to be WW1.

third-rail wrote:

redtoon1892 wrote:A one for 52D as he likes pics that require a bit "detective" work.

Why would a mail packet be berthed at Dunston staithes which only handled coal and coke ? it looks like Dunston but is it ?
The pic states it is a Norwegian ship.
You can just see one of the many J52s that worked the staithes and exchange sidings.
This paper clipping may have something to do with it.

it could be further down river say northumberland dock area north shields [which is often termed newcastle for shipping purposes],as there seems to be a large expanse of water behind the rear staith as i did not think there was two staithes at dunston

There weren't two staithes at Dunston, and the construction of the staithe in the picture does not match any of the old pictures I have of Dunston. However, may I suggest that this photo was taken at Jarrow Slake. There were four staithes here, the last of which was comissioned in July of 1891 (No. 1, the most easterly). The No. 4 staithe on the west side was originally used to unload ship's ballast according to the information I have.

Malcolm

Third rail i tend to favour your idea of location having just looked on the old maps website and realised how many staiths were in Northumberland dock circa 1865.
Solario i like your idea of coaling as some men are engaged in a repair over the side which may indicate the ship is laid up for coaling and there is time to slap on some paint.
The ship is the second Sterling used by the Fred Olsen Line and would possibly be going to Tyne commision quay after coaling. The Date is 1914/18 and if i can find what date the America was sunk we should be able to narrow it down even more.
If you look above the bow of the ship there are two wagons on the adjacent staith i think one is marked NER but due to the quality of the pic i cant be sure.

Well the plot thickens I have the date of sinking of the Norwegian SS America 3706GRT as the 2nd of May 1915. Sunk in the North sea by a torpedo from U41 Capt Claus Hansen.So we can assume that the picture was taken round about 5/6th may 1915.
I dont know the location so over to others.

There were 2 Dunston Staithes ,West Dunston staithes opened circa 1910 closed in the 30s were located close to where the Metro Centre is now The staithes were used in the 50s to moor ships awaiting breakup at Clayton Davies in Dunston The disused shore infrastructure was still there As a lad I used to explore the area there was a massive swamp & the railway between Dunston & Blaydon ran on an embankment which had a path running alongside .We used to climb over the embankment & explore the disused tunnels etc. Unfortuneatly the Area has now been filled in up to the level of the embankments and no traces remain This could be the Staithes mentioned in the cutting

That is Dunston. I think earier posters have overlooked the fact that the staithes were in a horse-shoe shape. The outer staithe served colliers on bothsides. The vessel in the foregroround is outside of the outer staithe (i.e. on the Tyne). The staithe in the background is the inner staithe of the basin. Long gone and now all greenery in the arial shot.
I offer this rather distant shot taken about 1960 (could be a little earier). The inner basin can be seen on the extreme left. The remains in the foreground are those at Redheugh. The shot was taken from the old Redheugh Bridge, a truss bridge now replaced by a modern(?) concrete structure but that's another story.

There are exvellent shots of the staithes in the various local history series of old photograhs of the area but I cannot publish those here.
If anyone needs references to theseI can prbably find mine! ArthurK