Beamish - horse waggonway

Although not currently operational the Beamish Museum have constructed a replica of the typical C18 wooden railled waggonway and horse gin (Colliery winding gear). Although waggonway development occured first in the midlands the first waggonway in the North East was an early one built in 1608. Development was extensive with the heyday of the horse operated, wooden railled waggonway occuring during the eighteenth century. Horse and steam waggonways overlapped but steam ultimately prevailed.

This compliments their operational Pockerley steam waggonway which covers the early nineteenth century period. The stone building in the background to some of the images in this set is the steam shed. Whether or not this was an intentional aim it does mean the currently dead state of the waggonway (As at my visit in Sep 2009) suggests abandonment due to the coming of the steam era!!

Corve and sled used to shift coal short distances and underground 750x526 corve_and_sled_P9014955.jpg 2009-09-01 14:42:48	Corve and sled (2) 750x563 corve_and_sled_P9014962.jpg 2009-09-01 14:46:35	Pony/pack horse trods pre-dated waggonways. This simulates a crossing of the two methods of trackway. 750x563 crossing_pony_trod_P9014937.jpg 2009-09-01 14:35:26	Pony crossing (2) 750x563 crossing_pony_trod_P9014947.jpg 2009-09-01 14:39:21
Pony crossing (3) 525x700 crossing_pony_trod_P9014948.jpg 2009-09-01 14:39:27	Pony crossing (4) 525x700 crossing_pony_trod_P9014949.jpg 2009-09-01 14:39:32	Horse gins were used to raise and lower men and materials down the pit shafts and to raise the coal in filled corves for onward transport. 750x467 horse_gin_P9014921.jpg 2009-09-01 14:20:00	Horse gin (2) 750x563 horse_gin_P9014951.jpg 2009-09-01 14:41:43
Horse gin (3) 2736x3648 horse_gin_P9014952.jpg 2009-09-01 14:42:08	Horse gin (4) 525x700 horse_gin_P9014953.jpg 2009-09-01 14:42:26	Horse gin (5) 750x563 horse_gin_P9014954.jpg 2009-09-01 14:42:00	Left hand divergence (point) the crossing/frog 542x700 Left_hand_divergence_crossing__frog__P9014966.jpg 2009-09-01 14:47:00