BEYOND PHILADELPHIA

 Leaving Chester-le-Street behind, we fly past Lumley Castle.

At the nearby Lambton Lion Park, we find no lions, but this ex Southdown Leyland was used within the park's confines.

This old Jowett van was photographed on the A183 as it passed through Bournmoor.

Station Avenue, Fenchouses.

Fencehouses signal box, on the Leamside line, survived in use in 1990.

On the Broadway, at Houghton-le-Spring, one could once find Sunderland District trams.

In 1978, United served Houghton-le-Spring bus station, with this ex East Midland Leyland Leopard.

Northern General also ran into Houghton-le-Spring.

Houghton-le-Spring is now home to Maxim Brewery.

The area around Philadelphia, to the north of Houghton-le-Spring, was once riddled with industrial railways. This battery-electric loco was used for shunting at the Philadelphia Power Station (closed 1936).

The Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries ran the rail systems, including that to Dorothea Colliery.

The LHJC later passed to the National Coal Board, who kept a large loco facility at Philadelphia.

Some lovely old signals controlled movements here.

In later years the NCB employed ex BR shunters on the old LHJC system.

The main depot of Sunderland District was at Philadelphia (Photo in my collection, photographer unknown).

By the 1970s, the Sunderland District name was vanishing, to be replaced by "Northern".

Northern General 5076 photographed outside Philadelphia depot.

Not far away, Herrington Burn.

The Leamside line of the NER crossed the Wear Valley near Penshaw. This view was from a southbound diverted ECML express.

From anywhere around here, there are views of Penshaw Monument.

Soon we come to South Hylton station, built by the NER.

Today, South Hylton is a terminus of the Tyne & Wear Metro.

South Hylton was onced served by WH Jolly, who had a depot in the village.

There was once a ferry from South Hylton, over the Wear, to North Hylton.

Today, there's a new bridge (Paul Scott - Creative Commons License).

We end today's travels at the Shipwrights Arms, North Hylton. Sadly, no real ale.

The next post will find us in Sunderland. Follow our route here.

BEYOND THE LAMBTON WORM

The area around the Team Valley was once riddled with waggonways, built to get coal down to the Tyne or the main line railways. One such was the Ouston Waggonway, passing through Birtley.

Accidents on these inclines were not unknown. This one was at the foot of the Blackhouse  incline on the Pelaw Main Railway near Birtley.

Birtley had a station on the ECML. A "Peak" passes the site in 1965 (Ben Brooksbank).

Durham Road, Birtley, in 1912.

A motor bus passes along Durham Road circa 1917.

The War Memorial Garden in Birtley (Creative Commons License).

The first pint of the post, in the Moulders Arms, Birtley.

The area to the south takes its name from the pub, the Barley Mow. It is closed at the time of writing.

The Go Ahead Group operates most of the buses in the Barley Mow area.

On the Tyne & Wear/County Durham border was the Wheatsheaf. It's still open, but is mainly an Italian restaurant.

A Go Ahead 'decker passes by.

Further down the road, the Lambton Worm. Back in 2013, it was owned by Sonnet 43 Brewery.

This is Pelton Fell near Chester-le-Street around 1913.

Onwards then, to Chester-le-Street and here are two views of Front Street circa 1930.

The town is dominated by the railway viaduct, built by the NER and carrying the ECML.

Chester-le-Street station is still open. Here it is in NER times.

Northern General's Chester-le-Street depot housed the unique "Tynesider" and more conventional vehicles.

Northern's Routemasters once plied the main road (Les Flint).

The Go Ahead Group operate more modern buses these days.

United also served the town in 1995.

Shaws was a short-lived offshoot of the Go Ahead Group.

General was the local independent.

Other operators once included Gardiners and Classic Buses.

We'll finish off this post with a few beers. First, there's the Wetherspoons, the Wicket Gate.

The Cricket Club's bar has a selection of real ales.

We conclude in the excellent Butchers Arms, seen as a Cameron's house, but now in the hands of Marstons.

We travel back into Tyne & Wear in the next post.