Having set off early from home the drive up was fine, except that I’d just pulled out of the drive when the first orange lights appeared on the dash! They were nothing important, just one of the cameras was misted up so the lane departure and crash avoidance systems were inoperative, but they’d not long gone out when the tyre pressure warning came on - this seems to be an annual event when it gets colder. I did pull in and check the readings (you can’t do so while you’re moving) and one tyre is a couple of PSI down, nothing to worry about but I’ll have to put some air in when I get the chance.
The main hall at the museum hasn’t changed much, a few changed displays but that’s all. They are working on a model layout of Durham which could be spectacular however it hasn’t got beyond the baseboard stage yet so nothing to see there.
It’ll be nice when it’s finished!
The new hall is very much given over to industrial locos and Shildon built freight stock - I don’t think there’s anywhere else that you could see the development of coal wagons from an early Stockton & Darlington 5 ton chaldron right through to the last 110 ton hoppers (I found it interesting anyway 😊). I took plenty of photos for future modelling reference rather than showing as it’s all a bit tight to get a decent pic.
Modelling one of these would be tricky but possible. I’d use a motorised wagon behind it probably as there’s nowhere to put even a tiny motor.
There is a secondary site of S&D related buildings about 1/3 mile walk alongside the active railway line so, as I didn’t go up there last time I visited, I decided to walk up before lunch. Sadly, at the moment, there’s not much happening and none of the buildings are open to the public but I had visited them on my first trip to Shildon so I wasn’t too worried. On the walk you go past the still active manual signal box, although it’s scheduled to close in 2027 (the building itself is listed so will probably remain). On my first visit they were still using a manual token system to control the single line running, literally someone had to come down from the box and hand over or collect the token from the driver. That doesn’t seem to happen now so they’ve clearly gone over to electronics.
After lunch and a browse round the shop it was about time to travel to the hotel in Seaburn (Sunderland), very near where I was born. I took a slightly scenic route as I was going to be a bit early to check in, although in the end it didn’t really matter. The hotel is literally on the sea front although being a cheapskate my room is at the back.
View from the hotel terrace!
It’s not the quieter place I’ve ever stopped, particularly on a Saturday, but I’ve got some photography plans that mean being close to the sea front will be very useful. One good thing they do here is that if you don’t want your room cleaned the next day they give you a free drink which I think is an excellent idea. 😊
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