My name is Paul Jarman and I am the Assistant Director at Beamish responsible for the transport and industry matters.
Today we reached a milestone in a project that may be of interest to members - we have begun testing of a replica of a steam locomotive which worked at Cornish Hush Mine near Frosterley, with the first fire in it being lit after three years construction.
You can see photos of it here: www.beamishtransportonline.co.uk

In connection with this, I am writing a book on the subject and I am very keen to track down any photographs of the SAMUK operation at Cornish Hush in the 1970s with a view to including this within the book to give as complete a story as is possible.
Do any members of this site have anything, or know of anything, that might be suitable?
It is an ambition to take our locomotive, Samson, to Cornish Hush, to pose it where the sole photograph of the mine was taken in the 1870s...
Thank you in advance!
Paul

There seem to be a number taken by "Roadsterman" when he worked there.

[photo]16749[/photo]
[photo]16745[/photo]

Your best bet would probably be to send him a private message.

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/Profile/?uid=181 

That's great - thank you. I'll follow up your suggestion.

Kind regards
Paul

Absolutely magnificent loco - what a fantastic achievement.

I have some cracking ones from the 70's but will need check with their owner first if would mind them being used

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What a belter of an engine, can't wait see some video of it running.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

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That would be terrific if that could be arranged! I should add there is no profit motivation for the book, it all goes into the charity here and is really to put on record an interesting tale and the story of a fascinating steam engine build (the engine is sat in steam outside my office as I type this!).
Best wishes

Paul

It is great to see that in the straightened financial climate that the museum sector finds itself in that a project like this which has obvious intrinsic worth but limited commercial potential can still happen. :thumbsup:

Hi Paul, cracking project, respect :thumbup:

its a while since I was at Cornish Hush, but to my recollection there was nothing there at all, virtually no sign of any mining activity and damn difficult to reach, even on foot.

May be worth asking if anyone is going up that way to scope out the access and take a photo from the same vantage point as the 19thC photo. You may be better-off just photoshopping the loco into the shot rather than dragging it up the fell!!

Happy to drag sulking family up there ;D

Mark

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Hi Paul, cracking project, respect :thumbup:

its a while since I was at Cornish Hush, but to my recollection there was nothing there at all, virtually no sign of any mining activity and damn difficult to reach, even on foot.

May be worth asking if anyone is going up that way to scope out the access and take a photo from the same vantage point as the 19thC photo. You may be better-off just photoshopping the loco into the shot rather than dragging it up the fell!!

Happy to drag sulking family up there ;D

Mark

Photoshopping forsooth! - dragging the loco up onto a desolate fell sounds like a fine thing to do.

If you are going to the trouble of lugging the loco up there it would be great if you could lay your hands on a decent stack of jubilee panels and give the loco a run on whatever remains of the trackbed. If a job is worth doing its worth doing to excess!

Here's the picture for a reenactment from the Beamish site

http://beamishtransportonline.co.uk/2012/07/on-the-trail-of-samson-the-tramway-from-whitfield-brow-to-cornish-hush-mine/ 

Discovered it first on a Dutch narrow gauge railway website, as well

http://auto-en-vervoer.infonu.nl/transport/96492-veldspoor-locomotieven-van-toen-en-nu-op-het-kleine-spoor.html 

For the steam buffs, here's more about Stephen Lewin locomotives:

http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/28/Letters_28.htm 

This is not the only replica small steam locomotive. There are two working at Laxey Mines in the Isle of Man.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Laxey_Mine_Railway 

I love these little engines, this one was built 1887 by Beyer Peacock and used at the then Lancashire & Yorkshire railway locomotive works at Horwich - now preserved at York.
The rails were still in place when I was an apprentice there 1969/73 when the works was in the hands of British Railways Engineering Ltd.
Google Wren Locomotive for more pictures

🔗103891[linkphoto]103891[/linkphoto][/link]

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I love these little engines, this one was built and ran at the then Lancashire & Yorkshire railway locomotive works at Horwich.
The rails were still in place when I was an apprentice there in 1969/73 when the works was in the hands of British Railways Engineering Ltd.

🔗103891[linkphoto]103891[/linkphoto][/link]

Crewe works had a very similar 18" gauge system.

There's some confusion here. I was under the impression that Wren was built at Horwich and then read that it was a Beyer Peacock engine. NRM says it was a Horwich built engine. :blink:

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Oh how I agree with Mr. Mole!

Paul I have added three more images from 1971.
Can provide TIFF files if required.

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Hi Pete.
That's terrific, thank you! Would it be ok to use these in the book with due credit etc? If so, Tiffs or Jpegs would be great (this site places a watermark on the images for obvious reasons). You can get hold of me directly at [email protected].
Best wishes

Paul

just chucked a couple in as well

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