THE ESTON BRANCH RAILWAY (clip from 'A Century in Stone')

'The Eston Branch Railway' was built by the Middlesbrough iron-making firm Bolckow & Vaughan to transport ironstone from their mines at Eston to their blast furnaces. The line branched off the M'bro-Redcar line at Eston Junction (close to the site of South Bank Coke Ovens) and terminated 2 miles South at the Mines Tip-Yard close to Eston High St. It formally opened on January 6th 1851 and was in operation until mining ceased in September 1949.
This clip is taken from 'A Century in Stone'. For more info and DVDs, check out new MINE OF INFO microsite: www.pancrack.t...

[@BastardSquad]

A Century in Stone is a brilliant watch for anybody interested in the local history of Teesside, and the birth of the greatest steel maker in the world for over 170 years.

[@pancrack]

thanks!

[@joshuagallantree6721]

I bought a War time German map of teesside and I noticed the rail way lines on the map in Eston.
This video has helped a lot in explaining why! Thanks

[@colajamgaming7084]

I need to watch this, I used to live at the foot of the Eston hills, next to the tunnel under the A174 (Bankfields). I've recently been looking at old maps of the area trying to picture that trainline, and this does it for me. I would love to go into the mines for a quick look around.

[@pancrack]

While there will be some tunnels no doubt - much will be collapsed and under water since '49 and the vast network of tunnels was systematically collapsed as per normal practice of 'bord and pillar' working.

[@dornierdo2172]

I was brought up in South Street at the bottom of Eston Hills I still live in Eston I'm nearly 55 now but as a kid the hills made a great playground. Part of my late mother's family have been in Eston since at least the time of James 1 they where the Snowdon family who ran the blacksmiths opposite the Stapleton pub until 1985.

[@pancrack]

Bill Snowdon was the last in the line and gradually retired c1990-92 before passing away in '95.

[@stomperthemixer1]

love this film, forget how many times ive watched it now Craig, a Master Piece it is, spent hour walking these route from the film connecting to the residual energies from yesteryear. and pit top is still that ghost town looking across Tesside (Not Yorksire Or Co Durham)

[@pancrack]

cheers Neil. You'll love the book of it when i get that done. Loads more detail and unpublished material