Meccano Weekend

In connection with the "Tall Ships" visiting the Port of Sunderland in July, our two ex Sunderland Docks type 165DE locomotives No 21"Pinky" RH 395294 of 1956 and No 22 "Perky" RH  416210 of 1957 will be on display at Springwell. Visit the cab of "Perky" and see the restoration progress of "Pinky" in the engine shed. The Port of Sunderland Authority had an extensive rail system around the Hudson and Hendon Docks and these two locos were the last to operate around the complex. There is an opportunity for the children to make a model locomotive, there will be guided tours, and refreshments available.

Friday 29th June until Sunday 1st July 2018. (10-4 each day).

In association with Springwell Village residents the weekend will have a 1940's war time "feel".
Refreshments from the period, re-enactment of war time hostilities with a railway theme & much more...

Guided tours, see the historic wagon collection, resident standard gauge locos and underground railway equipment, workshops etc and refreshments available.

Bowes Railway has nominated Blackham's Hill hauler house as one of the 100 objects featured in the Summer 2018 "Great Exhibition of the North".

The first wagon haulage engine was installed at Blackham's Hill in 1826 with the driving drums situated over the railway tracks. The steam engine was replace by a beam engine with greater power and reliability. In 1915 a new brick built hauler house was constructed and a Barclay (Kilmarnock) steam engine installed. This was in turn replaced by 500hp electric haulage engine in 1950, built by Metropolitan-Vickers (Manchester). The building and electric winder is part of the preserved section of the Bowes Railway with its listed status.

Spring weekday opening... every Thursday, Friday and Saturday (10-3pm).