Chauldrons: The original type of wagon used by ecvery North East Colliery railway, these primitive wagons carried 4 tons of coal and little in the way of brakes, the Bowes railway replaced there fleet in 1910, whilst some survived in use until the 1960’s at Seaham Harbour.
Darlington Iron Frames: one of 100 iron framed wagons built in 1887 by the Darlington Wagon & Engineering Co Ltd, to replace the railways fleet of Chauldron wagons. Restored to the 1914 grey livery, used by the railway when it was named the Pontop & Jarrow Railway. Preserved examples: 122
Jubilees: A second batch of 100 wagons built by the Darlington Wagon & Engineering Co Ltd in 1897. These are a foot longer and have wooden frames. Surviving examples : 197, 202, 210
Ordinaries: The Bowes railway company built around 800 of these wagons with most being completed before the first world war. They have oak frames and are 19ft 6 inches long. These 10 ton wagons have four doors and ‘Batter’ plates, which when hit with hammers they dislodged wet coal without damaging the wagon. Surviving examples: 80, 289, 308, 364, 511, 525, 572, 573, 605, 701, 717, 775, 782, 788, 842, 939, 971
Stripeys: These are ex North Eastern Railway waggons, bought second hand, they get the name from the white stripe they as part of the NER livery. The railway bought a number of them between the wars, many have the remains of the end brakes originally fitted. Two examples Numbers 1107 and 1111 arrived from the Pelaw Main railway once the two were merged in 1959, most Pelaw Main wagons were scrapped due to the poor condition in which they arrived. Surviving examples: 1104, 1107, 1111, 1160, 1212, 1220, 1255, 1289
Watts hardies: Part of a batch of 50 wagons built by Watts Hardy Co ltd of North Shields in the 1930’s, the design is the same as the railways ordinary fleet. Surviving examples: 1611, 1615
Steel frame: Number 406 was originally a tar carrying tank waggon at Monkton Coke works, but was converted into a coal hopper at Springwell in 1963. Surviving examples: 406
Bogie Fleet: Part of a fleet of 50 wagons built to carry materials around the railway such as stone and track materials. B24 had the honour of carrying the Queen Mother on the opening of the preservation scheme. Surviving Examples: B3, B24, B33, B39, B49, B52
Drift Bogie: This wagon is unique, used for shunting Kibblesworth Colliery, with the electric hauler shunting the sidings via a rope. The drift bogie was filled with scrap so it ran down the sidings, whilst a shelter was provided for the shunter.
Reel Wagon: Again a unique wagon, this was used for changing the ropes on the inclines. This was converted form a 1887 iron framed hopper. These wagons were hauled up the incline using the old rope, paying out the new one be- hind. On arrival at the top of the incline, the old rope was cut up for scrap.
Loco Coal Bogie: Number 1424 is the only survivor of the 14 ten ton hoppers designed to carry coal to the locomotive sheds on the railway.
Tank: Number 1183 is a gas oil tank converted from a 1953 steel hopper at the Seaham Wagon Works in 1981 for use on the Hawthorn Railway.
Platelayers Wagon: G4 a two plank platelayers waggon nick named the Nanny Wagon from the Harton Railway.
Ballast Hopper: 25 ton Trout ballast hopper, built for British Rail. Became Hawthorn colliery number 13.
PWD: A permanent way van constructed on site in the 1990’s on a restored chassis.
Steel Hoppers: Numbers 944, 6005, D056, 6067, 6196, 6972, 6977, these steel hoppers show a range of designs used on the Bowes Railway from 1959 as well as other modern steel hoppers from across the North East Collieries.
Brake Van A18: Built in 1933 at the Lambton railways Philadelphia works, then to the Harton railway.
Brake Van 2: Ex LMS van of 1924, sold to the Barrington Light Railway then to preservation.
Brake Van 3: EX LMS van of 1934, bought from British Steel at Scunthorpe where it was used as a mobile canteen.