Newcastle and Carlisle Railway

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. As early as 1778 Smeaton had suggested that a canal could be built on the south side of the Tyne from Stella to Wylam. By 1794 it was proposed (by Ralph Dodd C.E.) to link the west and east coasts with such a canal. In 1824 the coast of building this canal was reported to be £888,000, whilst a railway along the same route would cost £252,488. The committee of inquiry, held in the Moot Hall at Newcastle, on 26th March 1825 voted in favour of a railway. The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway received Royal Assent on 22nd May 1829. Work began on the on the west end of the line in March 1830 and was in operation by November 1834. One of the original stipulations of the act was that no locomotive engines should be used on the line and that no steam engine should be erected or be in used within sight of or within the distance of 1000 yards of Stella Hall (SMR 1694). The line was intended to be worked entirely by horses. The line started from Newcastle Quay near the Tyne Bridge, followed the course of the river westwards, on "gears" to Low Elswick, then to Scotswood, where a bridge was erected (HER 1009). It then ran past Blaydon, Ryton, Prudhoe to Hexham and beyond. The Railway was intended to be open to the public on the payment of tolls (for example coal for home consumption 1.5d, coke 2d, lead 2d, corn,grain, flour or hay 2.5d). The line was opened to passenger traffic on 9th March 1835. A toll could be levyed on every passenger and animal using the line. The average speed was about 15 miles per hour and there were two trains in each direction every day. Had a station at Ryton (HER 3316), Blaydon (HER 3437), Scotswood (HER 4072), Elswick (HER 4314) before terminating at Newcastle Central Station (HER 4130).