Stage 1

Lowering a Full Load on the East Incline

The sequence starts with 12 wagons standing in the dish alongside the hauler building.

The Pelaw Main Junction signalman ensures that the track is free of obstructions and that the junction pointwork is correctly set to allow the rope train to descend to Springwell.

The Springwell Crossing keeper ensures that the vertical rope guide rollers on either side of the road crossing are raised and locked into position.

The Springwell signalman ensures that the passenger train is clear of the section of track used by the rope train. The single-line token staff is then locked into the lever frame in the Springwell signal cabin and possession of the line is given to rope haulage.

The bankhead crew at Blackhams Hill then release a token key and split coupling pin from the Blackhams signal lever frame. The pin is used to hold a slip coupling closed, this coupling (the "D" link) being the one securing the haulage chain and rope to the rear of the set of 12 wagons. Until the token key and pin are re-locked in the Blackhams ground frame, and possession of the line returned to Springwell, the Springwell signalman cannot operate any points or signals which would allow another train onto the section of track used by the rope train.

The East incline "D" link, or slip coupling, is shown at the bottom of the picture below. The haulage chain is above it. The haulage chain is secured to a socket which is, in turn, white-metalled onto the end of the haulage rope. The brake stick at the top of the picture is shown to give an idea of the scale of the chain and link.

The "D" link slip coupling is shown above in the open position. The large loop on the right of the link is hung onto the drawbar hook of a wagon. The 'nose' of the link (on the left) goes through the first loop on the haulage chain and the 'tongue' (middle right) is slid along and over the nose. The tip of the nose has a slot into which a retaining pin is inserted. A slip coupling is shown in use in the picture below. This is actually the West incline slip coupling, which has a slightly different working arrangement to the East incline coupling. Note that the retaining pin is missing - it has already been pulled out by the bankhead shunter and the coupling is ready to open and release the haulage chain. Pulling the pin, releasing the coupling and dropping the chain and rope from the set is done while the set is still moving at a fast walking pace.

Once the haulage chain is attached to the set, the East bankhead chocks are opened and wagon brakes released to allow the rope set to start descending the incline towards Springwell. The set pulls the rope out as it goes. The hauler brakeman controls the speed of the set by applying the brakes on the hauler winding drum. Speed is indicated on the meter next to the brake platform and is maintained at about 12 feet per second. Progress down the incline is shown by the descending pointer on the distance indicator - the white marks on the post in the picture below.

© Bowes Railway archive
View of East rope drum from the Brakeman's platform.
Distance Indicator on left (white marks on post)

In the view above, the bankhead shunter has opened the chocks, the set has run over them and he is now closing the chocks behind the set, in readiness for the arrival of the next set from Black Fell.

Haulage Sequence Index

Stage 2

This page last updated 25th March 2006