Miscellaneous documents
Reference: D/X 1547 Catalogue Title: Miscellaneous documents Area: Catalogue Category: Other Records Description: Collieries, railways, docks
Covering Dates: 1817-1986
Catalogue Index
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- Miscellaneous documents
- Collieries and Railways (Ref: D/X 1547)
- Northumbrian Sailing Coble (Ref: D/X 1547/1)
- Hetton Railway (Ref: D/X 1547/2-3)
- Philadelphia Workshops (Ref: D/X 1547/4-5)
- Railway plans (Ref: D/X 1547/6-9)
- Sunderland Harbour and Docks (Ref: D/X 1547/10-13)
- Murton/Eppleton Combined Mine (which is the same as Hawthorn Combined Mine Project) (Ref: D/X 1547/14-40)
- Battery locomotives (Ref: D/X 1547/41-42)
- Durham coalfield (Ref: D/X 1547/43)
- Marley Hill Colliery (Ref: D/X 1547/44-49)
- Mainsforth Colliery (Ref: D/X 1547/50)
- Ryhope Colliery (Ref: D/X 1547/51)
- Publications (Ref: D/X 1547/52)
Catalogue Contents
Faced with very old, worn out and obsolete equipment at Elemore and Eppleton Collieries near Hetton le Hole, with their old partially rope-workled railway to Sunderland, and similar problems at Murton Colliery, but with extensive reserves of good quality coal, the Durham Division of the National Coal Board decided, in 1952, to sink a large 22 foot diameter shaft at Hawthorn, one mile south of Murton.
This would have two locomotive horizons, with Murton and Elemore Collieries linked to the Upper Level and Murton and Eppleton Collieries linked to the Lower Level.
Over 24 miles of the system, traffic was to be locomotive-hauled, by battery locomotives at Eppleton and Murton, and by diesel locomotives at Elemore.
The system was fitted with colour light electric signalling.
Coal output was planned at 8000 tons per day.
A large new coal washery and coking plant were to be built at Hawthorn, allowing the closure of the old coke plants at Horden and Shotton.
The scheme was officially opened on 2 January 1960, though it had been operational since September 1959.