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Bishop Auckland And Weardale Railway
All photographs of this railway in date order.
![View west towards the old Bishop Auckland station from alongside Bishop Auckland East box in the 1970s. The Crook platform is under the trainshed on the left with the Durham platform turning off to the right.<br><br>[Ian Dinmore //]](/images/11000/11788.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![The new station at Bishop Auckland.<br><br>[Ian Dinmore //]](/images/11000/11913.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![NER 4.6.2T entering Bishop Auckland on Tow Law - Darlington train. 69872<br><br>[G H Robin collection by courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow 13/04/1951]](/images/9000/9314.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![K1 2-6-0 no 62005 stops to take on water at Bishop Auckland on 20 May 1967 on the way back from Westgate with the SLS <I>Three Dales Railtour</I> returning to Middlesbrough.<br>
<br><br>[Robin Barbour Collection (Courtesy Bruce McCartney) 20/05/1967]](/images/26000/26639.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Looking out from the trainshed on the south side of the triangle at Bishop Auckland station towards the east box around 1977. [See image 19360]<br><br>[Ian Dinmore //1977]](/images/11000/11737.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![The once important station and Junction at Bishop Auckland seen from the southeast in 1977. The photograph shows the lines to Durham curving off to platforms 2 & 3 on the right, with the covered platform 1, serving the Crook and Weardale lines, straight ahead beyond (and obscured by) the signal box. On the far side of the station the north to west platform 4 completed the triangle, although this was used mainly for the 3 Ps - parcels, pigeons and papers. By the time of this photograph the former hub in western County Durham had lost most of its services and become a candidate for <I>major rationalisation</I>. [See image 31091]<br><br>[Ian Dinmore //1977]](/images/19000/19360.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Inside Bishop Auckland East signal box in 1977.<br><br>[Ian Dinmore //1977]](/images/22000/22564.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![View east towards the train shed on the south side of Bishop Auckland station around 1977. The long demolished old station has since been replaced by a single platform terminus on the line from Darlington served by Northern rail with much of the former railway land now occupied by new roads and retail developments [see 19359].<br><br>[Ian Dinmore //1977]](/images/23000/23593.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![The east box at Bishop Auckland in 1977 [see image 11737].<br><br>[Ian Dinmore //1977]](/images/42000/42347.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Crook, site of the second station (the through station) looking south. Now a road and Surgery. This was one of the NER stations with multiple tracks but one platform used by trains in both directions.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 26/09/2006]](/images/11000/11199.jpg "Crook [2nd]")
![Beechburn looking south. The second station here was further south of the original.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 26/09/2006]](/images/11000/11338.jpg "Beechburn")
![Beechburn looking north.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 26/09/2006]](/images/11000/11339.jpg "Beechburn")
![Looking east at the site of Wear Valley Junction station. The curved track seen here is the line running westwards to Eastgate. The junction was to the right and the line to Crook ran beyond the track seen here on a straight alignment.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 26/09/2006]](/images/11000/11340.jpg "Wear Valley Junction")
![A shadow of its former self. Buffer stops at Bishop Auckland station on 4 November 2007. The tracks of the Wear Valley line can be seen on the far left.<br><br>[John Furnevel 04/11/2007]](/images/17000/17222.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Scene at Bishop Auckland in 2007, now a terminus at the end of a single line section. Northern Rail provides services from here, running to Saltburn via Darlington and Middlesbrough. The overgrown line on the left is the old Crook and Wearhead line, with the former closed in 1965 from Wear Valley Junction and the latter now a preserved line in the hands of the Weardale Railway . The land once occupied by the large original station is now covered by roads, car parks and retail developments. <br><br>[John Furnevel 04/11/2007]](/images/19000/19359.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![View southeast from Newgate Street Road Bridge towards Shildon on 4 November 2007 with Bishop Auckland station immediately behind the camera. The former Wearhead branch line is currently disconnected at the junction although further up the branch the Weardale Railway group remains active in the Wolsingham/Stanhope area despite the past financial difficulties that have dogged the project.<br><br>[John Furnevel 04/11/2007]](/images/19000/19554.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![The modern day terminus at Bishop Auckland on Sunday morning 4 November 2007 looking northwest over the parking area and road approaches. Nowadays a single line platform handles the Northern Rail service to Saltburn via Darlington and Middlesbrough with the former Wearhead branch line running straight through alongside. The surrounding area has been given over to retail developments, car parks and road improvements. <br><br>[John Furnevel 04/11/2007]](/images/19000/19555.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Weardale Railway two-car diesel unit no 141103 waits at Bishop Auckland West before returning to Stanhope in 2010 [see recent news item]. <br><br>[Brian Taylor //2010]](/images/37000/37107.jpg "Bishop Auckland West")
![View from the end of the platform at Bishop Auckland terminus on 30 September 2010. The station is used by Northern DMUs on the route east to Darlington, Middlesbrough and Saltburn. The line on the left is the former Wearhead branch where a regular train service has recently been introduced by the Weardale Railway between Bishop Auckland and Stanhope. The platform used by trains on the Weardale line can be seen in the centre of the photograph beyond the buffer stops and, while the route between the two platforms is currently rather circuitous, agreement has been reached on the establishment of a direct fenced pathway between the two - something which will no doubt be appreciated by all concerned.<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/30000/30961.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Arrival from the east at Bishop Auckland terminus on 30 September 2010 as the 12.00 Northern DMU from Saltburn runs under Newgate Street Bridge and into the platform. On the right is the former Wearhead branch, a section of which now forms part of the Weardale Railway. [See image 30999]<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/30000/30973.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![The 12.35 Weardale Railway DMU from Stanhope approaches its destination at Bishop Auckland West on 30 September 2010. [See image 30987]<br>
<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/30000/30974.jpg "Bishop Auckland West")
![The Weardale Railway 13.50 service to Stanhope stands at the new Bishop Auckland West platform on 30 September 2010. Meantime, the Northern 13.40 DMU to Saltburn waits at the terminus in the left background. The establishment of a direct pathway linking the two sites is under discussion.<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/30000/30987.jpg "Bishop Auckland West")
![Entrance to the Weardale Railway platform at Bishop Auckland West on 30 September 2010, with the 13.40 service to Stanhope awaiting its departure time.<br>
<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/30000/30999.jpg "Bishop Auckland West")
![The Northern 13.40 service to Saltburn leaves Bishop Auckland on 30 September 2010. Almost all of the area shown in this photograph was once covered by the great triangular station and goods yard that stood in the midst of the complex of lines that met at this once important railway junction in County Durham [see image 19360]. Nowadays, in addition to the Bishop Auckland - Darlington - Saltburn services, a newly constructed platform (off picture to the left) dubbed <I>Bishop Auckland West</I>, is used by trains from Stanhope operated by the Weardale Railway.<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/31000/31091.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Weardale Railway 141103 waits at the recently constructed station at Bishop Auckland West on 30 September 2010 with the 13.35 service to Stanhope. [See image 30961]<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/32000/32348.jpg "Bishop Auckland West")
![Weardale Railway DMU 141103 on arrival at Bishop Auckland West on 30 September 2010 with the 1235 ex-Stanhope. Newgate Street Bridge crosses the formation in the background, with Bishop Auckland 'main line' station obscured by the trees on the left. [See image 30973]<br><br>[John Furnevel 30/09/2010]](/images/55000/55824.jpg "Bishop Auckland West")
![The view back towards Shildon from the platform end at Bishop Auckland. Heaton based Pacer 142022 is newly arrived from Saltburn and on a quick turn round for departure back there at 1325hrs. The points that form the start of the Weardale line are just beyond the bridge. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 27/11/2012]](/images/41000/41189.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Looking west from Newgate Street bridge, Bishop Auckland on 17 March 2015. The present day single platform station is in the foreground with the Weardale Railway Bishop Auckland West station in the background. The once extensive railway facilities here have long gone with the land reclaimed for retail, car parking and a new road.<br><br>[John McIntyre 17/03/2015]](/images/50000/50797.jpg "Bishop Auckland")
![Unfortunately without any passenger services at the moment, Bishop Auckland West station on the Weardale Railway looking east towards Bishop Auckland on the national rail network on 17 March 2015. [See image 30974]<br><br>[John McIntyre 17/03/2015]](/images/50000/50871.jpg "Bishop Auckland West")
