After the financial failure of the Stanhope & Tyne Railroad Company in 1841, a new company was set up to operate the coal-carrying eastern half of the railway that ran from the area around Consett down to South Shields. This new company, the Pontop & South Shields Railway, continued to enjoy success in moving coal from pits in north-west Durham to the shipping point on the River Tyne. Through changes of ownership and modifications to the route, the line continued in use up until the early 1980s, and is perhaps best known for the heavy trains of iron ore climbing up the steep gradients to Consett from Tyne Dock, hauled by large steam locomotives and, later, diesel locomotives.

Telling the history of this line as it underwent changes, together with stories of runaways and other incidents, this book includes many photographs of this fascinating railway.

'There are plenty of fascinating images, offering inspiration for anyone with an interest in the North East's railway history.' -- Model Rail Magazine, December 2024
'The author's superb narrative, which excels in bringing the story of the line and the many changes it underwent back to life, is superbly illustrated by many rare and previously unpublished photographs which alone are worth the cover price.' -- Heritage Railway Magazine, Christmas 2024

Rob Langham has been passionate about history since childhood, later turning it into his vocation. Working in museums, he has completed an MA in Britain in the First World War and spends his spare time researching a diverse range of topics such as the early railways of North East England and the First World War battlefields of Gallipoli.