Middle Engine Lane Railway Station Totem Magnet. Free UK shipping. High quality, hand printed metal fridge magnet. British Railway station name sign, in North Eastern region orange.

Middle Engine Lane Railway Station, as the early coal seams of the Northumberland Coalfield near the River Tyne were exhausted, waggonways were laid to serve pits sunk further north. Coal would be unloaded into colliers (coal transport ships) via staithes. The first wagonways used wooden waggons on wooden rails drawn by horses. The first traffic began in 1755 on a line from Shiremoor to Hayhole staithes, and was soon followed by more lines. Wooden rails were eventually replaced by wrought iron. Rope haulage was introduced from 1821, with the museum site being at the top of Prospect Hill. By the 1820s coal was coming from pits further to the north in Seghill, Backworth and Cramlington, while a pit at Murton near Shiremoor had also been added. In 1826 it also became the preferred route for coal coming from Fawdon to the west, to make it unnecessary to use keel boats further upriver.

Traffic increased as further pits opened, and the corridor from Middle Engine Lane down to Percy Main became congested as companies either shared lines or built their own within a hundred yards of each other, depending on which was more convenient. Once they crossed the line of the present A193 Wallsend Road, they fanned out to their respective unloading points. In 1839 the Cramlington wagonway built a new line away from the corridor further to the west, while still passing close to it at the Middle Engine Lane and Percy Main ends. By the 1840s, coal was also coming from Blyth and Bedlington on the east coast, although this ceased after improvements to Blyth harbour in the 1880s.

The opening of the route to Blyth also saw passenger services being run to Percy Main from 1841, for connections with the Newcastle and North Shields Railway. These were run by what eventually became the Blyth & Tyne Railway. Passenger services ceased around 1864 when they opened an alternative route further to the east via Monkseaton (now the present Metro route).

Middle Engine Lane Railway Station Totem Magnet, the size of the magnet is 115x30mm and they come on a backing card. There are two magnets on the back, ready to stick on the fridge.

Middle Engine Lane Railway Station Totem Magnet, is part of our collection of railway station magnets, click here to see the full range.

Shipping is via Royal Mail 2nd Class Large Letter post, with 1st Class Large Letter available. International post is also available.