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Seaham Harbour Company
Chaldron Wagons

These wagons are no longer on the Bluebell Railway

Chaldron Wagons soon after arrival at Sheffield Park, in 1972 (Roger Gregory)

These two wagons are of a design typical of those used on wagonways of the North East of England from the early days of rail-borne transport. They were constructed from the late 18th century until the early days of the 20th century, with timber-built hopper-shaped bodies, timber underframes, dumb buffers, and unsprung inside bearings. They were not used on main-line railways off the local wagonway networks after the mid-19th century.

Chaldron Wagons on display at Horsted Keynes (from 1976 Stock Book)

Thought to date from the 1860s, they were used at the Seaham Harbour in Durham for about 100 years, hauled by locomotives of a similar age. No. 20 has wheelsets manufactured by Hopper and Sons and Co. and the other has wheelsets marked Darlington Wagon Co.

When the rail system at the harbour was abandoned, these two historic vehicles were obtained and donated to the Bluebell by our then Vice-President Johnny Morris in 1972.

Lack of conventional drawgear prevented their use on trains so they were exhibited as static exhibits at Horsted Keynes (as seen seen above).

Photos right and above left - being transported on Medfit wagons from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes in 1972, and unloaded using the Bluebell's 12-ton hand crane. (Roger Barton)

Later removed from the platform at Horsted Keynes to make way for the start of work to reconstruct the canopy, they were initially stored on the stub of the Ardingly Spur. They were subsequently relocated back to Sheffield Park, where they acted as gate-keepers at the car park entrance.

In the first week of May 1988 they left the Bluebell for a more appropriate home, at the Tanfield Railway, stated at the time to be "on long term loan".

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Type: Chaldron Wagons
Built: probably 1860s
Original Nos: 895 or 20, other unknown
Length: 11 ft
Weight: 2 Tons 10 cwt
Brakes: Handbrake operating on one wheel
To Bluebell: 1972
Left Bluebell: May 1988

Photo right: Stored on the stub of the Ardingly Spur about 1980 (David Jefferies)

In addition there's a 1975 photo by Paul Bartlett here.

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