The first of a six-part series produced for Tyne Tees Television by Honky Tonk Productions that explores the great railway age from the early horse-drawn waggon ways, through the romance of steam, to futuristic monorail of the 21st century. In this first episode writer and presenter Andy Klutz looks at the earliest developments in railway engineering speaking with experts about waggon ways that transported coal from the regions pits to waiting collier barks along rivers such as the Tyne and...

The first of a six-part series produced for Tyne Tees Television by Honky Tonk Productions that explores the great railway age from the early horse-drawn waggon ways, through the romance of steam, to futuristic monorail of the 21st century. In this first episode writer and presenter Andy Klutz looks at the earliest developments in railway engineering speaking with experts about waggon ways that transported coal from the regions pits to waiting collier barks along rivers such as the Tyne and Wear as well as ports like Seaton Sluice. Andy also travels to Coalbrookdale in Shropshire to learn more about the world's very first steam locomotive designed by Richard Trevithick there at the start of the 19th century. Standing on a promontory overlooking the River Tyne, presenter Andy Klutz holds up a piece of coal and tells a story about why a teacher friend of his is now teaching pupils about this fossil fuel that turned Britain into the world very first industrialised nation. Looking behind him across the Tyne Andy explains that one of the country’s main supplies of coal were mined in the hills either side of the Tyne and Wear. Over a montage of related historic images Andy explains that coal has been dug in these hills for nearly 2000 years, but it wasn’t until the sixteen-hundreds that demand began to pick up and that colliery owners came up against a major problem in how to transport their coal in bulk from the hills to the rivers where ships were waiting to transport it to places like London. Their solution made the age of the Industrial Revolution, a spark that became our modern age which was kindled in the Northeast. Now standing on the banks of the Tyne at Gateshead with the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in the background, Andy provides details on this series which is the story of our railways from its beginning to today and into the 21st century. Title: The Railway Story “Dawn” As a horsedrawn coal wagon is pulled along a track at Beamish Museum near Stanley in County Durham, Jim Rees Keeper of Industry at Beamish explains to Andy that the history of the railway engine is not the history of railways which have been around since the Greeks and Romans. Details are provided over relevant historical images. From a helicopter flying over him Andy walking through a field near a farm. Back on the ground he explains that it was the son of a wealthy Nottingham coal owner who brough the first horse hauled wooden railways to the Northeast. Details are given with regards Huntingdon Beaumont who in 1605 least pits from the Bishop of Durham in the Bedlington area and built three wooden wagonways to transport coal down to the River Blyth. While his company would eventually go bust, he gave the Northeast an idea that was to have such a profound effect down the centuries. A man dressed in an 18th century costume leads a horse pulling a coal wagon along a railway track, superimposed over it an image of a historic map and a waggon way passing some imaginatively named shallow pits such as Ladie’s Pit and Hell Hole Pit. In voiceover Andy explains that 300 years ago the landscape near rivers were sprinkled with shallow pits and a network of wooden waggon ways. An aerial of the best-preserved waggon way in the Northeast at New Hartley just north of the River Tyne changes to Andy walking along it with Derek Charlton and Alan Clothier both waggon way experts. As they pass over it, they stop to look at a hidden piece of railway history and an impressive feet of engineering, a stone bridge built in the 1740s crossing the Briar Dene Brook. Over a montage of related images Derek and Alan provide details on the bridge and explain why there were so many pits in the area. As archaeologist work on the site, Derek and Alan provide details on a significant historic find at the former Lampton D Pit of a well-preserved quarter-of-mile of wooden waggon way showing, as Andy puts it, how early industry was swiftly taking possession of the land. A map showing the River Tyne making its way towards the North Sea changes to Andy with Derek and Alan at Seaton Sluice looking at its harbour built in 1660 by Sir Ralph Delaval which allowed collier barks to dock and load coal to be shipped to London. Across the headland a hill which Derek and Alan point out is made up nearly entirely of ballast from the London areas brought up on the empty collier barks and dumped to make way for the coal. The inadequateness of the harbour especially during bad weather are pointed out followed an aerial of the ‘bold and spectacular’ solution; a great chasm blasted out of the rock in 1761 by a later member of the Delaval family; Sir John Hussey Delaval that allowed collier barks to dock whatever the weather. Walking to the centre of a footbridge crossing the chasm the three men look down and are impressed talking about the engineering skill needed to make it and how it worked as a waggon way port. After explaining how the railways killed places like this, both Derek and Alan explain why waggon ways and ports like Seaton Sluice are important stepping stones that brought us to the modern railways. Looking south towards St Mary’s Lighthouse Andy explains that the 1700s were the era of the waggon way and places like Seaton Sluice are monuments to it. However, taking the programme into a commercial break he explains there is a more impressive monument south of the Tyne that’s famous throughout the world. Title: End of Part One Part Two A mixture of contemporary and historic images of an icon of horsedrawn waggon ways, Causey Arch near Stanley in County Durham. Built between 1724-25 Andy explains it was the wonder of the age and that even today its sheer scale hints at the extraordinary developments which exactly a century later would evolve into the very first modern railway. Walking across a footbridge and along beside the Causey Burn with Andy is Andy Guy a Researcher at Beamish Museum who remarks on how this is the first great work of modern civil engineering. As they make their way onto the bridge itself Andy provides details on the ‘Grand Allies’ a cartel of English coal-owning families who came together to pay for the arches construction in order to develop what Andy calls ‘corporate coal extraction’ and to develop the longest waggon way in the world. As the two men chat an aerial of the bridge morphs into a computer animation showing both Causey Arch and only a few yards away a huge 100ft high embankment built across another wide chasm. Now walking along its edge Andy Guy describes it as ‘the world’s first great railway embankment.’ The two men talks abouts this extraordinary construction made by only men with spades and wheelbarrows. Andy goes onto explain that it attracted visitors from all over Europe who as well as being surprised by its size, were also surprised that it was being made for a waggon way. Returning to the bridge crossing the Briar Dene Brook near New Hartley, Andy explains that the one fact that makes these hugely expensive engineering works cost effective was that 60% of the coal exported through the Tyne was being mined in this area around Tanfield. At the end of the 1700s demand for coal was hotting up, but the older pits near rivers were becoming exhausted and colliery owners were having to dig new pits further and further away from rivers. He also explains that coal was bringing in new industries such as salt, lead, soap and glass all of which were being exported from the region and the Northeast was starting to flourish. A montage of images showing Newcastle and the River Tyne at the end of the 17th century changes to Andy coming to stand beside Ironbridge in Shropshire to talk about how the developments in iron production which led to the building of this bridge in 1779. This in turn attracted the attention of a young Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick who arrival would have a profound effect 200 miles away in the Northeast. In the workshop at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Andy asks John Challen Curator of Technology why did Trevithick travel to Coalbrookdale? He explains that at that time the area was the centre of the ironwork industry and a world industrial hotspot for ironmaking technology. He talks about the development of Trevithick’s locomotion and how he saw the capacity of high-pressure steam to produce a compact small steam engines on wheels that could be used for transport. John also talks about how Shropshire at the time already had an extensive horsedrawn iron railway system, and thus a private test track for Trevithick to use for one of his prototype locomotives. Outside a replica of Trevithick locomotive prototype being driven along a track. Andy and John Challen come to stand beside it with Andy asking if it was a success? John explains that while he is sure it was built, a number of failures meant it may never have run and provides further details. On display at the National Waterfront Museum Swansea “Pen-y-Darren” the next locomotive built by Trevithick with John providing details on why this engine ran more successfully. John also provides details with regards ‘Catch Me Who Can’ Trevithick steam circus locomotive and why the man lost interest in engineering. Walking across the yard at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Andy explains that we are now approaching a key points in history that so much of the future hinges and that a jolt or nudge was needed that came from a most unexpected direction. He goes onto explain why colliery owners in the Northeast needed to find a horse that ate coal and how Richard Trevithick locomotive at Coalbrookdale was the answer to their prayers. Over the closing titles Trevithick locomotion being driven back-and-forth along a track. Title: With thanks to Blyth Valley Borough Council, Durham County Council, Gateshead Libraries and Arts Service, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust Shropshire, Laing Art Gallery Newcastle upon Tyne, National Railway Museum York, North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, North of England Open Air Museum Beamish, Science Museum London, Stockton Borough Council Credit: Written and Presented by Andy Klutz Title Music Alan Clark Graphics Dave Richardson Research Robert Smith Sound Terry Black Camera / Director Janusz Ostrowski Editor Trevor Wonfor Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Producer Liz Treadway End title: A Honky Tonk Production for Tyne Tees Television. © MCMXCIX