Topics > Tyne and Wear > South Tyneside > South Shields > Marsden > South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway
South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway
The South Shields, Marsden, and Whitburn Colliery Railway was a Whitburn Coal Company built twin track branch railway line that ran along the North Sea coast in County Durham, England, from Westoe Lane in South Shields to Whitburn Colliery at Marsden via two intermediate stations, Whitburn Colliery station (renamed Marsden in 1926), and Marsden (which closed in 1926).
History
Opening
The line was built in the late 1870s without an Act of Parliament to serve the newly constructed Whitburn Colliery and was opened as a private railway in May 1879. Apart from the colliery and those working there the line served the Lighthouse limestone quarry, a paper manufactory, and local farms. The line opened to the public on 19 March 1888.
Nationalisation
On 1 January 1947 the coal company was vested in the National Coal Board so the railway became the first nationalised passenger line in Britain. (Most of the railways in Britain were nationalised on 1 January 1948 under the terms of the Transport Act 1947).
Closure
Passenger service was officially withdrawn on 14 November 1953, but trains remained running until 23 November. The majority of the line closed to freight with the Whitburn Colliery on 8 June 1968 although the section running through Westoe Lane to Westoe Colliery remained open until 1993.
Visit the page: South Shields, Marsden, and Whitburn Colliery Railway for references and further details. You can contribute to this article on Wikipedia.
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/78/35/3783569_743a1002.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Marsden station, South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/07/30/5073012_06f08c4d.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Whitburn Colliery station, with Last Day train from South Shields, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/sitelines.png)
from http://www.twsitelines.info/S…
Tyne and Wear HER(2466): Marsden and Whitburn Colliery Railway (Marsden Rattler)
- "The South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway ran from Whitburn Colliery Junction, NZ 3622 6556 to the North Eastern Paper Mill (HER ref. 2496) at NZ 4106 6324. The …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/sitelines.png)
from http://www.twsitelines.info/S…
Tyne and Wear HER(2427): South Shields, Ballast Railway/Harton Coal Company Railway
- "A Ballast Railway from St. Hilda's Colliery (HER ref. 2355) to a ballast hill on The Bents (HER ref. 2452). The western end of this line was at Cooksons/Swinburne's Glassworks …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/marsden_banner_group.png)
from http://www.marsdenbannergroup…
SOUTH SHIELDS, MARSDEN & WHITBURN COLLIERY RAILWAY (The Marsden Rattler)
- Detailed information and photographs relating to the railway.
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/04/37/2043788_496aa7e9.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Westoe Lane station, South Shields & Whitburn Colliery Railway, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/07/16/5071659_220dae95.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Westoe Lane station, South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway on Last Day, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/21/56/5215651_248ee774.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Westoe Lane station, South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway on Last Day, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![Harton Electric Railway](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/67/59/1675949_ee121956.jpg)
  Co-Curate Page
Harton Electric Railway
- Harton Electric Railway was built by the Harton Coal Company to transport coal from their collieries in South Tyneside. The electrified system opened in 1908, and originally employed a fleet of …
![](/static/img/loading.gif)
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/03/78/35/3783569_743a1002.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Marsden station, South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/07/30/5073012_06f08c4d.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Whitburn Colliery station, with Last Day train from South Shields, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/sitelines.png)
from http://www.twsitelines.info/S…
Tyne and Wear HER(2466): Marsden and Whitburn Colliery Railway (Marsden Rattler)
- "The South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway ran from Whitburn Colliery Junction, NZ 3622 6556 to the North Eastern Paper Mill (HER ref. 2496) at NZ 4106 6324. The …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/sitelines.png)
from http://www.twsitelines.info/S…
Tyne and Wear HER(2427): South Shields, Ballast Railway/Harton Coal Company Railway
- "A Ballast Railway from St. Hilda's Colliery (HER ref. 2355) to a ballast hill on The Bents (HER ref. 2452). The western end of this line was at Cooksons/Swinburne's Glassworks …
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](/uploads/thumbs2/marsden_banner_group.png)
from http://www.marsdenbannergroup…
SOUTH SHIELDS, MARSDEN & WHITBURN COLLIERY RAILWAY (The Marsden Rattler)
- Detailed information and photographs relating to the railway.
Added by
Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/04/37/2043788_496aa7e9.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Westoe Lane station, South Shields & Whitburn Colliery Railway, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/07/16/5071659_220dae95.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Westoe Lane station, South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway on Last Day, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/21/56/5215651_248ee774.jpg)
from Geograph (geograph)
Westoe Lane station, South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery Railway on Last Day, 1953
Pinned by Simon Cotterill
![Harton Electric Railway](http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/67/59/1675949_ee121956.jpg)