In between Annfield Plain and East Castle is Greencroft where one of the rail served businesses, the Ransome and Marles factory, on the line was located.
Map of Greencroft showing the Ransome and Marles exchange sidings (although there should be three) and the factory itself. Map courtesy National Library of Scotland.
An unidentified 9F passes Greencroft with a loaded iron ore train for Consett banked by a Type 4 diesel. Note the connection to the Ransome and Marles sidings on the right. Photo from Graham Hunter
An unidentified K1 passes Greencroft with a mixed goods train bound for Consett. Note the connection to the Ransome and Marles sidings on the right. Photo from Graham Hunter
Greencroft in the 1970s…
37100 passes Greencroft with a train of 21T wagons on 31 May 1977. Photo copyright Stephen McGahon
37098 and 37053 with a train of iron ore empties pass Greencroft on 19 May 1979. Photo copyright Stephen McGahon
Below are a series of pictures on and around the line in March 1979 (back in the days when we had ‘proper’ winters) taken by Clive Bennett who lived in a house at Greencroft that backed on to the railway line.
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Note the wagons in the siding off to the right – compare this phot with the one at the bottom of the page showing the same location without the snow. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, March 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft, 1979. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
The works Ruston shunter at work in the Ransome and Marles factory sidings in the late 1970s. Photo copyright Clive Bennett
Greencroft in the 1980s…
37062 at Greencroft on 11 April 1980. Photo copyright Stephen McGahon
Stephen McGahon says about the photograph on the right: “The chimneys and buildings in the background belong to the Ransome and Marles ball bearing factory . This was opened in 1953, according to the brief mention in G. Whittle’s book or, 1954, according to some internet sources. It became Ransome Hoffman and Pollard around 1970 and closed in 1981 or 1982, not a great time to be putting another few hundred people on the dole so soon after the closure of the steelworks.
The works had a private siding which seemed to be in some sort of use almost up to closure as I remember seeing the odd 16 ton mineral wagon parked there on a few occasions . I don’t know what the traffic was, maybe just delivering coal in the latter years, but it may have been substantial in the past judging by the three roads in the sidings.”
37094 at Greencroft on 10 May 1982. Note that the connection to the Ransome and Marles factory sidings has been severed. Photo copyright Stephen McGahon
Track Lifting at Greencroft
37061 at Greencroft on 12 April 1984. Photo copyright Bill Wilder/Wakefield Railway Modellers Society37061 at Greencroft on 12 April 1984. Photo copyright Bill Wilder/Wakefield Railway Modellers Society37061 at Greencroft on 12 April 1984. Photo copyright Bill Wilder/Wakefield Railway Modellers Society37061 at Greencroft on 12 April 1984. Photo copyright Bill Wilder/Wakefield Railway Modellers Society37061 at Greencroft on 12 April 1984. Photo copyright Bill Wilder/Wakefield Railway Modellers Society37283 on a track recovery train taken from the exchange sidings of the Ransome and Marles factory. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant37283 on a track recovery train at Greencroft. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant37283 on a track recovery train at Greencroft with the chimneys of the Ransome and Marles factory on the left. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant37283 on a track recovery train taken from the exchange sidings of the Ransome and Marles factory. Photo copyright Craig OliphantAt Greencroft, looking towards Consett, 37283 can be seen in the distance on a track recovery train. The chimneys of the Ransome & Marles factory are visible on the left. Photo copyright Craig OliphantRansome & Marles Bearing Company sidings Annfield Plain. C. 1984. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant37283 seen from the Ransome and Marles factory sidings. The factory can be seen on the left. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant 37283 seen through a buffer stop at the Ransome and Marles factory sidings. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant Rounding the curve at Greencroft, Annfield Plain we see 37061 returning a track lifting train from Consett High Yard. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant
37061 track lifting at Greencroft. Photo taken from the private sidings of the Ransome Hoffman and Pollard factory. 12 April 1984, Photo copyright Craig Oliphant
37061 track lifting at Greencroft. Photo taken from the private sidings of the Ransome Hoffman and Pollard factory. 12 April 1984, Photo copyright Craig Oliphant31240 at Greencroft during the track lifting operations. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant31240 at Greencroft during the track lifting operations. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant31240 at Greencroft during the track lifting operations. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant31240 at Greencroft during the track lifting operations. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant31240 at Greencroft during the track lifting operations. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant31240 at Greencroft during the track lifting operations. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant31240 at Greencroft during the track lifting operations. Photo copyright Craig Oliphant
