MEMORIES 545 also told of the railways in the Relly area, which gracefully arc, kiss and caress each other as they fly off to different parts of the county.

“If the North East had an equivalent of Crewe, it surely was this junction,” says David Sayer in Norton. “In its time, this was a very complex and important junction.”

Of course, our captions had them going off in wrong directions, so we are hugely grateful to everyone who has put us on the right tracks. David even drew us a map.

The Northern Echo: Relly junction, by David Sayer, of Norton

The first railway to pass through this area was the 1857 Bishop Auckland to Durham line, that came out of Bishop over the splendid 11 Arches viaduct and entered Durham over an even more splendid 11 arched viaduct. In 1858, Darlington’s Pease family ensured that the eight mile Deerness Valley Railway was opened, running south west from Relly to serve their collieries around Waterhouse. It seems there was a confusion over the name of the river, and so the line was called the Dearness Valley Railway, and its junction was controlled by the Dearness Valley signalbox.

In 1862, the Lanchester Valley Railway was built to run north west from Relly to serve collieries up to Consett.

And finally, in 1865, the North Eastern built a line from Tursdale, near Ferryhill, to Relly which became the East Coast Main Line.

Now the Bishop Auckland and Lanchester Valley lines have been turned into a cyclepath, and the Deerness Valley Walk occupies another trackbed, but the mainline still arrives at Relly Mill from Ferryhill and enters Durham over the splendid 1856 viaduct.

Thanks are due to Peter Welsh, John Rusby, Richard Barber, Eddie Scarlett and Tom Hutchinson, as well as everyone else who is mentioned.

The Northern Echo: The confusion of railway lines at Relly, to the west of Durham, beneath the Deerness Valley Junction signalbox. We think this train may be heading to Bishop Auckland, but we could be wrong

Lots of people emailed to say we got our directions wrong with this picture. "It is an ex NER Class C1 (LNER Class J21) coming from the Bishop Auckland via Willington line, and the train is taking the Durham line as confirmed by the signals," says Mike Barnard. "The line far left is the East Coast Main Line, and a train to the south has just passed Bridgehouse Junction in the distance, where the Lanchester Valley line to Consett leaves the main line. The Consett line from Bridgehouse Junction is descending to allow it to pass under the line that the train is on. The rear coach of the train is on the crossover to the line coming in from Bishop Auckland via Crook and the Deerness Valley." The picture was taken by the late Jack Armstrong in the late 1950s.
Steve Warren, who uses the trackbed of the Bishop Auckland line which is now a nice cycleway, adds: "The site of the old signal box and the nearby terrace of houses is now a wooded area and the privet hedges around their gardens have grown into trees at the top of the steep hill which climbs up from the Deerness footbridge towards Broompark picnic site."

The Northern Echo: A passenger train waits beneath the Deerness Valley Junction box

"This is a class J39 64816 curving off to the Waterhouses branch with a Durham Miners Gala Special train," says John Askwith. "Deerness Valley Junction signal box is behind the train on top of the embankment." We think this was taken in the late 1930s

The Northern Echo: a shot from Deerness Valley signal box with a goods train travelling North again showing Waterhouses and Broompark Colliery. Picture courtesy of David Sayer

A shot from Deerness Valley signal box with a goods train travelling north with Broompark Colliery behind. Picture courtesy of David Sayer

The Northern Echo: photo a steam train travelling North from Bishop Auckland about to pass under the Broom Lane Bridge. Showing what would be now the redundant lines to Waterhouses and Broompark Colliery. Picture courtesy of David Sayer

A steam train travelling north from Bishop Auckland about to pass under the Broom Lane Bridge, showing what would be now the redundant lines to Waterhouses and Broompark Colliery. Picture courtesy of David Sayer

The Northern Echo: showing a diverted train from the North travelling towards Bishop Auckland and the near side a train from the Consett/Lanchester line. Picture courtesy of David Sayer

A diverted train from the north travelling towards Bishop Auckland in the distance and, in the foreground, a train from the Consett/Lanchester line. Picture courtesy of David Sayer

The Northern Echo: A diesel train travelling south on the now East Coast Main Line about to pass under the Broom Lane Bridge. The Bishop Auckland branch in the centre is passing over the Lanchester line and in the background is the line to Waterhouses and Broompark

A diesel train travelling south on the now East Coast Main Line about to pass under the Broom Lane Bridge. The Bishop Auckland branch in the centre is passing over the Lanchester line and in the background is the line to Waterhouses and Broompark Colliery. Picture courtesy of David Sayer