Shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey.

A branch line extending from waggonway (HER 3204?) to North Pit (HER 3197) is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey. No other information.

Shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey. No further information has been found about this line.

A 1754 plan of the Lambton Estate shows a waggonway running from Riddings Colliery to coal staiths at Pensher.

This was a branch of the John Hedworth’s Waggonway (HER2562) to staiths at Fatfield from Leefield. It was opened before 1710. The line is shown on John Gibson’s Map of the Coalfield of 1787. Its exact route has not been traced.

With the development of more effective pumping engines to drain previously unworkable deep coal seams and the development of nucleated collieries, the Rainton Waggonway, especially its southern lines, was extensively upgraded and re-organised by the Tempests, to whom it had passed by marriage from the Whartons in 1730. A number of new branch lines to collieries were constructed between 1816 and 1826. The line to Nicholson Pit, to the north-east of Rainton Meadows, was opened in 1817.

With the development of more effective steam-powered pumping engines to drain previously unworkable deep coal seams and the development of nucleated collieries, the Rainton Waggonway, especially its southern lines, was extensively upgraded and re-organised by the Tempests, to whom it had passed by marriage from the Whartons in 1730. A number of new branch lines to collieries were constructed between 1816 (the Resolution Pit) and 1826 (Pittington Colliery).

By 1697, the Wharton’s Rainton Waggonway carried coal from their Rainton Ducks Colliery across Dubmire and Hall Moors and over Sedgeletch from where the line took up an old waggonway route used by Sir John Duck through Newbottle, Penshaw and down Waggon Hill to the south bank of the River Wear. Branches were added to the waggonway from Newbottle Colliery for the Earl of Scarborough’s coal in 1723 and another from Smith’s Colliery in Morton but the route that these branch lines took has not been established. In 1730, following Jane Wharton’s death, the colliery passed by marriage to the Tempest family. Over the middle years of the 18th century, the course of the main way around Dubmires was altered because of wayleave problems and for a time the line became circuitous. By the late 1760s, the line had reverted to its former course. Branch lines were later added to deep collieries including Eden Main (HER 17101) and Penshaw (Wharton Main) Collieries (HER 17102). The branch to Stubley Moor Pit was added before the mid-18th century.
Archaeological excavations at Redburn Row, Chilton Moor in 2016 revealed part of an early wooden waggonway. There were two parallel lines of track.
The first lay on a bedding layer of gravel and small cobbles which had been placed directly on the natural ground surface and had surviving rough wooden sleepers (oak and ash) between 1.7m and 2m long, some with wooden pegs. Most of these were simple unworked lengths of tree branches, not finished timbers. This line is almost certainly a continuation of the route shown on the 1777 Mowbray plan. A repaired area on the trackway produced a copper alloy penny of George III dating to 1806-8. The line went out of use before the mid-1850s.
The other line, which was possibly contemporary, had been built immediately to the west on an earthen embankment, 7.2m wide and 1.15m high. Sleeper and rail impressions filled with black silty grit and ash were preserved on its crest, probably representing two phases of track. This line continued in use after the lower line was abandoned, and must have formed part of the Red Burn branch mentioned in John Robson's mid-1820s notebook. The embankment was presumably built to cross the Red Burn (which passed under the southern end of the embankment presumably in a culvert) or to raise the track level above the low-lying marshy ground.
Immediately to the west of the embankment was a substantial drainage ditch, 4.6m wide and 1.2m deep. 1m to the west of this is another ditch, probably marking out the wayleave, which measured 3.6m wide and 0.45m deep. A later ceramic pipe had been inserted into it.
The ditch on the east side of the embankment was 3.1m wide and 1.15m deep. A culvert was later inserted into it and the coal depot.
By 1855-87 the line was at the end of a complex zig-zagging branch connecting to the Londonderry Railway. By this time the line had been re-laid in iron. Three short sections of iron rail were recovered (not in-situ).

By 1697, the Wharton family’s Rainton Waggonway carried coal from their Rainton Ducks Colliery across Dubmire and Hall Moors and over Sedgeletch from where the line took up an old waggonway route used by Sir John Duck through Newbottle, Penshaw and down Waggon Hill to the south bank of the River Wear. Branches were added to the waggonway from Newbottle Colliery for the Earl of Scarborough’s coal in 1723 and another from Smith’s Colliery in Morton but the route that these branch lines took has not been established. In 1730, following Jane Wharton’s death, the colliery passed by marriage to the Tempest family. Over the middle years of the 18th century, the course of the main way around Dubmires was altered because of wayleave problems and for a time the line became circuitous. By the late 1760s, the line had reverted to its former course. Branch lines were later added to deep collieries including Eden Main (HER 17101) and Penshaw (Wharton Main) Collieries (HER 17102). The branch to Quarry Pit was opened before the mid-18th century.

By 1697, the Wharton family’s Rainton Waggonway carried coal from their Rainton Ducks Colliery across Dubmire and Hall Moors and over Sedgeletch from where the line took up an old waggonway route used by Sir John Duck through Newbottle, Penshaw and down Waggon Hill to the south bank of the River Wear. Branches were added to the waggonway from Newbottle Colliery for the Earl of Scarborough’s coal in 1723 and another from Smith’s Colliery in Morton but the route that these branch lines took has not been established. In 1730, the colliery passed by marriage to the Tempest family. Over the middle years of the 18th century, the course of the main way around Dubmires was altered because of wayleave problems and for a time the line became circuitous. By the late 1760s, the line had reverted to its former course. Branch lines were later added to deep collieries including Eden Main (HER 17101) and Penshaw (Wharton Main) Collieries (HER 17102). The branch to Rainton Meadows Colliery was opened before the mid-18th century.