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The Weardale Railway is an independently owned British single-track branch line railway between , Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope. Weardale Railway services began on 23 May 2010, but decided to run special trains rather than a scheduled service for the 2013 season. The railway originally ran from Bishop Auckland to Wearhead in County Durham, a distance of , built in the nineteenth century to carry limestone from Eastgate, and provide passenger services to Weardale. Passenger services were ceased in 1953, leaving only freight services to Eastgate. After the quarries owner Lafarge moved to road transport in 1993, under the threat of closure by British Rail, the line was taken over by a group of enthusiasts. The line currently runs between Bishop Auckland and Eastgate, making the line the fourth longest preserved standard gauge railway in Great Britain. ==Background== (詳細はStockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) backed Bishop Auckland and Weardale Railway (BA&WR) gained the powers via an Act of Parliament to build a railway line from the S&DR's station at via Bishop Auckland and Witton-le-Wear into Crook, County Durham. The BA&WR initially built a temporary terminus at South Church, which opened on 19 April 1842. After completion of the Shildon tunnel, the BA&WR erected a permanent station on the current site, which opened to freight on 8 November 1843, and passengers on 30 January 1843.〔 All operations were sub-leased as agreed to the S&DR.〔 In 1844, after the West Durham Railway extended from a junction with the Clarence Railway at to Crook, the S&DR extended the BA&WR from Bishop Auckland along the river valley to Witton-le-Wear, and then into Crook. In 1845, the S&DR came to an agreement with the Derwent Iron Company to sub-lease the southern section of the former Stanhope and Tyne Railway. It extended the line from Crook to and then to Blackhill. That line was opened as the Weardale Extension Railway (WXR).〔〔 In July 1845 Parliament passed the Wear Valley Act, which allowed the extension of the BA&WR from a junction at Witton-le-Wear to , and a small branchline across the river to Bishopley. With all works again undertaken by the S&DR, this line opened on 3 August 1847. After these works had been completed, the BA&WR amalgamated with the WXR. All service were operated by the S&DR, which officially took over the new company in January 1857.〔〔 In 1862, an Act of Parliament was passed allowing the S&DR backed Frosterley & Stanhope Railway to extend the line to , thus allowing trains to transport limestone from the Newlandside Estate on the south side of the town.〔〔 The final extension of the Weardale Railway to opened on 21 October 1895. Between Eastgate and Westgate at Cambo Keels, sidings were established to serve the Weardale Iron Company's Heights limestone quarry, which is still in operation today.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Weardale Railway」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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