The original line is probably most famous as being the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives when they were first introduced in 1833.The area was linked with a prestigious and long list of railway heritage, with several railway-related works and engineering facilities to be found throughout the network.
Key Features
200 miles of main lines and branch lines across Weardale and Teesdale, including Durham City, Darlington, Middleton-in-Teesdale and Wearhead
LNER semaphore and colour light signalling throughout the route
BR Class 25 in BR Green livery
BR Class 101 in BR Green livery
BR Class 08 in BR Green livery (Quick Drive only)
BR Class 37 in BR Green livery (Quick Drive only)
Diesel brake tender ‘slug’ in BR Green livery
BR Mk1 ‘blood and custard’ passenger coaches
Freight wagons, including 21t Mineral Hopper, 16t Mineral Wagon, Five Plank Mineral Wagon, Six-Wheel Milk Tanker, Presflo Bulk Powders Wagon, 20t Bitumen Tank Wagon, 20t Toad E Brake Van and 10t Cattle Van.Towns such as Crook, Tow Law, Barnard Castle, Piercebridge and Bishop Auckland – once bustling railway towns – lost their stations and trackbed lifted, and today visitors to the area would never believe they once had such a rich railway heritage. Some of the north east of England’s oldest and most important railway lines come together in the stunning new Weardale & Teesdale Network route for Train Simulator.Much of this extensive railway network and many of those famous landmarks suffered at the hands of Dr Beeching, whose sweeping changes to the British rail network in the 1960s closed many of the branch lines to passenger traffic.