“The North Eastern Railway and the Beginnings of the East Coast Mainline” by Raymond Schofield

Our 2025/26 season opens with a much-anticipated visit from Raymond Schofield who will take us through the history of the East Coast Main Line. The North-East of England was at the forefront of railway growth, starting some 300 years ago with colliery lines delivering coal to staithes on the Tyne and Tees. Early passenger lines followed and by 1840 York, the ‘Gateway to the North’, was connected to London. Shortly after, in 1847, the first Scottish trains came this way. In his talk, Ray will look at some of the significant early lines and how they slotted into that 1847 route to the North. He will then follow the many changes through to the East Coast Main Line we know today, using his own pictures and purchased images. The presentation is primarily steam-age, but the pioneering North Eastern electrification developments are also included, along with the occasional early diesel.