The Brusselton Incline is a Georgian engineering marvel near Shildon in County Durham in the United Kingdom and is a stage in George Stephenson's original route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first public steam passenger railway company.
Early steam locomotives could pull trains of coal wagons, known as 'chaldrons' as long as the route was relatively flat. The challenge facing the Stockton & Darlington Railway was that the coal they were transporting had to, first, be brought over two great hills.
The solution they devised was to create two rope hauled inclines over the hills; both powered by static steam engines. The Brusselton Incline is the second, and easternmost, of these inclines. Today, many features still survive, telling us much about the ingenuity and resolve of those early railway engineers.
The Brusselton Incline Group was formed to act as protectors and champions of that legacy.
MAINTENANCE
We want people to be able to explore Brusselton Incline for themselves. To keep everything visible and in good condition we have a maintenace schedule.
INTERPRETATION
To help people understand and enjoy the Brusselton Incline, and the context in which it is set, we work with local authorities to create interpretation features.
RESEARCH
There is plenty still to learn about the Brusselton Incline, its operation and engineering. We invest time to learn more and share our findings.
We're particularly active at the moment working on and planning new things in readiness for out part in the steam passenger railway Bicentenary in 2025. Recent projects include:
CURRENT COMMITTEE
Trevor Horner Hon Chair
Dave Reynolds Vice Chair
John Raw Hon Secretary
Paul Harle Hon Treasurer
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