Kenton and Coxlodge Colliery Wagon Way

The viewer of the Kenton & Coxlodge Colliery wagon-way at Newcastle, John Watson, was a friend of Blenkinsop and he agreed to purchase the locomotive Lord Willington from the Middleton Colliery.

To operated this type of locomotive the Kenton & Coxlodge had part of its system converted to rack rails. The service was started on 2nd September 1813.

This locomotive was soon joined by two others, which were specially built for the colliery in Tyneside. These were larger than the earlier Middleton ones due to the longer distances and the heavier loads encountered here. The first of these later engines soon needed replacement pistons and gears.

Watson claimed that they worked well but stated that another viewer interfered with the operation of these locomotives using untrained men who mistreated them. This fact combined with the heavy loads and gradients (1 in 24 in parts) meant they became unserviceable and were out of service by the time the colliery was sold in 1817.

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