Parkhead Station
Parkhead was initially opened as a goods only station, however a ticket shows a passenger service being offered.
The Line first opened in 1834
The Line ran to transport limestone from quarries above Stanhope in Weardale and coal from various Collieries in North Durham to South Shields. The Line was built without an Act of Parliament, however was built by means of ‘Wayleaves’ where the company paid the land owner a rent.
The Line rose several feet out of Weardale using inclined planes and winding engines as Crawley and Weatherhill. The summit was worked by Horses, the traffic was lowered by another winding engine and the Nanny Mayors incline. These where later superseded by the Stockton & Darlington Railway company. They were replaced with suitable inclinations for locomotives, The Hownes Gill inclines were replaced by a Viaduct in 1859 at the same time a new line avoiding Nanny Mayors Incline was made.
With the high use of roads in the area and decline in limestone handling the Tow Law to Consett line was closes in May 1939. The original route from Waskerley survived until 1951, the inclines above Stanhope were closed. Weatherhill was the terminus until the traffic from the Stanhope to Tyne route stopped on 1st May 1969.
The track is now non-existent, the Line from Rookhope to Parkhead is part of the Whitehaven to Sunderland Coast 2 Coast route. Parkhead Station is now a B&B & Tearoom.
Sources: Disused-Stations (Parkhead)