Pages 19 and 20 of Alfred Kitching's diary

[Page 19]

in the morning and proceeded to Crook, the present terminus of the railway. Here we were joined by other gentlemen and a number of residents in the neighbourhood desirous of availing themselves of the opportunity of visiting Middlesbro, they entered the carriages, about a dozen in number, assigned for the excursion; altogether the train contained from 3 to 400 persons, and drawn by the Tyne Side Engine – a band from Bishop Auckland imparted additional cheerfulness to the scene by playing some lively arias.

[Page 20]

On starting from Crook the first material object reached is the Timber Viaduct across the vale of the Wear. It is about 60 feet high and nearly 2,300 feet long, built upon piles consisting of 132 pair of gears and is substantial, while its effect is very imposing. We next reached the new Winning’s of Witton Park and Etherley collieries.
After leaving the latter the Coal trains with produce from the before mentioned collieries joined [struck through] followed the train of carriages and crossed Etherley Dean by a steep embankment about 80 feet in height, sustained by a circular culvert of corresponding magnitude, being about