This afternoon Samson undertook its first day of running in trials at the narrow gauge colliery railway with builder Dave Young and Paul Jarman at the controls.
Samson is a narrow gauge locomotive based on the Stephen Lewin engine 'Samson', which was built in 1874 for the London Lead Company to use on the one mile tramway at Cornish Hush mine in Weardale.
Samson was used in Weardale for a quarter of a century, replacing horse traction but was scrapped around 1904.
Working alongside Paul Jarman, Assistant Director Transport & Industry, volunteer Dave Young started building the engine in January 2013 after he had drawn up plans from just a photograph and an engraving.
For more information visit Beamish Transport Online; http://beamishtransportonline.co.uk/