Cramlington Train Wreckers Walk in 2025
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Join us on 6 July 2025, 11:00 am, for a fascinating Train Wreckers walk around Cramlington, exploring the sights and social history of the infamous derailment in May 1926 with our expert guide.
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Starting point: Cramlington's Alexandra Park (NE23 6EL)​​​
Contact Ed Waugh to register your interest!
Another world
West Cramlington was left as a barren wasteland until the development of Alexandra Park in the 1970s.
(Image credit: Brian Godfrey)
Following the huge success of the stage play The Cramlington Train Wreckers, a walk has been arranged, taking in significant locations associated with the notorious derailment that took place during the General Strike of 1926.
On 10 May 1926, dozens of striking miners lifted a rail in a bid to stop what they thought was a coal train carrying blackleg coal. Their intention was for the coal train to halt.
Unfortunately, the next train to come along was a passenger train, the Flying Scotsman, carrying 281 people on board.
Thankfully no one was killed in the derailment and only one person was slightly injured.
Eight Northumberland miners were sentenced to a total of 48 years' imprisonment for the derailment. After serving their sentences, they returned to Cramlington and Dudley as heroes.
The play, written by Ed Waugh, sold out all nine venues it played throughout the North East in November and local historians Brian Godfrey and Brian Ridley are organising the walk that will take place in Cramlington on 6 July at 11 am.
"Stop everything on wheels!"
The site of the Flying Scotsman derailment in March 2025. The grounds of the Cramlington Learning Village are on the left.
(Image credit: Ewan Waugh)
​Brian Ridley said, "As there has been such an incredible interest, we are organising the walk by "popular demand". It will start at Alexandra Park, the site of the former West Cramlington colliery and village, where five of the imprisoned Wreckers lived. We'll then walk down by the railway line, over the railway bridge and on to Cramlington Station and Nelson Village.
“It'll be approximately three miles.”
While the walk is free, anyone coming along is encouraged to buy Brian Godfrey's 2022 book Remembering West Cramlington Colliery and Village. In it, he has maps and images of West Cramlington village (now Alexandra Park) and the derailed train, which will allow walking participants a much clearer picture of what happened on that fateful occasion.
The book will be sold on the day for £5.
Attendees are encouraged to watch the excellent BBC film Yesterday's Witness: The Cramlington Train Wreckers. First aired in 1970, the 30-minute film shows tremendous historical interviews with the surviving four Cramlington Train Wreckers.
Booking for the walk is essential. Anyone interested in coming along should contact Ed Waugh via the e-mail link below.
Numbers will be limited, and due to demand, people will be asked to book early.
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Please download the Alexandra Park map (PDF) as a guide to the former colliery.