It took away – goods parcels, timber from the woods being chopped down (Ministry of Supply), grain from local farms (Ministry of Food), bricks from Ferens and Love, Cornsay Colliery. A passenger train ran twice a day during term time, during the week; arriving at Waterhouses Station 8.01am; Departing 8.14am.

Arriving at Waterhouses Station 4.45pm; departing 4.59pm.

Saturday morning only – no trains on Sundays. Children attending the Grammar Schools in Durham travelled on these trains, the afternoon train did not run during school holidays.

Pigeon men made use of these trains to send their pigeons away to race and training. When young pigeons were being trained – they were first sent to Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Northallerton and York. At the station the baskets were weighed stamped and loaded into the Guards van. At the destination the birds were released and the release times marked on the labels – the empty baskets were returned usually by the afternoon train.

Luggage could be sent in advance, providing a ticket was bought to the destination, if the case was collected from the passenger’s house and delivered at the other end, and brought back it was 2s 6d. If the case was brought to the station it was 1s. This was Passengers Luggage in Advance (PLA). Quite a lot of luggage was sent and received at Ushaw Moor Station for students at Ushaw College, not many adult passengers travelled on these daily trains.

On Big Meeting Day (Durham Miners Gala), passenger trains started about 8 am until 12 noon taking Bands, Banners and passengers into Durham Station. A relief clerk usually did this shift. Trains started bringing passengers home from Durham about 2pm until 10pm, bringing the Bands and Banners home between 4 and 6pm.

Platelayers looked after the track. Roland King was the length man – he walked the track everyday – checking points rails and chairs. If there was a derailment – a gang came from Darlington – sometimes with a steam crane.

Cornsay Colliery had their own small “tanky” which would bring their stuff to Esh Sidings.

Ushaw Colliery had their own tanky driven by Jack Oysten.

A telegraph (Morse Code) connected stations and signal cabins to Darlington. District Goods Manager (DGM) was at Middlesbrough, the District Passenger Manager was at Newcastle, and all Mineral trains were dealt with through Darlington.

Waterhouses Passenger Station did not have electricity – Tilley lamps were used.

To help the war effort all envelopes had addresses crossed out and labels stuck over them, old invoices and old letters were crossed out and the blank sides were used, also indelible pencils and carbon paper was used.

During heavy snow a snowplough came up the line.

Lymington Crossing – there was a house and a small cabin, a bell would be rung when a train was approaching and Mrs Layton would close the gates until the train had passed – then open them again allowing traffic to go to Lymington. The signalman at Waterhouses operated the gates stopping traffic at Waterhouses.

Before there was a regular bus service – only passenger trains enabled people to travel to Durham and further afield. There was a Mr Raw, Station Master whose daughter Annie Raw was Infant Teacher at Esh Winning School.

1913 – Mr. Syd Stoddart was porter, signalman at the passenger station. He was killed in the 1914 –18 War. He belonged Barnard Castle – his name is on the War Memorial at Barnard Castle – Sgt. S. Stoddart DLI and also on the Railway Memorial at York Station.

The Royal Train was stationed one night near the station.

Pre – war excursion trains used to run Saturday nights to Newcastle. Sunday School excursions run Saturdays during the summer to Whitley Bay and South Shields. There were cottages at Flass Junction.

Waterhouses Passenger Station was situated in Esh Winning

Station Master	Mr. T. Hodgson
Mineral Clerk	George Pearson
Chief Clerk	Ernest Pearson
Junior Clerk	Betty Patterson
Porter – Ushaw Moor Station	Jack Railton
Signalman – New Brancepeth	Ben Bailey
Signalman – Flass Cabin	Tom Layton
Porter, Signalman – Goods Station	Len Calvert
Junior Porter – Goods Station	Jim Lord
Lorry Driver	Norman Ryan and Norman Wright

Len and Jim came to service Passenger trains and Len to turn the engine round on the loop at the Station. Norman Wright later played football for Wolves. Mr. Hodgson the Stationmaster was in charge of all the Branch. He lived in the Station House (now pulled down), beside the Methodist Church. He grew tomatoes in the veranda of the station. He was a local Methodist Preacher. George Firth who was a clerk at the station, left to join the RAF, he returned as clerk, moved around and came back as Stationmaster at Waterhouses. After Len Calvert, Ernest Dinsdale took over, Mr. Dugan followed Ben Bailey.

New Brancepeth Colliery and coke ovens sent tanks of tar, coke and Baryter to Haverton Hill and Cargo Fleet at Teesside.

Ushaw Moor Colliery, Esh Colliery and Waterhouses (Pease and Partners) all sent coal away.

Cornsay Colliery (Ferens and Love) sent bricks.

East Hedley Hope Colliery – sent coal.

Ushaw Moor Station – Tickets, parcels for surrounding villages and Ushaw College. Full wagonloads of Brough's (sugar and flour), grain loaded out.

Waterhouses Passenger Station – Tickets, parcels for surrounding villages. Pigeons loaded away.

Waterhouses Goods Station – Goods parcels for the valley and sent away grain, loads of wood.