Commemorative Walk - May 10, 2026
A fantastic Wisecrack event, organised with the help of Cramlington Town Council, took us around the former colliery village of West Cramlington (closed in 1938 and now Alexandra Park), before heading to the site of the infamous Flying Scotsman derailment exactly 100 years ago during the General Strike.
A big thank you to everyone who helped and attended (50+ walkers) to keep the memory of West Cramlington and the Train Wreckers alive.
Train Wrecker Walk - July 6, 2025
Following the huge success of the stage play The Cramlington Train Wreckers, a walk was held on 6 July 2025, taking in significant locations of the former site of West Cramlington Colliery (today Alexandra Park) and the section of railway line associated with the notorious derailment that took place during the General Strike of 1926.
A big thank you to the 45 walkers and local historians Brian Godfrey, Jon Hill and Brian Ridley.
On 10 May 1926, dozens of striking miners lifted a rail in an attempt to halt what they believed was a coal train carrying blackleg coal. Their intention was for the coal train to halt.
Unfortunately, the train was a passenger service, the famous Flying Scotsman, carrying 281 people, pulled by the Merry Hampton locomotive.
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 2024.
