Virtually all the coal which came from Newcastle and Tyneside had to be carried to the River Tyne itself before it could be exported. The waggonways and railways, which carried the coal to the shipping ports on the river were an essential link in the transport of coal from the collieries to London, the main market for Tyne coal. Dunston-on-Tyne, until recently a major port on the river, has a continuous record of railway activity, largely for the transport of coal, for more than 350 years. The story concludes with a look at preservation at the Tanfield Railway and Beamish North of England Open Air Museum. More than 50 photographs, maps, etc.