This is taken from the Northern Division Local Appendix of 1961.
The Sandgate Cemetery Branch is now closed.  The safeworking arrangements
for the branch are interesting in that instead of the usual arrangement 
of using tickets when two trains are required to work a branch before
a train can return with the staff, instead train crew were required to
walk back to the junction with the Staff, it is an easy walk.

My father lived at Sandgate in his youth and remembers trains working
regularly on the branch. In his boyhood they played cowboys and indians
in the cemetery and would attack the funeral trains as they arrived with
bows and arrows and catapaults.  They also used to earn pocket money from 
the funeral directors by employing the same implements to drive off the 
magpies which would swoop on the mourners.

When I last visited the branch in the early 
70's one train a week (on a Sunday) was tabled to run on the branch.
I don't know if two trains ever did work the branch at once.


		SANDGATE CEMETERY

	The cemetery is on the Up side of the Main line and a short 
	line about 2270 feet in length with a loop at the Cemetery Station is laid
	in between Sandgate Station and the cemetery grounds.

	FRAME B.
	A two lever frame "B" is provided on the Up side of the Branch line
	at the points at the Newcastle end of the loop; the points are worked
	from No 2 lever in frame "B" and secured by a bracket-lock, which is 
	unlocked by key on the Ordinary Train Staff for the section 
	Sandgate-Sandgate Cemetery.

	A Home signal is provided, 48 feet on the Newcastle side of the points,
	and is worked from No 1 lever.

	STOP BOARD.
	A Stop board is provided at the derail at the Sandgate end of the loop
	and engines must not pass this Stop Board in the Up direction until 
	hand signalled to do so by the Guard or Shunter.

	The following arrangements apply in connection with the working of trains
	on the Cemetery branch:-
	(i) When it is necessary for a train or engine to be placed in the Loop,
	the bracket-lock must be unlocked by the key on the Ordinary Train Staff
	and the train or engine admitted to the Siding by Hand signal.

	(ii) A train or engine is not to be allowed to occupy the Cemetery line
	between the Cemetery branch end of No 10 points at Sandgate Station and 
	the Home signal, Cemetery station, unles the Driver is in possession of
	the Train Staff.

	(iii) When only one train is run on the branch line, the Home signal for
	the cemetery must be cleared by the guard immediately prior to the train
	departing from the Cemetery to Sandgate station.

	(iv) When two or more trains are required to run on the Cemetery branch
	line, the officer in charge at Sandgate must attach to the Train Staff 
	for the first train to the branch, an order directing the Guard, after 
	necessary shunting has been carried out at the Cemetery, to return to
	Sandgate with the staff, which he must hand to the Officer in charge in
	readiness for the second train.  The driver must hand this order to the 
	guard on arrival at the cemetery station.

	When the first train has arrived at the Cemetery platform the Home 
	signal at the cemetery must be placed at Stop by the Guard.  The enginbe 
	is then to run round the train and the train, complete with engine placed
	in the loop.  The Guard must then clear the Home signal, proceed to Sandgate
	and deliver the Train Staff to the Officer in charge in accordance with the
	instructions attached to the Train Staff on the forward journey to the 
	Cemetery.

	(v) Upon arrival of the second train at the Cemetery, the Home signal 
	must be placed at Stop by the Guard of that train, and it must so 
	remain until immediatelyu prior to departure of the second train, when 
	the Guard of the latter train will clear the signal.

	(vi) In order to obtain the Train Staff for the second train from the
	Cemetery branch, the Guard deputed to work that train must proceed to
	No 17 (Cemetery to Up Main) signal in advance of the arrival there of
	the first train, obtain the Train Staff and return it to his Driver. The
	Guard of each successivetrain will deal with the Train Staff similarly.

	(vii) Unles sotherwise directed by the District Superintendent, Newcastle
	the engine which works the first train must return working the first 
	train despatched from the Cemetery, and the Guard arriving by the first
	train must return working the second train.

	(viii) The employee deputed by the Officer-in-charge Sandgate, prior 
	to the second train leaving the Cemetery, will be responsible for 
	transfering the Train Staff between the station and the Cemetery,
	as prescribed in the foregoing instructions.

	(ix) The Officer-in-charge at Sandgate must be in attendance to deliver
	to and receive from the Driver the Train Staff when trains are passing 
	No 10 Points (Cemetery Branch end), Up Main line to Cemetery Branch.