C leveland . ▁The ▁line ▁would ▁connect ▁to ▁the ▁WH H & R ' s ▁own ▁route ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁via ▁a ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁Te es . ▁Several ▁local ▁land own ers ▁through ▁which ▁the ▁proposed ▁line ▁ran ▁were ▁key ▁to ▁the ▁scheme ▁– ▁Captain ▁Thomas ▁Chal on er ▁of ▁Gu is borough , ▁J . T . ▁Wh art on ▁of ▁Sk el ton ▁Castle , ▁Anthony ▁La x ▁May n ard ▁of ▁Sk in ning ro ve ▁and ▁Ralph ▁Ward ▁Jackson ▁of ▁Gre ath am ▁Hall , ▁Norman by . ▁Ward ▁Jackson , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁WH H & R , ▁was ▁the ▁driving ▁force ▁behind ▁the ▁project ▁and ▁en vis aged ▁making ▁West ▁Hart le pool ▁into ▁the ▁industrial ▁heart ▁of ▁Te ess ide . ▁ ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁was ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁by ▁the ▁S & D , ▁which ▁put ▁forward ▁a ▁rival ▁proposal ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁Parliament ary ▁enqu iry . ▁The ▁two ▁companies ▁each ▁had ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁schemes ▁accepted ▁and ▁part ▁rejected . ▁The ▁Ward ▁Jackson ▁group ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁railway ▁east ▁from ▁Gu is borough ▁to ▁Sk in ning ro ve ▁with ▁a ▁branch ▁at ▁S la pe w ath ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁mine ▁at ▁Sk el ton . ▁They ▁were ▁not ▁permitted ▁to ▁build ▁their ▁own ▁separate ▁line ▁to ▁M idd les br ough ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁rely ▁instead ▁on ▁the ▁M & GR ▁for ▁their ▁connection ▁to ▁the ▁Te es . ▁The ▁S &