Eden Valley Railway
Encyclopedia
The Eden Valley Railway (EVR) was a railway in Cumbria
, England. It ran between Clifton Junction near Penrith
and Kirkby Stephen
via Appleby-in-Westmorland
.
Passenger traffic ended in 1962 and the line was reduced to the track between the junction at Appleby station
with the Settle-Carlisle Line and Kirkby Stephen which served a quarry. By 1976 all that was left was 6 miles of track between Appleby in Westmorland and Flitholme
which was used infrequently by the British Army
at Warcop
In 1995 the Eden Valley Railway Society was formed with the aim of re-instating services and restoring on the line. Heritage railway
services resumed in 2006 between Warcop
and Sandford, where a halt is being considered.
, which would have run from Northallerton
to Barnard Castle
then across the Pennines to Kirkby Stephen
, after which two branches would have been formed to connect with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
; one to Tebay
and the other to Clifton
. Another similar scheme was the Northumberland & Lancashire Union which would have run from Gateshead
near Newcastle upon Tyne
to Barnard Castle, and then as the York & Carlisle line across the Pennines via Kirkby Stephen to Tebay. Additionally the Yorkshire and Glasgow Union Railway was planned to run west from Thirsk
through Wenslydale to Hawes
, then north through the Mallerstang
Valley to Kirby Stephen, and then through the Eden Valley to Clifton via Appleby-in-Westmorland
. Both the Yorkshire & Glasgow Union and part of the York & Carlisle Junction to Tebay were empowered by acts of Parliament in 1845 but the end of the Railway bubble of the 1840s
meant that they were not built.
It was not until the late 1850s that a line through the Eden Valley was proposed again. Firstly a new trans-pennine railway line was proposed, reviving the earlier schemes; the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway (SD&LUR) was to run from the Stockton and Darlington Railway
There were two connections, one from Barnard Castle (connected by the Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway), the other at Spring Garden Junction nr. St. Helens
on the Haggerleases Branch line. to Kirkby Stephen and then to Tebay. A second line, the Eden Valley Railway would branch from the first at Kirkby Stephen and then go to Clifton via the upper Eden Valley. The main purpose of these lines was freight, not passengers; bringing higher grade iron ore from Cumberland
and Lancashire
to the blast furnaces of the North East, and coal and coke from the mines of Durham to the northwest of England. The route was shorter than the alternative, the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
.
The act of Parliament authorising South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway was passed on 13 July 1857, and that for the Eden Valley Railway came soon after on 21 May 1858.
The act allowed the raising a capital of £180,000, the appointed directors of the company include important figures from Westmoreland and Cumberland including William Brougham
, Sir Richard Tufton
Isaac Wilson
as well as Henry Pease
.
. Construction of the line was straightforward with only three minor rivers to cross and no tunnels in low lying land; the maximum incline was 1 in 80, the average 1 in 150. The cost of construction had been £204,803 and 8 pence.
From Kirkby Stephen East station
on the SD&LUR the line to Cumbria curves northwest to the junction at which the Eden Valley railway separates from the Tebay line and begins to travel roughly north. 3 km after the junction a bridge over Scandal Beck is reached which was crossed by a iron bridge, less than 2 km further north the River Eden was crossed by Musgrave viaductMusgrave Viaduct looking west 23.9.1978 Possibly later dating bridge over the Eden, since removed
54.51273°N 2.364453°W, via www.flickr.com of three 63 feet (19.2 m) lattice girder iron spans.
Next was the minor Musgrave station
to the west of the village of Great Musgrave
. The line then curved to the northwest towards Warcop
and after 2½km reached Warcop station
. From Warcop the line continued northwest along the Eden valley north of the Eden crossing Coupland Beck after 5½km by a viaduct,Coupland Beck Viaduct viewed from the north, 54.562181°N 2.45738°W, via www.visitcumbria.com and then continued to Appleby
~9 km after Warcop station.
7 km running northwest from Appleby the railway reached Kirkby Thore station
, then just over 2 km west-northwest to Temple Sowerby station
south of the village of the same name. The river Eden was crossed once more at Skygarth viaduct which had four lattice girders each of 98.25 feet (29.9 m), whence the line ran roughly west to Cliburn railway station
1 km north of the village of Cliburn
. The line then continued west, and curved south on a chord connecting it to a north facing junction near Clifton, Cumbria
connecting the line to Clifton and Lowther station on the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway.
The was built as a single track line an was worked by the Stockton and Darlington Railway
from its inception, it opened for mineral trains on 8 April 1862, and for passengers on 9 June the same year.
Soon after opening the amalgamation of the railway into the Stockton and Darlington Railway
along with the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway and Frosterley and Stanhope Railway was sanctioned by an act of Parliament (30 June 1862). The following year the Stockton and Darlington merged into the North Eastern Railway
, and the Eden Valley line too became part of that larger system.
During the construction of the railway, in 1861, an act of Parliament was passed that would increase the importance of the Eden Valley Line. This was the act permitting the construction of the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
, which by 1865 had been opened. It connected to the Cockermouth and Workington Railway
, and hence the ports and industrialised iron-rich regions of the west Cumbrian coast (Workington
, Whitehaven
) were linked to the Lancaster and Carlisle line
(operated by the London and North Western Railway
) near Penrith close to the Eden Valley's own junction. This made the Eden Valley line a route of choice for transport of materials between the north east and north west of England. Permission to build a connection allowing trains from the north to run directly onto the Eden Valley line was obtained in 1862, and the new section opened in 1863, along with a new station for Clifton (renamed Clifton Moor
in 1927) on the chord. Eden Valley passenger trains now ran via this northern track, and had running powers on the L&CR line, now going to Penrith. After 1874 the southern chord was abandoned.
During the 1870s the Settle and Carlisle Railway was being constructed, which also ran through the upper Eden Valley. West of the station in Appleby in Westmoreland a junction with the Eden Valley railway was built allowing trains travelling north to cross onto the westbound Eden Valley line. Further west the Settle line crossed over the Eden Valley line.
. In the following decade several stations closed: Musgrave station
in 1952, Kirkby Thore
in 1953, Temple Sowerby
closed to passengers in 1953, and Cliburn station
in 1956.
In 1958 a two car diesel multiple unit service was introduced. However between 1962 and 1963 the entire line closed to passengers. At the same time the Stainmore railway also closed completely apart from a short section of track eastwards from Kirkby Stephen East railway station
to Merrygill Viaduct for the quarry nearby. From then on only freight trains used the line.
The line from Clifton to Appleby was also closed, and, from 1963 points east of Appleby could only be reached via the junction with the Settle and Carlisle railway at Appleby. Freight trains still ran from Appleby to Kirkby Stephen and then to Hartley Quarry.Hartley Quarry location : 54.469763°N 2.326612°W In 1974 that service ended and the track was removed except for ~9 km between Appleby and Warcop. Trains for the Army training centre north of Warcop ran until 1989.
the A66 road
crosses the trackbed close to where Kirkby Thore station
once stood, and the station was demolished when the road was remodelled in 1974. Clifton Moor
, Cliburn
, Temple Sowerby
and Warcop
and Musgrave railway station
s are now private residences. Other features including the signal boxes at Cliburn and Warcop have survived. The bridges at Musgrave and Skygarth have been removed. The former junction west of Kirkby Stephen with the line to Tebay is now a nature reserve.
Trains ran from April to September between 11 am and 4 pm every Sunday, and occasional weekdays.
2011
Trains ran from 10 April to 18 September 11 am to 4 pm every Sunday. With occasional weekdays.
unit 205009 and Electric Multiple Units British Rail Class 411
units 2311 and 2315 and British Rail Class 419
units 9003 and 9005, as well as 0-6-0 diesel shunter "Darlington", British Rail Class 37
number 37250 and an 0-4-0 shunter, in addition to a number of freight wagons, and a 15 ton railway crane. In September 2010 the society acquired 3 diesel shunters (Barclay, T.H. Vanguard 130c and Hunslet 2839) from Haig Colliery Mining Museum
near Whitehaven
.
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England. It ran between Clifton Junction near Penrith
Penrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
and Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen is a civil parish and small market town in Cumbria, in North West England which historically, is part of Westmorland. The town is located on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, and about from the two nearest larger towns, Kendal and Penrith...
via Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
.
Passenger traffic ended in 1962 and the line was reduced to the track between the junction at Appleby station
Appleby East railway station
Appleby East railway station was situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Kirkby Stephen East and Penrith in Cumbria, England. The station served the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland. Railway services to Appleby now use Appleby railway station.-History:...
with the Settle-Carlisle Line and Kirkby Stephen which served a quarry. By 1976 all that was left was 6 miles of track between Appleby in Westmorland and Flitholme
Flitholme
Flitholme is a hamlet in the parish of Musgrave, in the Eden District, in the English county of Cumbria.- Location :It is located on an unclassified road about a quarter of a mile away from the A66 road.- Nearby settlements :...
which was used infrequently by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at Warcop
Warcop
Warcop is a village and civil parish in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. It is near the A66 road and is north of Kirkby Stephen.It had its own railway station, Warcop railway station from 1862 to 1962...
In 1995 the Eden Valley Railway Society was formed with the aim of re-instating services and restoring on the line. Heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
services resumed in 2006 between Warcop
Warcop railway station
Warcop railway station was situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Warcop. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 22 January 1962...
and Sandford, where a halt is being considered.
Background
Prior to the construction of the Eden Valley Railway, in the 1840s, several schemes had been proposed which would have run to the Eden Valley; one was the York & Carlisle Junction Railway, backed by the Great North of England RailwayGreat North of England Railway
The Great North of England Railway was an early British railway company. Its main line, opened in 1841 was between York and Darlington, and originally it was planned to extend to Newcastle. In 1850 it was absorbed by the North Eastern Railway ....
, which would have run from Northallerton
Northallerton
Northallerton is an affluent market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It has a population of 15,741 according to the 2001 census...
to Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
then across the Pennines to Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen
Kirkby Stephen is a civil parish and small market town in Cumbria, in North West England which historically, is part of Westmorland. The town is located on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, and about from the two nearest larger towns, Kendal and Penrith...
, after which two branches would have been formed to connect with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was a British railway company authorised on 6 June 1844 to build a line between Lancaster and Carlisle in North-West England...
; one to Tebay
Tebay
Tebay is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, within the traditional borders of Westmorland. It lies in the upper Lune Valley, at the head of the Lune Gorge. The parish of Tebay had a population of 728 recorded in the 2001 census,...
and the other to Clifton
Clifton, Cumbria
Clifton is a small linear village and civil parish south east of Penrith in Cumbria, England.-History and geography:The civil parish of Clifton has its western boundary defined by the River Lowther, to the north and east lie the civil parishes of Brougham and Great Strickland, to the south is the...
. Another similar scheme was the Northumberland & Lancashire Union which would have run from Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
near Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
to Barnard Castle, and then as the York & Carlisle line across the Pennines via Kirkby Stephen to Tebay. Additionally the Yorkshire and Glasgow Union Railway was planned to run west from Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
through Wenslydale to Hawes
Hawes
Hawes is a small market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, being granted its market charter in 1699...
, then north through the Mallerstang
Mallerstang
Mallerstang is a civil parish in the extreme east of Cumbria, and, geographically, a dale at the head of the upper Eden Valley. Originally part of Westmorland, it lies about south of the nearest town, Kirkby Stephen...
Valley to Kirby Stephen, and then through the Eden Valley to Clifton via Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
. Both the Yorkshire & Glasgow Union and part of the York & Carlisle Junction to Tebay were empowered by acts of Parliament in 1845 but the end of the Railway bubble of the 1840s
Railway Mania
The Railway Mania was an instance of speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, more and more money was poured in by speculators, until the inevitable collapse...
meant that they were not built.
It was not until the late 1850s that a line through the Eden Valley was proposed again. Firstly a new trans-pennine railway line was proposed, reviving the earlier schemes; the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway (SD&LUR) was to run from the Stockton and Darlington Railway
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
There were two connections, one from Barnard Castle (connected by the Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway), the other at Spring Garden Junction nr. St. Helens
St Helen Auckland
St Helen Auckland is a village in County Durham, in England. It is south-west of Bishop Auckland. It is named after St. Helen in distinction from Bishop Auckland as the church is dedicated to her.-External links:*...
on the Haggerleases Branch line. to Kirkby Stephen and then to Tebay. A second line, the Eden Valley Railway would branch from the first at Kirkby Stephen and then go to Clifton via the upper Eden Valley. The main purpose of these lines was freight, not passengers; bringing higher grade iron ore from Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
to the blast furnaces of the North East, and coal and coke from the mines of Durham to the northwest of England. The route was shorter than the alternative, the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was a British railway company authorised on 6 June 1844 to build a line between Lancaster and Carlisle in North-West England...
.
The act of Parliament authorising South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway was passed on 13 July 1857, and that for the Eden Valley Railway came soon after on 21 May 1858.
The act allowed the raising a capital of £180,000, the appointed directors of the company include important figures from Westmoreland and Cumberland including William Brougham
William Brougham, 2nd Baron Brougham and Vaux
William Brougham, 2nd Baron Brougham and Vaux DL, JP , known as William Brougham until 1868, was a British barrister and Whig politician.-Background and education:...
, Sir Richard Tufton
Baron Hothfield
Baron Hothfield, of Hothfield in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1881 for Sir Henry Tufton, 2nd Baronet, who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Westmorland the same year and who also served briefly as a government whip in the Liberal...
Isaac Wilson
Isaac Wilson (MP)
Isaac Wilson was an English industrialist and Liberal politician.Wilson was born in Kendal, Westmorland, the son of Isaac Wilson and Mary Jowitt. He was related to the Pease family and in 1841 went to Middlesbrough where he managed a pottery in Commercial Street...
as well as Henry Pease
Henry Pease (MP)
Henry Pease was a railway owner, peace campaigner and a Liberal politician who represented Durham South.Pease, a member of the Quaker Pease family of Darlington, was the fifth son of Edward Pease. He was a director of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and was responsible for the foundation of...
.
Construction and route
Construction of the 22 miles (35.4 km) line was contracted to Messrs. Lawton Brothers of Newcastle, the turning of the sod ceremony took place on 4 August 1858 with Lord Brougham. Most of the stone for the railway's stations was quarried near CliburnCliburn
Cliburn is a village and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Town Head. In 2001 the population was 204.-History:...
. Construction of the line was straightforward with only three minor rivers to cross and no tunnels in low lying land; the maximum incline was 1 in 80, the average 1 in 150. The cost of construction had been £204,803 and 8 pence.
From Kirkby Stephen East station
Kirkby Stephen East railway station
Kirkby Stephen East railway station was situated on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway between Barnard Castle and Tebay. It served the town of Kirkby Stephen in England. The station opened to passenger traffic on 8 August 1861, and closed on 22 January 1962.The station had an extensive...
on the SD&LUR the line to Cumbria curves northwest to the junction at which the Eden Valley railway separates from the Tebay line and begins to travel roughly north. 3 km after the junction a bridge over Scandal Beck is reached which was crossed by a iron bridge, less than 2 km further north the River Eden was crossed by Musgrave viaductMusgrave Viaduct looking west 23.9.1978 Possibly later dating bridge over the Eden, since removed
54.51273°N 2.364453°W, via www.flickr.com of three 63 feet (19.2 m) lattice girder iron spans.
Next was the minor Musgrave station
Musgrave railway station
Musgrave railway station was a railway station situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the villages of Great Musgrave, Little Musgrave and Brough. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 3 November 1952.-References:...
to the west of the village of Great Musgrave
Great Musgrave
Great Musgrave is a village in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. It is about a mile west of Brough.-External links:*...
. The line then curved to the northwest towards Warcop
Warcop
Warcop is a village and civil parish in the Eden district of Cumbria, England. It is near the A66 road and is north of Kirkby Stephen.It had its own railway station, Warcop railway station from 1862 to 1962...
and after 2½km reached Warcop station
Warcop railway station
Warcop railway station was situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Warcop. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 22 January 1962...
. From Warcop the line continued northwest along the Eden valley north of the Eden crossing Coupland Beck after 5½km by a viaduct,Coupland Beck Viaduct viewed from the north, 54.562181°N 2.45738°W, via www.visitcumbria.com and then continued to Appleby
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
~9 km after Warcop station.
7 km running northwest from Appleby the railway reached Kirkby Thore station
Kirkby Thore railway station
Kirkby Thore railway station was a railway station situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Kirkby Thore. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 7 December 1953. The track has been dismantled and the A66...
, then just over 2 km west-northwest to Temple Sowerby station
Temple Sowerby railway station
Temple Sowerby railway station was a railway stationsituated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Temple Sowerby. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 7 December 1953....
south of the village of the same name. The river Eden was crossed once more at Skygarth viaduct which had four lattice girders each of 98.25 feet (29.9 m), whence the line ran roughly west to Cliburn railway station
Cliburn railway station
Cliburn railway station was a station situated on the Eden Valley Railway in Cumbria, England. It served the village of Cliburn to the south. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 17 September 1956.-Description:...
1 km north of the village of Cliburn
Cliburn
Cliburn is a village and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Town Head. In 2001 the population was 204.-History:...
. The line then continued west, and curved south on a chord connecting it to a north facing junction near Clifton, Cumbria
Clifton, Cumbria
Clifton is a small linear village and civil parish south east of Penrith in Cumbria, England.-History and geography:The civil parish of Clifton has its western boundary defined by the River Lowther, to the north and east lie the civil parishes of Brougham and Great Strickland, to the south is the...
connecting the line to Clifton and Lowther station on the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway.
The was built as a single track line an was worked by the Stockton and Darlington Railway
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
from its inception, it opened for mineral trains on 8 April 1862, and for passengers on 9 June the same year.
1862-1923
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
along with the South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway and Frosterley and Stanhope Railway was sanctioned by an act of Parliament (30 June 1862). The following year the Stockton and Darlington merged into the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
, and the Eden Valley line too became part of that larger system.
During the construction of the railway, in 1861, an act of Parliament was passed that would increase the importance of the Eden Valley Line. This was the act permitting the construction of the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway was incorporated by Act of Parliament on 1 August 1861, for a line connecting the town of Cockermouth with the London and North Western Railway West Coast Main Line at Penrith. Arrangements for the use of the stations at either end The Cockermouth,...
, which by 1865 had been opened. It connected to the Cockermouth and Workington Railway
Cockermouth and Workington Railway
The Cockermouth & Workington Railway was a railway between the towns of Workington and Cockermouth established by Act of Parliament in 1845. A single-tracked line of eight and a half miles length, it was built primarily to carry coals from the pits of West Cumberland to the port at Workington for...
, and hence the ports and industrialised iron-rich regions of the west Cumbrian coast (Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
, Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
) were linked to the Lancaster and Carlisle line
Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was a British railway company authorised on 6 June 1844 to build a line between Lancaster and Carlisle in North-West England...
(operated by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
) near Penrith close to the Eden Valley's own junction. This made the Eden Valley line a route of choice for transport of materials between the north east and north west of England. Permission to build a connection allowing trains from the north to run directly onto the Eden Valley line was obtained in 1862, and the new section opened in 1863, along with a new station for Clifton (renamed Clifton Moor
Clifton Moor railway station
Clifton Moor railway station was situated in England on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Clifton. The station opened to passenger traffic on 1 August 1863, and was originally named 'Clifton'. The 'Moor' suffix was added on 1 September 1927...
in 1927) on the chord. Eden Valley passenger trains now ran via this northern track, and had running powers on the L&CR line, now going to Penrith. After 1874 the southern chord was abandoned.
During the 1870s the Settle and Carlisle Railway was being constructed, which also ran through the upper Eden Valley. West of the station in Appleby in Westmoreland a junction with the Eden Valley railway was built allowing trains travelling north to cross onto the westbound Eden Valley line. Further west the Settle line crossed over the Eden Valley line.
1923 - 1948
Between 1923 and 1948 the line was part of the London and North Eastern RailwayLondon and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
1948 - 1989 British Rail
In 1948 the railways of Britain were nationalised and the line became part of British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
. In the following decade several stations closed: Musgrave station
Musgrave railway station
Musgrave railway station was a railway station situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the villages of Great Musgrave, Little Musgrave and Brough. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 3 November 1952.-References:...
in 1952, Kirkby Thore
Kirkby Thore railway station
Kirkby Thore railway station was a railway station situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Kirkby Thore. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 7 December 1953. The track has been dismantled and the A66...
in 1953, Temple Sowerby
Temple Sowerby railway station
Temple Sowerby railway station was a railway stationsituated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Temple Sowerby. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 7 December 1953....
closed to passengers in 1953, and Cliburn station
Cliburn railway station
Cliburn railway station was a station situated on the Eden Valley Railway in Cumbria, England. It served the village of Cliburn to the south. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 17 September 1956.-Description:...
in 1956.
In 1958 a two car diesel multiple unit service was introduced. However between 1962 and 1963 the entire line closed to passengers. At the same time the Stainmore railway also closed completely apart from a short section of track eastwards from Kirkby Stephen East railway station
Kirkby Stephen East railway station
Kirkby Stephen East railway station was situated on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway between Barnard Castle and Tebay. It served the town of Kirkby Stephen in England. The station opened to passenger traffic on 8 August 1861, and closed on 22 January 1962.The station had an extensive...
to Merrygill Viaduct for the quarry nearby. From then on only freight trains used the line.
The line from Clifton to Appleby was also closed, and, from 1963 points east of Appleby could only be reached via the junction with the Settle and Carlisle railway at Appleby. Freight trains still ran from Appleby to Kirkby Stephen and then to Hartley Quarry.Hartley Quarry location : 54.469763°N 2.326612°W In 1974 that service ended and the track was removed except for ~9 km between Appleby and Warcop. Trains for the Army training centre north of Warcop ran until 1989.
The line today (2010)
Except for the section between Appleby and Warcop non of the track remains in situ. Most of the trackbed remains as a feature on the landscape and as field boundaries. To the south east of Kirkby ThoreKirkby Thore
Kirkby Thore is a small village, civil parish and hill in Cumbria, England at .It is close to the Lake District national park and the Cumbrian Pennines...
the A66 road
A66 road
The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria...
crosses the trackbed close to where Kirkby Thore station
Kirkby Thore railway station
Kirkby Thore railway station was a railway station situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Kirkby Thore. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 7 December 1953. The track has been dismantled and the A66...
once stood, and the station was demolished when the road was remodelled in 1974. Clifton Moor
Clifton Moor railway station
Clifton Moor railway station was situated in England on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Clifton. The station opened to passenger traffic on 1 August 1863, and was originally named 'Clifton'. The 'Moor' suffix was added on 1 September 1927...
, Cliburn
Cliburn railway station
Cliburn railway station was a station situated on the Eden Valley Railway in Cumbria, England. It served the village of Cliburn to the south. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 17 September 1956.-Description:...
, Temple Sowerby
Temple Sowerby railway station
Temple Sowerby railway station was a railway stationsituated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Temple Sowerby. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 7 December 1953....
and Warcop
Warcop railway station
Warcop railway station was situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the village of Warcop. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 22 January 1962...
and Musgrave railway station
Musgrave railway station
Musgrave railway station was a railway station situated on the Eden Valley Railway between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen East. It served the villages of Great Musgrave, Little Musgrave and Brough. The station opened to passenger traffic on 9 June 1862, and closed on 3 November 1952.-References:...
s are now private residences. Other features including the signal boxes at Cliburn and Warcop have survived. The bridges at Musgrave and Skygarth have been removed. The former junction west of Kirkby Stephen with the line to Tebay is now a nature reserve.
Preservation - the Eden Valley Railway Society
On 3 August 2004 the Eden Valley Railway Order 2004 came into action, allowing the Eden Valley Railway Trust (formed 1985) to undertake railway operations (excluding non-self generated electrical railways) on the 9.3 km track from Appleby to Flitholme near Warcop.Operations
2010Trains ran from April to September between 11 am and 4 pm every Sunday, and occasional weekdays.
2011
Trains ran from 10 April to 18 September 11 am to 4 pm every Sunday. With occasional weekdays.
Rolling stock
The Eden Valley Railway has mostly ex-British Rail built rolling stock including Diesel-Electric Multiple Units British Rail Class 205British Rail Class 205
The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
unit 205009 and Electric Multiple Units British Rail Class 411
British Rail Class 411
The British Rail Class 411 electrical multiple units were built at Eastleigh works from 1956-63 for the newly electrified main lines in Kent. These units were based on the earlier Southern Railway 4Cor design, built in 1937. They were replaced by Juniper units.-Description:A total of 133 units...
units 2311 and 2315 and British Rail Class 419
British Rail Class 419
The British Rail Class 419 Motor Luggage Vans were built from 1951-61 by BR at Eastleigh Works.-Description:Ten of these units were built for the boat trains from London Victoria to Dover and Folkestone...
units 9003 and 9005, as well as 0-6-0 diesel shunter "Darlington", British Rail Class 37
British Rail Class 37
The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
number 37250 and an 0-4-0 shunter, in addition to a number of freight wagons, and a 15 ton railway crane. In September 2010 the society acquired 3 diesel shunters (Barclay, T.H. Vanguard 130c and Hunslet 2839) from Haig Colliery Mining Museum
Haig Colliery Mining Museum
Haig Colliery Mining Museum is a rapidly growing visitor attraction situated in Kells, high on the cliffs above Whitehaven in Cumbria, England, with magnificent views across the Solway Firth to Scotland and the Isle of Man....
near Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
.
Sources
- A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume 4: The North East, K. Hoole, 3rd Edition, 1986
- The North Eastern Railway, Cecil J. Allen, 1974
- The North Eastern Railway; its rise and development, William Weaver Tomlinson, 1915, online version via www.archive.org
- The Eden Valley Railway, Alan Dick, 1992, article, images track diagrams, via www.cumbria-railways.co.uk
- Cumbria Railways - The Eden Valley Railway, description, images and maps, www.cumbria-railways.co.uk
External links
- The Eden Valley Railway official website www.evr-cumbria.org.uk
- The Eden Valley Railway www.visitcumbria.com