Garsdale railway station
Encyclopedia
Garsdale railway station is a railway station
which serves the immediate hamlet of Garsdale Head
, Cumbria
, England
, together with the valley of Garsdale
and the nearby towns of Sedbergh
, Cumbria and Hawes
, North Yorkshire. It is operated by Northern Rail
who provide all passenger train services.
Adjoining the station are sixteen Railway Cottages built for its employees by the Midland Railway
around 1876, the year the Settle-Carlisle Line opened. A further six cottages were added near to the Moorcock Inn soon afterwards. The station once boasted the highest water troughs in the world (just along the line at Ling Gill), and a waiting room where Anglican church services were held. In steam days, Garsdale had a turntable with a wall of sleepers
around it to prevent locomotives being spun by strong winds as happened in 1900, this being the inspiration for the story Tenders and Turntables in the book Troublesome Engines in The Railway Series
by Rev W. Awdry.
The site of the Hawes Junction rail crash
of 1910 is near to the station which was originally known as Hawes Junction, as it was the junction of a branch line to . This branch line was closed in 1959, but the main line is in regular use for both passenger and goods trains.
It is the long term aim of the Wensleydale Railway
to extend their rails along the former route from Redmire
to connect with services here, allowing through journeys to Northallerton
on the East Coast Main Line
.
i.e five trains to both Leeds
and Carlisle
on weekdays, with an additional train each way on Saturdays and three each way on Sundays. The station is also served by DalesRail trains between Blackpool North/Preston and Carlisle on Sundays during the summer (two trains each way).
is in honour of both the dog and Graham Nuttall and was unveiled at the station on 11 April 2009 (20 years after the Settle-Carlisile saga came to an end, in which the line was completely saved) by former B.R Manager Ron Cotton and the ex-head of the North West & Cumbria TUCC Mrs Olive Clarke. The station buildings (previously out of use due to leaking roofs) were also reopened to the public as part of the ceremony. For further details of the story visit The Settle-Carlisle Partnership website.http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/news/index.cfm?categoryID=21
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
which serves the immediate hamlet of Garsdale Head
Garsdale Head
Garsdale Head is a hamlet in Cumbria, but is part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It lies at the top of the valley of Garsdale, on and near the A684 road between Sedbergh and Hawes. Its main attraction is Garsdale railway station on the Settle-Carlisle Railway and the Wensleydale Railway...
, Cumbria
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, together with the valley of Garsdale
Garsdale
Garsdale is a civil parish occupying a narrow populated valley in Cumbria, England. It is on the western slopes of the Pennines, between Baugh Fell to the north, and Rise Hill to the south. The main hamlet, called “The Street”, lies on the A684 road, east of Sedbergh, and west of Hawes...
and the nearby towns of Sedbergh
Sedbergh
Sedbergh is a small town in Cumbria, England. It lies about east of Kendal and about north of Kirkby Lonsdale. The town sits just within the Yorkshire Dales National Park...
, Cumbria and 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...
, North Yorkshire. It is operated by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
who provide all passenger train services.
Adjoining the station are sixteen Railway Cottages built for its employees by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
around 1876, the year the Settle-Carlisle Line opened. A further six cottages were added near to the Moorcock Inn soon afterwards. The station once boasted the highest water troughs in the world (just along the line at Ling Gill), and a waiting room where Anglican church services were held. In steam days, Garsdale had a turntable with a wall of sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
around it to prevent locomotives being spun by strong winds as happened in 1900, this being the inspiration for the story Tenders and Turntables in the book Troublesome Engines in The Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
by Rev W. Awdry.
The site of the Hawes Junction rail crash
Hawes Junction rail crash
The Hawes Junction rail crash occurred on 24 December 1910, on the Midland Railway's Settle and Carlisle mainline at the junction with the Wensleydale Railway in Westmorland , England. It was caused when a busy signalman forgot about a pair of light engines waiting at his down starting signal to...
of 1910 is near to the station which was originally known as Hawes Junction, as it was the junction of a branch line to . This branch line was closed in 1959, but the main line is in regular use for both passenger and goods trains.
It is the long term aim of the Wensleydale Railway
Wensleydale Railway
The Wensleydale Railway is a railway line in Wensleydale and Lower Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England and the name of the company that operates services on the line....
to extend their rails along the former route from Redmire
Redmire railway station
Redmire railway station is the current western terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the village of Redmire in North Yorkshire, England. The site was redeveloped in the early 1990s by the Ministry of Defence to allow movement of military equipment by rail to and from Catterick Garrison,...
to connect with services here, allowing through journeys to Northallerton
Northallerton railway station
Northallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the East Coast Main Line north of York...
on the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
.
Services
Garsdale has the same service level as neighbouring DentDent railway station
Dent railway station serves the villages of Cowgill and Dent in Cumbria, England. It is operated by Northern Rail who provide all passenger train services....
i.e five trains to both Leeds
Leeds City railway station
Leeds railway station is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England...
and Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
on weekdays, with an additional train each way on Saturdays and three each way on Sundays. The station is also served by DalesRail trains between Blackpool North/Preston and Carlisle on Sundays during the summer (two trains each way).
The Ruswarp statue
A lifesize bronze statue of a Border Collie dog has been located on the southbound platform. This honours a dog called Ruswarp who was the inseparable companion of Graham Nuttall, one of the founding members of the group set up to save the Settle-Carlisle Railway from closure in the 1980s. On 20 January 1990, Graham Nuttall went walking in the Welsh mountains and never returned. His body was found on 7 April 1990. His faithful dog had remained with him throughout this time. The sculpture by JOELSculptress JOEL
JOEL is an English sculptress known for depicting animals.She was commissioned to make a statue of a dog for Garsdale railway station . She was chosen for her detailed work, and portraits of animals...
is in honour of both the dog and Graham Nuttall and was unveiled at the station on 11 April 2009 (20 years after the Settle-Carlisile saga came to an end, in which the line was completely saved) by former B.R Manager Ron Cotton and the ex-head of the North West & Cumbria TUCC Mrs Olive Clarke. The station buildings (previously out of use due to leaking roofs) were also reopened to the public as part of the ceremony. For further details of the story visit The Settle-Carlisle Partnership website.http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/news/index.cfm?categoryID=21