Stainmore, Shap and Eden Valley Project

Saturday, 11 April 2015

The Third Leg - By Ben Yates

When you say “Stainmore” most folk think of the main climb over the Pennines and in particular the ridiculous and curvaceous climb from the west, the impossible behemoth Belah Viaduct, and the mishap of plucky Standard 2 mogul 78018 and the 4-20am Kirkby Stephen to Darlington goods on Thursday, 24 February 1955, immortalized in “Snow Drift at Bleath Gill” . All good stuff, but as we've explored in previous blogs, this is very much a line of contrasts, and even more so now Shap is in the mix.

One section I've not really covered before is the “third” leg from Kirkby Stephen to Tebay.

I describe it as such incorrectly, given it was the original aim of the SD&LUR to link to the WCML at Tebay to access Barrow for reciprocal coke, coal and iron ore, and the Eden Valley Railway was a separate, if highly cooperated, undertaking. My bias is perhaps more down to my over-fondness of the CKPR and its co-existence with Stainmore via the EVR, plus the passenger operations that saw the Tebay section as the branch connection before its earlier demise.

Without doubt, the section of the line through Smardale is as dramatic as any, indeed it is fair to take my customary pop at the Settle & Carlisle to say the section that passes beneath Smardale Viaduct and over Smardale Gill Viaduct eclipses in beauty and drama (if not sheer bleakness!) anything the Midland came up with. If you’re ever in the area, I can wholeheartedly recommend a walk from Smardale hall along the trackbed, over the viaduct (now owned and preserved by the Northern Viaduct trust http://www.nvt.org.uk/ ) and on to the lime kilns.

Nor is it the flat section after the main event. On departure from Kirkby Stephen, the line twists sharply to the south to use Smardale Gill as the only viable route by Ash Fell and climbs with gradients of 1 in 77, 96 and 79 for 5 miles with only half a mile’s respite through Smardale station to Sandy Bank summit at 889ft – comparable with the final assault on Shap. Likewise, freight was usually banked.

Smardale is a tiny curiosity of a station(See Above Image) by the “feature building” that is Smardale Hall(Image Below) with its Rapunzel-like towers, a solitary platform and a siding. The station remains as a dwelling, though difficult to recognise as its original form. The station was a block post prior to around 1924 and had a much larger signal box than would seem required. The section west was over the summit to Sandy Bank, which lost its signal box at around the same time and neither survive in more than a solitary photograph of each. This left a long section of 8 miles from Kirkby Stephen West to Ravenstonedale, which perhaps demonstrates the low traffic level after the great War.

The line was double tracked from Sandy Bank to Tebay (which seems extravagant!) though was cut back to single line from Ravenstonedale when the box was removed.

Ravenstonedale is a picture postcard of a rural station, with its extravagant architecture, quaint wooden goods shed, dumpy signal box and staggered platforms. It remains beautifully preserved today, though hangs precariously above the A685 that later stole the trackbed of this section. One thing that became apparent to me is the extent of groundworks carried out for the A685 was significant, and included a major diversion of the River Lune from one side of the old line to the other. What I had thought was a gentle stroll through the Lune Valley is in fact quite a lively run, with frequent crossing of the Lune itself, multiple tributaries as well as access roads and accommodation crossings. The gradient itself shouldn’t be dismissed – 8 miles with a ruling gradient of 111 is a “drag” and certainly a longish one at that!

Gaisgill closed early and seems little photographed or remembered, though noted as a rare level crossing on this line and for its immaculate station garden. The building exists as a dwelling, though modernised and alarmingly close to the A685.

Tebay East quickly follows, the sweeping curve into the station being a favoured spot of Ivo Peters and Derek Cross for capturing the double-headed Newcastle to Blackpool summer Saturday specials. The station itself was better known for the London Midland side of the station, but the eastern side boasted 10 or so roads of mineral sidings, a goods shed and a 4 road shed with turntable.

The last spin was taken by now preserved J21 65033 on the RCTS (N.E. Branch) and Stockton & Darlington Locomotive Society 'J21 Rail tour' 7^th May 1960 - the last J21 working over the Stainmore route - this featured a run from Darlington to Tebay, over Shap to Carlisle with just load 3. Reportedly, the engine made a very assured climb of Shap, and quite possibly the first and only for the class!

More Soon. . . . . . . . .

Monday, 2 March 2015

Tebay and Shap

Tebay’s existence as a railway centre owes itself to 2 functions – the junction between the L&C / LNWR / LMS and BR London Midland region and the SD&LU / NER / LNER and BR North Eastern region and the need to bank trains. Tebay was pretty much razed from railway existence at the end of steam, the tail end of the Stainmore line having been retained to store miles of coal wagons during summers when they were not required.

The change in ownership over the years appears to have done little to change operations until close to the end of steam – separate sheds, signalling, platforms, and I believe most through freight changed engines in the exchange sidings behind number 3 platform.

Northbound passenger trains would be banked at the discretion of the driver – the Tebay crews would sit on standby behind the platform, and a train requiring assistance would sound a “crow” whistle (three rounds of short-long) on approach to Tebay No.1 box at the south end of the Down Loop, and would come to a stand just where the M6 currently crosses the line. Tebay No.2 box would allow the banker out onto the down main to buffer up to the train, where whistles would exchange and the climb begin. Cine film (affirmed by conversation with a former Oxenholme platelayer) shows that engine handling was certainly “confident” to say the least – the full tanks on a class 4 could spill dramatically when checked by a freight train, and I expect all but the greenest of guards would take cover in their van!

Tebay Shed was home to a stud of Fowler 2-6-4 tanks for banking duties, later replaced by Fairburn’s take on the same design and finally BR Standard mogul tender engines. None of the Fowler tanks survive, but 2 Fairburns enjoy a peaceful retirement in familiar surroundings at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite now in familiar BR black rather than their fictional (but rather fetching) Caledonian Blue and LNWR Blackberry of the 1970s.

Halfway up the climb is Scout Green box - a gated minor road crossing and block post for the climb, and favoured spot for photographers. The cabin, with its crooked Chimney, was tiny, and the bobby had to move his armchair to pull off lever number 1. The Up Home signal was a colossal 60ft co-acting LNWR type for maximum visibility for descending trains. The box also controlled intermediate block signals at Shap Wells, providing a further line capacity on the climb to the Summit. There is a rumour that when the box was taken out of service that it was dismantled and stored for reuse on a preserved line, though despite extensive research I can't find anything. Answers on a postcard.

Cine and photos show the bankers were worked full-on for their climb to Shap summit, which must have been a difficult firing turn – sat around for some time on the engine and having a huge demand for steam at short notice. Engines would drop off at Shap summit, cross over at the box to the up line and clank their way back to Tebay and cross over to the siding to do it all again.

Unlike Beattock, not all trains stopped – a Duchess in good nick could take 12 with relative ease, and from photographs it looks like a Class 7 engine (Scot or a Brit) would take 10 unaided, and a 5 would take 8. The decision to stop would be down to many things – the condition of the engine, the coal, the weather - the strong cross winds found on Shap could add significantly to the friction of a train, and there are pictures of Diesels taking steam bankers! Freights were nearly always banked. 5s and 8s were the usual motive power, with 9Fs surprisingly infrequent visitors to Shap.

Earlier, most goods traffic would be in the hands of LNWR G1 and G2 “Super D” 0-8-0 engines. Unglamorous they certainly were, and fireman Pete “Piccolo” Johnson of Crewe North shed recalled they appeared to have been designed to be as inconvenient and painful as possible for a fireman, with every edge perfectly positioned to scrape a firemans knuckles. They were, however, free steaming, powerful and economical engines and would slog up banks all day with very heavy loads.

One duty they are remembered for were the “Jellicoe specials”, where the Admiralty took the decision that the welsh steam coal for the Navy fleet could no longer travel by sea to the base at Scapa Flow Orkney given the U-Boat attacks. A continuous series of coal trains were worked from South Wales by the GWR to Crewe, thence by LNWR to Scotland (in total 700 miles) mainly in the hands of Super D’s marked “A” for Admiralty on their cabside and not to be used for anything else! There were at least 5 trains northbound a day, loads were 40 wagons (of the greased axlebox variety, adding to the task) loaded and 60 empty, and it is estimated that over 5 million tons worked its way over Shap during the war.

I had the very great privilege of a footplate ride on the last remaining Super D, 45395, at Llangollen and even at 20 miles an hour the ride was the liveliest I’ve ever experienced on a footplate, and my respect for the crews who toiled for hours in all weathers on the toughest of roles is total.

By contrast, the Lakes Express from Euston was often hauled by a Duchess and after removing portions at Preston and Oxenholme was often down to load 3 and a Kingmoor crew wanting their tea would lead to unbeatable times over Shap. Whilst unofficial, one photographer at Scout Green witnessed an extraordinary performance, and the passing time at Tebay was checked to reveal an extraordinary average speed of over 80 mph for the first half of the climb. Hardly scientific, but clearly an extraordinary performance.

Some WIP Images of Clifton Moor

More Soon. . . . . . . . . .

Monday, 2 February 2015

Focus on Penrith - by Ben Yates

PENRITH is the northern terminus of the route, but the story of the evolution of the EVR in the north lakes and its relations is both little known and surprisingly interesting.

The West Coast mainline had reached Carlisle in 1846, passing through the old market town of Penrith on its 10 mile descent from Shap to the gentler grades towards the Scots border. It was another 16 years before the EVR showed up. The initial plan was for the EVR to run a parallel line to Penrith, though this was abandoned during the EVR's construction when the LNWR agreed running powers. The need to cross 2 rivers would have been significant to EVR, whilst presumably LNWR didn't see the commercial threat they saw in the Midland seeking such running powers northward.

Oddly, the initial connection of 1862 was by a steeply graded connection facing south to Clifton & Lowther station, miles from Penrith, and requiring a reversal. CKPR has just received its Act of Parliament, and within a year a north-facing link installed; a new station at Clifton Moor and direct running to Penrith. The original chord was barely used and lifted by 1874.

CKPR ran into Penrith in 1864, creating the final link in a cross-country coke and ore artery providing 50 years of heavy mineral traffic. To avoid the reversal of a train at Penrith and the turning of 2 locos (the load to Keswick was just 11 wagons per engine) a direct link from the WCML to the Keswick line at Eamont Junction was constructed by 1866 and known as the "Redhills Curve". The double road dived under CKPR, itself on a climb exceeding Shap (!) and scrambled at more than 1 in 50 to join at Redhills junction. The mineral traffic peaked just before WW1 and tailed off fairly rapidly in the depression and Redhills curve was barely used, though as a triangular junction was used to turn engines longer than Penrith's pitiful 50 foot turntable that could take an 0-6-0 but nothing more. The end rails were eventually taken up in 1936 with the track unsafe.

The arrangements at Eamont Junction included a long pair of goods loops that were worked on a "Permitted Block" basis - multiple goods trains could use the loops without separation by signals, on sight. Given there were at least 3 famous runaways through Penrith from Shap, loco crews were understandably nervous at being able to bring an unfitted train to a stand. Spare too a thought for the signalman replacing the lamps in the huge bracket signal for the curve and loops perched on the end of Eamont Viaduct, swinging above the gorge!

Penrith itself remains an elegant station on a sweeping curve. In its heyday it boasted a substantial yard, 3 boxes and a through platform (4) for CKPR and a short bay (3) for the EVR. Each company extravagantly approached their platforms by an independent line from Penrith No.1 box. There was also a 2 road shed, built for the LNWR locos for CKPR services, but the NER were later to stable and service an engine overnight.

The operation of NER services remains unclear. The bay was barely long enough for 3 coaches and a loco, so an arriving service must have backed out, been released by a pilot or used either the Keswick or down main platform. Any information gladly received!

More Soon. . . . . . . . . . .

Friday, 23 January 2015

Clifton Moor Station - By Phil Baines

WHILST RESEARCHING details of the various stations along the line I came across an interesting piece of history I thought I would share.

Clifton Moor station opened to passenger traffic on 1 August 1863, and was originally named 'Clifton'. The 'Moor' suffix was added on 1 September 1927. The station finally closed on 22 January 1962.

To the west of the station was Eden Valley Junction where the Eden Valley Railway joined the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (now part of the WCML), south of the junction was at one time Clifton and Lowther railway station, which closed in 1937.

The only station on the Eden Valley line to have two platforms, Clifton Moor was situated at the Western end of the Eden Valley Railway, 5km South of Penrith, where it served the village of Clifton, about 3/4 km away on the other side of the WCML and the nearby Lowther Estates. The latter was significant because, whilst the main station building was on the down platform, on the up platform was a private ornamental waiting room for the Earl of Lonsdale from Lowther Castle, the bay windowed section of the building in the following photo.

Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale was called the ‘Yellow Earl’ because his liveries, cars and carriages were all a deep, butter yellow; -" a very conspicuous colour which, if displayed by anyone else, would have been thought vulgar and ostentatious, but Lord Lonsdale was such a colourful figure that it seemed quite natural and proper." ( sic - Loelia, Duchess of Westminster)

He was a founder and first president of the Automobile Association (AA) which adopted his livery, hence the famous AA yellow vehicles.

The building still exists and has been converted into a family home.

This is my attempt to re-produce this iconic building for the Stainmore route.

More Soon............................

Thursday, 18 December 2014

The Missing Link by Ben Yates

In this low aerial shot, both Appleby stations can be seen. The Eden Valley line is on the right

When the Settle to Carlisle finally rolled into town in 1876 Appleby gained a second station at Appleby West courtesy of the Midland Railway just a schoolyard away from the NER’s Appleby East offering of 1862, though there was nothing unique in that during railway mania. Appleby West was very slightly less inconvenient a location for a station, and topography dictated the S&C route north out of Appleby via the gap between Castrigg Hill and High Moor via a cutting if the Midland’s engineers were to keep to their maximum gradient of 1 in 100. Thomas Bouch probably considered such a road to be almost flat!

Road crossing at Appleby East. The Midland station can be see in the distance

The lines were connected from a junction just north of the Midland’s platforms, via a reverse

The link between the EVR and S&C at Appleby

curve dropping down at around 1 in 70 joining the EVR’s “double track section” (though “loop” is probably more rational!) to Midland Junction where the single line token section to Kirkby Thore commenced, and the EVR ducked under the S&C and followed the River Eden to Temple Sowerby.

There is logic to the connection for the exchange of freight heading to and from West Cumberland via Penrith and Keswick, though such traffic could also be routed via the Low Gill and Tebay. The connection was certainly used for diversions from Carlisle when the S&C was shut for engineering or snow (there’s a lovely shot of a Jubilee taking the token at Kirkby Thore with the Thames Clyde Express) and there was at least one Penrith – Appleby working that turned at Appleby West.

A little known oddity was a southbound link from the S&C, running parallel to Drawbriggs

The Missing Link. Was track ever laid?

Lane and passing under Cross Croft and joining the EVR heading for Warcop. The bridges and cuttings are clear to see today, though the bridge has been filled and what I believe is a dairy occupies most of the site north of Cross Croft. The existence of the connection is controversial with both Walton and Western doubting that track was laid.

The OS County Map of 1899 shows a double track connection, but the 1915 map shows as dismantled. The railway atlases of Jowett makes no mention, and the definitive work of Colonel Cobb (which typically changes hand for £600-£700, though we live in hope of a reprint) also makes no mention.

For the purpose of the route, I’ve modelled the disused trackbed, but if anyone has any information as to whether track was laid and/or when it was lifted, another riddle of the line could be solved.

Let us conclude this post with some more WIP images. We begin with a brief reminder of the most famous section of line - the summit and Belah Viaduct: