12b. The Justly Famous Scenic Settle - Carlisle Railway Trip

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Email: chem55555@hotmail.com

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: You can get cheap day return tickets from Leeds or any other station on the line and day rover tickets too. On my senior railcard I got the 8.50am train to Carlisle for a day return ticket from Leeds of ~£21 in 2012.

This series of photographs is a record of the whole trip, the outward bound trip and return trip, so although some photographs were taken on the return trip too, they have all been put together in a geographical sequence from Leeds to Settle and Settle to Carlisle (this page). Subsequently, other photographs of the Carlisle-Settle Line have been added to give a comprehensive' picture' of this glorious scenic railway trip.

SEE ALSO THE LEEDS - SKIPTON - SETTLE COMMUTER RAILWAY TRIP

The current trains are operated by Northern Rail which provides services to/from the following stations: SETTLE, Horton in Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent, Garsdale, Kirkby Stephen, APPLEBY, Langwathby, Lazonby & Kirkoswald, Armathwaite, CARLISLE

See also Cumbrian Coast Line - scenic railway trip & Furness Line - scenic railway trip

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  scenery after Settle Junction on the approach to Settle station

The scenery in the Ribble Valley as a Northern Rail service approaches Settle

Now the real start of the Settle to Carlisle line!

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Settle Station, train for Carlisle.

The most wonderful nostalgic sight of Stanier 2-8-0 locomotive 48151 hauling the FELLSMAN steam excursion train through Settle Station on its way north to Carlisle on the Settle - Carlisle railway line.

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Views over the town of Settle on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

 

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  After Settle the real scenic train ride begins and views of the Pennine hills and mountains really come to the fore! eg Penyghent viewed from near Horton-in-Ribblesdale Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Horton-in-Ribblesdale Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Penyghent (pen y ghent) in the distance viewed from the Settle - Carlisle railway line

See Walk up Pen-y-ghent from Horton-in-Ribblesdale

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Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The small hamlet of Horton-in-Ribblesdale on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Scenery near Horton-in-Ribblesdale Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  looking north-west from Horton-in-Ribblesdale on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery near Horton-in-Ribblesdale on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The lovely scenery near Horton-in-Ribblesdale on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery between Horton-in-Ribblesdale Station and Ribblehead Station is starting to get a bit wilder on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery just before Ribblehead Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Ribblehead Station and a glimpse ahead of the magnificent Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Several 'external' views of the Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle railway line trip

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The view north-west from over the walls of the Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The view east from near Ribblehead, classic Yorkshire Dales wild limestone country on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Scene near Ribblehead Viaduct, mountain?

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The wild and lonely signal box at Blea Moor between Ribblehead Viaduct and Blea Moor Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The lovely views of hills and woodland scenery just before Dent Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

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Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Views north-west just before Dent Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  the scenery just before Dent Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Dent Station and near Dent, one of the many viaducts viewed from the Kirkby Stephen - Dent road, on the Carlisle-Settle Railway. Dent station is miles away up high above Dent village!

 

The scenery to the east just north of Dent station on the Settle-Carlisle line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The view south-west before Garsdale Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Looking west after Rise Hill Tunnel and before Garsdale Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery between Rise Hill Tunnel and Garsdale Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The remote Garsdale Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line. On Garsdale station is a bronze memorial statue to a faithful dog called RUSWARP. He belonged to rail campaigner for the Settle-Carlisle Railway, Graham Nuttall who went missing for 11 weeks on the wild moorlands of Wales. When Mr Nuttall's body was found, his border collie Ruswarp was by his side, so this statue is 'dedicated' to both of them.

The lovely scenery, looking north-east from just beyond Garsdale station on the Carlisle-Settle line.

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Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery between Garsdale and Moorcock Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery between Moorcock Tunnel and Shotlock Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The views east between Moorcock Tunnel and Shotlock Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Looking South from Cotegill Bridge Aisgill Ais Gill Moor Road railway bridge, Carlisle-Settle Railway Line

Looking north from Cotegill Bridge Aisgill Ais Gill Moor Road railway bridge, Carlisle-Settle Railway Line

Aisgill Viaduct, Carlisle-Settle Railway Line

Looking north from Mallerstang Common over the Carlisle-Settle Railway Line

Looking down towards Aisgill farm by the side of the Carlisle-Settle Railway Line.

Aisgill viaduct on the Carlisle-Settle Railway Line.

Views north towards Mallerstang across the tracks of the Carlisle-Settle Railway Line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The view north-east just after Ais Gill Summit on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery between Ais Gill Summit and Birkett Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The views between Ais Gill Summit and Birkett Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery just after Birkett Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The views just before Kirkby Stephen and after Birkett Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The views just before Kirkby Stephen station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The landscape just before Kirkby Stephen station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Kirkby Stephen Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Looking down on Kirkby Stephen on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  leaving Kirkby Stephen on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Looking east at scenery just after Kirkby Stephen station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Scenery just north of Kirkby Stephen Station, after Crosby Garrett Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery between Helm Tunnel and Crosby Garrett Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The views just before Helm Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

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Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery east of the line after Helm Tunnel on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The River Eden between Helm Tunnel and Appleby on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

The lovely scenery just south of Appleby station on the Settle-Carlisle line, as the weather was closing in a bit!

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Appleby Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The views after Appleby in Crossfell direction, viewed from the Carlisle-Settle line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The scenery east, after Appleby, the sharp peak of Dufton Pike viewed from the Carlisle-Settle line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  River Eden just before Langwathby on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  One of the railway viaducts over the River Eden near Langwathby in the Eden valley on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Langwathby Station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Crossing the River Eden between Langwathby and Lazonby & Kirkoswald stations on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Lazonby & Kirkoswald Station with the ancient church in view on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Kirkoswald on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The River Eden north of Kirkoswald on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: The River Eden which flows towards Carlisle on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The curious brightly coloured yellow Culgath signal box near Armathwaite station on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  River Eden near Armathwaite on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  the River Eden near Armathwaite on the Settle - Carlisle railway line

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The rolling farmland scenery between Armathwaite and Carlisle, not as wild as further south now!

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  Carlisle Station with the Carlisle-Settle train on the far left platform.

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: The express passenger trains of Virgin operate the north-west mainline from London to Glasgow via Carlisle.

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: The main roof of Carlisle station

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Virgin Train heading south

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: The original iron footbridge still survives in Carlisle Station

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: A Scotrail DMU waits to head north.

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Virgin express train bound for London

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: The Northern Rail DMU waits to deliver us back to Settle

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  DMU 158850 Northern Rail service back to Settle

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Not many railway routes have their own PR welcome display board!

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Virgin trains, ScotRail, Northern Rail all work through Carlisle Station which has been in use for over 150 years!

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: The post commemorating 150 years service of Carlisle Citadel Station

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip:  The main entrance facade of Carlisle Citadel Station. The station was built by Sir William Tite from 1847-1848 in Tudor style, with mullioned and transformed windows, a porte-cochere and a clock tower. The station was enlarged between 1873 and 1876 and quite a splendid building.

Settle-Carlisle Railway Trip: Just across from the station entrance and forecourt is the old 'County Hotel' built in 1856-1857 by Salvin. It is a fine five bay house painted in black and white.

FANTASTIC SCENIC RAIL TRIP in 2012 - must do it again soon!

"Phil Brown's docspics take on the Carlisle-Settle Railway Line Trip"

SEE ALSO THE LEEDS - SETTLE COMMUTER RAILWAY TRIP

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From Wikipedia - The Carlisle-Settle Line
"
INTRODUCTION
The Settle–Carlisle line (also known as the Settle and Carlisle (S&C)) is a 73-mile-long (117 km) main railway line in northern England. The route, which crosses the remote, scenic regions of the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines, runs between Settle Junction, on the Leeds to Morecambe line, and Carlisle, near the English-Scottish borders. The historic line was constructed in the 1870s and has several notable tunnels and viaducts such as the imposing Ribblehead.

The line is a part of the National Rail network that is managed by Network Rail. All passenger services are operated by Northern apart from temporary diverted services (due to closures of the West Coast Main Line). Stations serve towns such as Settle in North Yorkshire, Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria and small rural communities along its route.

In the 1980s, British Rail planned to close the Settle–Carlisle line. This prompted a campaign to save the line by rail groups, enthusiasts, local authorities and residents along the route. In 1989, the UK government announced the line would be saved from closure. Since then, passenger numbers have grown steadily to 1.2 million in 2012. Eight formerly closed stations have been reopened and several quarries have been reconnected to the line. It remains one of the most popular railway routes in the UK for charter trains and specials. After damage by a landslip, part of the line was closed from February 2016 to March 2017. To celebrate the reopening, the first regular mainline scheduled service in England for nearly half a century ran with a steam engine.

HISTORY
The Settle–Carlisle line (S&C) had its origins in railway politics; the expansion-minded Midland Railway company was locked in dispute with the rival London and North Western Railway (LNWR) over access rights to the latter's tracks to Scotland.

The Midland's access to Scotland was via the "Little North Western" route to Ingleton. The Ingleton branch line from Ingleton to Low Gill, where it joined the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, was under the control of the rival LNWR. Initially the routes, although physically connected at Ingleton, were not logically connected, as the LNWR and Midland could not agree on sharing the use of Ingleton station. Instead the LNWR terminated its trains at its own station at the end of Ingleton Viaduct, and Midland Railway passengers had to walk about a mile over steep gradients between the two stations in order to change into/from LNWR trains.

An agreement was reached over station access, enabling the Midland to attach through carriages to LNWR trains at Ingleton. Passengers could continue their journey north without leaving the train. The situation was not ideal, as the LNWR handled the through carriages of its rival with deliberate obstructiveness, for example attaching the coaches to slow goods trains instead of fast passenger workings.

The route through Ingleton is closed, but the major structures, Low Gill and Ingleton viaducts, remain. It was a well-engineered line suitable for express passenger running, but its potential was never realised due to the rivalry between the companies. The Midland board decided that the only solution was a separate route to Scotland. Surveying began in 1865, and in June 1866, Parliamentary approval was given to the Midland's bill, for which Samuel Carter was solicitor.[4] Soon afterwards, the Overend-Gurney banking failure sparked a financial crisis in the UK. Interest rates rose sharply, several railways went bankrupt and the Midland's board, prompted by a shareholders' revolt, began to have second thoughts about a venture whose estimated cost was £2.3 million (equivalent to £210 million in 2019). As a result, in April 1869, with no work started, the company petitioned Parliament to abandon the scheme it had earlier fought for. However Parliament, under pressure from other railways which would benefit from the scheme that would cost them nothing, refused, and construction commenced in November that year.

As this date falls between the publication of the 1st Edition 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map and its 1st Revision, the impact of construction can be observed by studying those maps.

CONSTRUCTION
The line was built by over 6,000 navvies,[6] who worked in remote locations, enduring harsh weather conditions. Large camps were established to house the navvies, most of them Irish, with many becoming complete townships with post offices and schools. They were named Inkerman, Sebastapol and Jericho. The remains of one camp—Batty Green—where over 2,000 navvies lived and worked, can be seen near Ribblehead. The Midland Railway helped pay for scripture readers to counteract the effect of drunken violence in these isolated communities.

A plaque in the church at Chapel-le-Dale records the workers who died—both from disease and from accidents—building the railway. The death toll is unknown, but 80 people died at Batty Green alone in a smallpox epidemic.

A memorial stone was laid in 1997 in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, Mallerstang to commemorate the 25 railway builders and their families who died during the construction of this section of the line, and who were buried there in unmarked graves.

The engineer for the project was John Crossley from Leicestershire, a veteran of other Midland schemes. The terrain traversed is among the bleakest and wildest in England, and construction was halted for months at a time due to frozen ground, snowdrifts and flooding. One contractor had to give up as a result of underestimating the terrain and the weather—Dent Head has almost four times the rainfall of London. Another long-established partnership dissolved under the strain: that of Eckersley and Bayliss. They were contracted to construct the 23 mi (37 km) section from Kirkby Thore to Petteril Bridge in Carlisle.

The line was engineered to express standards throughout—local traffic was secondary and many stations were miles from the villages they purported to serve. The railway's summit at 1,169 feet (356 m) is at Ais Gill, north of Garsdale. To keep the gradients to less than 1 in 100 (1%), a requirement for fast running using steam traction, huge engineering works were required. Even so, the terrain imposed a 16-mile (26 km) climb from Settle to Blea Moor, almost all of it at 1 in 100, and known to enginemen as "the long drag".

The line required 14 tunnels and 22 viaducts; the most notable is the 24 arch Ribblehead Viaduct which is 104 ft (32 m) high and 440 yards (402 m) long. The swampy ground meant that the piers had to be sunk 25 ft (8 m) below the peat and set in concrete in order to provide a suitable foundation. Soon after crossing the viaduct, the line enters Blea Moor tunnel, 2,629 yd (2,404 m) long and 500 ft (152 m) below the moor, before emerging onto Dent Head Viaduct. The summit at Aisgill is the highest point reached by main line trains in England. The tunnel at Lazonby was constructed at the request of a local vicar as he did not want the railway to run past the vicarage.[8]

Water troughs were laid between the tracks at Garsdale enabling steam engines to take water without losing speed.

The remains of the navvies' camp at Rise Hill tunnel were investigated by Channel 4's Time Team in 2008, for a programme that was broadcast on 1 February 2009.

OPERATION
The line opened for goods traffic in August 1875 with the first passenger trains starting in April 1876. The cost of the line was £3.6 million (equivalent to £340 million in 2019)[5] – 50 percent above the estimate and a colossal sum for the time.

For some time the Midland dominated the market for London-Glasgow traffic, providing more daytime trains than its rival. In 1923 the Midland and the LNWR were both merged into the new London Midland & Scottish Railway. In the new company, the disadvantages of the Midland's route were clear – its steeper gradients and greater length meant it could not compete on speed from London to Glasgow, especially as Midland route trains had to make more stops to serve major cities in the Midlands and Yorkshire. The Midland had long competed on the extra comfort it provided for its passengers but this advantage was lost in the merged company.

After nationalisation in 1948, the pace of rundown quickened. It was regarded as a duplicate line, and control over the through London-Glasgow route was split over several regions which made it hard to plan popular through services. Mining subsidence affected speeds through the East Midlands and Yorkshire. In 1962, the Thames–Clyde Express travelling via the S&C took almost nine hours from London to Glasgow – over the West Coast Main Line the journey length was 7 hours 20 minutes.

In the 1963, Beeching Report into the restructuring of British Rail recommended the withdrawal of all passenger services from the line. Some smaller stations had closed in the 1950s. Although the Beeching recommendations were shelved, it is clear that closure of the line was planned as early as the late 1960s. Such closure is referred to in paragraph 40 of the official report into the accident involving two goods trains between Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Selside on 30 October 1968, by Lt. Colonel I.K.A. McNaughton:

"... Even if the Settle and Carlisle line were planned to form part of the long term railway network of the country, it would still come fairly low in the priority list for installation of AWS; this route, however, is planned for closure within the next few years ..."

In May 1970 all stations except for Settle and Appleby West were closed, and its passenger service cut to two trains a day in each direction, leaving mostly freight.

Few express passenger services continued to operate, The Waverley from London St Pancras to Edinburgh Waverley via Nottingham ended in 1968, while the Thames–Clyde Express from London to Glasgow Central via Leicester, lasted until 1975. Night sleepers from London to Glasgow continued until 1976. After that a residual service from Glasgow – cut back at Nottingham (three trains each way) – survived until May 1982.

THREAT OF CLOSURE
During the 1970s, the S&C suffered from a lack of investment, and most freight traffic was diverted onto the electrified West Coast Main Line. The condition of many viaducts and tunnels deteriorated due to lack of investment. DalesRail began operating services to closed stations on summer weekends in 1974. These were promoted by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to encourage ramblers.

In the early 1980s, the S&C was carrying only a handful of trains per day, and British Rail decided the cost of renewing the viaducts and tunnels would be prohibitively expensive, given the small amount of traffic carried on the line. In 1981 a protest group, the Friends of the Settle–Carlisle Line (FoSCL), was established, and campaigned against the line's closure even before it was officially announced.

In 1984, closure notices were posted at the S&C's remaining stations. However, local authorities and rail enthusiasts joined together and campaigned to save the S&C, pointing out that British Rail was ignoring the S&C's potential for tourism, ignoring the need for a diversionary route to the West Coast main line, and failing to promote through traffic from the Midlands and Yorkshire to Scotland.
1986 Transport Users Consultative Committee hearing in Carlisle

There was outrage over the closure plan: critics pointed out that this was a main line, not a small branch railway. The campaign uncovered evidence that British Rail had mounted a dirty tricks campaign against the line,[9] exaggerating the cost of repairs (£6 million for Ribblehead Viaduct alone)[10] and diverting traffic away from the line in order to justify its closure plans, a process referred to as closure by stealth.

Publicity over British Rail's tactics succeeded in a huge increase in traffic. Journeys per year were 93,000 in 1983 when the campaign began, 450,000 by 1989. As late as August 1988, the British Rail Board posted adverts stating they had appointed Lazard Brothers to 'advise on the sale of the Settle–Carlisle line'. As a result of the successful campaign, the government finally refused consent to close the line in 1989, and British Rail started to repair the deteriorating tunnels and viaducts.

CURRENT STATUS
Anglo-Scottish expresses have not been fully restored. The former regional franchisee Arriva Trains Northern initiated a twice daily Leeds–Glasgow Central service in 1999 (calling at Settle, Appleby, Carlisle, Lockerbie and Motherwell). The service was withdrawn at the behest of the Strategic Rail Authority in 2003,[16] and there remains no link from Yorkshire or the East Midlands to Glasgow over the line. The link from Lancashire operates on Sundays during the summer months for the benefit of ramblers under the DalesRail brand. In recent years, due to congestion on the West Coast Main Line, much rail-freight traffic is using the S&C once again. Gypsum is transported from Hull Docks and Drax Power Station to the British Gypsum plasterboard factory at Kirkby Thore, and coal was carried to power stations in Yorkshire and Fife from the Hunterston coal terminal until 2016. Major engineering work was needed to upgrade the line to the standards required for such heavy freight traffic and additional investment made to reduce the length of signal sections.

In July 2009, work to stabilise a length of embankment near Kirkby Thore and remove a long-standing permanent speed restriction was undertaken.

As of 2013, the line has experienced an upturn in fortunes. Eight formerly closed stations have reopened and in 2012 1.2 million passenger journeys were recorded compared with just 90,000 in 1983. Ribblehead station features a special visitor centre. The line is an important diversionary route from the electrified West Coast Main Line during engineering works. However, as the line is not electrified, electric trains such as Pendolinos need to be hauled by diesel locomotives (typically a Class 57 Thunderbird) along the diversion section.

In April 2014, the 25th anniversary of the line's reprieve was celebrated by the running of a special train from Leeds to Carlisle over the route. This conveyed many of the campaigners who fought to save the line and called at Settle station, where a ceremony was held to commemorate the announcement made on 11 April 1989 that the line would be kept open. Michael Portillo, the Minister of State with responsibility for railways in the Thatcher government of the time (and who made the official announcement regarding the line in parliament) attended the celebrations.

From April 2016 Arriva Rail North Ltd took over all passenger services on the line from the previous operator which was run by Serco & Abellio. As part of the new franchise agreement with the DfT, service improvements were implemented from the May 2018 timetable change with one extra weekday service each way and two extra trains each way on Sundays.[25] Arriva also began work to install digital information screens and ticket machines at each station in early 2019. As from 1 March 2020, passenger services are now operated by the publicly run company Northern Trains, who have maintained this level of service.

In March 2020 it was discovered that the 144 year-old Ribblehead Viaduct required further major repairs. There are numerous defects to the masonry which have opened up and parts of debris have fallen off the edge. Alongside issues with the masonry there are fractures to the arches and piers alongside problems with the drainage system. Repair work was completed in April 2021 at a cost of around £2.1 million.

Since the privatisation of British Rail the Settle and Carlisle line has proved to be popular with charter train operating companies like West Coast Railways, which operate excursion trains using steam locomotives. Classes of LMS locomotive that have run over the line vary from express to mixed traffic, such as Black Fives, Jubilees, Coronations, Princess Royals and even goods engines like the 8Fs. Non-LMS engines that would never have worked on the line during the days of steam include 4468 Mallard, 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, 5972 Olton Hall, 35018 British India Line, 60103 Flying Scotsman and Britain's newest mainline steam locomotive 60163 Tornado.

In July 2015 it was announced that the stone quarries at Arcow and Dry Rigg would be reconnected to the line via north facing points. Stone from both of these quarries is in demand for road building due to its high Polished Stone Value (PSV) and would be taken out of the Yorkshire Dales National Park by freight train instead of lorries.[30][31] The work was undertaken during the last quarter of 2015 with the link opening to traffic in 2016.

ROUTE

Settle Junction – the start of the line. Site of the junction with the Leeds to Morecambe Line and a short-lived (1876–77) passenger station.
Settle
Taitlands Tunnel (now called Stainforth Tunnel)
Horton in Ribblesdale
Ribblehead- here is the Ribblehead Viaduct (originally named Batty Moss Viaduct) 440 yd (396 m), with 24 piers
Blea Moor here is Blea Moor signal box and loop. Blea Moor signalbox is the remotest signal box in England[49]
Blea Moor Tunnel 2629 yd (2366 m) long
here are the Dent Head & Arten Gill viaducts.
Dent (4.5 miles outside the village of Dent)
Rise Hill Tunnel
Dent is the highest railway station in England.
Garsdale – originally named Hawes Junction then Hawes Junction & Garsdale.
At Hawes station, on the Hawes branch to the east of the main line, there was an end-on-junction with the North Eastern Railway (NER) line across the Pennines to Northallerton (now the Wensleydale Railway).
here were the highest water troughs in the United Kingdom. Steam locomotives were able to pick up water from these troughs whilst still moving.
On the next stretch, there were three tunnels (Moorcock Tunnel, Shotlock Hill Tunnel and Birkett Tunnel).
On this stretch also was the summit of the line at Ais Gill, 1169 ft (350 m) ASL. From 1954, the summit was marked by a vitreous enamel sign.[50]
Kirkby Stephen - There were two stations here, one (Kirkby Stephen West) for the Midland line and Kirkby Stephen East for the NER (the latter's line from Darlington to Tebay). The two stations are about half a mile apart. The Midland station also served the village of Ravenstonedale
Crosby Garrett (closed 1952)
Ormside (closed 1952)
Appleby – as with Kirkby Stephen, there were separate stations for the Midland (Appleby West) and NE lines (Appleby East), with a siding connection. The NE line was the branch known as the Eden Valley Railway between Kirkby Stephen and Eden Valley Junction on the West Coast Line near Clifton
Long Marton (closed 1970)
New Biggin (closed 1970)
Culgaith (closed 1970)
there are three tunnels between these stations
Langwathby
Little Salkeld (closed 1970)
here is Lazonby Tunnel
Lazonby and Kirkoswald
there are three more tunnels between these two stations
Armathwaite
Cotehill (closed 1952)
Cumwhinton (closed 1956)
Scotby (closed 1942 – not the same station as the one of the same name on the adjoining Tyne Valley line)
Petterill Bridge Junction – junction with the Newcastle – Carlisle line and the end of Midland Railway metals.
Carlisle: the station – full title Carlisle Citadel was owned jointly by the LNWR and the Caledonian Railway: the Midland (among others) was a "tenant Company".

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docspics images of Settle Carlisle Railway train trips photos of Settle Carlisle Railway train trips photographs of Settle Carlisle Railway train trips pictures of Settle Carlisle Railway train trips © Dr Phil Brown * Treyn Railway Holidays to France, Italy and Spain from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips Booking tickets for Great Railway Journey luxury Rail Trip holidays Train travel in Europe Rail holidays from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips to the USA & Canada luxury train through the Rocky Mountain Canadian rail railway holidays through the Rockies US Cities by train from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips  Continental rail holidays to France Germany Italy Austria Switzerland Glacier Express Treyn Holidays from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips from Eurostar to Paris Brussels Avignon Turin Turino Rome Roma Florence Firenze TGV fast trains Railway travel holidays special steam excursions from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips great steam heritage line and offers luxury Pullman coach dining trains Settle Carlisle Railway train trips Travelling by train always seems a pleasure, especially if through wonderful scenery  to Settle Carlisle Railway train trips in England, Scotland, Wales or on holiday in the rest of Europe! The railway trip from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips involves seeing or travelling behind a 'real' steam locomotive in action and there is nothing like the sight and sounds of a steam train to invoke feelings of nostalgia in some of us to Settle Carlisle Railway train trips even more luxury by having a special trip out on a steam dining train! England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland top class hotels in Settle Carlisle Railway train trips dining out travel tours top tourist destinations tourist information on Settle Carlisle Railway train trips weekend breaks mini-breaks family holidays restaurants touring coach trips from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips continental tours cruise ships pleasure cruises summer breaks spring breaks continental winter breaks European winter holidays spring holidays summer holidays European Rail tours Railway travel holidays special steam excursions from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips A great steam heritage line and offers luxury Pullman coach dining trains European Rail tours US and Canadian Railway travel holidays special steam excursions to Settle Carlisle Railway train trips A great steam heritage line and offers luxury Pullman coach dining trains Travelling by train from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips always seems a pleasure, especially if through wonderful scenery either in England, Scotland, Wales or on holiday in the rest of the railways of Europe! The railway trip involves seeing or travelling behind a 'real' steam locomotive or heritage diesel in action on a special trip from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips Booking Eurostar Continental Rail Travel Tour Tickets Stuttgart Brussels Eurostar Brussels from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips by TGV to Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International Stratford International, St Pancras International Paris Gare du Nord Paris Gare de Lyon Paris Gare de L'est Paris Gare Montparnasse by Eurostar from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips London to Paris, Eurostar London - Brussels Eurostar London to Lille deals bargain city breaks Settle Carlisle Railway train trips Great Railway Journey holidays in Italy, Spain and France by TGV booking from Settle Carlisle Railway train trips Booking Eurostar Continental Rail Travel Tour Tickets to the Continent  eg Paris Brussels Avignon or railway tours across France, Holland, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, Asia or China for a travel spectacular Settle Carlisle Railway train trips

Good trainspotting 'TRAINSPOTS' Good trainspotting and photographic locations  Barnetby Station, North Lincolnshire  *  Carlisle Station  *  Clapham Junction Station, London  *  Colton Junction, south of York  * Coventry *  Crewe Station  *  Doncaster Station, South Yorkshire  * Grantham * Hellifield station - Carlisle to Settle line * Lancaster station  * Leicester station * Newcastle Station  *  Northallerton Station  *  Nuneaton Station  * Peterborough *  Sheffield Station  *  Stratford Station, East London * Tamworth * Warrington Bank Quay station * Wigan North Western - WCML *  York Station

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INDEX of My IMAGES OF PRESERVED STEAM LOCOMOTIVES

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