150 Years of the Settle-Carlisle Railway

 A special publication dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the line has been published ahead of the anniversary on 1st May of the first passenger train to operate over the route. Roger Hardingham has compiled a series of articles from local supporting groups and provided a host of photographs of the line from its construction in the 1870s through to the latest improvements to freight traffic with the opening of sidings to remove stone from the quarries near Horton in Ribblesdale.

It was in 1875 that the first goods movements operated over the new Midland Railway route to Scotland but it would be from 1st May 1876, the public were able to board the first trains which operated from Leeds, through Skipton and up to Settle and the border city of Carlisle.

This special tribute book covers the 150-year history from its 6-year construction showing very rare new photographs from that period, through to operations and gradual decline in the 1970s. The line made headlines in the early 1980s when efforts were made to close it completely, but fortunately local opposition would come to oppose that. With a starring role by the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line and other local organisations and individuals, the line was reprieved for good and is now a vibrant route with huge numbers of people travelling and a large freight train business.

Special Reports are from David Martin about freight operations

Managing the line post-reprieve in 1989 by Geoff Bounds a British Rail manager

The line support of today – by Bryan Gray, chairman of the Settle-Carlisle Railway Trust

The books delves into all those fascinating aspects and is full of colour and black & white images. Edited by Roger Hardingham