Lancaster and Carlisle Railway
Encyclopedia
The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (L&CR) was a British railway company authorised on 6 June 1844 to build a line between Lancaster and Carlisle in North-West England
. The line survives to the present day as part of the West Coast Main Line
route between Glasgow
and London
.
Summit (the highest point on the planned route, 914 ft / 278.59 m above sea level) in July 1844. The original intention was to build a single line
, but in January the following year it was announced that the line would be double track
.
The railways opened in two sections:
The engineer for the line was Joseph Locke
who had been surveying routes between the two cities since 1836. George Stephenson
had surveyed other routes in 1835: one was to skirt the Cumberland coast. The project was the largest single railway contract of the time (69 miles in length) and the contractor was Thomas Brassey
in partnership with William Mackenzie and John Stephenson. At its peak 10,000 men were involved and it was an incredible achievement to complete such an undertaking in only two and a half years. The main engineering features of the railway are the bridge at Lancaster; three substantial viaducts; and a high embankment
between Grayrigg
and Low Gill. The embankment south of Tebay
was laid in the bed
of the River Lune
, which had been diverted from its course. Locke's course through the Lune Gorge would be used again by the engineers of the 1960s for the construction of the M6 motorway
which runs in a split level cutting above the railway.
The cutting at Shap Summit was cut through rock, is about 0.5 mile (0.8 km) in length, and 50-60 feet (15.24 m to 18.29 m) in depth. The approach from the south, 30 miles (48.3 km) away at Carnforth
, is in two sections:
The approach from the north is again of 30 miles (48.3 km):
The L&CR connected at the south with the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway
a mile (1.6 km) to the south of the town; the new station was Lancaster Castle. In the north, trains ran into Carlisle (Citadel)
, opened on 1 September 1847.
Whilst independent the Lancaster & Carlisle was very profitable and usually made returns on its shares of around 10%.
In 1859 the L&CR was leased to the London and North Western Railway
; it became part of the latter in 1879 - thus integrating it into the West Coast route, and after 1923 the LMSR through to the creation of British Railways in 1948. BR electrified the route in 1974 as part of the WCML modernisation scheme of the period.
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
. The line survives to the present day as part of the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
route between Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
History
The first sod was cut at ShapShap
Shap is a linear village and civil parish located amongst fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The village lies along the A6 road and the West Coast Main Line, and is near to the M6 motorway...
Summit (the highest point on the planned route, 914 ft / 278.59 m above sea level) in July 1844. The original intention was to build a single line
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
, but in January the following year it was announced that the line would be double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
.
The railways opened in two sections:
- 22 September 1846, Lancaster to OxenholmeOxenholmeOxenholme is a village in England just south of the town of Kendal, with which it has begun to merge. It is best known for Oxenholme Lake District railway station on the West Coast Main Line. Because Oxenholme does not have its own church it is technically a hamlet.-History:Oxenholme station opened...
, 20 miles (32.2 km). On the same day a branch line from Oxenholme to KendalKendalKendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
was opened, part of the Kendal and Windermere RailwayKendal and Windermere RailwayThe Kendal and Windermere Railway is a railway in Cumbria in north-west England. It was built as a railway from the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway at Oxenholme via Kendal to near Windermere, opening fully in April 1847. The engineer was Joseph Locke and the partnership of contractors consisted of...
(KWR). The latter was completed to Windermere station on 21 April 1847 - 17 December 1846, OxenholmeOxenholmeOxenholme is a village in England just south of the town of Kendal, with which it has begun to merge. It is best known for Oxenholme Lake District railway station on the West Coast Main Line. Because Oxenholme does not have its own church it is technically a hamlet.-History:Oxenholme station opened...
to Carlisle.
The engineer for the line was Joseph Locke
Joseph Locke
Joseph Locke was a notable English civil engineer of the 19th century, particularly associated with railway projects...
who had been surveying routes between the two cities since 1836. George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
had surveyed other routes in 1835: one was to skirt the Cumberland coast. The project was the largest single railway contract of the time (69 miles in length) and the contractor was Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey was an English civil engineering contractor and manufacturer of building materials who was responsible for building much of the world's railways in the 19th century. By 1847, he had built about one-third of the railways in Britain, and by time of his death in 1870 he had built one...
in partnership with William Mackenzie and John Stephenson. At its peak 10,000 men were involved and it was an incredible achievement to complete such an undertaking in only two and a half years. The main engineering features of the railway are the bridge at Lancaster; three substantial viaducts; and a high embankment
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
between Grayrigg
Grayrigg
Grayrigg is a small village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It lies on undulated and partly mountainous land, north east of Kendal, on the north side of the West Coast Main Line, and west side of the M6 motorway....
and Low Gill. The embankment south of 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,...
was laid in the bed
Stream bed
A stream bed is the channel bottom of a stream, river or creek; the physical confine of the normal water flow. The lateral confines or channel margins, during all but flood stage, are known as the stream banks or river banks. In fact, a flood occurs when a stream overflows its banks and flows onto...
of the River Lune
River Lune
The River Lune is a river in Cumbria and Lancashire, England.It is formed at Wath, in the parish of Ravenstonedale, Cumbria, at the confluence of Sandwath Beck and Weasdale Beck...
, which had been diverted from its course. Locke's course through the Lune Gorge would be used again by the engineers of the 1960s for the construction of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
which runs in a split level cutting above the railway.
The cutting at Shap Summit was cut through rock, is about 0.5 mile (0.8 km) in length, and 50-60 feet (15.24 m to 18.29 m) in depth. The approach from the south, 30 miles (48.3 km) away at Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
, is in two sections:
- Carnforth to Grayrigg, 20 miles (32.2 km), the final five miles (8 km) being at 1 in 131/1 in 106
- Grayrigg to Shap Summit: the first five miles (8 km) to Tebay relatively level, followed by five miles (8 km) at 1 in 75
The approach from the north is again of 30 miles (48.3 km):
- Carlisle to beyond Penrith, 20 miles (32.2 km) at gradients varying between 1 in 131 and 1 in 228
- thence to Shap Summit, ten miles (16.1 km) mainly at 1 in 125
The L&CR connected at the south with the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway
Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway
The Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway was an early British railway company, in Lancashire, England. It later merged with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway.- Construction :...
a mile (1.6 km) to the south of the town; the new station was Lancaster Castle. In the north, trains ran into Carlisle (Citadel)
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...
, opened on 1 September 1847.
Whilst independent the Lancaster & Carlisle was very profitable and usually made returns on its shares of around 10%.
In 1859 the L&CR was leased to 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...
; it became part of the latter in 1879 - thus integrating it into the West Coast route, and after 1923 the LMSR through to the creation of British Railways in 1948. BR electrified the route in 1974 as part of the WCML modernisation scheme of the period.
External links
- Notes on L&CR includes map and photographs
- Historical notes (in preparation)
- Illustrated London News report on opening of L&CR including a detailed description of the railway