Wensleydale Railway
Encyclopedia
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Wensleydale
Wensleydale is the valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, England.Wensleydale lies in the Yorkshire Dales National Park – one of only a few valleys in the Dales not currently named after its principal river , but the older name, "Yoredale", can still be seen...
and Lower Swaledale
Swaledale
Swaledale is one of the northernmost dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire.-Geographical overview:...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, 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...
and the name of the company (Wensleydale Railway plc) that operates services on the line.
The line currently runs 22 miles (35 km) between 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...
and . This makes the line the longest heritage railway in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Occasional freight services and excursions travel the full length of the line, however regular passenger services currently only operate between and Redmire, a distance of 16.5 miles (27 km).
Formerly the line ran from Northallerton to on the Settle-Carlisle Railway
Settle-Carlisle Railway
The Settle–Carlisle Line is a long main railway line in northern England. It is also known as the Settle and Carlisle. It is a part of the National Rail network and was constructed in the 1870s...
. However, the track between Redmire and Garsdale was lifted and several bridges and viaducts were demolished. It would be a huge project reinstating the whole section between Redmire and Garsdale, as this would require reconstructing bridges along the way.
There are plans to provide regular services between Leeming Bar and Northallerton and between Redmire and Garsdale (40 miles Garsdale to Northallerton) (though the latter would require much restoration and is likely to be done in stages). This would recreate 40 miles (64 km) of track between Northallerton and Garsdale and make it the largest private railway in Europe.
Origins
The original line between Northallerton and Garsdale was opened in stages: Northallerton to Leeming Bar (in 1848); Leeming Bar to (in 1855); Bedale to (in 1855 for freight traffic and in 1856 for passenger traffic); Leyburn to AskriggAskrigg
Askrigg is a small village and civil parish in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is part of the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England...
(in 1877); Askrigg to 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...
and Garsdale to 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...
(both in 1878). The section from Northallerton to Hawes became part of the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
and the section from Hawes to Garsdale became part of 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....
.
Decline
The line between Northallerton and Hawes closed to passengers in 1954 and the line between Hawes and Garsdale closed to all traffic in 1959. The line between Redmire and Hawes was closed completely in 1964 and subsequently lifted. However, some Dalesrail excursion trains ran between Redmire and YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in the 1970s and occasional charter trains ran to Redmire.
With the exception of freight trains serving the quarry near Redmire, freight traffic on the remaining portion of line ceased in 1982. Freight trains to Redmire ceased in 1992.
At this point, the future of the remaining line looked very bleak. However, the Wensleydale Railway Association (WRA) was formed in 1990 with the main aim of restoring passenger services. When British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
decided to try to sell the line between Northallerton and Redmire following cessation of the quarry trains to Redmire, the WRA decided to take a more proactive role and aimed to operate passenger services itself.
Reopening
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
(MoD) indicating an interest in using the line between Northallerton and Redmire to transport armoured vehicles to/from Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
. This plan went ahead with the MoD paying for repairs and restoration of the line and the installation of loading facilities at Redmire, and in addition the MoD did not object to WRC taking over the line. These military transport trains continue to this day.
In 2000 WRA formed a separate operating company, the Wensleydale Railway plc (WRC), and issued a share offer to raise funds. £1.2 million was raised through this method. Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
agreed to lease the line between Northallerton and Redmire to WRC and a 99-year lease was signed in 2003. Passenger services re-started on 4 July 2003 with the stations at Leeming Bar and Leyburn being reopened. In 2004 the stations at Bedale, Finghall and Redmire were also reopened, with Scruton schedueld to re-open in 2012.
Open section
- NorthallertonNorthallerton railway stationNorthallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the East Coast Main Line north of York...
- Future northern terminus of the line ... Interchanging with rail services on the East Coast Main LineEast Coast Main LineThe East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
- Romanby - (proposed) new halt, to serve the nearby Romanby area of Northallerton, located between halfway Northallerton and Ainderby.
- AinderbyAinderby railway stationAinderby railway station was a railway station serving the villages of Ainderby Steeple and Morton-on-Swale in North Yorkshire, England.-History:...
(currently closed)
- Swale Riverside - (proposed) new halt, located halfway between Aindery and Scruton and a few metres to railway bridge crossing (and to view) the River Swale. Maybe even named after the river itself, The station will be one mile east of Scruton and west of Ainderby.
- ScrutonScruton railway stationScruton railway station was a railway station that served the village of Scruton, in North Yorkshire, England.-History:Opened by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway, it became part of the London and North Eastern Railway during the Grouping of 1923.The line then passed on to the Eastern Region...
- currently being carefully restored to former use and glory, expecting to re-open in Spring 2012.
- Leeming BarLeeming Bar railway stationLeeming Bar railway station is the current rail passenger terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the villages of Leeming Bar and Leeming in North Yorkshire, England. Trains are timed to link in with Dales and District service buses to Northallerton to connect with the National Rail network...
- Restored to former use, current terminus of the line ... till Scruton station re-opens.
- Aiskew - (proposed) (new temporary request stop) halt, halfway between Leeming Bar and Bedale.
- BedaleBedale railway stationBedale railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the town of Bedale in North Yorkshire, England.First opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway in November 1855, the station very nearly did not get built at all as the initial plans for the Leeming to Leyburn route would have...
- Restored to former glory and use.
- CrakehallCrakehall railway stationCrakehall railway station was a railway station that served the village of Crakehall, North Yorkshire, England.-History:Opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway, it became part of the London and North Eastern Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The line then passed on to the Eastern Region of...
- (currently closed)
- JervaulxJervaulx railway stationJervaulx railway station was a railway station that served the village of Jervaulx, North Yorkshire, England.-History:Opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway, it was taken over by the North Eastern Railway, which became part of the London and North Eastern Railway during the Grouping of 1923. The...
- (currently closed)
- FinghallFinghall railway stationFinghall railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the village of Finghall in North Yorkshire, England. Adjacent to the station is a manually operated gated crossing on the single track Wensleydale Railway....
- Temporary request stop
- SpennithorneSpennithorne railway stationSpennithorne railway station was on the Wensleydale Railway, in North Yorkshire, England.The station was opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway on 19 May 1856, and served the village of Spennithorne. It closed temporarily on 1 March 1917, before reopening on 18 September 1920...
- (currently closed)
- Constable BurtonConstable Burton railway stationConstable Burton railway station is a disused railway station on the Wensleydale Railway, in North Yorkshire, England.It was opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway on 19 May 1856, and served the village of Constable Burton. The station closed on 26 April 1954....
(currently history), (demolished since closure in the past ... though there could be a plan to one day reconstruct this station in the future).
- LeyburnLeyburn railway stationLeyburn railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the town of Leyburn in North Yorkshire, England. During the summer months it is served by at least three trains per day; at other times of the year the service is mainly at weekends and public holidays.The Leyburn branch of the...
- Restored to former glory and use.
- WensleyWensley railway stationWensley railway station is a disused railway station on the Wensleydale Railway, in North Yorkshire, England.It was opened by the North Eastern Railway on 1 February 1878, and served the village of Wensley. The station closed on 26 April 1954. The station buildings and platforms survive as a...
- (currently closed)
- RedmireRedmire railway stationRedmire 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,...
- Current terminus of the line ... (until work begins on "Phase 1" of extension to Castle Bolton Halt), Restored to former use.
Closed section
- Castle Bolton - (proposed) new halt, (as part of extension to Aysgarth), serving the nearby Bolton Castle (aka Castle Bolton). Even proposed a Phase 1 of the Garsdale extension (starting of as far as Aysgarth).
- AysgarthAysgarth railway stationAysgarth railway station is a disused railway station in North Yorkshire, England, near Aysgarth Falls. It was part of the Hawes Branch of the North Eastern Railway from its opening in 1878 until closure in April 1954....
- serving and passing nearby Aysgarth Falls, Whole station site restored and currently (as of August 2011) a holiday cottage.
- Worton - (proposed) new halt/stopping point halfway between Aysgarth and Askrigg.
- AskriggAskrigg railway stationAskrigg railway station is a disused railway station in North Yorkshire, England and served the village of Askrigg. It was part of the Wensleydale Railway until it closed. The Wensleydale Railway Association aims to rebuild the railway from Northallerton to Garsdale and plans to re-open the station...
- (currently closed), requires huge restoration (plus renovation for future re-use).
- Bainbridge - (proposed), new halt ... (part of future extension to Garsdale).
- HawesHawes railway stationHawes railway station is a disused railway station that served the town of Hawes in North Yorkshire, England. It was closed in 1959 and now forms part of the Dales Countryside Museum.-History:...
- Currently part of Dales Countryside Museum ... (plans to restore it to future rail use on heritage line).
- Mossdale - (Proposed) new halt, located between old tunnel of the same name and Garsdale railway station. Could remain terminus of the heritage line, until the planned new bay platform terminus at Garsdale is opened.
- GarsdaleGarsdale railway stationGarsdale 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...
- Future (planned platform bay terminus) of the line ... (Interchanging with rail services on the Settle-Carlisle Route).
Company structure
The Wensleydale Railway plc is responsible for the operation, maintenance and development of the railway line and passenger services. The company has a mixture of employed and volunteer staff.The Wensleydale Railway Association Ltd is a membership organisation that supports the development of the railway through fundraising and volunteer working.
The Wensleydale Railway Trust is a charity that provides training and supports work on heritage structures.
Current service
The WR aims to provide public transport in Wensleydale as well as being a visitor attraction.There are three or four passenger trains a day in each direction between Leeming Bar and Redmire. In addition there are occasional charter trains and feature events.
Dales & District
Dales & District
Dales & District is a bus operator based in North Yorkshire, England. Owned by Procters Coaches it has its main depot at Leeming Bar by the side of the A1.The company's original network included services up Wensleydale and around Northallerton...
operate a bus link- the number 73 leaving half hourly between Leeming Bar and Northallerton railway station and vice versa.
Future plans and expansions
In the short-to-medium term, the Wensleydale Railway's aim is to extend passenger train services east (via Scruton, "Swale Riverside", Ainderby & Romanby to Northallerton railway station to provide interchange with the National RailNational Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network on the East Coast route.
However this will require agreement with Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
regarding access to the station, creation of a new platform and reinstatement of the South Curve (trains currently have to reverse into a loop north of Northallerton in order to traverse to/from the East Coast Main Line).
The South Curve provided a direct link from the Wensleydale Railway into Northallerton but has been closed for many years.
The Wensleydale Railway's longer term aim is to reopen the line west from Redmire via Castle Bolton, Aysgarth and Hawes to join up with the Settle-Carlisle Railway Route at Garsdale. Although a couple of new stops along the closed section could be required (as one is planned between Redmire and Aysgarth).
Locomotives
| Number & Name | Description | History & Current Status | Livery | Owner(s) | Date | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. D2144 (03144) Western Waggoner | Class 03 British Rail Class 03 The British Rail Class 03 locomotive is, together with Class 04, one of BR's most successful smaller 0-6-0 diesel-mechanical shunters. The class, numbering 230 examples, was built by British Railways' Swindon and Doncaster works in 1957-1962 and numbered D2000-D2199 and D2370-D2399... |
Operational. | MoD Green. | MoD. | 1960 | ~ |
| Wensley | Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM Shunter | Static Display. | Green. | Private Owner. | 1963 | ~ |
| No. 25313 | Class 25 British Rail Class 25 The British Rail Class 25 diesel locomotives were also known as Sulzer Type 2 and nicknamed Rats, as it was alleged they could be seen everywhere in Britain, and hence were "as common as rats"... |
Under Repair. | BR Rail Blue. | Privately Owned. | 1964 | ~ |
| No. 20166 (D8166) River Fowey River Fowey The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, United Kingdom.It rises about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last .... |
Class 20 British Rail Class 20 The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same... |
Operational. | BR Green. | Harry Needle Railroad Company Harry Needle Railroad Company The Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in... |
1966 | ~ |
| No. 20121 | Class 20 British Rail Class 20 The British Rail Class 20, otherwise known as an English Electric Type 1, is a class of diesel-electric locomotive. In total, 228 locomotives in the class were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968, the large number being in part because of the failure of other early designs in the same... |
Operational | BR Blue | HNRC Harry Needle Railroad Company The Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in... |
~ | |
| No. 47715 Poseidon Poseidon Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon... |
Class 47 British Rail Class 47 The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British... |
Operational. | FM Rail FM Rail FM Rail Limited was a railway spot-hire and charter company based at Derby, United Kingdom. The company was formed in January 2005 following the merging of spot-hire company Fragonset Railways Limited with charter train operating company Merlin Rail Limited... . |
Wensleydale Diesel Traction Group. | 1966 | ~ |
| No. 47703 Saint Mungo Saint Mungo Saint Mungo is the commonly used name for Saint Kentigern . He was the late 6th century apostle of the Brythonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in modern Scotland, and patron saint and founder of the city of Glasgow.-Name:In Wales and England, this saint is known by his birth and baptismal name Kentigern... |
Class 47 British Rail Class 47 The British Rail Class 47, is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British... |
Just sat left to rot at leeming. | FM Rail FM Rail FM Rail Limited was a railway spot-hire and charter company based at Derby, United Kingdom. The company was formed in January 2005 following the merging of spot-hire company Fragonset Railways Limited with charter train operating company Merlin Rail Limited... . |
Harry Needle Railroad Company Harry Needle Railroad Company The Harry Needle Railroad Company is a railway spot-hire company, based at Barrow Hill Engine Shed in Derbyshire. The company is also a scrap dealer and has dismantled many railway vehicles, either on site, or at the European Metal Recycling scrapyard in... |
1967 | ~ |
| No. D9516 | Class 14 British Rail Class 14 The British Rail Class 14 is a type of small diesel-hydraulic locomotive built in the mid-1960s. Twenty-six of these 0-6-0 locomotives were ordered in January 1963, to be built at British Railways Swindon Works. The anticipated work for this class was yard shunting, trip work and short distance... |
Operational. | BR Green. | Private Owner | 1964 | ~ |
- Diesel multiple units
- BR Class 101British Rail Class 101The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
/117British Rail Class 117The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
hybrid unit 101678 (51210+59509+53746) and spare cars 51247 (from unit 101687) and 59500 - BR Class 110British Rail Class 110The Class 110 diesel multiple units were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in conjunction with the Drewry Car Co. to operate services on the former Lancashire and Yorkshire main line, and spent their entire careers based around this same area. This earned them the name of...
unit 51813+59701+51842
- BR Class 101
- Electrical multiple units
- BR Class 419British Rail Class 419The British Rail Class 419 Motor Luggage Vans were built from 1951-61 by BR at Eastleigh Works.-Description:Ten of these units were built for the boat trains from London Victoria to Dover and Folkestone...
unit 9010 (68010) - BR Class 422British Rail Class 421The British Rail Class 421 electrical multiple units were built at BR York Works between 1964 and 1972. Units were built in two batches, and were initially introduced on services on the Brighton Main Line. Later units were introduced on services to Portsmouth. These units replaced older Southern...
buffet coach 69335 (ex-unit 2209)
- BR Class 419