Field Trips
A programme of Field Trips is planned to allow members the opportunity of visiting areas that they may not normally get to see. Full details will be posted when available - members also see their Lakes Express.
Field Trip Organiser - Graham Worsnop
Graham is responsible for arranging Field Trips. These are open to both members and non-members. If you would like to attend a specific one but are not a member please contact Graham. A small charge is made to cover administration and handouts. To contact Graham click here.
Forthcoming Trips - preliminary notices
Saturday 16th June 2012 – Visit to Carnforth Station and round its Railway
We will meet at the station on platform 2 under the clock at 11.15 hours. The walk will take about two and half hours and will visit the sites of the LNWR and MR sheds and pass through the town to East Junction and to the site of the CHICo line. Then return to the station and have some lunch in the Brief Encounter Buffet. (You may bring your own, if you wish). In the afternoon an hour’s walk round the station and the Heritage Centre should see the event finish before 16.00 hrs. These times are designed round train times, including those on the Barrow to Whitehaven line. There will be two guides Philip Grosse (whose book on Carnforth is due for publication shortly) and Clive Holden.
One urgent request - we need a scribe to record the trip for the Journal, if someone would be willing to do the honours.
Please let Graham Worsnop know if you are intending to join this trip. Graham can be contacted by clicking here or there are details in the handbook.
Saturday 1st July 2012 – Border Union Railway - an invitation to the 150th Anniversary Celebrations
As part of the celebrations and to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Border Union Railway, on July 1st 2012 the Waverley Route Heritage Association in conjunction with the Border Union Railway Co. Ltd would like to
extend a special offer to CRA members. Details of the offer are here. The WRHA look forward very much to welcoming CRA members to their new railway.
Trips of the recent past
March 2012 - Sunday 18th – Visit to the Eastern section of Lord Carlisle’s Railway
Thirteen walkers and one dog assembled in glorious sunshine to walk the abandoned mineral line from Tindale to Lambley. Despite being windswept moorland, there were railway relics wherever you looked, and bumps and dips in the ground often turned out to be spoil heaps and pits. The walk was led by Graham Brooks a local vet and expert on the Lord Carlisle system. As well as serving the pits, some of which seemed to have been opened more in optimism than realistic expectation, the line also supported the Co-operatives which seemed to be the only shop in town in most of the communities and had their own warehouses and rail sidings – the warehouses and shops themselves still remaining today. There was also an interesting social observation that there were large non-conformist chapels built – and a small corrugated iron Anglican church to minister to the souls who toiled in this landscape. These again, still stand today, but often serving different purposes. The system formed an end-on connection to the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway at Lambley Colliery. Trains arriving via a reversal at Lambley station having crossed the Lambley viaduct. The line continued on past Coanwood colliery site and station to the present day car park where the walk ended. This was a fascinating trip, through an area rich in industrial heritage, and well worth exploring.
November 2011 - Sunday 13th - Visit to Ravenglass & Eskdale railway
Fifteen members gathered under blue skies and sun for a guided exploration of the R&ER, led by Peter van Zeller. The visit included the sheds, workshops and an explanation of the Railway's radio signalling system, based on the American train order system. The party then journeyed behind River Irt to Dalegarth (with several members having footplate rides) for lunch at 'Fell Bites'. It was discoled that Dalegarth may once have been called 'Woolpack Road'. A trip down the 'tramway with footpath rights' to the cottages led to a walk along the old 3-foot line – which is still officially a railway – to Boot. The remains were still clearly visible, even though no trains had run in nearly a century. The mining inclines and relics were studies as were the legal intricacies surrounding the line. You would struggle to make up such a story. The trip continued along the old line to the mines at St Catherine's, before returning to catch the Irt back to Murthwaite. The old crushing plant site was examined and the site of the Big Points pointed out before catching 'Douglas Ferreira' back to Ravenglass to complete a very enjoyable trip. Even those who knew the line well learnt something, such is the fascinating and convoluted history of the line.
Saturday 18th June 2011 - Bolton Fell Peat railway and Brampton Town - Fifteen of us braved the forecast wet weather (what else for a CRA field trip?) to visit the Bolton Fell Peat Railway. The line and site are being wound down, so this was a chance to observe and record what is a disappearing part of Cumbria's railway history – albeit one that is younger than a number of our members! The line is very much a 'flung down tramway' style of operation, being relocated as needed to access different parts of the peat moss. The 7 mile line was a fascinating enterprise, and we hope to collate our learnings and produce an article in the journal about the railway itself – as opposed to the normal field trip report. In the afternoon, we visited Brampton Town Station, finding an extant wall of the original coal staithes (inside someone's workshop), the platform and ticket office. This was followed by a walk along the old trackbed to Brampton Junction station where the old bay platform is still clearly visible. Time and weather precluded visiting Kirkhouse and Hallbankgate – these will wait for another day.
Sunday 20th March 2011 - Whitehaven, Cleator, & Egremont Railway - The curse of the CRA field trip struck again, as rain and low cloud marked saw twenty-five members of the Association walking between the sites of Moor Row and Rowrah stations along the track bed of the Whitehaven, Cleator, & Egremont Railway, led by Philip Ashforth, a researcher into West Cumbrian Iron Ore mining. This was a fascinating walk which revealed a wealth of railway and industrial history unknown even to those of us familiar with that line. The walk included diversions to see interesting mining relics such as the black ship - a concrete 'canal' built to take water away from mining areas. Difficulties in determining which was the track, which the route built to circumvent subsidence and which a siding led some to suggest that the CRA ought to consider helping with the provision of informative signs along the route. There was little to tell the unaware of the vast railway history in this area. It was not unusual on this walk to find a 3 track overbridge bridge emerging from the undergrowth at one point - on a very minor branch line to a mine. Few would be aware that it was there. A very interesting walk, and well worth braving the mist for. See Journal vol. 6 no. 6 for a more comprehensive and illustrated account.
Sunday 7 November 2010 - Kirkby Stephen East and Viaduct Trail - A large group of members assembled in the car park in glorius sunshine to be told by the Stainmore Railway Co. Chairman, Mike Thompson, a bit about the history and future plans for the site. It was considerably warmer outside than in the train sheds! Members were then given free rein to explore the site walking up to the preent limit of track by bridge three and exploring inside the train sheds and museum. Lunch was taken in the wonderful surroundings of their Greley Buffet Car! The hoped for Brake van rides did not happen but progress is such that need to have them sorted by next year when they take delivery of a steam locomotive from the National Railway Museum on a rolling five year loan agreement. August Bank Holiday 2011 looks like a weekend to put in ones diary! After lunch a walk was taken along the former trackbed from KSE to the site of Halcrow quarry. This included crossing two viaducts now in the care of the Northern viaduct trust who have had them restored for use as a foot and cycle path.
Saturday 19 June 2010 - A re-creation of a Furness Railway Middle Circular Tour in the Spirit of Alfred Aslett to Mark the 150th Anniversary of the Inauguration of the Steam Yaucht Gondola on Coniston Water. This involved over 70 people meeting at Haverthwaite by 10.30 for the 10.40 Train to Lakeside. We then boarded a steamer for the journey along Windermere to Ambleside. Vintage road transport in the form of two buses from the Preston, Ribble, Preservation Group, conveyed passengers to Coniston where time was available for sight-seeing and also a visit to late Major Hext's minature railway before we boarded Gondola for an evening cruise to Lake Bank Pier. On return to Coniston Pier road transport was on hand to return passengers to Haverthwaite, arriving at 20.30 hrs. The chances of it being created at a later date are very remote.
Sunday 21 March 2010 - A goodly number of members assembled for a Guided walk around Barrow-in-Furness, including parts of the docks. It was surprising to see parts of the original station still standing yet more recent ones had vanished! Even since the pre-visit for planning the walk had taken place lots of changes had occurred including gates and new tarmac footpaths.
Sunday 15 November 2009 - Millom Visit Members met at Millom Network Centre in the grounds of Millom School, Salthouse Road, Millom LA18 5AB at 10.30 am. Bill Myers showed his collection of photos of Millom industrial locos and the ironworks. A short walk to the former ironworks site then followed. In the afternoon we visited the club room and layouts of the Millom Railway & Scale Modellers. Lots of discussion took place about the photographs shown and various items pointed out during the walk. The visit to see a 2 mm scale model of Millom station was even more interesting. As a result we now have a copy of an official railway plan to add to our archive collection as well as much more information. A book dedicated to the area may even by forthcoming in the future.
Saturday 20 June 2009 - Members visited Threlkeld Quarry for steam operation on the former Bramcrag quarry tramway, and some also went on an underground tour of a new mine! Well it isn't a real mine but gives an example of what one would have been like. One group went for a walk along the former trackbed to Bramcrag quarry while the remainder enjoyed a ride behind the steam locomotive 'Sir Tom' which had been steamed especially for our visit. Lunch was taken in the snack room and when the walkers returned another trip behind 'Sir Tom'. was taken. Most of those present then walked the CKPR trackbed into Keswick and returned by bus. Following a request from members this was on the SATURDAY and not Sunday.
Sunday 15 March 2009 - Visits around Carlisle. Following on from our meeting the previous day we went out and about to look at both Carlisle Railway Station as well as the West Coast Signalling Power Box. Having met up at Club 35, Lowther Street, for coffee and introductions. We started with a guided walk around the station, led by our speaker from the previous day Denis Perriam. A return to Club 35 for a buffet lunch then in the afternoon we will went down to the power box. We were restricted as to how many could go in the power box at one time but we managed. Virgin Trains gave us permission to go down into the basements, which was a first for many members. Also arranged in the afternoon was a visit to the model railway clubs who have clubrooms in the station. Carlisle 'O' Gauge group and Border Railway Society. Members of the Caledonian Railways Association joined us on this day.
November 2008 - saw a group of members assemble at Burneside Railway station. The aim of the day was to look around at the remains of the James Cropper rail connections to there factories. This included walking along the route of the narrow gauge line that ran up the valley from Burneside. Various remains were discovered and a couple of people who had been around when the line was in operation were met who imparted valuable information. The walkers finally finished at Stavely for a bite to eat at Wilf's cafe and/or a drink in the the beer hall of Hawkshead Brewery. A few then made the short journey back by train, considerably increasing the normal number of passengers from there, much to the surprise of the TTI.
June 2008 - saw a large group of members venture onto the area of the old Brampton Fell Railway. Starting at the RSPB reserve at Hallbankgate a circular route was followed. Walking the old railway track to Forest Head, inspect large lime kilns and discuss different railway systems; continue to Howgill to inspect terminus of original horse tramway and discuss successive rail developments including reinstatement for Gairs colliery; continue to Tindale to see foot of Bishop Hill incline and lime kilns, Tindale spelter site and large embankment. Return from Tindale along trackbed passing Roachburn colliery sidings, two smaller collieries and Clowsgill Quarry. This was led by Graham Brooks and although the weather was not very kind everybody learned something new.
March 2008 - the route of the Rowrah and Kelton Fell Mineral Railway was followed by a large group who had a very interesting and informative walk lead by Dai Powell of the Cumbria Historical Industrial Society.
.jpg)