Settle - Carlisle is 150 years old

[Lankyman]

The railway, familiar to anyone who has caved in the Three Peaks area is 150 years old.

Settle-Carlisle railway once threatened with closure turns 150

A proposal to close the line was rejected after thousands of people - and one dog - objected.

www.bbc.co.uk

Home to amazing features like the Ribblehead and Artengill Viaducts, Blea Moor Tunnel and the Ruswarp statue at Garsdale Station:

Ruswarp © John Illingworth cc-by-sa/2.0

Ruswarp (pronounced "russup") belonged to Graham Nuttall the first Secretary of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line (FOSCL) which was formed to campaign against the proposed closure of the line. Ruswarp's paw print was put on his own objection as a fare-paying passenger. The line was...

www.geograph.org.uk

I well remember the near closure back in the eighties.

 

[ChrisJC]

They'd never allow such an infrastructure project nowadays. It would have to tunnel under the entire national park.

Chris.

 

[alanw]

They'd never allow such an infrastructure project nowadays. It would have to tunnel under the entire national park.

It's the same as graffiti - old = historic artefact, new = vandalism.

 

[Lankyman]

They'd never allow such an infrastructure project nowadays. It would have to tunnel under the entire national park.

Chris.

The decision to put the line where it is was economically very dodgy even in Victorian times. On that score alone it would be a non-starter today.

 

[alanw]

It still comes in useful these days, the West Coast Main Line is occasionally diverted over it.

Avanti West Coast train uses Settle to Carlisle line

Avanti is using the Settle to Carlisle line while works are carried out over the M6.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Digit]

They'd never allow such an infrastructure project nowadays. It would have to tunnel under the entire national park.

Chris.

Its the same with the Snowdon Mountain Railway. The same people who would object to its building would be the same people who would object to its closure if that were ever on the cards.

 

[mikem]

Lots of historical information on:

How they built the Settle-Carlisle railway: C - Contract 1 | SCRCA

scrca.foscl.org.uk

There's also quite a detailed synopsis on:

Settle–Carlisle line - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Lankyman]

Lots of historical information on:

How they built the Settle-Carlisle railway: C - Contract 1 | SCRCA

scrca.foscl.org.uk

Thanks for that. I think I read the W R Mitchell book this was based on many years ago. There was an original photo in there I think showing the construction of the Ribblehead Viaduct with a huge steam-powered machine sitting on top. It looked surprisingly modern (to me).
"Batty Green is a very wild and bleak spot; although many of the men have seen rough and foreign countries, railway making there, still they all agree that they were never in such a wild place before".
I've just recalled that I started caving (properly) within sight of the Ribblehead Viaduct with a trip to Bruntscar Cave in 1976, the centenary of the railway.