Out
and About with the Yorkshire Area. The photographs on this
page were all taken by Richard Lewis from our Yorkshire Area and represent
a mini panorama of the year, from snow in winter to the mellow shades
of autumn in the Tweed Valley. |
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Left:
Brrr! Here's another reminder of what it was like during
the winter of 2009-2010, when temperatures often struggled to
get above freezing point. This is one of the twin bores of Thurgoland
Tunnel on the former Great Central line from Penistone to Wortley
Junction – now part of NCN6, the Trans Pennine Trail.
24 December 2009. (Richard Lewis) |
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Above:
Wescoe – a little-known location on the former Cockermouth,
Keswick & Penrith Railway – is situated just west of Threlkeld
and was passed by westbound trains just a few minutes before they
reached the major intermediate station at Keswick. As can be seen,
Wescoe boasts both a short tunnel and one of the many bowstring bridges
that remain on this section of the line. The old railway is a used
as a footpath, but only between Threlkeld and the western side of
Keswick – which is rather a shame because the scenery along
the whole of this lost railway is fantastic. 16 May 2009. (Richard
Lewis) |
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Above:
Another view of Wescoe, this time with the bowstring bridge
framed by the tunnel portal. Two patient railway ramblers wait for
the photographer to get a move on! The view from this tunnel forms
a very marked contrast with that shown in the first picture on this
page. 16 May 2009. (Richard Lewis) |
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Above:
Just occasionally – and for no reason that a layman
can discern – the railway engineers of the CKPR would flip over
one of their bowstring bridges and place the bow below rather than
above the running line. This example is just west of Threlkeld. The
river in the foreground is the River Greta, whose serpentine course
between Threlkeld and Keswick required 8 bridges in just 4 miles.
There were 78 bridges in total between Penrith and Keswick, this being
the last section of the line to remain open under British Rail's operation.
It finally closed on 6 March 1972, not even being allowed the dignity
of a final summer season when traffic levels were always higher. 16
May 2009. (Richard Lewis) |
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Above:
Trains have not entirely gone from the Keswick and Threlkeld
area, for the Threlkeld
Mining Museum (situated to the south east of the old Threlkeld
station) has a narrow gauge operation in the area. This photograph
makes it obvious why a trip from Penrith to Keswick was such a delight
for the railway traveller. Nowadays, those who wish to make the same
journey must make do with a bus on the busy A66. 16 May 2009. (Richard
Lewis) |
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Above:
Here is one of the most unusual viaduct conversions anywhere!
As we reported in August 2007, the Hyndburn Greenway starts from
Accrington station and crosses nearby Platts Lodge Lake on a causeway
built between the surviving five sets of tubular piers. The original
railway track, of course, ran over a viaduct that rested on top
of these piers. The greenway links Accrington with Baxenden, a distance
of about 2½ miles. 31 August 2009. (Richard Lewis)
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Above:
The Talla
Railway in Scotland ran southwards alongside the River Tweed for
9 miles from Rachan Junction, east of Broughton station (on the Caledonian
Railway's line from Carstairs to Peebles via Symington) to Talla Reservoir,
just south of Tweedsmuir. Construction started in 1885, with the line
operating from 1897 to 1910 to help build the reservoir. It was lifted
in 1912, despite protests from locals that it should be retained for
public use. As can be seen from the photograph above, some serious
engineering went into the line, and it makes for a wonderful walk
through scenic Border country. 19 October 2009. (Richard Lewis) |
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Above:
Another scene from the Talla Railway, this time showing the
piers of a demolished bridge passing over the trackbed. So what exactly
was this bridge used for? Carrying sheep over the line! Although the
superstructure has long gone, this must rate as one of the most elaborate
and costly livestock crossings of a railway anywhere in the country.
19 October 2009. (Richard Lewis) |
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Above:
Amazingly, the Talla Railway's bridge over the River Tweed
survives intact. It is situated at Glenrusco, near Tweedsmuir, just
before the line swings around Cockiland Hill (seen in the left distance)
on its final approach to the dam at the north end of the reservoir.
19 October 2009. (Richard Lewis) |
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Above:
A picture of bucolic bliss – a weary railway rambler
(who had a very early start to get to this walk) rests beneath a tree
with the River Tweed flowing by at the foot of the meadow. The one
thing we can say for certain is that this is not
the result of a lunchtime session at the Crook Inn, near Tweedsmuir,
since that hostelry closed in 2004 or 2005. 19 October 2009. (Richard
Lewis) |