Routes

These are the introductions from each of the included routes along with some images from various locations.

The full route is named "Carlisle Skipton". The next three routes are this main route divided into three parts to enable more focused sessions and to avoid the need to load the full route when only a part of it is being used. The final route, 'Ribblesdale', is a development of a short section to demonstrate the new industries introduced since TC3.

'SnC Carlisle Skipton'

The route Comprises 87 miles of main line, a 6 mile branch and short sections of 10 connecting lines. The main line connects Skipton and Carlisle and was built to complete the third England to Scotland trunk route in 1876. It incorporates the whole of the Settle and Carlisle Railway and is extended southwards to Skipton, a major junction and rail centre.

At each end, this route follows river valleys, but the central section crosses the Northern Pennines, a desolate area of high moors intersected by deep valleys or dales. The engineering in this section is heavy, with many viaducts and tunnels.

Traffic on this route has always been of a long distance nature, the small population of the area traversed not providing the opportunity for much passenger or goods traffic.

The period depicted is the 1960s and at that time the railway was being slowly run down. There were only three daytime expresses in each direction and through goods trains mostly run at night. The local goods trains shunting the yards or collecting wagons from the lime works of the Ribble Valley were losing out to road traffic, as was the sparse stopping passenger service.

This railway reached its lowest point in the 1980s when it was slated for complete closure. That this did not happen is very fortunate, not only for the tourists who now travel the line for its visual beauty, but also for the rail operators who run frequent bulk load freights across the roof of England.

'SnC Vale of Eden'

The route incorporates the northern section of the Settle and Carlisle Railway which follows the River Eden from near Appleby to Carlisle. Short sections of the other three main lines that converge on Carlisle from the south are also included, together with the goods lines that used to avoid Carlisle Citadel station. The line generally falls towards Carlisle but has some uphill sections through Lazonby and Armathwaite before a long downgrade to the junction with the North Eastern's main line from Newcastle amongst a tangle of goods yards. It is then only a mile before Carlisle Citadel is reached.

'SnC Yorkshire Dales'

Yorkshire Dales incorporates the high ground section of the Settle & Carlisle Railway. As well as the main line there is a branch to Hawes. In addition there are a couple of short sections of the North Eastern's branches which used to link Darlington with Furness and Cumbria.

From the south end of this route the line is almost continuously climbing at 1 in 100 up the Ribble Valley as far as Blea Moor Tunnel. It then continues at about 1100 feet above sea level for some distance through the upper reaches of Dentdale, Garsdale and Wensleydale. At Garsdale there is a junction for the branch that dropped steeply into Hawes,closed nearly 50 years ago.

The 1169 foot summit , which is the highest main line in England, is reached at Ais Gill. The line now descends, again mostly at 1 in 100 into the Eden valley, crossing the river at the bottom of the descent, not far from Appleby. At Appleby there is a short link to the North Eastern's Darlington to Penrith line.

'SnC Craven District'

This is the southern part of the Skipton to Carlisle route which only includes a relatively short section of the Settle & Carlisle line, northwards from Settle Junction. The remainder of the route from Skipton is the old main line of the North Western Railway linking the major cities of West Yorkshire with North Lancashire and Furness. Very short sections of the lines leading into industrial Lancashire from Skipton and Hellifield are also included.

At Skipton the railway is in the valley of the River Aire which it follows and then climbs over a low watershed before dropping down through the junction at Hellifield to close with the River Ribble near Settle Junction. From here through Settle the line climbs at 1 in 100 which continues for many miles into the Northern Pennines.

'SnC Ribblesdale'

Ribblesdale covers the Settle and Carlisle Railway's climb from Settle into the Pennines. From the south end of this route the line is almost continuously climbing at 1 in 100 up the Ribble Valley as far as Blea Moor Tunnel.

This short route is for demonstrating the additional working industries now available.

 
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