History Lancaster and Carlisle Railway

1 history

1.1 proposed routes
1.2 construction

1.2.1 gradients on shap summit
1.2.2 completion


1.3 merger & acquisition

history
proposed routes

the directors of lancaster , carlisle railway had several routes choose between when considering line in 1840s. kendal committee of lancaster , carlisle railway supported line through kendal longsleddale, 2 mi (3.2 km) tunnel under gatescarth pass mardale , on bampton. engineer thomas bouch, of cockermouth, keswick , penrith railway approached adviser on kendal-longsleddale route. probable bouch have been appointed civil , railway engineer had been chosen (he later gain notoriety tay railway bridge disaster). longsleddale route had ever been built, have been dramatic , awe-inspiring in britain . have been less steep 1 in 70 gradient , on shap fell , need banking engines have been reduced or entirely avoided.

an alternative route proposed george stephenson, had surveyed route in 1835. line go round cumberland coast, avoidingshap , cross morecambe bay on purpose-built barrage. after lengthy parliamentary inquiry, longer , steeper route through lune gorge , on shap fell chosen. had been proposed joseph locke had been surveying routes between 2 cities since 1836. station built @ nearby village of oxenholme kendal not on main line.

on 17 july 1844 first sod cut @ shap summit (the highest point on planned route @ 279 m (915 ft)). original intention build single line in january 1845 announced line double track.

construction

the project, cost £17,000 per mile, largest single railway contract of time @ 69 mi (111 km). contractor thomas brassey in partnership william mackenzie , john stephenson. 10,000 men worked on project @ peak.

the railway, took two-and-a-half years complete, included several major engineering such 4 substantial viaducts , high embankment between grayrigg , low gill. embankment south of tebay laid in bed of river lune had been diverted course. route through lune gorge reused in 1960s construction of m6 motorway runs on split-level cutting above railway.

gradients on shap summit

the southerly approach shap carnforth 30 mi (48 km) long , divided 2 sections:

carnforth grayrigg, 20 miles (32 km), final 5 mi (8 km) being @ 1 in 131/1 in 106
grayrigg shap summit: first 5 mi (8 km) tebay relatively level, followed 5 mi (8 km) @ 1 in 75

the northerly approach shap carlisle 30 mi (48 km) long , divided 2 sections:

carlisle beyond penrith, 20 mi (32 km) @ gradients varying between 1 in 131 , 1 in 228
penrith shap summit, 10 mi (16 km) @ 1 in 125

the 0.5 mi (0.80 km) cutting @ shap summit cut through rock , 60 ft (18 m) in depth.

completion

the first section open 20 mi (32 km) stretch of line between lancaster , oxenholme on 22 september 1846. branch line oxenholme kendal opened on same day. become part of kendal , windermere railway (kwr). line windermere completed on 21 april 1847. l&cr connected lancaster , preston junction railway @ new station named lancaster castle, 1 mi (1.6 km) south of town.

the final section between oxenholme , carlisle opened 17 december 1846. 9 months, trains lancaster arrive @ carlisle london road railway station until carlisle (citadel) opened on 1 september 1847.

merger & acquisition

the independent lancaster & carlisle profitable railway made returns on shares of 10%. in 1859 l&cr leased london , north western railway. subsequently built ingleton branch line in 1861 between low gill , ingleton, , branch between hest bank , morecambe in 1864.

the lancaster & carlisle railway merged lnwr in 1879. in 1923 - creation of big 4 railway companies following grouping - line became part of london, midland , scottish railway (lms) through creation of british railways in 1948. br electrified route in 1974 part of west coast main line modernisation scheme of period.