Brampton Railway
| Brampton Railway | |
|---|---|
 Railway bridge at Clowsgill Holme near Brampton
| |
| Route length: | 16 km |
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) |
The Brampton Railway was an approximately 16 km long branch line in Cumberland and Northumberland , England . The line ran from Brampton Town Station to Lambley on the Alston Line with three stops in the course: Brampton Junction, Kirkhouse and Halton Lea Gate . The route also connected eight mines in the region with branches.
history
The Brampton Railway began in 1775 as a wooden wagon route from the Tindall Fell Mine to Brampton . It was built by Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle . The route was extended in 1798 and 1799 and rebuilt with steel rails in 1808. The gauge was changed to standard gauge during the conversion . Horse-drawn passenger service began in 1836, connecting to the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway . The operation of this railway was stopped in 1881. In 1836 a connection to the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was made at Brampton Junction station. The ascent from Kirkhouse to Hallbankgate was so steep in one section that it had to be overcome with a gravity-pull rope system. There was an engine shed in Hallbankgate. Between 1836 and 1840 the Rocket locomotive ran on the line. In 1852 the line was extended to connect to the Alston Line in Lambley. The North Eastern Railway took over the route in 1913. Passenger traffic was steadily reduced between 1917 and 1920 and finally stopped. The London and North Eastern Railway stopped freight on the route in 1923. The line was leased to the owners of the mines to which it connected. In 1947 the National Coal Board took over the line and the mines. But in 1953 the line was finally closed.
The route has been known by a number of names: Lord Carlisle's Railway, Tindale Fell Railway, Midgeholme Railway, Hartleyburn and Brampton Railway.
Web links
- History of the route on cumbria-railways.co.uk
Individual evidence
- ^ Brian Webb, David A. Gordon: Lord Carlisle's Railways . Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, Lichfield, Staffordshire 1978, ISBN 0-901115-43-6 , pp. 101 .
- ^ Mel Draper: Engineering and History of Robert Stephenso's Rocket . Homepage.ntlworld.com. Retrieved November 16, 2010.