Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway
The Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway is a former railway company in Cumbria , England .
In 1869, the mining of iron ore began at Kelton Fell, which is just 6 km east of Rowrah . The impassability of the roads in winter and their poor condition in the rest of the year hindered the removal of the ore for processing so that a direct rail connection to the mines was planned. The efforts of the mining company a trip for the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway whose line was joined to have already Rowrah operate unsuccessful so in 1874 with the construction of the line through the newly established Rowrah and Kelton Fell (mineral) Railway Company under the direction started by James Baird of the Lonsdale Haematite Iron Company . The line was completed in November 1876, but commissioning was delayed until January 1877.
The railway offered the Stockhowhall Quarry quarry from 1883 to a connection, whose signal box was built by the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway and also the Salter Hall Quarry quarry had a rail connection. Transportation of the limestone was operated by the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway .
The Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway had a connection to the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway in Rowrah, which was no longer used after 1882, as a connection to the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway was made at Baird's instigation .
Mining and thus rail traffic on the route steadily declined at the beginning of the 20th century. It was not possible to close the line during World War I and it continued to operate until 1927 when the last lime kilns in Cleator Moor closed and limestone transport was no longer necessary after the last iron ore mine that used the line was abandoned in 1926 .
The line was sold in 1933 and dismantled in 1934.
A locomotive of Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway is from today in the Scottish Railway Preservation Society Museum Railway Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway issued.
