The Silloth Line

In the nineteenth century, north-west Cumberland was served by three different railway companies.

The line to Silloth opened in 1855 when the old canal to Port Carlisle was filled in. It followed the line of the canal as far as Drumbrugh and new tracks were laid to what was a completely new town and port.

By 1900, Silloth had a large goods yard and a station with a platform long enough to accommodate the busiest excursion trains.

In the 1920s and 30s, after the line became part of the LNER, cheap Day Trips from Carlisle were very popular. On Bank Holidays the trains were packed and the green crowded with visitors.

The company advertised the resort throughout its network and provided special camping coaches for family holidays.

Some Silloth railwaymen

After World War II, day-trips from Carlisle were still very popular but general traffic on the route was much reduced and very little freight was carried.

In 1954, the steam engines were replaced by new diesel units.

The goods yard was used to store redundant trucks and emergency supplies of coal.

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The End of the Line

In 1963, Dr Beeching's plan for 'The Reshaping of British Railways' was published and the Silloth line was one of those scheduled for closure.

Cartoon from the 'Carlisle Journal'. Willie Whitelaw was the local MP.

After the formal procedures were completed, it was announced the line would close on September 7^th, 1964.

The excursion train at Silloth signal box. (Photo: Gordon Akitt)

Just a few weeks before this, a special steam excursion was organised by a group of railway enthusiasts.

On the last day of operations, Jimmy Piercy, the British Transport Police officer was in charge at Silloth.

The diesel train was replaced by a steam locomotive. Jimmy Lister (left) from Carlisle was the driver, Archie Brand (right) was the guard and Mike Bulman the fireman.

The platform at Silloth was crowded with people waiting to say 'good-bye'.

The train had to halt outside the station as the line was blocked by a group of protesters organised by Kate Roberts, the prospective Labour candidate for the constituency.

Finally, the police cleared the line and the train pulled in.

Dusk was falling as the train left for Carlisle arriving there at 9.30pm.

Next day, the station was emptied of its furniture and work began on lifting the tracks.

Pictures of the last train courtesy of Judith Warmsley. 

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The Port Carlisle Dandy

On April 4^th 1914, the horse-drawn ‘Dandy’ coach made its last trip along the railway line to Port Carlisle. Two days later, steam locomotives were chuffing along the quiet country line for the first time in over fifty years.

Over the years, the Dandy had become not only a local institution but also a minor tourist attraction. Numerous picture postcards were produced of ‘England’s only one-horse railway’.

Finally, it was decided to put the horse out to grass and re-introduce steam services. Work began early in 1914. The tracks had to be renewed to carry the much heavier loads which would now pass over them.

When the day for the first steam train eventually dawned, there were great celebrations. The parish council arranged a public luncheon in the Hope and Anchor Inn at Port Carlisle. The Carlisle Journal reported the village was in holiday mood and that a large delegation of executives, from the railway company’s headquarters in Edinburgh, had arrived. This included the locomotive superintendent, the chief inspector of permanent ways, the district  traffic superintendent and Mr James Orr of the horse department.

Rev. L.E.D. Mitton, the local vicar, presided at the luncheon. Mr Topping, the council chairman, proposed the health of the North British Railway. John Black, responding for the company, assured the gathering that they would do everything possible in advertising the place and would offer cheaper fares and extra services in the summer months. He suggested the council should consider the provision of a golf course as no holiday resort was complete without one.

More toasts were drunk and further speeches made. The Carlisle Journal’s report suggests the conviviality and mutual back-slapping continued for most of the afternoon. Finally, the dignitaries decided to take a walk around the port to view its attractions and, probably, to sober up a bit too.

Unfortunately, they were caught in a heavy shower and had to beat a hasty retreat to the train which awaited them at the station. F.W. Tassell, Carlisle’s leading photographer of the day, was present and the group must have posed for him in front of the lavishly decorated locomotive.

Despite the introduction of steam traction, Port Carlisle never became a tourist destination. The railway company gave the old Dandy coaches to the village. For many years, they served as pavilions for the local bowling green and tennis club.

In 1925, there was an exhibition at Darlington to mark the centenary of the world’s first railway there. The organisers thought that the old Dandy would prove a popular exhibit and entered negotiations with the bowling club for its return.

Repainted in its original colours, the Dandy took pride of place in the Darlington show. When the exhibition closed, it was taken to Waverley Station in Edinburgh where it remained until it was moved to its present location, the National Railway Museum in York.