Solway Junction Railway

Solway Junction Railway
Solway Viaduct - Solway Junction Railway Map of the Solway Junction Railway (Aston & Barrie, 1932; p.28) Locale Scotland Dates of operation 13 September 1869 – 27 April 1931 Successor line Caledonian Railway Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Legend
Caledonian Railway Main Line Kirtlebridge   Caledonian Railway Main Line Annan Shawhill Annan   Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway   Solway Firth Bowness Whitrigg Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway    Abbey Junction    Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway Bromfield Maryport and Carlisle Railway   Brayton (M&CR)    Maryport and Carlisle Railway

The Solway Junction Railway ran between the Caledonian Railway near Kirtlebridge and the Brayton station of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway. The Act of Parliament was granted on 30 June 1864^[1] and the line was opened in 1869. It involved a 1 mile 8 chains (1.8 km) iron girder viaduct between Bowness-on-Solway and Annan across the Solway Firth in Scotland. It was built to carry iron ore from West Cumberland to Scotland, without having to pass through Carlisle.

Contents 1 History 2 The route 3 Connections to other lines 4 Current operations 5 References 5.1 Notes 5.2 Sources 6 External links

History

The viaduct was designed by Sir James Brunlees, took 3½ years to build and cost about £100,000. It had 193 spans with 2,892 tons of cast iron for the piles and 1,807 tons of wrought iron. It was first used by freight traffic on 13 September 1869, and opened to passengers on 8 August 1870. In 1875 and 1881 the viaduct was damaged by ice, and by altering sediment-carrying currents it caused nearby Port Carlisle to silt up and lose trade. In turn this resulted in the abandonment of the Port Carlisle to Carlisle railway.

The first chairman of the company was Alexander Brogden.^[2] Alexander Brogden was effectively head of John Brogden and Sons, who had already successfully promoted and completed the Ulverston and Lancaster Railway, also with James Brunlees as engineer.

This railway was absorbed by the Caledonian Railway in 1896.

By 1910 there were only three return crossings per day and a 20 mph speed limit was in force. In 1914 the railway was restricted to carrying freight only. On 1 September 1921 the viaduct was closed entirely. Coal imports from overseas had reduced the demand for the route. After it closed, the viaduct had a guard's hut and gates installed to prevent its use on Sundays by pedestrians crossing from Scotland into England, where the alcohol licensing laws were less strict.^[3]

In 1934-35 it was demolished. The section of line between Annan and Kirtlebridge remained in use until 1931. The remains of the viaduct can still be seen.

The route

The line ran from Kirtlebridge on the Caledonian Railway Main Line, to Annan (where a new station, Annan Shawhill, was built), and a connection with the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway was made. After crossing the Solway, it passed through Bowness-on-Solway and Whitrigg, before connecting with the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company and finally to the Maryport and Carlisle Railway near Brayton.

Connections to other lines

• Caledonian Railway Main Line at Kirtlebridge
• Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway at Annan
• Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company at Abbeyholme
• Maryport and Carlisle Railway at Brayton

Current operations

The line is closed.

References

Notes

Sources

• Aston, G.J. and Barrie, D.S. (1932) "The Solway Junction Railway", Railway Magazine, 70 (415), p. 26–34
• Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0049-7. OCLC 19514063. 
• Stuart, Edgar; Sinton, John M. (1990). The Solway Junction Railway. Headington, Oxford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-8536-1395-8. OCLC 25654930. 

• Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1. OCLC 22311137. 
• Stansfield, Gordon (1998). Dumfries and Galloway's Lost Railways. Stenlake. ISBN 978-1-8403-3057-1. OCLC 40801310. 

External links

• Solway Junction Railway - Cumbria Railways
• Solway Junction Railway - Solway Viaduct
• "The Solway Junction Railway". http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/hstchg/railway4.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-01. 
• "RAILSCOT on Solway Junction Railway". http://www.railscot.co.uk/Solway_Junction_Railway/frame.htm. 

Historical Scottish railway companies Primary companies Caledonian Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Great North of Scotland Railway Highland Railway North British Railway Caledonian Railway Aberdeen Railway Alloa Railway Alyth Arbroath and Forfar Busby Railway Cathcart District Clydesdale Junction Crieff Junction Crieff and Comrie Crieff and Methven Junction Dumfries, Lochmaben and Lockerbie Dunblane, Doune and Callander Dundee and Perth Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Forfar and Brechin General Terminus and Glasgow Harbour Glasgow and Garnkirk Glasgow Central Railway Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Greenock and Wemyss Bay Hamilton and Strathaven Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire Leadhills and Wanlockhead Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Comrie Paisley and Barrhead District Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Polloc and Govan Rutherglen and Coatbridge Scottish Central Scottish Midland Junction Scottish North Eastern Solway Junction Symington, Biggar and Broughton Talla Railway Wishaw and Coltness Lines built by the Caledonian Railway CR Cleland and Midcalder CR Main Line CR Douglas Branch CR Hamilton Branch CR Hamiltonhill Branch CR The Switchback Independent lines worked by the Caledonian Railway Callander and Oban Killin Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Ardrossan Railway Ardrossan and Johnstone Ayr and Dalmellington Ayr and Maybole Junction Ayr to Mauchline Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Barrhead Branch Bridge of Weir Railway Cairn Valley Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Castle Douglas and Dumfries Dalry and North Johnstone Darvel Branch Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Greenock and Ayrshire Kilmarnock and Troon Largs Branch Maidens and Dunure Maybole and Girvan Paisley and Renfrew Paisley Canal Line Great North of Scotland Railway Aberdeen and Turriff Aboyne and Braemar Alford Valley Banff, Macduff and Turriff Junction Banff, Portsoy and Strathisla Boddam Branch Deeside Railway Denburn Valley Formartine and Buchan Inverury and Old Meldrum Junction Keith and Dufftown Moray Coast Morayshire Railway St Combs Light Railway Strathspey Railway Highland Railway Buckie and Portessie Branch Dingwall and Skye Duke of Sutherland Findhorn Railway Fortrose Branch Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Inverness and Aviemore Direct Inverness and Nairn Inverness and Perth Junction Inverness and Ross-shire Kyle of Lochalsh Extension Perth and Dunkeld Sutherland and Caithness Sutherland Railway Independent lines worked by the Highland Railway Dornoch Light Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway North British Railway Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick Ballochney Bathgate and Coatbridge Blane Valley Border Counties Railway Border Union Railway Campsie Branch Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company Coatbridge Branch Dunfermline and Queensferry Edinburgh and Bathgate Edinburgh and Dalkeith Edinburgh and Glasgow Edinburgh and Hawick Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven Railway Edinburgh, Loanhead and Roslin Railway Edinburgh and Northern Edinburgh Suburban and Southside Junction Forth and Clyde Junction Glasgow, Bothwell, Hamilton and Coatbridge Glasgow City and District Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Glasgow and Milngavie Junction Glasgow, Yoker and Clydebank Kelvin Valley Railway Kirkcaldy and District Railway Kincardine Line Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton Monkland and Kirkintilloch Monkland Railways Mallaig Extension NBR North Berwick Branch North British, Arbroath and Montrose Stirling and Dunfermline Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Slamannan Slamannan and Borrowstounness West Highland Railway Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness Joint lines Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction City Union Dundee and Arbroath Darvel and Strathaven Glasgow and Paisley Joint Glasgow and Renfrew District Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Other lines Brechin and Edzell District Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway Denburn Valley Line Dundee and Arbroath Invergarry and Fort Augustus Lochaber Narrow Gauge Perth, Almond Valley and Methven Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway

Constituent railway companies of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Constituent companies Caledonian Railway Furness Railway Glasgow and South Western Railway Highland Railway Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway London and North Western Railway Midland Railway North Staffordshire Railway Subsidiary companies Arbroath and Forfar Railway Brechin and Edzell District Railway Callander and Oban Railway Cathcart District Railway Charnwood Forest Railway Cleator and Workington Junction Railway Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway Dearne Valley Railway Dornoch Light Railway Dundee and Newtyle Railway Harborne Railway Killin Railway Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway Knott End Railway Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway Maryport and Carlisle Railway Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway North and South Western Junction Railway North London Railway Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company Solway Junction Railway Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway Wick and Lybster Light Railway Wirral Railway Yorkshire Dales Railway Former joint railways Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway Citadel Station Joint Committee Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway Furness and Midland Joint Railway Goods Traffic Committee Lancashire Union Railway North Union Railway Preston and Longridge Railway Preston and Wyre Joint Railway Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway (Full list of constituents)