Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton - who took the photos below
My Father worked on the railway all of his life and was employed for part of that time as a Guard. He would tell me stories as a teen-ager of the locations he had been to and thus may career as a railway photographer was born. It has to be said, however, that he never got as far as Silloth.
My interest in Silloth was generated by an article on that branch in a 1963 Railway Magazine. So I determined to pay it a visit. Just then the 1964 Railway Magazine reported that the branch had now closed to all traffic. So on the 10th of October 1964 I set off on the 06.44 am train to Carlisle, complete with my bike. This train stopped at all stations from Portobello to Carlisle. When however, we got to Riccarton Junction the train was halted due to a derailment between there and Steele Road. The wait was due to the relief signalman being called out to open the box at Steele Road which was normally switched out. The problem being that the A4 Kingfisher had come off the road just South of Riccarton Junction. As it turned out this must have been attended to promptly, since on the way back there was no sign of it. I also remember that the train which took me to Carlisle also stopped by request at Riddings Junction, by then closed to passenger traffic.
I duly arrived at Carlisle and set out to photograph the stations on the Silloth Branch. When I arrived at Silloth the demolition contractors had already started work as can be seen in the accompanying photograph. On returning home the photos were developed and to my horror my thumb had got in the way of the lens---so I had to return in a week's time to take that location again, thanks to a sub from my Mother.
When I returned the following week I went again to Silloth and found that the contractors had not advanced much further---perhaps they were working to rule that week.
I can say that it is an area of the country that I fell in love with and have returned to see what was left of this railway today---alas, not much at all.
Silloth Demolition 10th October 1964
Silloth Approach 1964
Silloth East End September 1964
Silloth East End September 1964
Silloth West End September 1964
Silloth Signal Box September 1964
Kirkbride Junction Signal Box 1921
Abbey Town Station October 1964
Abbey Town Platform Frame October 1964
Abbey Junction 1931
Drumburgh Junction 1963
Drumburgh Station September 1964
Drumburgh Station September 1964
Drumburgh Station September 1964
Drumburgh Junction 1963
Burgh By Sands Station October 1964
Whitrigg Station
Canal Junction 10th October 1964
Approaching Canal Junction 1955
If you have a story to tell and old photographs you would like to include on this website please send them to me at admin@cumbria-railways.co.uk