Lowca Light Railway - Towns and Villages

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Lowca Light Railway - Towns and Villages

Harrington - Lowca Light Railway

Harrington - Most industry has now long gone from Harrington which is now largely a dormitory town for the employees of the shops and offices and light industry found in Workington and Whitehaven, and also British Nuclear Fuels down the coast at Sellafield.

The Magnesite plant at Harrington was set up during World War II by the Ministry of Aircraft Production to extract magnesium from seawater, for use in aircraft components and incendiary bombs. Built in less than twelve months by the Steetley Company on behalf of the Ministry of supply and managed by the British Periclose Company. It was a "hush-hush" project at the time, the new rail-head being signed "Harrington Ironworks" in a bid to fool the enemy. The Harrington Shore plant was geared up to produce 40,000 tons per annum.

Today the parish of Harrington is a bustling suburban area with a strong social infrastructure and a population of about 6000. The parish consists of Harrington itself, High Harrington and Salterbeck, which is a large housing estate on the Workington side of the parish. Harrington itself has four shops and a post office, with another row of shops in Salterbeck with a post office, and a post office/shop in High Harrington. It was from Harrington that the Lowca Light Railway began its journey to Lowca at Rosehill junction up the 1 in 17 climb to Copperas Hill.

Lowca - Became world famous for building steam engines and was originally started as a foundry in 1763 by Adam Heslop and his brothers Thomas and Crosby. The first railway engine was built in 1840 for the Maryport & Carlisle Railway to haul coal wagons between Arkleby pits and Maryport Harbour. The Lowca Engineering Company produced in total 260 locomotives.

Brickmaking started at Micklam near Lowca in 1901 and the Harrington No 10 pit was first sunk in 1910 with the adjacent Koppers coke ovens completed by 1911. This increasing industrial activity at Lowca meant the limited accomodation around Lowca could not cope with the increasing workforce. As accomodation was readily available in Workington the Koppers Company requested that the Cleator and Workington Joint Railway run a workmans train between Workington and Lowca. In 16th May 1913 the Harrington & Lowca Light Railway sanctioned equipping the line for passengers.


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