Silloth Battery Extension railway station was the terminus of the Blitterlees Branch, which turned southwards off the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway's Silloth Branch a short distance east of Silloth station.[3] The larger railway ran from Carlisle, England. The Bitterlees Branch does not appear on standard railway maps,[4] but it is clear on OS maps, though the station is not identifiable as such.[5]
Silloth Battery Extension | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | Silloth, Cumberland England |
| Coordinates | 54°51′27″N 3°24′05″W / 54.8576°N 3.4013°W |
| Grid reference | NY101523 |
| Platforms | 1[1] |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Carlisle & Silloth Bay Railway & Dock Company |
| Pre-grouping | North British Railway |
| Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 1886 | Opened |
| About 1928 | Closed[2] |
| Location | |
Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||
The station's sole purpose was to serve the naval gun testing battery, built by Armstrong Whitworth.[6] Most trains to the site consisted of military supplies, the passenger station was built to carry battery personnel and visitors, including royalty on at least one occasion. In 1895 the Shalzada of Afghanistan and Suite observed naval firing, but was said to be especially impressed with the Maxim machine gun.[7][3]
Trains to the station were run on an ad hoc basis, the station never appeared on public timetables.
The station opened in 1886 and closed in 1928 when the battery closed, its operations being moved south to Eskmeals, near Drigg.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ The station, via Cumbrian Railways Association
- ^ Quick 2009, p. 353.
- ^ a b Suggitt 2008, p. 103.
- ^ Jowett 1989, Map 36.
- ^ Puxley 2009, p. 32.
- ^ Images of the battery, plus local talk, via BBC and others
- ^ Thomlinson 1983, p. 12.
Sources edit
- 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 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
- Puxley, Chris (2009). The Port of Silloth 1858–2009: A Pictorial History Through 150 Years of a Solway Port. Portishead, Somerset: Bernard McCall. ISBN 978-1-902953-42-7.
- Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
- Robinson, Peter W. (2002). Cumbria's Lost Railways. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84033-205-6.
- Suggitt, Gordon (2008). Lost Railways of Cumbria (Railway Series). Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-107-4.
- Thomlinson, G. (May 1983). Peascod, Michael (ed.). "Rails on the Solway". Cumbrian Railways. 2 (14). Pinner: Cumbrian Railways Association. ISSN 1466-6812.
Further reading edit
- Bradshaw, George (1985) [July 1922]. Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation guide for Great Britain and Ireland: A reprint of the July 1922 issue. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8708-5. OCLC 12500436.
- Edgar, Stuart; Sinton, John H. (1990). The Solway Junction Railway. Catrine: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-395-4. LP176.
- Liddell, H. M. (March 1984). Slater, John (ed.). "Shot at Silloth". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 130, no. 995. London: Tothill Press Limited. ISSN 0033-8923.
- Marsh, John; Garbutt, John (1999). Cumbrian Railways. Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7509-2043-8.
- Mullay, Alexander J. (2006). Rails Across the Border. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-3666-1.
- Robinson, Peter W. (August 1995). Peascod, Michael (ed.). "Maryport & Carlisle 150". Cumbrian Railways. 5 (12). Pinner: Cumbrian Railways Association. ISSN 1466-6812.
- Robinson, Peter W. (1985). Railways of Cumbria. Clapham, North Yorkshire: Dalesman Books. ISBN 978-0-85206-815-1.
- Webb, David R. (September 1964). Cooke, B.W.C. (ed.). "Between the Solway and Sellafield: Part One". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 110, no. 761. London: Tothill Press Limited. ISSN 0033-8923.
- White, Stephen (1984). Solway Steam: The Story of the Sillath and Port Carlisle Railways, 1854-1964. Carlisle, Cumbria: Carel Press Limited. ISBN 978-0-9509096-1-5.
External links edit
- The station on a navigable Edwardian OS map National Library of Scotland
- The station on the branch, with mileages Railway Codes
- The line with period photographs Holme St Cuthbert History Group
- The line and station Cumbrian Railways Association
- The convalescent home Its own website
- The station Rail Map Online
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Dyke Halt Line and station closed |
North British Railway Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway |
Terminus |