Harrington Junction

Harrington Junction was a railway junction in Harrington, Cumbria, England. ^[1] It joined three branches to the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway's (CWJR) main line from Workington Central to Moor Row via Cleator Moor West. No station ever existed at the junction, High Harrington was the nearest, 48 chains (0.97 km) to the south.

Former employees described the junction as the CWJR's "nerve centre". ^[2]

Harrington Junction looking north in 1951

A 1914 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing the complex network which existed in the Workington area

v t e Cleator & Workington Junction Rly
Legend
Key open line C&WJR lines (all closed) other closed lines Maryport & Carlisle Rly to Carlisle Solway Junction Railway to Annan via Solway Viaduct Linefoot Linefoot Junction Maryport & Carlisle Rly to Papcastle Summit Great Broughton RNAD Broughton Moor Buckhill Colliery Halt Maryport & Carlisle Rly to Carlisle Camerton Colliery Halt Siddick Junction Seaton Siddick Junction Calva Junction Workington North Cockermouth and Workington Railway Cockermouth and Workington Railway Marron Junction Workington Main Workington Central Bridgefoot Derwent Ironworks Whitehaven, Cleator & Egremont Railway   Moss Bay (north) Ironworks (south)   Harrington Junction to Whitehaven Harrington (Church Road Halt) Rosehill (Archer Street Halt) High Harrington Lowca Light Railway to Lowca to Parton Distington Gilgarran Branch Oatlands Whitehaven, Cleator & Egremont Railway Millgrove ironworks Moresby Parks Summit Rowrah and Kelton Fell Railway Moresby Junction Halt quarry Summit Rowrah Arlecdon Keekle Colliers' Platform Keekle Viaduct mine Cleator Moor West Cleator Moor East Cleator Moor Junction Moor Row Junction to Sellafield Moor Row to Whitehaven via Corkickle

Background

The main line was one of the fruits of the rapid industrialisation of West Cumberland in the second half of the nineteenth century, specifically being born as a reaction to oligopolistic behaviour by the London and North Western and Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railways. ^[3]

All lines in the area were primarily aimed at mineral traffic, notably iron ore, coal and limestone, none more so than the new line to Workington, which earned the local name "The Track of the Ironmasters". General goods and passenger services were provided, but were very small beer compared with mineral traffic. ^[4]

The founding Act of Parliament of June 1878 confirmed the company's agreement with the Furness Railway that the latter would operate the line for one third of the receipts. ^[5]

Layout

Three lines joined the main line at Harrington Junction:

• the Derwent Branch, ^[6] from Derwent Iron and Steel Works north west of the junction
• the Moss Bay Branch, from the Moss Bay Hematite Iron and Steel Company Works west of the junction, ^[7] and
• the Harrington Branch, which met the Lowca Light Railway at Rosehill, ^[8] south west of the junction.

The layout was such that trains could travel from the Harrington Branch onto the Moss Bay Branch or the Derwent Branch without going onto the main line. ^[9]

There were five sidings on each side of the main line, four beside the lines to the steel works and a further four beside the Lowca line, ^[10] together with other equipment such as cranes, signalboxes and a control cabin. ^[11]

Growth

Mineral traffic started along the main line in July 1879, along with the branches towards Lowca and Derwent Ironworks. ^[3] The Moss Bay branch followed in December 1885, being extended to Harrington Harbour in July 1893. ^[12]

Harrington Junction was about mineral and industrial traffic. The line's peak year was 1909, with lots of traffic generated between 1914 and 1918.

In 1920 twenty "Up" (northbound) mineral trains halted at the junction, plus passenger, workmen's, goods, and special trains. A similar number travelled southbound. ^[13]

Decline

Passenger traffic to and from Lowca ended in May 1926 and along the main line on 13 April 1931, ^{[14] [15]} though they had never been substantial.

The last remnant of the Derwent branch, from Wilkinson Wagon Works to the junction, closed in 1962.

The line south from Distington to Cleator Moor West closed on 16 September 1963 and the line from the junction south to Distington was singled.

The remaining main line from Calva Junction north of Workington Central through the junction to Distington closed on 26 September 1965, ^[16] but residual traffic continued between Lowca and Moss Bay, keeping a bit of the junction alive.

The "Furnessman" brakevan railtour on 24 May 1969 passed through the remains of the junction. ^[14]

Solway Colliery, Workington, closed in May 1973, leaving the junction with no traffic or prospect of traffic, so it closed on 23 May, with a farewell brakevan special on 26 May 1973 being the last train for ever. ^{[14] [17]}

Afterlife

In 2013 the West Cumbria Cycle Network used the main line trackbed through the junction.

See also

• Cumbria portal

• Maryport and Carlisle Railway
• Furness Railway
• Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway
• Cockermouth and Workington Railway

References

1. Jowett 1989, Map 36, as J22.
2. Jackson, Sisson & Haywood 1982, p. 4.
3. Anderson 2002, p. 309.
4. Anderson 2002, p. 313.
5. Marshall 1981, p. 117.
6. McGowan Gradon 2004, p. 18.
7. McGowan Gradon 2004, pp. 19 & 53.
8. McGowan Gradon 2004, p. 27.
9. McGowan Gradon 2004, pp. 53 & 63.
10. McGowan Gradon 2004, p. 63.
11. McGowan Gradon 2004, p. 17.
12. Anderson 2002, pp. 312-4.
13. Haynes 1920, pp. 8-13.
14. Anderson 2002, p. 316.
15. Butt 1995, p. 163.
16. McGowan Gradon 2004, p. 59.
17. McGowan Gradon 2004, pp. 30 & 59.

Sources

• Anderson, Paul (April 2002). Hawkins, Chris (ed.). "Dog in the Manger? The Track of the Ironmasters". British Railways Illustrated. Clophill: Irwell Press Ltd. 11 (7). ISSN   0961-8244.
• Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN   978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC   60251199.
• 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.
• Haynes, Jas. A. (April 1920). Cleator & Workington Junction Railway Working Time Table. Central Station, Workington: Cleator and Workington Junction Railway.
• Jackson, Stanley; Sisson, Norman; Haywood, T.R. (August 1982). Peascod, Michael (ed.). "The Cleator and Workington Junction Railway". Cumbrian Railways. Pinner: Cumbrian Railways Association. 2 (11). ISSN   1466-6812.
• McGowan Gradon, W. (2004) [1952]. The Track of the Ironmasters: A History of the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway. Grange-over-Sands: Cumbrian Railways Association. ISBN   978-0-9540232-2-5.
• Marshall, John (1981). Forgotten Railways: North West England. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN   978-0-7153-8003-1.

Further reading

• Conolly, W Philip (1998). British railways pre-grouping atlas and gazetteer (9th impression; 5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN   978-0-7110-0320-0. OCLC   221481275.
• Atterbury, Paul (2009). Along Lost Lines. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN   978-0-7153-2706-7.
• Bairstow, Martin (1995). Railways In The Lake District. Leeds: Martin Bairstow. ISBN   978-1-871944-11-2.
• Bowtell, Harold D. (1989). Rails through Lakeland: An Illustrated Journey of the Workington-Cockermouth-Keswick-Penrith Railway 1847–1972. Wyre: Silverling Publishing Ltd. ISBN   978-0-947971-26-7.
• Joy, David (1983). Lake Counties (Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN   978-0-946537-02-0.
• Robinson, Peter W. (July 1988). Peascod, Michael (ed.). "Harrington Junction". Cumbrian Railways. Pinner: Cumbrian Railways Association. 4 (1). ISSN   1466-6812.
• Smith, Paul; Turner, Keith (2012). Railway Atlas Then and Now. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7110-3695-6.
• Suggitt, Gordon (2008). Lost Railways of Cumbria (Railway Series). Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN   978-1-84674-107-4.
• Western, Robert (2001). The Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway. Usk: Oakwood Press. ISBN   978-0-85361-564-4. OL113.

External links

• Map of the CWJR with photos RAILSCOT
• Map of the WC&ER with photos RAILSCOT
• The junction and line in green Rail Map Online
• The junction on overlain OS maps surveyed from 1898 National Library of Scotland
• The junction and line railwaycodes
• The railways of Cumbria Cumbrian Railways Association
• Photos of Cumbrian railways Cumbrian Railways Association
• The railways of Cumbria Railways_of_Cumbria
• Cumbrian Industrial History Cumbria Industrial History Society
• Furness Railtour using many West Cumberland lines 5 September 1954 sixbellsjunction
• Furnessman railtour 24 May 1969 sixbellsjunction
• Lowca Light Railway farewell railtour 26 May 1973 sixbellsjunction
• A video tour-de-force of the region's closed lines cumbriafilmarchive
• 1882 RCH Diagram showing the station, see page 173 of the pdf google
• Haematite earthminerals
• Coal and iron ore mining in Cleator Moor Haig Pit
• West Cumbria Cycle Network visitcumbria
• The Harrington Branch and the Lowca Light Railway Cumbrian Railways Association

Coordinates: 54°37′23″N3°32′57″W / 54.62306°N 3.54917°W / 54.62306; -3.54917