Stainmore

The railway that I used to know so well as a child crossed the north of England between Darlington and the Lake District. The line had been built in the 1860's to carry iron ore and coke between County Durham and Barrow-in-Furness.

This was never an easy railway to run. The gradients were steep (sometimes more than 2%) but only small engines could be used because of weight restrictions on the high viaducts. So 'double heading' of feight trains was common.

Here is one of Worsdell's pretty little class J21's on a passenger train from Darlington to Penrith passing the summit box which was 1370 feet above sea level - the highest main line railway in England. My grandfather often worked 'relief' shifts at this box and I would go with him. It could be a fearsome place in winter - there was a red box of 'iron rations' on the shelf in case men got snowbound working there. I seem to remember that the stove was kept running full time too! Ofter kindly drivers would kick some extra coal off the tender as they passed.