The Little North Western
17th October 2006

What a wonderful, wonderful line the Settle Junction to Carnforth is! Much overshadowed and neglected due to its close proximity of the much grander and famous Settle to Carlisle line, it is nevertheless much worth travelling over. The route from Settle Junction to Wennington is affectionately known as the Little North Western due to the fact that the North Western Railway built it, and ‘Little’ was added so not to confuse it with the larger London and North Western Railway. (The line between Wennington Junction and Carnforth F&M Junction was a joint effort between the Midland Railway and Furness Railway).

The line between Settle Junction (MP 234¾) and Wennington (MP 249½) is 14½ miles long and the mileposts you see along this route are a phenomenon. They go back to the days of the Midland Railway and refer to the distance from St Pancras when the Midland Railway took ownership of the line, and regular boat trains used this route from St Pancras to Morecambe/Heysham via Wennington Junction, Lancaster Green Ayre and Morecambe Promenade. At Settle Junction (just to the west of the occupation bridge), a unique set of twin mileposts can be seen of mileposts 234¾, one on the S&C route and one on the Little North Western route.

I would recommend a visit to line when there is something worth seeing because it still has the charm left from the steam age:

 Settle Junction: Always worth a visit with its Midland signal box, wonderful semaphores, four tracks and don’t forget the unique twin mileposts!
 Clapham: Here you can see the original station building (now in private ownership), the original up waiting room, and the remains of the junction with the Lowgill branch and even the remains of the cattle pens.
 At Bentham you can see another unique milepost embedded in the railway bridge by the station, boundary posts in the field next to the up platform, and the original down waiting room. (The station buildings are relatively recent).
 Wennington still with its semaphores and signal box – just. You can also make out the remains of the junction with the Lancaster line. (Unfortunately, the box has now been demolished, despite strenuous efforts in saving it by the Lancaster and Skipton Rail User Group). See their website at http://www.llmr.co.uk/index.cfm. I believe the box was dismantled and is now on the Burn Naze Railway at Fleetwood.
 The stations at Arkholme and Melling, although closed long ago, are still in existence as private dwellings.

The line oozes nostalgia, has never had a ‘makeover’ and for those interested in everything railway a day along the line spotting artefacts is a must before it is a case ‘here today – gone tomorrow’.


I am particularly grateful to Peter Smith for allowing me to show his rare and very interes photo's.

Thanks are also due to Gary Lewis, Mick Lewis, Ken Nuttall and John S Whitely.

<-- Index | Showing 1-48 of 90 pictures | Next -->
Water tanker at Long Preston replenshing The Duke of Gloucester.
Water tanker at Long Preston replenshing The Duke of Gloucester.
2004-10-08 12:21:03
 Duke of Gloucester at Long Preston
Duke of Gloucester at Long Preston
2004-10-08 12:24:04
 Clapham Junction station house.
Clapham Junction station house.
2004-10-15 10:15:33
 Clapham Junction waiting room. Tue 17 Oct 2006.
Clapham Junction waiting room. Tue 17 Oct 2006.
2004-10-15 10:15:58
Clapham Junction Station. Tue 17 Oct 2006.
Clapham Junction Station. Tue 17 Oct 2006.
2004-10-15 10:16:14
 Milepost 241 and a half Clapham. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
Milepost 241 and a half Clapham. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
2004-10-15 10:26:19
 Milepost 241 and a half looking south. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
Milepost 241 and a half looking south. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
2004-10-15 10:29:05
 Milepost 241 and a half looking north. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
Milepost 241 and a half looking north. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
2004-10-15 10:29:30
Milepost 241 and a half scenery. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
Milepost 241 and a half scenery. Sat 16 Oct 2004.
2004-10-15 10:37:10
 The poor state of Wennington signal box can be seen in this photo taken on 13 June 2004.
The poor state of Wennington signal box can be seen in this photo taken on 13 June 2004.
2005-11-03 08:33:47
 Settle Junction looking north.
Settle Junction looking north.
2005-11-03 10:35:41
 Stoneblower Carnforth on Tue 17 Oct 06.
Stoneblower Carnforth on Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 07:43:48
Arkholme Station - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Arkholme Station - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 08:41:06
 Arkholme Station - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Arkholme Station - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 08:42:14
 Clapham Junction station - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Clapham Junction station - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:12:51
 remains of the cattlepens at Clapham Junction on the defunct Lowgill Branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
remains of the cattlepens at Clapham Junction on the defunct Lowgill Branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:19:29
Ex Green Ayre and Carnforth Locoman, Ken Nuttall poses besides the remains of Clapham Junction Signalbox - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Ex Green Ayre and Carnforth Locoman, Ken Nuttall poses besides the remains of Clapham Junction Signalbox - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:20:30
 Remains of Clapham Junction Signalbox - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Remains of Clapham Junction Signalbox - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:21:02
 Remains of Clapham Junction Signalbox - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Remains of Clapham Junction Signalbox - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:21:20
 Clapham - track towards Carnforth - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Clapham - track towards Carnforth - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:22:15
Trackbed of the Lowgill branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Trackbed of the Lowgill branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:22:27
 Clapham looking towards Settle Junction - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Clapham looking towards Settle Junction - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:22:42
 Trackbed of the Lowgill branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Trackbed of the Lowgill branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:23:06
 Trackbed of the Lowgill branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Trackbed of the Lowgill branch - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:27:32
Clapham looking towards Settle Junction - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Clapham looking towards Settle Junction - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:30:34
 Clapham - track towards Carnforth - Tue 17 Oct 06.
Clapham - track towards Carnforth - Tue 17 Oct 06.
2006-10-17 09:31:27
 Unidentified 40 at the head of 7E91 1202 Heysham Moss to haverton Hill Anhydrous acid tanks passes through Wennington in Feb 83. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
Unidentified 40 at the head of 7E91 1202 Heysham Moss to haverton Hill Anhydrous acid tanks passes through Wennington in Feb 83. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 47538 on 1P54 2345 Euston to Barrow sleeper passes through Wennington on 24 Apr 1983. Diverted because of engineering work on the WCML. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith - diverted London to Barrow sleeper.
47538 on 1P54 2345 Euston to Barrow sleeper passes through Wennington on 24 Apr 1983. Diverted because of engineering work on the WCML. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith - diverted London to Barrow sleeper.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
47445 on 1P54 2345 Euston to Barrow sleeper passes through Wennington on 1 May 1983. Diverted because of engineering work on the WCML. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith - diverted sleeper at Wennington.
47445 on 1P54 2345 Euston to Barrow sleeper passes through Wennington on 1 May 1983. Diverted because of engineering work on the WCML. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith - diverted sleeper at Wennington.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 45054 at the head of 7E91 1202 Heysham Moss to haverton Hill Anhydrous acid tanks passes through Wennington on Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
45054 at the head of 7E91 1202 Heysham Moss to haverton Hill Anhydrous acid tanks passes through Wennington on Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 45054 at the head of 7E91 1202 Heysham Moss to haverton Hill Anhydrous acid tanks passes through Wennington onPhoto courtesy of Peter Smith
45054 at the head of 7E91 1202 Heysham Moss to haverton Hill Anhydrous acid tanks passes through Wennington onPhoto courtesy of Peter Smith
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 47068 at the head of 6Z95 0830 Barton on Humber to Corkickle empty phosphoric acid tanks passes Wennington on The track bed of the line to Green Ayre can be seen to the left of the photo. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
47068 at the head of 6Z95 0830 Barton on Humber to Corkickle empty phosphoric acid tanks passes Wennington on The track bed of the line to Green Ayre can be seen to the left of the photo. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
2006-10-17 00:00:00
25235 and 25060 on 1Z41 Plymouth to Keighley - The Worth Valley Wanderer approaching Clapham on 29 Sep 1984. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
25235 and 25060 on 1Z41 Plymouth to Keighley - The Worth Valley Wanderer approaching Clapham on 29 Sep 1984. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 HST W43129 and W43130 1L65 0715 Carnforth to Hellifield passes through Wennington Station. They were used at Hellifield and Gisburn for filming a BR commercial and part of the awnings at Hellifield Station was painted for the purpose! Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
HST W43129 and W43130 1L65 0715 Carnforth to Hellifield passes through Wennington Station. They were used at Hellifield and Gisburn for filming a BR commercial and part of the awnings at Hellifield Station was painted for the purpose! Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 HST W43129 and W43130 1L65 0715 Carnforth to Hellifield approaches Clapham Junction (North Yorks) station. They were used at Hellifield and Gisburn for filming a BR commercial and part of the awnings at Hellifield Station was painted for the purpose! Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
HST W43129 and W43130 1L65 0715 Carnforth to Hellifield approaches Clapham Junction (North Yorks) station. They were used at Hellifield and Gisburn for filming a BR commercial and part of the awnings at Hellifield Station was painted for the purpose! Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 Class 31 at Clapham with a Hull Lancaster service. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
Class 31 at Clapham with a Hull Lancaster service. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
31440 at the head of 2E84 1336 Lancaster to Hull approaching Clapham Junction station (North Yorks) on 10 Nov 1984. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
31440 at the head of 2E84 1336 Lancaster to Hull approaching Clapham Junction station (North Yorks) on 10 Nov 1984. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 31454 on 1M65 2237 Glasgow to Nottingham mail at Wenning on 3 Jan 1986. It was running about five hours late due to overhead line problems north of Carlisle. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
31454 on 1M65 2237 Glasgow to Nottingham mail at Wenning on 3 Jan 1986. It was running about five hours late due to overhead line problems north of Carlisle. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 55966, 55067, 55969, and 55979 on 5J07 1443 Manchester Red Bank empty newspaper train at Low Bentham on 4 May 1986. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
55966, 55067, 55969, and 55979 on 5J07 1443 Manchester Red Bank empty newspaper train at Low Bentham on 4 May 1986. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 On Sat 30 Apr 1988, 47541 and 47234 pass Wennington Junction with the diverted 6V75 0620 Mossend to Cardiff steel coil train. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
On Sat 30 Apr 1988, 47541 and 47234 pass Wennington Junction with the diverted 6V75 0620 Mossend to Cardiff steel coil train. Photo courtesy of Peter Smith
2006-10-17 00:00:00
25235 and 25060 on 1Z41 Plymouth to Keighley - The Worth Valley Wanderer approaching Clapham on 29 Sep 1984.
25235 and 25060 on 1Z41 Plymouth to Keighley - The Worth Valley Wanderer approaching Clapham on 29 Sep 1984.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 On Wednesday 8 August 1984, the 1208 DMU from Morecambe to Leeds is seen arriving at Wennington.
On Wednesday 8 August 1984, the 1208 DMU from Morecambe to Leeds is seen arriving at Wennington.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 62005 at Wennington with the Carnforth Leeds leg of the Trans Pennine Pullman. Driver Jimmy Knowles at the control and Fireman Weatherill on the shovel. Sat 6 Mar 82.
62005 at Wennington with the Carnforth Leeds leg of the Trans Pennine Pullman. Driver Jimmy Knowles at the control and Fireman Weatherill on the shovel. Sat 6 Mar 82.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 33025 approaching Wennington on 17 Jun 2006. Photo courtesy of Gary Lewis.
33025 approaching Wennington on 17 Jun 2006. Photo courtesy of Gary Lewis.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
37261 on the Witches Circle at milepost 241 and a half Clapham 16 Oct 2004. Photo courtesy of Gary Lewis.
37261 on the Witches Circle at milepost 241 and a half Clapham 16 Oct 2004. Photo courtesy of Gary Lewis.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 48151 at Borwick. Photo courtesy of Mick Lewis.
48151 at Borwick. Photo courtesy of Mick Lewis.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 Peter Cooper showing off on the footplate of 70014 Iron Duke at Carnforth circa 1964. (I could fire the Britannias OK, but was a useless (coal-heaver) when it came to firing the Jubilees!
Peter Cooper showing off on the footplate of 70014 Iron Duke at Carnforth circa 1964. (I could fire the Britannias OK, but was a useless (coal-heaver) when it came to firing the Jubilees!
2006-10-17 00:00:00
 46029 on 2E71 1145 Morecambe to Leeds at Bare Lane on Sun 30 Aug 1980.
46029 on 2E71 1145 Morecambe to Leeds at Bare Lane on Sun 30 Aug 1980.
2006-10-17 00:00:00
© 1998-2009 Peter Cooper - All copyrights rest with the Author
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