Ingleton Branch Line

If you want a strong argument for the nationalisation of infrastructure projects, you only need to look into the absolute chaos of the early days of the rail network when lines were built by competing companies. Ironically, for a rail network, very little of the development strategy was joined up. 

There were, for example, two railway stations in Ingleton as two rival companies could not agree how to share the existing station. So, whilst one might romantically imagine steam trains chugging across the mighty viaduct, it appears that it was, initially at least, used by travellers trudging with their luggage between the two stations. 

The branch line, which was only eighteen miles long in the end, ran from Ingleton to Sedbergh, stopping at Kirkby Lonsdale, Barbon, Middleton-on-Lune, and Sedbergh. I've long fantasised about running the stretch from Kirkby Lonsdale to Sedbergh but even walking the section around Barbon hash dashed my hopes for a long, clear route up the Lune Valley.

This evening, I drove Dan up to a party in Sedbergh and the lane leading to his friend's house has a bridge that appears to go over a railway line (see my Extra). The confusing thing is that this is north of where the old Sedbergh station was, so I think this must have been a (technically) separate line that ran from Sedbergh up to Tebay. 

On the way back I stopped just south of Middleton and clambered up onto the old railway bridge. The northern end is blocked so I took today's photo with my back to that, looking along the bridge south towards Barbon, which would have been the next stop. I wonder how different the view was for the train drivers as they came over the bridge?

Anyway, I'm still hoping to make the journey from Kirkby Lonsdale up to Sedbergh, although I guess I will walk it. I think attempting to run the route will simply be too frustrating.

****
-10.7 kgs
Reading: 'Girl, Woman, Other' by Bernadine Evaristo (after some initial reservations, I am enjoying this enormously)