THE LANCASTER AND CARLISLE
RAILWAY.- We mentioned in our last that a party of the directors of this line had
proceeded on Friday morning on a trial trip from Carlisle to Lancaster. The directors were
Mr. John Dixon and Mr. G.H. Head, who were joined at Penrith by Mr. E.W. Hasel (chairman
of the directors), Mr. H. Howard of Greystoke Castle and Lieutenant-Colonel Maclean. They
were accompanied by Mr. T. C. Heysham, Mr. P. Dixon, Mr. Steel, of the Carlisle
Journal, Mr. Larmer, resident engineer, Mr. Collister, resident engineer of the
Caledonian railway, Mr Mould, Mr. Hemberow, Mr. Green and two or three other gentlemen
connected with the works. The train consisted of the engine, tender, and three carriages.
It proceeded at a rate of upwards of 30 miles an hour, and would have reached Penrith (18
miles) in about 35 minutes, but for a slight accident when about two miles from that
place. By some unfortunate blunder the person appointed to attend to the switches, had
neglected his duty - the points were in the wrong direction, and the engine and tender
were thrown off the rails. The train was at the time proceeding at so slow a pace, that
the shock caused by being brought to a sudden standstill was scarcely felt by the
passengers. It caused a delay, however, of upwards of an hour, when the train again
proceeded on its way - reaching Lancaster (70 miles) in about three hours of actual
travelling.-the directors having stopped at several places to inspect the works. At
Lancaster a board meeting was held, the directors resident in Liverpool, and Messrs. Locke
and Errington, the engineers, being present, and various arrangements were made for the
public opening of the line, should Captain Coddington, the Government inspector, give the
required certificate. In the evening the directors, engineers, and friends dined together
at the King's Arms Inn and next morning were joined at breakfast by Captain Coddington,
who had just arrived from London. A little after 8 o'clock they started with a train of
four carriages on the return to Carlisle. The day was excessively cold, with rain, sleet,
snow, and frost by turns. At times the rails presented the appearance of long lines of
ice, and were extremely slippery. The difficulty on such a day was the ascent of the great
incline on Shap Fells, one of the severest gradients on any railway in England; and the
whole party watched this with no little interest; and it must have been highly
satisfactory to both engineers and directors, when Captain Coddington, who stood upon the
engine and timed its progress, announced that the ascent had been made, notwithstanding
the unfavourable state of the rails, at the rate of 20 miles an hour-although the engine
was an old one and not of the most powerful class. All the heavy works-the bridges,
viaducts, cuttings, and embankments-were minutely inspected by Captain Coddington, who
expressed himself, at the end of the journey, as highly pleased with the whole of the
works-declaring that the public might travel upon the line with the most perfect safety;
and immediately afterwards gave the directors a certificate to that effect. We may mention
here, that the line is double throughout, with the exception of about two miles, near
Lowther. This portion will be made double in a month or less. The line is remarkably easy
nearly throughout-the exception being a short distance where it has been recently
ballasted; and it passes through a country which can scarcely be surpassed for picturesque
beauty and wildness of scenery.-Carlisle Journal.
Article from The Times newspaper
Wednesday 16 th December 1846
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