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The History Of 25 th June 1840, the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway Co. opened the line between Preston and Lancaster (Greaves) 6 th June 1844 The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was authorised for a single line. 28 th December 1844 A mile of track had been laid at Carnforth. Mr J B Worthington, the resident engineer, laid the first rail in the Lancaster Division. 31 st July 1845 A second track is authorised for the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway. 26 th August 1846, Medusa, a contractors locomotive, pulled the first train from Lancaster to Kendal, and a stop was made at Carnforth for water. This was a test run, in preparation for the opening of the line. 18 th September 1846 the line was passed as "fit for traffic" by Major-General Pasley, the Government Inspector of Railways. 21 st September 1846, The Kendal , Oxenholme and Lancaster section of the Lancaster and Carlisle line was ready for use, and a public Holiday was declared in Kendal. A special train left Kendal at 12.20 p.m. and having stopped for water at Carnforth, reached Lancaster at 1.22pm 22 nd September 1846, the Lancaster
Castle to Oxenholme line was opened by the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Co. 22 nd September 1846 Carnforth Station was nearly complete and ready for use. By 4 th December 1846, the inspection of the line was completed, through to Carlisle, and passed "fit for traffic" 11 th December 1846 (Friday) The directors of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, plus guests, make a trial trip from Carlisle to Lancaster.2 miles from Penrith, the engine and tender are derailed by a set of points incorrectly set. 12 th December 1846 (Saturday) . The directors, engineers and friends are joined by Captain Coddington, who depart from Lancaster, a little after 8 o'clock, on a train of four carriages. Captain Coddington at the end of the journey, gave the directors of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway a certificate to state that the line was safe. On 15 th December 1846, the Lancashire and Carlisle Railway ran a "special" train over Shap, to mark the opening of the 70-mile long line between Lancaster and Carlisle. The first train was hauled by "Dalemain" a locomotive designed by Richard Trevithick and Alexander Allan, and "Dalemain" with its single pair of driving wheels hauled its 9 coach train, with 200 passengers up Shap bank at a steady twenty two and a half miles per hour. 17 th December 1846 the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Co. open the Oxenholme to Carlisle line to the public, with two trains each way, between Lancaster and Carlisle (London Road) Station. 1 st August 1849 The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway take over operation of the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway. 24 th July 1851 the Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway is authorised to build a railway between Ulverston and a Junction with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway at Carnforth. 28 th October 1855. Derailment about 1 mile north of Carnforth of the up night mail from Aberdeen to London 10 th August 1857 (Officially 26 th
August 1857) the line is opened between Ulverston and Carnforth for goods, by the
Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway. 12 th July 1858. The Furness Railway is authorised to purchase the Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway. 1859 Both the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway, and the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway are leased to the London and North Western Railway. 1861 the Furness shed is built by a joint Furness / LNWR committee. 21 st January 1862. The Furness Railway purchase the Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway. 22 nd June 1863 the "Furness and Midland" Railway was formed to construct a line from Wennington to Carnforth. 1864 The main Station is renamed from "Carnforth - Yealand" or "Carnforth for Yealand" to just "Carnforth" [recent research indicates this to be incorrect, and Carnforth Station never was called Carnforth - Yealand] 1864 The "Haematite Iron Co. Ltd." is
established 15 th August 1866. Collision just north of Carnforth Station, between north bound passenger excursion train and some mineral wagons. 10 th April 1867 the 9.5 mile long,
Carnforth to Wennington line is opened for goods, operated jointly by the Furness Railway
and the Midland Railway. 1 st July 1868 The Furness and Midland
line is opened through to the Furness and Midland Junction. 12 th August 1872 W.H.Smith & Son bookstall is opened on Carnforth Station 1873 The first LNWR shed is built. 1878/9 Carnforth Post Office building is enlarged, and a "Pick Up" device was installed at Crag Bank (to the South of Carnforth Station) to allow mail bags to be collected and deposited by moving trains, without having to slow down or stop. 21 st July 1879, the London and North Western Railway absorb the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway. 1880 Carnforth is one of eight depots, who send delegates to a conference, and becomes part of the new ASLEF. 1 st August 1880 Carnforth Furness and Midland (2nd) Station is closed. 2 nd August 1880 the Lancaster and
Carlisle Station at Carnforth is closed 11 th August 1880. derailment, at Wennington, of a Leeds and Bradford to Morecambe passenger train. 10 th November 1881. Derailment on Furness Railway, of passenger train from Barrow, as it arrives at Carnforth. 1890's (probably) The second LNWR shed is built. 1895 Mr Farnworth is appointed as Station Master at Carnforth. 1904 Carnforth has forty one platform staff. 31 st December 1905 W.H.Smith Bookstall contract with LNWR is taken over by Wyman and Sons. At the very start of the "Railway Age", the railways in Britain were formed of many, often small, individual Railway Companies. This situation was very haphazard, and frequently very difficult for the passengers, and other users of the railways, as journeys often meant travelling over the lines of two or more companies, and, unless the railway companies had reached agreement, two or more tickets often had to be purchased to complete a single journey. At railway stations and junctions, legal agreements and maps had to be drawn up to show which company had the rights to travel over which rails. 1st January 1923 "The Grouping" many of the smaller railways in Britain combined to form: - The London Midland and Scottish Railway. (LMS) Carnforth became part of the LMS 1925 / 6 the "Furness" shed is closed by the LMS At the grouping, there were three locomotive sheds at Carnforth, the "Midland" the "Furness" and the "London and North Western". In 1938 the London Midland and Scottish Railway announced a modernisation plan, and closed two of the sheds, and built a new shed, on the site of the Furness shed, close to the station. Much of the work in building the new shed was carried out by Italian prisoners of war. 1937 LMS take advantage of Government loan scheme February 1945 Carnforth Railway Station was
used as a location for "Brief Encounter" 31 st December 1947 (Midnight) The
private railways of the "Grouping" ceased to exist 1959 Wyman and Sons (who have a bookstall on Carnforth Station) are bought by John Menzies January 1966, the Lancaster Castle - Green Ayre - Morecambe passenger service was withdrawn, and the Leeds - Morecambe rail service was diverted through Hest Bank and Carnforth, to Wennington, and then onwards to Leeds. 4 th August 1968 Carnforth Shed
closes, as an operational unit. Winter 1969 Hest Bank and Bolton-Le-Sands Stations close, and the junction for passengers changing from the Furness line to the main line, became Lancaster. 27 th March 1969 At a meeting between BR and a local MP, BR confirm that they are going to close Carnforth marshalling yards. May 1969 the wagon repair and freight marshalling yards are closed. 4 th May 1970 The main line platforms were closed, and Carnforth gained the unusual status of being a branch line station, situated on a main line. December 1972 Railmen were told of the proposed closure of the Train Crews' Depot-scheduled for May, 1974 17th September 1987 Carnforth Station was been voted the best station In British Rail's Preston area. 12th November 1989 Carnforth East Junction to Carnforth F&M Junction line taken out of use due to poor condition of Keer bridge November 1996. Carnforth Station and Railway Trust Co. Ltd. is formed. 8th June 1999 a meeting was held at The Railway Club, in Carnforth, to report on progress so far and to discuss future policy, and various administrative problems. 6th October 2000 Legal documents were exchanged at the station, and the day became the "official" start date for the rejuvenation of the station. (Workers had in reality, already started work a few days earlier) 21st January 2002 Carnforth Connect Transport Interchange opened, Carnforth Station once again had a booking office, and people actually on the Station who could help the passengers with their travel arrangements. 14th February 2002 The "Gateway Buildings" are officially opened, marking the end of phase 1 of the rejuvenation of the station. 2nd April 2002 Press Day for the return of the clock. The Carnforth Station Clock watched by the media, is put back into place after a major overhaul. 5th April 2002 The Clock is officially started after its overhaul - the heart of Carnforth Station is beating again. 27th November 2002, (Wednesday) there is an "Open Day" at Carnforth Railway Station, Lancashire. The contractors who had been repairing the buildings on the "Island" platform should have moved out, and for one day only it is possible to visit the buildings, and see what rejuvenation work has been completed. At the end of the day, the buildings are closed to the public again. 28th March 2003. Carnforth Connect celebrates its "1st" Birthday.
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