The Cleator & Workington Junction Railway (C&WJR) was located in West Cumberland in Northern England, serving the towns of

Cleator Moor Cleator Moor is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, England, within the historic county of Cumberland. It had a population of 6,936 at the 2011 census. Below Dent Fell, the town is on the Coast to Coast Walk that spans Northern England. ...

and

Workington Workington is a coastal town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Derwent on the west coast in the Allerdale borough of Cumbria, England. The town was historically in Cumberland. At the 2011 census it had a population of 25,207. Locat ...

and intermediate villages. It was mainly used for

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and iron ore traffic for the local industries.

History

The Cleator & Workington Junction Railway was incorporated in 1876 and a

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

presented to

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

in the same year. Construction began shortly after and the line between Workington and Cleator Moor was opened in 1879. The line continued northwards from Workington to a junction with the

London & North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the L&NWR was the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom. In 1923, it became a constituent of the Lon ...

at Siddick, approximately two miles away. The principal station and company headquarters were in Central Square, Workington and the station soon became known as Workington Central. A second main line was built from a junction on the C&WJR main line at Calva Junction to Linefoot Junction, where it joined the Maryport and Carlisle Railway. This section was known as the Northern Extension. Several branch lines were built including that to Rowrah of which a short 300 yard section remained in use at Rowrah as a backshunt until 1978. To the people of West Cumberland the line became affectionately known as the "Track of the Ironmasters." The C&WJR never ran its own services on the main lines: this was done on their behalf by the

Furness Railway The Furness Railway (Furness) was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England. History Formation In the early 1840s, the owners of iron ore mines in the Furness district of Lancashire became interested i ...

. In later years the C&WJR purchased its own engines to work its branch lines (see below). At the railway grouping of 1923, the line was incorporated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway network. The Northern Extension section that served the Broughton Moor Armaments Depot closed on 4 June 1992.

Accidents and incidents

*On 16 February 1900, an embankment was washed away at Moss Bay,

. A freight train on the Moss bay Branch was derailed with the locomotive coming to rest on its side. The 0-6-0ST locomotive was rescued shortly after the incident and was returned to traffic.

Route

Main line

- - - -
Route in Google Maps

Northern extension

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Route in Google Maps

Rowrah line

The Rowrah Line was branch line that left the mainline south of , accessing the mines and quarries near Rowrah. This branch line crossed over the main line from Workington to Cleator Moor to continue to Rowrah. The Company built a single road engine shed near the junction to house a C&WJR locomotive that worked the line. The much altered building exists today (2017) as an agricultural store.

Cleator & Workington Junction Railway locomotives

All the nameplates used on this company's locomotives were named after residences of C&WJR company directors. Until recently there was uncertainty about the name of No. 2 but the personal notebook of the Company Accountant shows otherwise. The engine never ran in service with the name ''"Ennerdale"'' * Notes on the Locomotives The first two locomotives were outside cylinder 0-4-0 tank engines. They proved not to be powerful enough for the severe inclines so engines 3 to 10 were 0-6-0 inside cylinder saddle tanks from a wide range of builders. Some poorly researched historical sources often get this fact wrong and describe the larger saddle tank engines as outside cylinder engines. * No.1, Brigham Hall (1st) and Rothersyke (1st.)
An outside cylinder 0-4-0T. Built in 1894 by

Fletcher Jennings Ltd Fletcher, Jennings & Co. was an engineering company at Lowca near Whitehaven, Cumberland, England. Overview Fletcher and Jennings took over the business of Tulk and Ley in 1857. From then, until 1884, the company concentrated on four and six ...

for C&WJR. Builders No. 187.
Nameplates carried: ''Brigham Hill'' (1882–1894) and ''Rothersyke'' (1894–1897)
Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine.
Disposal: To West Stanley Colliery Coy. County Durham in 1897 * No.2, Unnamed for fifteen years, then Rothersyke (2nd) an outside cylinder 0-4-0ST. Built circa 1875 by Barclay & Co. (Not an Andrew Barclay product) Built originally for Ward, Ross & Liddlelow, railway contractors to the C&WJR. No.2 was purchased second hand in 1882. No.2 was originally named ''Ennerdale'' but the nameplates were removed after acquisition by the C&WJR on the order of the Managing Director. One unverified source says that the name "Ennerdale" was only painted upon the engine and when it was purchased by the C&WJR the name "Ennerdale" was painted over on authority of the Board of Directors.
Nameplates Carried: None from 1882 to 1897. The redundant plates from engine No.1 ''Rothersyke'' were fitted when it was decided to sell the engine.
Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine.
Disposal: To SD Coasdell of Workington in July 1898 for £150. * No.3, South Lodge an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST of 1884, built by

Robert Stephenson and Company Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823 in Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It was the first company in the world created specifically to build railway engines. Famous early locomoti ...

for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2553. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox.
Nameplates carried: ''South Lodge.'' (1884 to 1920)
Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine.
Disposal: To J.F. Wake Ltd., Dealers, Darlington, County Durham, July 1920 * No.4, Harecroft an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1885 by the Lowca Engineering Co. Ltd. for the C&WJR. Builders No. 196. Similar in appearance to No.3 and the saddle tank did not cover the smokebox.
Nameplates carried: '' Harecroft.'' (1885 to 1915)
Renumbered: After disposal by new owner to 46
Disposal: Withdrawn September 1915 and sold to Workington Iron & Steel Company. * No.5, Moresby Hall an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1890 by

for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2692. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox.
Nameplates carried: ''Moresby Hall.'' (1890 to 1919)
Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine.
Disposal: Withdrawn and scrapped 1919. * No.6, Brigham Hall an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1894 by

for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2813. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox.
Nameplates carried: ''Brigham Hall.'' (1894 to 1920)
Renumbered: Allocated 11564 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, but not known if it was repainted into LMS colours.
Disposal: Withdrawn 11/12/1926 and scrapped by the LM&SR * No.7, Ponsonby Hall an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1896 by

for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2846. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox.
Nameplates carried: '' Ponsonby Hall .'' (1886 to 1926)
Renumbered: Allocated 11565 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, but not known if it was repainted into LMS colours.
Disposal: Withdrawn 18/12/1926 and scrapped by the LM&SR * No.8, Hutton Hall an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1907 by

Peckett and Sons Peckett and Sons was a locomotive manufacturer at the Atlas Locomotive Works on Deep Pit Road between Fishponds and St. George, Bristol, England. Fox, Walker and Company The company began trading in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works, St. George, ...

for the C&WJR. Builders No. 1134.
Nameplates carried: '' Hutton Hall '' (1907 to 1927)
Renumbered: Allocated 11566 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, and repainted into early LMS black goods livery.
Disposal: Withdrawn 3/12/1927 and scrapped by the LM&SR * No.9 Millgrove an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1919 by

for the C&WJR. Builders No. 1340.
Nameplates carried: '' Millgrove'' (1919 to 1928)
Renumbered: Allocated 11567 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, and repainted into early LMS black goods livery.
Disposal: Withdrawn 5/12/1928 and scrapped by the LM&SR * No.10 Skiddaw Lodge an inside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1920 by

Hudswell Clarke Hudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. History The company was founded as Hudswell and Clarke in 1860. In 1870 the name was changed to Hud ...

for the C&WJR. Builders No. 1400.
Nameplates carried: '' Skiddaw Lodge .'' (1920 to 1932)
Renumbered: Allocated No. 11568 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, and repainted into early LMS black goods livery.
Disposal: Withdrawn 1932 by LM&SR and sold to Hartley Main Collieries

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

, via Robert Frazer & Sons Ltd.,

Hebburn Hebburn is a town in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It governed under the borough of South Tyneside; formerly governed under the county of Durham until 1974 with its own urban district from 1894 until 1974. It is on the sout ...

, County Durham.

Other railways in the Workington area

Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway

References

External links

Map
{{LMSconstituents Rail transport in Cumbria Pre-grouping British railway companies Railway companies established in 1876 Railway lines opened in 1879 Railway companies disestablished in 1923 London, Midland and Scottish Railway constituents 1876 establishments in England British companies established in 1876