Railways Through Settle - Fifty Years of Change

The Settle to Carlisle Railway runs through the rugged and beautiful northern Pennines. Busy with freight and passenger trains in the 1970s, it survived closure proposals in the 1980s. Today, with its neighbouring railways from Skipton and Settle Junction to Carnforth, and Blackburn to Hellifield, it remains an important part of the rail network. This is the story of these railways and their trains through nearly 50 years of change, from long wagonload freight trains of the 1970s, to diverted express trains of the 1980s, long distance coal trains, and passenger and freight trains of today. It is a stunning photographic journey along the railways between Skipton and Carlisle, with a look at the lines to Blackburn and Carnforth too. Over 200 photographs depict the many changes in trains and motive power that have travelled the line, against the backdrop of the northern fells in all their seasons, as well as impressive Victorian viaducts and stations, and signal boxes and semaphore signalling.