R.o.B Closed Railways
The Stainmore route
Darlington to Penrith
Introduction: The line from Hopetown junction on the Stockton and Darlington railway, in Darlington was to become an important junction for trans-pennine freight when the line from Darlington to Barras in Lancashire was opened. The line was about 65 miles long and climbed and passed through the high pennines between County Durham and Lancashire. This line formed one of the three northerly english trans pennine routes. The others been the Wensleydale railway from Northallerton in North Yorkshire through Wensleydale in the lower pennines and joining the Settle and Carlisle line at Garsdale the latter having closed and has now been partially reopened. Also there is the Line from Newcastle to Carlisle that is still in regular use.
History: As the Stockton and Darlington railway had an interest in coal and its usages, it obviously wanted to maintain its monopoly in the north east and also to keep its company going. The North east, as well as having a coal industry also had a large iron industry based around the cleveland hills and Consett in North Durham. To supply more iron to the area, the S and D opened a line off its main line to Shildon, at Hopetown junction in Darlington. The line opened in 1856 as far as Barnard castle, and the railway was called the Darlington and Barnard castle railway. From Barnard castle over to Lancashire however the line to Barras was built by a different company called the South Durham and Lancashire railway and was completed in 1861. Another section was opened branching of just west of Barras to tebay and was opened later that year. A connection was also constructed to the West coast main line in 1862. The whole line and its branches eventually became part of the Stockton and Darlington railway and then the NER. The line was originally single but with the growth in freight traffic the line was eventually doubled under S and D ownership in 1874. Many of the viaducts on the line had to be reconstructed to allow this. Most of these were built to the design of Thomas Bouch who was famous for the tay bridge. Whern the tay bridge collapsed the viaducts he had designed all over the country were strengthened, including the ones on this line. Some examples of the viaducts on the line can be found in the photo albums. Some of the bridges had weight restrictions that only permitted one train to pass at a time. The line had a sparse passenger service and existed mostly for freight though specials did use it. the line was gradually reduced from the west in the 1950s and then in the mid 1960s the line was closed form Barnard castle to Penrith but a branch from Barnard castle to Middleton in Teesdale, which has a waterfall called high force and is well worth a visit, stayed open until 1964. Unfortunatly all the viaducts have been removed but there is much of the track bed still in situ and is visible fromthe A66 trans pennine road from Darlington to Penrith.