1. Railways

Cambridge-St Ives-March

This collection is dedicated to the memory of the late Steve Wilkinson of Histon who fought tirelessly in conjunction with the Railway Development Society (Rail Future) to re open the Cambridge- St Ives line.

Timeline:-
Chesterton Junction to St Ives- opened 17th August 1847.
St Ives to March South Junction- opened 1st February 1848.

The fifteen and a half mile line from St Ives to March South Junction closed on 6th March 1967 when freight traffic declined. The passenger service was also recommended for closure in the Beeching Report of 1963. Little trace of this section of the line exists today. Long sections have been converted to road and the various cuttings to landfill. Many thanks to Stewart Ingram for permission to include some of his pictures from the last day of working. The passenger service from St Ives to Cambridge closed on 5th October 1970, but fortunately the line stayed open for freight traffic to Chivers at Histon until 1983 and a long term sand contract from ARC at Fen Drayton ensured the line stayed open until May 1992. This section of the line has been totally destroyed by the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway which opened on 7th August 2011. Here are a few photos to show how it looked in it's final operational days plus a few relics. The line was once a very busy freight route to March, Whitemoor Yard and the Yorkshire coalfields with over 70 workings a day, the line being open all night.

Maps used in this gallery. Ordnance survey- 1" to a mile. Sheet 135 Cambridge and Ely (1954) and Sheet 134 Huntingdon and Peterborough (1954)

Cast Iron http://www.castiron.org.uk/

Film of the line in 1968
http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-cambridge-st-ives-1968/

Cambridge- St Ives- March/ Death of a railway 1964.
http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-death-of-a-railway-1964/
Read More
Dereliction at St Ives on 12th March 1978. The view is towards Swavesey.
204 / 288

Dereliction at St Ives on 12th March 1978. The view is towards Swavesey.

Stives

  • The same view as the last photo ie the end of the platform at St Ives this time on 4th March 1967, the last day of traffic through to March.  Class 31 D5637 rounds the curve away from the station towards Somersham. The goods yard to the left still has wagons in it.  Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram
  • St Ives facing Somersham on 4th March 1967. Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram
  • St Ives facing Swavesey on 31st March 1974.
  • Dereliction at St Ives on 12th March 1978. The view is towards Swavesey.
  • A St Ives to Cambridge dmu leaves the Kettering branch platform on 4th March 1967. Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram.
  • St Ives  Kettering Branch Platform looking towards Swavesey on 2nd February 1974. The signal box at the end of the platform appears to be intact.
  • St Ives
  • St Ives, Kettering Line Platform. Image Ian Baker.
  • St Ives station buildings and forecourt with Stewart's A35. 4th March 1967. Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram.
  • End of the platform at St Ives. Class 31 D5637 waits with a train for March on 4th March 1967. Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram. Note the water pump.
  • St Ives looking East towards Swavesey from the Kettering branch platform. In the distance Class 31 D5637 is approaching on the main line with a March bound passenger.  4th March 1967. Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram.
  • St Ives last week of passenger traffic.  October 1970.  Photo Alistair/Gavin Sandeman
  • St Ives Junction October 1970. Line to the left went to Huntingdon East and Kettering. The main line terminated here, but originally went to March. Photo with kind permission of Gavin Sandeman.  St Ives track layout:-  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwayowen/10998090674/in/photolist-7heEPY-hKS6c1-adf8sN-9uAdiP-9uAdKr-amgLPF-9uAeEt-5t49mm-9uDerJ-8Cb8wE-iXwTCi-iXwUxe-iXyZh9-8tkhAb-axT7xD-fKjVXm-fKjWe5-7VF6i3-afCSoF-afCQqe-4sGuSc-dcgcEM-7c38PD-ke7phd-afCTv8-dKiXBt-bpy2pc-af1Yv4-amjAtG-dpYyFE-i8X9wB-ifDePc-cKxB1S-amgMzB-bojAkE-afXkmW-dKiJaB-4vCW3H-amjBdm-amgKDx-9Wrmuk-dKpqFw-dKiXye-dKiXza-5t48XJ-5t49Sm-dKiCjp-4RGwsL-abRBRb-5sYJb4">https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwayowen/10998090674/in/photolist-7heEPY-hKS6c1-adf8sN-9uAdiP-9uAdKr-amgLPF-9uAeEt-5t49mm-9uDerJ-8Cb8wE-iXwTCi-iXwUxe-iXyZh9-8tkhAb-axT7xD-fKjVXm-fKjWe5-7VF6i3-afCSoF-afCQqe-4sGuSc-dcgcEM-7c38PD-ke7phd-afCTv8-dKiXBt-bpy2pc-af1Yv4-amjAtG-dpYyFE-i8X9wB-ifDePc-cKxB1S-amgMzB-bojAkE-afXkmW-dKiJaB-4vCW3H-amjBdm-amgKDx-9Wrmuk-dKpqFw-dKiXye-dKiXza-5t48XJ-5t49Sm-dKiCjp-4RGwsL-abRBRb-5sYJb4</a>
  • Key token for St Ives to Godmanchester. Photo with kind permission of  David Holden
  • Needingworth Road crossing gates north of St Ives where the A1123 road crossed, looking towards Needingworth.  No trace remains, the area transformed by road improvements. Photo dated  4th March 1967. Note the ground frame in front of Stewart's A35.  Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram
  • Needingworth Junction c1960 showing the signal box which had a sixteen lever Saxby and Farmer frame. Opened in 1878, closed 10th June 1965. The line to Ely went off to the right. In the distance on the GN and GE Joint line to March can be seen the three arched bridge carrying Bluntisham Heath Road over the line.
  • Needingworth Junction in May 1973. The line ahead was the main GN and GE joint line to Somersham and March. The line to the right went to Ely via Sutton. The signal box was to the left. The only remaining feature from the previous photo is the plate layers hut.
  • Site of Needingworth Junction on 17th August 2008. Nature has nearly completely taken over.  Photo with kind permission of Steve Parker.
  • Extract from the train register at Needingworth Junction signal box.  June 30th 1956.  The box closed on 10th June 1965.  Photo John Saxton.
  • Blink Bridge over Loundes Drove, North of St Ives. 13th August 2008. Photo with kind permission of Steve Parker.
  • No Comments
  • Photo Sharing
  • About SmugMug
  • Browse Photos
  • Prints & Gifts
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Owner Log In
© 2021 SmugMug, Inc.