2. 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/
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The River Ouse bridge East of St Ives. Photo with kind permission of Steve Parker.
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The River Ouse bridge East of St Ives. Photo with kind permission of Steve Parker.

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  • Swavesey Station House 25th March 1974. Long demolished. Another shot here <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/7119768447/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/21602076@N05/7119768447/</a>
  • A lovely shot of Swavesey on the last day of passenger operations, 3rd October 1970. The driver of a class 31 is handing over the single line token for the Swavesey-St Ives single line section. Nothing remains today of this scene. Photo with kind permission of Ian Baker.
  • The demolition or dismantling? of Swavesey Signal Box. Early seventies. Photo thanks to Richard Pike.
  • An aerial shot of Swavesey station during the severe floods of March 1947. There seems to be quite a few wagons around the goods shed and yard.
  • Two position block indicator as used at Swavesey. Photo with kind permission of Charles Ison.
  • Swavesey looking west from the crossing gates. When the line to March closed in 1967 the section from here to St Ives was singled from this point with electric token working in force. The remains of the signal box can be seen to the right. April 1973
  • A fine view of Swavesey Parish Church, but the photo also shows the token delivery apparatus ie the post on the left which was used to deliver the token in a pouch to the driver for the single line section between Swavesey and St Ives. 9th December 1978
  • 37097 approaches Swavesey after running round its train at Fen Drayton loop. This was a Railway Development Society special Swavesey to Liverpool Street. 12th April 1980.
  • J Holden Super Claude D16/2 62570 passes Swavesey in 1959 on a Cambridge to Birmingham working? The engine was nearing the end of its days as it was withdrawn from service on 30th November 1959. Its last shed allocation was March 31B. Photographer unknown.
  • Single line key token for the Swavesey to St Ives section. It was carried by the drivers of all trains as part of the electric token signalling system which allowed only one train in the section at a time. Photo with kind permission of David Holden.
  • Middle Fen Crossing, west of Swavesey, facing Swavesey. This was the scene of a serious accident on 23rd September 1961. A Land Rover was hit on the crossing in thick fog by the 0640 Peterborough East to Cambridge passenger train hauled by a class 31. <a href="http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_MiddleFen1961.pdf">http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_MiddleFen1961.pdf</a> Photo dated 24th February 1974.
  • Middle Fen Crossing facing St Ives 24th February 1974.
  • 37078 is loading sand at A.R.C. Fen Drayton pits on 24th June 1975. The loading hopper can be seen at the rear of the train.
  • Fen Drayton. Not one of my best shots, but this shows 37075 at ARC Roadstone loading sand on 9th December 1978. This was the closest I could get without trespassing on private land. The area is now a country park. Note the trucks bringing sand to the loading hopper which is about a third of the way down the length of the train.
  • The River Ouse bridge East of St Ives. Photo with kind permission of Steve Parker.
  • The River Ouse Bridge. Photo Steve Parker
  • The removal of the Ouse Bridge East of St Ives. Photo with kind permission of Steve Parker
  • St Ives to Somersham 1
  • St Ives through platforms on 2nd February 1974 which at the time were used for storing sand wagons for Fen Drayton. View towards Somersham.
  • St Ives. The end of the platform facing March on 2nd February 1974. The original line curves away towards Somersham.
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