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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A Railway Development Society special heads towards Cambridge on 31st March 1979.
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A Railway Development Society special heads towards Cambridge on 31st March 1979.

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  • Construction of the A14 bridge over the Cambridge-St Ives line 25th September 1977
  • The construction of the A14 Bridge. The view is towards Histon on 27th December 1977. It will be another year before the A14 opens. The bridge here was constructed with sufficient clearance to allow for potential electrification. An idea which of course didn't materialise.
  • On a very dull wet morning a four car cravens set approaches the A14 bridge running empty stock to Swavesey for a special to Liverpool Street. 11th April 1981.
  • 37089 is approaching the A14 Bridge with a combined churches special from Histon to Lowestoft. 21st June 1980
  • Taken from the top of the A14 Bridge with a 200mm lens. 31313 approaches with a return RDS special from Liverpoool Street to Swavesey on 12th April 1980. Kings Hedges Crossing is behind the rear carriage with Milton Road Crossing in the distance.
  • 37052 passes the lakes at what is now Holiday Inn Histon, and is about to pass under the A14 Bridge on a rather murky 18th February 1980.The lakes are a result of excavations during the building of the A14
  • 37051 leaves Histon with a Fen Drayton to Kings Cross Yard sand train. Shot taken from the B1049 bypass bridge. 29th January 1980
  • An unknown Class 37 leaves Histon with sand from Fen Drayton.. Autumn 1981. Viewed from the Histon Bypass bridge
  • Histon viewed from the bypass bridge showing the location of the Down Home signal post minus it's red signal arm. July 1973. The arm was removed the previous year when the signal box closed.
  • Another shot taken from the bypass bridge, but this time with a 200mm lens. An unknown class 37 heads a rake of sand wagons through Histon during the summer of 1980.
  • With just about enough light for a shot 31313 stands under Histon bypass bridge with the return empty stock from the RDS special Swavesey to Liverpool Street 12th April 1980.
  • 37131 pauses near Histon bypass bridge while the guard shuts the gates at the station. Judging by the clean area around the engine number, the new TOPS number has recently been added. Its previous number was D6831. The loco was scrapped on 14th April 2007 at Booths of Rotherham. Image dated 25th March 1974.
  • From the vantage point of Histon bypass bridge, 37131 heads towards Cambridge on a mineral working from Fen Drayton. 31st March 1974.
  • A Railway Development Society special heads towards Cambridge on 31st March 1979.
  • An unusual view of Histon Bypass Bridge. c1981
  • Railway Development Society special approaching the bypass bridge at Histon on 11th April 1981.
  • 37121 stands under Histon Bypass Bridge with a rather dramatic scene at the rear of the train which had rolled back and demolished one of the crossing gates at Histon Station. 4th July 1976
  • B17- Sandringham Class 61657 " Doncaster Rovers " leaves Histon for Cambridge in May 1960. The loco was withdrawn from service shortly afterwards. Photo with kind permission of David Runham.
  • The photographer is standing on Histon's down platform as a St Ives bound dmu arrives. The year is around 1969, not long before closure of the service. Note the down home signal and the dome lamp at the pedestrian gates.<br /> <br /> Image with kind permission of Dave Gent.
  • RCTS Special at Histon. The unit is standing where the Cambridge bound guided bus stop is today. 7th May 1979
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