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.
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Somersham Station in April 1973. This was a junction station for the line to Ramsey East. In the background is the abandoned junction signal box. In 1982 the station buildings were dismantled and rebuilt at the Fawley Hill Railway at Henley on Thames.
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Somersham Station in April 1973. This was a junction station for the line to Ramsey East. In the background is the abandoned junction signal box. In 1982 the station buildings were dismantled and rebuilt at the Fawley Hill Railway at Henley on Thames.

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  • Somersham. Date unknown.
  • Somersham Station in April 1973. This was a junction station for the line to Ramsey East. In the background is the abandoned junction signal box. In 1982 the station buildings were dismantled and rebuilt at the Fawley Hill Railway at Henley on Thames.
  • LNER Somersham Junction showing line to Ramsey East. Somersham signal box had 60 levers. Thanks to Richard Pike for the diagram. An improved version by Owen Stratford here. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/68227206@N05/7704306838">http://www.flickr.com/photos/68227206@N05/7704306838</a>
  • Somersham
  • Somersham
  • Somersham
  • An interesting find, discovered under the floorboards of a house during renovation work. The ticket is dated 4th March 1967 which was the last Saturday before the line closed (6th March 1967) <br />
<br />
Image:- Thanks to Geoffrey Massey.
  • Somersham to Chatteris
  • Remains of crossing gates at Short Drove/Somersham Fore Fen, north of Somersham.  April 1973
  • Chatteris to Wimblington
  • Original station running in board. <br />
<br />
Image with kind permission of Barry Saunders.
  • Chatteris looking South on 4th March 1967 with a Wickham 2 car unit arriving. Note the large station house and the staggered platforms. No trace of this scene exists today, it is now part of the A141 road. Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram.
  • Chatteris facing north towards March. Date and photographer unknown. The shadow of the Up starter on the platform.
  • Chatteris Down platform. Photographer unknown.
  • Wimblington facing south towards Chatteris. August 1947. Image thanks to Mark Brammer.
  • Chatteris facing St Ives.<br />
<br />
Image:- Thanks to Brian Hemment.
  • Chatteris, buildings on the Up Platform. To the right is the W.H. Smith bookstall.
  • Chatteris facing March.
  • Chatteris Up platform.
  • A Class 31  heads south through Chatteris, probably at the time of closure in 1967.  Compare with next photo.<br />
<br />
Image:- thanks to Barry Saunders
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