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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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 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.
  • A nice shot of a class 24 (D504X) passing Somersham signal box probably on a Peterborough to Cambridge working at around the time of the line closing in March 1967. To the left is the junction signal for the line to Ramsey East. Photo taken by a local farmer. With thanks to Adrian Sutterby.
  • Somersham. Date unknown.
  • 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
  • Somersham
  • Somersham
  • 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>
  • Remains of crossing gates at Short Drove/Somersham Fore Fen, north of Somersham. April 1973
  • Somersham to Chatteris
  • Chatteris facing north towards March. Date and photographer unknown. The shadow of the Up starter on the platform.
  • Chatteris Down platform. Photographer unknown.
  • Chatteris facing St Ives.<br /> <br /> Image:- Thanks to Brian Hemment.
  • 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.
  • A lovely atmospheric shot of Chatteris on the last day of operations, 4th March 1967 with a Wickham two car unit leaving for March. E50417/E56172. In the background can be seen Slade End Crossing's down distant on the same post as the stations up home signal.The side of the goods shed can be seen near the signal. The station is now part of the A141 road. Photo with kind permission of Stewart Ingram.<br /> <a href="http://chatteris.ccan.co.uk/content/catalogue_item/sign-at-chatteris-railway-station-photo-courtsey-of-r-edwards">http://chatteris.ccan.co.uk/content/catalogue_item/sign-at-chatteris-railway-station-photo-courtsey-of-r-edwards</a>
  • Chatteris station gates c1960. The station is to the immediate right as is the concrete lattice Up starter signal. <br /> <br /> Image:- Thanks to Brian Hemment.
  • Chatteris Station facing north on 26th August 1973. The concrete post of the Up starter signal remains on the right. Note also the staggered platfoms and the WH Smith bookstall. The station at the time was used as a highways depot. Today nothing remains ,The A141 road uses the trackbed. The demolished station building was behind the bookstall. All that remains is a mound of rubble.
  • Chatteris. Crossing gates unknown location.
  • Chatteris. Station forecourt. Image probably taken after closure as the station house appears to be derelict and boarded up.
  • Chatteris, buildings on the Up Platform. To the right is the W.H. Smith bookstall.
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