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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37085 holds up one car on the road to Westwick and Cottenham on the morning of 26th July 1976
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37085 holds up one car on the road to Westwick and Cottenham on the morning of 26th July 1976

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  • View from Girton Road Crossing, Histon looking south east towards Histon Station on 18th January 1976. The square concrete stump to the right behind the stop sign is the remains of a three aspect colour light signal which doubled up as the stop signal for the gates and Oakington's Down distant.
  • View from Girton Road Crossing Histon looking north west towards Oakington after the Down line had been lifted at this point. Approximately near the twin power line posts was the red semaphore stop signal for the gates and below it Histon station's, motor driven, outer distant. 18th January 1976.
  • Girton Road Crossing c1907 with crossing keeper George Adams and his wife. The wooden gate house was demolished in the early sixties. I can just about remember it. Photo thanks to Mrs Eleanor Whitehead.
  • Girton Road crossing in 1920. Photo. Thanks to Mrs Eleanor Whitehead.
  • Notice from Girton Road Crossing/Girton Road Crossing from October 1965.
  • Girton Road crossing 31st March 1979. A Railway Development Society special running from Cambridge to Swavesey waits at the gates. The crossing keepers hut was to the right foreground with a five lever ground frame.
  • 37026 approaches Girton Road crossing. 24th April 1978
  • Very poor image of Girton Road crossing (No 15) in April 1973. Note British Railways called it Girton Road Crossing so I have used their description. It is also known locally as Park Lane crossing, Meadow Road or Gatehouse Road.
  • 6773 with pre TOPS Number, later 37073 at Girton Road Crossing in April 1973
  • 47115 waits at Girton Road Crossing. Date and photographer unknown.
  • The final days of Girton Road Crossing. November 2006. Photo with kind permission of Peter Heath.
  • Girton Road crossing, Track removal for the guided busway. November 2006. Photo with kind permission of Peter Heath.
  • 31240 arrives at Oakington with a ballast train. November 1980.
  • The line looking south east from Oakington Crossing Gates towards Girton Road Crossing and Histon. March 1974
  • A Railway Development Society special arrives at Oakington. 11th April 1981.
  • 31240 arrives at Oakington with a ballast working in November 1980.
  • Oakington to Longstanton
  • Oakington facing Longstanton from the crossing gates. 18th January 1976.
  • 37085 holds up one car on the road to Westwick and Cottenham on the morning of 26th July 1976
  • 37097 waits to leave Oakington on 12th April 1980 with a Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street. Not much of this scene survives today.
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