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.
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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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  • 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.
  • Oakington crossing keepers hut built in the same style as others along the line. The hut was demolished in the early eighties. Image dated 10th September 1979
  • Oakington viewed from the steps of the signal box in April 1973. Shame I didn't ever get a photo of the box itself.
  • Oakington
  • Oakington in July 1973 with the signal box still in position.The goods shed can be seen to the right. The station is largely intact three years after closure of the passenger service.
  • 37085 at Oakington. 27th July 1976
  • Oakington viewed from the brake van of a sand train. The guard can be seen closing the gates behind the train. Image dated 24th June 1975. To the right, one of the station fluorescent lamps remains, five years after closure of the passenger service.
  • A Railway Correspondence and Travel Society special arrives at Oakington on 7th May 1979
  • Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street at Oakington on 11th April 1981.
  • 37097 arrives at Oakington with a Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street. 12th April 1980.
  • Oakington shelter on up platform 14th April 1980.
  • Oakington. Detail on the Down platform, a reminder of a time when you could travel places from here. The up platform was similarly marked " To Cambridge and south" 10th September 1979.
  • Oakington, Shelter on down platform. 10th September 1979.
  • Oakington. Interesting spandrel design on the down platform shelter.10th September 1979
  • G.E.R. original chair from Oakington. Photo with kind permission of Charles Ison.
  • Oakington Track Plan. Courtesy of Richard Pike.
  • Oakington Track Plan. Thanks to Richard Pike. Plan enhanced by Owen Stratford.
  • Original British Railways Eastern Region blue totem for Oakington. Photo with kind permission of Charles Ison.
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