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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Histon Crossover. c1981
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Histon Crossover. c1981

  • Histon Station and Staff in 1900. The Station Master, Charles Paige, is the man with the beard. Photo Alice Paige. With thanks to Mrs Eleanor Whitehead.
  • Histon station staff 1920.
  • A fine view of Histon looking towards Cambridge c1903 with a clear shot of the goods shed on the left and the sidings in use at the time. To the far left can be seen the sidings allocated to the nearby Chivers Jam Factory. The photo is probably taken from the top of the up starter signal which was later moved further towards Oakington to avoid trains obstructing the crossing. Photo thanks to Mrs Eleanor Whitehead.
  • Histon in 1961, This shows the station entrance on the south side of the crossing gates. The shadow of the up starter signal can be seen on the platform. Note the excellent gardens behind the sign. This helped Histon to regularly win the best kept station competition.
  • Chivers Sidings c1903. Photo thanks to Mrs Eleanor Whitehead. The sidings closed in 1967. At the end of steam traction c 1962 regular visitors to the sidings were Cambridge based Ivatt 2MTs notably 46465/6.
  • Aerial view of Histon Station. Chivers Factory is to the right with a good number of miscellaneous wagons at the loading bay. At the bottom right is the Railway Vue [sic] public house. Opposite the pub is the gate entrance to the goods yard. The goods shed and goods office can be seen in the goods yard adjacent to the Chivers wagons. At the top the two signals marking the exit of the goods loop can just about be made out.
  • Decaying gate at the entrance to the goods yard. This can be seen in the previous image in the closed position. 27th May 2011
  • Histon Goods Shed. 18th June 2011
  • Histon Goods Office. 18th June 2011
  • Histon Signal Box on 18th January 1976. The box was enlarged in the early nineteen thirties to accommodate four extra levers in conjunction with a 90 wagon up goods loop. This can be seen at the right hand end of the box which is the additional section.
  • Histon Signal Box. 1st September 1980. This was located at the end of the Down Platform. It was of McKenzie and Holland design as characterised by the finials on the roof and the vertical window panes. The box originally contained 24 levers , but a new 30 lever frame was added in 1903. In the early thirties a 90 wagon Up goods loop was provided at Histon which needed 4 more levers. This required the box to be extended which can be seen to the extreme right. The box closed completely on 24th April 1972 and demolished in September 1980 after it was set alight by vandals.
  • Histon Signal Box..17th August 1980
  • The 34 lever frame at Histon box showing a good view of the up signal levers to the left. The white levers are spare and were used in connection with Chivers Sidings. The blue levers to the left are for the up goods loop facing point locks and switching. April 1973.
  • The last entry in the train register in Histon Signal Box. Friday April 28th 1972. The final entry is a 755 bell code (box closing) to Chesterton Junction.
  • First Aid arrangements at Histon. The signal box was originally open all hours.
  • View from the signal box window looking towards Oakington. The goods shed is to the right along with the rear of Chivers factory. The up goods loop terminated just out of site around the curve. The up line is out of use and terminates in buffer stops about a mile further down. I'm still trying to find out the purpose for the green water tower on the left. 17th September 1978.
  • Histon signal box interior after a visit from the vandals. 17th September 1978. The interior had been stripped by this time and all signalling equipment removed.
  • Histon Crossover. c1981
  • Histon Crossover circa 1981.
  • Chivers Factory here viewed from the crossing gates, produced preserves and jelly and was deliberately sited next to the railway to utilise the freight facilities. It had its own sidings which officially closed in 1967 although consignments of Transfesa ferry vans loaded with oranges from Spain continued until 1983. Picture dated 23rd November 1979. Most of this site has now been demolished.
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