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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Class D16 (625**/626**} passes Histon on an Up freight. c1960
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Class D16 (625**/626**} passes Histon on an Up freight. c1960

Histon1961a

  • In the days of loose coupled freights and brake vans, 37083 leaves Histon with the daily sand train. 13th June 1974.
  • Railway Correspondence and Travel Society special arriving at Histon. 7th May 1979. This consisted of a Cravens E51265 and a Birmingham RCW 56189 two car set.
  • RCTS Special at Histon 7th May 1979. A reminder of just how things used to be.
  • RCTS Special at Histon 7th May 1979
  • RCTS special st Histon 7th May 1979
  • RCTS special at Histon 7th May 1979
  • The first Railway Development Society special to promote the lines reopening arrives at Histon on a return trip from Cambridge to Swavesey. The four car refurbished Class 101 was formed with 51220/56371/51225/56386. Driver, Gerry Preston. 31st March 1979
  • Thirty years on, a shot from about the same location as the previous photo, in guided busway days. 16th November 2009.
  • Early morning at Histon. 7am. 37097 eases over the crossing gates with empty coaching stock for a special to Liverpool Street on 12th April 1980. This was probably the first hauled passenger train over this route since 1967.
  • 37097 passes Histon with empty coaching stock for a Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street on 12th April 1980. The engine will haul the stock to Fen Drayton where it will run round its train and then travel back picking up its first passengers at Swavesey. It's early morning and cold, the steam heating and exhaust giving an excellent effect.
  • Histon on 12th April 1980. 37097 is at the head of empty coaching stock for a Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street.
  • A sight never to be seen again. A packed Up platform at Histon with passengers awaiting a Railway Development Society special from Swavesey to Liverpool Street. 12th April 1980
  • Histon Station on 16th November 2009. A rather sorry site and a striking contrast from the previous photo taken from about the same location. At least the station house survived the destruction caused by the construction of the guided busway. The canopy has been cut short to allow clearance for the machine laying beams for the busway.
  • Class D16 (625**/626**} passes Histon on an Up freight. c1960
  • 37097 waits to leave Histon with a Railway Development Society special to LIverpool Streeet. 12th April 1980.
  • Histon.
  • A scene reminiscent of the early/mid sixties. 31313 eases across Histon level crosssing with a return Railway Development Society special from Liverpool Street on 12th April 1980. The Railway Vue [sic] pub is behind the loco. Before the local bypass opened in 1963 the passage of trains caused severe road traffic delays at this point, it being the only direct access to the village from Cambridge.
  • 37089 loads passengers at Histon on an excursion to Lowestoft on 21st June 1980. The orange van belongs to the late Mr Steve Wilkinson who in conjunction with the Railway Development Society worked tirelessly to restore the passenger services on this line. Regrettably to no avail.
  • Histon Signal Box, Goods Shed and Goods Office are evident here as 37099 approaches with the 8L43 Fen Drayton to Kings Cross Yard sand working.To the left of the loco the second man is changing the points on the crossover. Just over his head is a green water tank the purpose of which at the moment is a mystery. Does it originate from steam days??. The line from here to Fen Drayton has been singled. The old up line to the right of the loco is used for consignments of Seville oranges to Chivers Factory. Picture dated 23rd November 1979.
  • 37099 heads towards Cambridge in this scene on 23rd November 1979. The crossing keepers hut at least has been saved from the destruction caused by the guided busway. Local volunteers took it down brick by brick and rebuilt it the other side of the tracks.
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