Maryport and Carlisle Railway

Carlisle to Wigton

With the line operating from Maryport to Aspatria, attention turned to construction at the Carlisle end (as was required by the Maryport and Carlisle Railway Act 1837). The section from Carlisle to Wigton was opened on 3 May 1843:

<blockquote> In the course of the forenoon three trains of carriages arrived from Carlisle, drawn by the Star, the new patent engine of Messrs. Hawthorne and Co. of Newcastle... the Ballantine and the Nelson engines belonging to the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, and which had been lent for the occasion... Soon after one o'clock, the different trains were filled with passengers, amongst whom were many of the fair sex, who appeared not the least interested of the vast concourse in the proceedings... at twenty-three minutes past one o'clock, the eldritch scream of the steam whistle warned all that everything was in readiness, and off the first train started, amidst the hearty cheers of the assembled thousands. The other trains started at intervals sufficiently "respectable" to ensure safety from all chance of collision.</blockquote>

The location of the Carlisle station was described as

<blockquote>... nearly on the site of the ancient hospital of Saint Nicholas. The line here runs parallel, and on the same level, with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, and the trains passing on to that line were carried forward to the Station of that company at London Road-the ancient Gallows Hill. in an area known as Bogfield. through passenger services commencing 10 Feb 1845. Brookfield closed immediately; Low Row was replaced by a new station at Leegate in 1848. There were initially three through passenger trains each way daily (one 'mixed' and two 'quick'); passengers for Whitehaven could avail themselves of a connecting coach service, which left Whitehaven for Maryport two and a quarter hours before the 'quick trains' left Maryport for Carlisle, and left Maryport for Whitehaven one and a half hours after quick trains left Carlisle. There was no advertised Sunday service, but in May 1846 a second mixed train was added to the weekday service and two Sunday trains introduced.

Early mismanagement

The M&CR gained an unenviable reputation in its early years

"Considerable dissatisfaction on the part of the public"

The Carlisle Journal repeatedly criticised the management of the M&CR and frequently published letters airing the grievances of the travelling public; "almost daily public complaints of want of accommodation, of irregularity, of notorious incivility somewhere, as well as mismanagement everywhere" according to one correspondent. Reporting on the first train to run from Carlisle to Workington, the Carlisle Journal remarked that those used to travelling on the Maryport line would not be surprised to hear that the train set off a quarter of an hour late; relating further mishaps it talked of "the cause of all the bungling on this line -the want of system" Even shareholders were disenchanted; their half-yearly meeting in August 1846 heard allegations of open drunkenness of on-duty railway employees going unchecked. Hence the following advertisement:

<blockquote>To The Public

----

Maryport And Carlisle Railway

Considerable dissatisfaction on the part of the Public having existed for some time past, relative to the management of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway. And it being the unanimous wish of the Directors that every possible attention shall be paid to the convenience and comfort of every Passenger who may travel on this Line, and also that every facility should be given for the regular transit and due delivery of Goods, Parcels, &c., compatible with the existing state of this Railway

Notice is Hereby Given,

That prompt attention will be paid to every complaint respecting the irregularity in the arrival and departure of any of the Trains, as well as to any inattention or want of civility to any Passenger, by any officer or servant of the company, arising from intoxication or any other cause, on application to either of the Undersigned, who have recently been appointed Directors, to superintend the affairs of the Railway at the Eastern Terminus... Carlisle, 21 August 1846</blockquote>

'Revolution on the Maryport and Carlisle'

The directors set up a sub-committee to look into allegations of mismanagement, but before it could report the financial management of the company was attacked at the half-yearly shareholders' meeting. It emerged that there was no list of shareholders meeting the requirements of Parliament, nor was there any independent audit of accounts (they were looked over by a company director, who also acted as a solicitor for the company, although not officially the company solicitor). Two representatives of Newcastle shareholders attended, complaining that shares had been sold in Newcastle by the company at a premium on the assurance of its representative (the solicitor-cum-director) that a dividend of 8% was to be expected; a dividend of 4% had then been declared and this was partly funded by the premium on the shares sold. The company secretary was not an efficient officer – "the time was come when some one ought to be at the head of the Company who is competent to manage its affairs". The chairman of the sub-committee whilst refusing to go into detail ahead of the submission of their report confirmed that they were satisfied that "it was most essential and important that there should be a thorough change in everything connected with the Company" the company secretary (who had also been acting as its engineer) was dismissed and a committee of five directors set up to more closely supervise the operation of the railway.

The next shareholders' meeting in February 1847 was told there was no immediate prospect of a dividend being paid (interest payments on the company's borrowings, and the running costs of the railway ate up in almost equal measure the operational receipts); the meeting then voted to explore the possibility of amalgamation with the Newcastle and Carlisle or the Lancaster and Carlisle railways. The Newcastle and Carlisle offered to lease the line, paying 5% a year on M&CR shares, but negotiations lapsed: matters had improved for the M&CR, which found itself able to pay a 3% a year dividend. Results for the first half of 1848, however, showed the M&CR to be running at a loss: receipts were down 20% and interest payments were higher; it was therefore resolved to negotiate the leasing of the line by George Hudson, the Railway King and chairman of numerous railway companies chiefly in the east of the country. Hudson proposed a lease of the line by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway from 1 October 1848, matching a lease just taken by Hudson personally of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. He guaranteed the M&CR a dividend of 4%. The offer was accepted by a shareholders' meeting from which the press were excluded.

As the means by which Hudson had made his money and gained control of so many railways began to be exposed, and to unravel, the bill authorising lease of the M&CR and the N&CR by an East Coast company was rejected by the Commons as an attempt to monopolise traffic between the North-East and Scotland, and from 1 January 1850 those companies reverted to their own managements' control.

The exposure of Hudson's misdeeds elsewhere, and the renewed necessity to make the M&CR pay its way following the repudiation of Hudson's lease led to an investigation of the affairs of the M&CR by a committee from which directors were excluded. The committee reported multiple failings of previous and current directors of the company,

Trouble with termini – the Crown Street affair

The original Maryport and Carlisle Railway Act 1837 gave the M&CR no powers to deviate from its connection to the N&CR to a more convenient Carlisle terminus. At this time, the route for the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway and its partner the Caledonian Railway were being prepared, and the proposed main line to Scotland was arranged to pass to the west of Carlisle (and very close to the Crown Street site) to allow a common central station to serve all the Carlisle railways. The Maryport Company preferred to proceed with its own station at Crown Street on Botchergate. The act authorising this, the (7 & 8 Vict. c. xxxvi), received royal assent on the same day (6 June 1844) as the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Act 1844 (7 & 8 Vict. c. xxxvi): a clause in the M&CR's act established that the powers (such as compulsory purchase) given the L&CR under their act had priority, provided that these powers could not be exercised to prevent the M&CR acquiring the bare minimum of land required for its branch.

In May 1845, the four railway companies (Caledonian, L&CR, M&CR, N&CR) finally agreed upon a site for their joint station, but the Maryport negotiators insisted that they should pay only a moderate share of the cost, as they already owned a station close by, which (they argued) might have been extended to form the joint station. Some dispute followed and in September 1846, it was arranged that the joint station should be built at once entirely at the cost of the L&CR and the Caledonian; the resulting Citadel station opened in September, 1847. The approach tracks from the south were crossed on the level at least three times by every M&CR train movement into or out of Crown Street; if the M&CR train continued to London Road, it made a fourth crossing.

Hudson, once he became the lessee of the M&CR demanded a much higher sum: not just for the land (about six acres), but as compensation for the loss of the passenger traffic and coal trade which it was claimed would follow if the Crown Street station was lost and a new station had to be built at Bogfield (the cost of which he also asked the L&CR to meet). At a two-day hearing held at Carlisle in January 1849 to ascertain the true value, witnesses for the M&CR (all associated with or employed by Hudson-controlled lines) gave their estimates of the appropriate total compensation; all the estimates were over £70,000. After hearing the evidence for the L&CR on agreements previously reached between the companies, the jury awarded the M&CR £7,171 4s 3d for the land, with no compensation for the other items claimed for. Hudson refused and attempted to get the proceedings quashed.

At 10 am on 17 March 1849, the Under-sheriff of Cumberland

Mr George Scott, ? - 1848
George Tosh, 1850-1870: he pioneered the use of steel (instead of iron) in the construction of the company's locomotives, notably the boiler/firebox and wheels. This was the first such use in Britain.
Hugh Smellie, 1870-1878
J. Campbell, 1878-?
William Coulthard, 1898-1904
John Behrens Adamson, 1904-1922

Locomotives

The first locomotive was a 2-2-2 was built by the local firm Tulk and Ley of Lowca and delivered to Maryport by sea on a raft. A second locomotive, the Brayton "of immense power" (an 0-6-0 with 4 ft 6in wheels) was delivered in July 1841 to assist with the coal traffic;.

In the following fourteen years five more engines were acquired from Lowca; a 2-2-2 named Harrison arrived in 1843, followed by two 0-4-2s: Lowca and Harris in 1845. A similar engine, named Cocker arrived in 1847. The final engine from Tulk and Ley was a 4-2-0 Crampton locomotive, in 1854. This was works no.17 and M&CR no.12. Seven locomotives were purchased from other suppliers, chiefly from R and W Hawthorn.

Statistics

An 1857 audit of the rolling stock reported it to consist of:

The 1912 statistics of the line included the following information:

rolling stock: 28 locomotives, 56 coaching vehicles and 1,667 goods vehicles of various kinds
colours: locomotives - green; carriages - cream with green bodies; wagons - lead colour.

Location list

Note: the date of opening of the first portion of the railway to Arkleby, and of the passenger stations on it, are uncertain. A special directors' train ran on 15 July 1840 but Quick says that the safest date for public opening to passengers is Autumn 1840. and as 'Dearham' (1864) but 'Dearham' to local papers until a station of that name opened on the Derwent Valley line; closed 5 June 1950;

Bull Gill; see note above; later Bullgill; closed 7 March 1960; later convergence of Derwent Valley line, see below;
Arkleby; see note above; closed 1 January 1852;
Aspatria; opened 12 April 1841; divergence of Mealsgate branch, see below;
Brayton; originally a private station; possibly 10 February 1845; opened to public 1 March 1848; closed 5 June 1950;
Low Row; opened 2 December 1844; it was a temporary terminus, and it closed either on 10 January 1845 when the line was extended to Brookfield or when Leegate opened
Leegate; opened 2 February 1848; closed 5 June 1950;
Aikbank Junction; convergence of line from Mealsgate;
Brookfield; temporary terminus opened 2 December 1844; closed 10 February 1845 when the line was extended to Low Row;
Wigton; opened 10 May 1843;
Crofton; private station opened about 1856; closed 1954 but already out of use;
Curthwaite; opened 10 May 1843; closed 12 June 1950;
Dalston; opened 10 May 1843;
Cummersdale; opened October 1858; Saturdays only until May 1879 (Saturday was Carlisle market day); closed 18 June 1951 but occasional later use;
Carlisle Water Lane; also known as Bogfield; opened 10 May 1843; replaced by Carlisle Crown Street;
Bog Junction;
Carlisle Crown Street; opened 30 December 1844; some trains were diverted to London Road 1848; closed 17 March 1849.

Derwent line

Brigham; opened 28 April 1847; closed 18 April 1966; junction station on Cockermouth and Workington line;
Papcastle; opened 1 June 1867; closed 1 July 1921; some later unadvertised use;
Dovenby Lodge; opened as private station, see below, possibly 1 June 1867; made public 1896; closed 29 April 1935;
Linefoot; opened 1 September 1908; closed after November 1908; junction station for Cleator and Workington Junction Railway;
Dearham; opened 1 June 1867; closed 29 April 1935;
Bullgill; above.

Bolton loop

Aspatria; above;
Baggrow; opened 26 December 1866; closed 22 September 1930;
Allhallows Colliery : opened 1922; closed 1928: Unadvertised halt for colliery workmen;
Mealsgate; opened 26 December 1866; closed 22 September 1930;
High Blaithwaite; opened 1 October 1878; closed 1 August 1921;
Aikbank Junction; above.

Private stations

There were two private stations on the line, at Dovenby and at Crofton;</blockquote>

<blockquote>There is another private railway station on the little line that connects Carlisle and Maryport, beside the one already mentioned existing at Dovenby. This second one is at the village of Crofton, near Wigton. Crofton Hall lies about three miles from the latter town, and its owner is Sir Musgrave Brisco Bart., who enjoys the rights and privileges pertaining to the ownership of a private railway station on his estate. His station is in all respects a private one, not being open to the public at all. When you travel along the line from Carlisle to Curthwaite and get out at the latter station, you are then only a mile away from the pretty private station at Crofton, which is called after the owner's place. It is a very nice spot to possess, both the residence and the station. But it would not be true to say that Crofton, despite all its charm and beauty, is actually the prettiest of the private stations dealt with in this article. Unlike most vintage 1800s carriages, this one has been preserved with its original underframe because it was sold to a colliery in the 1930s. It is currently awaiting restoration to start with most of the body being intact.