Toggle navigation
News
Latest
Queries
Articles
Slideshows
On this day
Locations
Companies
Contributors
Maps
Slideshows
On this day
Locations
Companies
Maps
More
Queries
Articles
Slideshows
On this day
Locations
Companies
Contributors
Maps
Furness Railway
All photographs of this railway in date order.
![The sidings west of Barrow-in-Furness.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford //]](/images/7000/7075.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![Last of the tracks in the Barrow-in-Furness Docks.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford //]](/images/11000/11904.jpg "Furness Docks")
![Line to left to Furness and the line to the right is the bypass for the Cumbrian Coast Railway.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford //]](/images/11000/11905.jpg "Dalton Junction")
![42401 stands alongside 42432 in the shed yard at Barrow in the summer of 1960.<br><br>[K A Gray 06/08/1960]](/images/32000/32316.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![The '6000 Locomotive Association' railtour <I>'The STC Limited'</I> ran from Cardiff to Carnforth on 8th May 1976. The train is seen here passing Lindal in Furness between Carnforth and Barrow that day, thought to be heading to the latter for servicing. Locomotive 47258 hauled the special throughout. [With thanks to Messrs Beaton, Armit, Watson Smith & Dunbar]<br>
<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 08/05/1976]](/images/37000/37686.jpg "Lindal")
![<I>The Lakelander</I> special from Euston to Sellafield drifts downhill at Lindal-in-Furness in May 1976 behind Nos. (6)1306 and 4472. The M&GNJRS railtour will fork right a couple of miles further on at Dalton Junction in order to avoid Barrow-in-Furness.<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 08/05/1976]](/images/38000/38479.jpg "Lindal")
![Preserved B1 No. 61306 (it was never an LNER loco) leads ‘Flying Scotsman' round the sharp curve between Park South and Dalton Junctions, avoiding Barrow in Furness with the M&GNJRS 'The Lakelander’ special returning from Sellafield to London Euston on 8 May 1976. The B1 gave way to ex-LNWR Precedent class No. 790 ‘Hardwicke’ at Ulverston and steam was replaced by electric power at Carnforth. I have somehow managed to gain some elevation, possibly standing on a lineside cabinet, and no-one batted an eyelid - how times change!<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 08/05/1976]](/images/55000/55423.jpg "Park South Junction")
![Preserved Black 5 No. 45407 and A3 <I>Flying Scotsman</I> dig in on the ascent of Lindal Bank, while working a railtour between Carnforth and Sellafield in May 1977. Taken at Rowe Head, about a mile and a half west of Ulverston.<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 07/05/1977]](/images/43000/43054.jpg "Rowe Head")
![The former North box at Barrow-in-Furness, photographed in April 2002. The style leaves no doubts as to which railway it was built for, despite the lack of any identification, at least on the side facing the station.<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 13/04/2002]](/images/43000/43166.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![A pleasant spring day at Barrow-in-Furness in 2002 with a reasonable amount of traditional signalling equipment still to be seen at the north end of the station. In the background a class 153 single car unit (153 316) waits to form the 14:57 departure to Carlisle.<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 13/04/2002]](/images/43000/43605.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![Looking from Roa Island south to Piel Island. View from the vicinity of the former station<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 20/06/2003]](/images/11000/11863.jpg "Roa Island")
![View from the vicinity of the former station.<br><br>[Ewan Crawford 20/06/2003]](/images/11000/11864.jpg "Roa Island")
![The view east at Dalton towards Ulverston, showing the former station building, now a private house, and the new waiting shelters beyond. To the right of the bridge over the railway a second, now blocked up bridge, can be seen. This previously afforded access to the goods yard, now built over. Dalton enjoys a reasonable level of service by Northern Rail trains between Barrow and Lancaster.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 17/01/2009]](/images/22000/22177.jpg "Dalton")
![A view west from Dalton station towards the short tunnel beyond which is the junction between the line to Barrow and the direct link to the coast line at Dalton Junction [See image 11905]. The houses occupy the former goods yard.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 17/01/2009]](/images/22000/22178.jpg "Dalton")
![A train for Barrow in Furness from Manchester Airport, formed by 185147, passes the site of Furness Abbey station, closed in 1950, and enters the short tunnel. Furness Abbey itself, a red sandstone ancient monument, sits alongside the line here in a secluded valley and the grounds can just be seen to the right of the train. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 17/01/2009]](/images/22000/22185.jpg "Furness Abbey")
![Roose, on the outskirts of Barrow in Furness, has been reduced to basic facilities but still enjoys a reasonable service of trains between Barrow and Lancaster. The housing development that can be seen in this picture should assist patronage. View towards Furness Abbey and Dalton. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 17/01/2009]](/images/22000/22204.jpg "Roose")
![The original Furness Railway passenger terminus at Ulverston only lasted 20 years until 1874 when it was replaced by the current through station. It survived for many years as a railway goods depot, alongside its replacement, but has now been converted into a Mercedes showroom that retains many original railway features including the glazed frontage.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 17/01/2009]](/images/22000/22211.jpg "Ulverston")
![Despite the modern safety rails the bracket semaphores at the North end of Barrow station are still very impressive. Also just visible through the mist is another semaphore, controlling the exit from Platform 3, with the Furness Railway signal box beyond. View west towards Askam on 23 January 2010. [See image 7075] for this view on a clear day. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 23/01/2010]](/images/27000/27320.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![Although Barrow is a comparitively modern station, it was eerily quiet between trains on this cold January day when the fog never lifted. Three platforms remain in use, including the two through roads shown and a bay for northbound trains only behind the buildings on the right. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 23/01/2010]](/images/27000/27330.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![For many years the old Furness Railway locomotive <I>Coppernob</I> resided on the platform at Barrow-in-Furness in a glass building but it was removed during WWII to protect it from the air raids that Barrow experienced and is now part of the NRM National Collection. The January fog masks the functional appearance of the 1960s station buildings in this view looking east. The main semaphores control trains leaving towards Askam and Millom while the shunting arms control access to the carriage sidings. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 23/01/2010]](/images/27000/27376.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![153315 arrives in Barrow on a very wet morning, clearing the single line section from Askam for a Carlisle service to go forward. Just beyond the platform end the refuelling and stabling point (BW) is still in use, albeit empty during the daytime. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 20/09/2012]](/images/40000/40414.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![View south from the level crossing at Park South, Cumbria. The<br>
double track line ahead is the 'Barrow cut off' direct<br>
line to Dalton Junction [See image 11905], which carries freight to and<br>
from Sellafield and the occasional special. On the right is the now singled route to Barrow in Furness used by Cumbrian Coast Line passenger services. [With thanks to Mike Gibb]<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 04/11/2013]](/images/45000/45267.jpg "Park South Junction")
![The Furness Railway signal box at Park South, which controls the junction, level crossing and associated semaphores. This view looks north towards Askam with the once quiet valley now dominated by the bridge carrying the A590 into Barrow.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 04/11/2013]](/images/45000/45355.jpg "Park South Junction")
![The site of Lindal station, between Ulverston and Dalton, closed in 1951. In this 2014 view west towards Dalton the tracks diverge slightly but this is to pass under a two arch bridge. The long removed platforms stood on either side of the line. [Ref query 3859]<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 10/03/2014]](/images/3000/3929.jpg "Lindal")
![Northern 156479, on a service from Carlisle and Workington, runs past the carriage sidings and signal box and in to Platform 2 at Barrow-in-Furness. The train will continue via Ulverston to eventually terminate in Lancaster.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 28/04/2014]](/images/47000/47149.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![Grab shot from a Barrow to Lancaster train showing the Ramsden Dock branch, leading away from Salthouse Junction near Roose. Despite the appearance of the track the branch sees occasional trains conveying nuclear traffic from the dock to Sellafield reprocessing plant. What looks like a strange building in the docks is the superstructure of a Royal Navy warship.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 28/04/2014]](/images/47000/47160.jpg "Salthouse Junction")
![<I>Harrington Hump (Long wheelbase variety)</I>. An extended version of the raised platforms in use on the Cumbrian Coast line has appeared at Dalton, presumably to cater for the TransPennine Class 185s that call here. Viewed from a Barrow to Lancaster train. [See image 43983] for the standard length version. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 28/04/2014]](/images/47000/47197.jpg "Dalton")
![TransPennine 185120 departs from Barrow-in-Furness on 14 June 2014 with a service to Manchester Airport.<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/06/2014]](/images/47000/47692.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![48151 brings the return <I>Cumbrian Coast Express</I> swiftly though Cark and Cartmel on 14 June 2014 having made up time since the water stop at Sellafield.<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/06/2014]](/images/47000/47708.jpg "Cark and Cartmel")
![153301 and 153307 arrive at Askam with a Carlisle to Lancaster (via the Cumbrian coast) service on 14 June 2014.<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/06/2014]](/images/47000/47719.jpg "Askam")
![153304 leads 153317 away from Cark and Cartmel with a service to Carlisle on 14 June 2014.<br><br>[John McIntyre 14/06/2014]](/images/47000/47779.jpg "Cark and Cartmel")
![First TransPennine 185139 departs Barrow for Manchester Airport on a sunny 7th July 2014.<br><br>[Colin McDonald 07/07/2014]](/images/48000/48295.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![Newly arrived at Barrow-in-Furness, DRS 37218 is signalled into the carriage sidings with its empty stock and trailing loco. The train had earlier worked down from Carlisle to Preston then back here to lay over for three hours before making a return trip to Carlisle.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 22/06/2015]](/images/51000/51737.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![<I>Would be window hangers beware</I>. The return of loco hauled trains to the Cumbrian Coast is great news for enthusiasts but the limited clearances on the line north of Maryport mean that the two rakes of MkII stock in use have had to be fitted with bars over the droplights, just like the Derby DMUs that worked the line before the Sprinters. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 22/06/2015]](/images/51000/51742.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![Having worked a Carlisle - Barrow - Preston - Barrow diagram on 22 June, 37402 is pulled into the carriage sidings at Barrow by 37218 for a three hour layover. After this they will work a return trip to Carlisle before being stabled here overnight.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 22/06/2015]](/images/51000/51927.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![37 401 at Barrow 13 July 2015.<br><br>[Ian Dinmore 13/07/2015]](/images/57000/57354.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![The daily Preston to Barrow-in-Furness push-pull nears its destination as it runs south through the site of Furness Abbey station on 26th October 2015. The loco in charge is 37422, bought from DBS in 2011 but only returned to operational service in July 2015. It is presently operating in plain DRS blue without logos.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 26/10/2015]](/images/53000/53042.jpg "Furness Abbey")
![A Class 185 unit heads away from the camera towards Barrow-in-Furness as it passes the site of Furness Abbey station on 11 July 2016. The station closed to passengers in 1950 and all traces of it have gone.<br><br>[John McIntyre 11/07/2016]](/images/55000/55866.jpg "Furness Abbey")
![Dramatic lighting at Barrow in Furness on the late morning of Friday 21st October 2016. The view is looking north-west towards the carriage sidings which have plenty of space free to accommodate the Pacer unit which has just arrived on the terminating 10:04 from Preston and has the calling-on signal cleared for it. This train should have been a class 37 and coaches - I bet the many enthusiasts waiting for it at Preston and Lancaster expecting haulage (and a comfortable trip) were really pleased! The platform 3 down starter on the extreme right is 'off' for the 11:40 departure to Carlisle, which was class 37 worked.<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 21/10/2016]](/images/57000/57062.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![The foliage on the right might suggest this was taken in Cornwall but it's actually Barrow-in-Furness! 37402 awaits departure from platform 3 with the 11:40 to Carlisle, having arrived (slightly early) just over ten minutes previously on the 08:42 from the Border city. The train was well patronised by enthusiasts - mostly grey-haired (I hasten to add I also fall within this category) - including Railscot contributor David Spaven, who is lurking in the shadows on the right. 21st October 2016<br><br>[Bill Jamieson 21/10/2016]](/images/57000/57069.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![37 402 prepares to leave Barrow with a Carlisle service on 21st October 2016.<br><br>[David Spaven 21/10/2016]](/images/57000/57885.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![37402 has a clear signal for departure from the bay platform at Barrow-in-Furness with a service to Carlisle on a wet 11th March 2017.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 11/03/2017]](/images/58000/58398.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![The majority of exhibits in the excellent Barrow Dock Museum relate to ship building or iron making industries and community life within the town. However, this name plate from the Vickers Gun Range Sidings signal box, closed in 1983, is mounted on the museum wall. The box controlled access to the short Eskmeals branch to the ranges near Ravenglass. It had an unusual Ransomes and Rapier <I>horse rake</I> 11-lever frame that is now preserved at the NRM York. [See image 44051] for a picture of the Eskmeals branch taken after closure.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/04/2017]](/images/59000/59052.jpg "Plates, signs and notices")
![DRS 37425 <I>Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob</I> working the 2C47 Preston to Barrow-in-Furness service on 26th May 2017. Photographed from the grounds of Furness Abbey as it passed through the closed station of the same name.<br><br>[Mark Bartlett 26/05/2017]](/images/59000/59506.jpg "Furness Abbey")
![Dalton Junction signalbox, seen from the passing 2C47 Preston to Barrow-in-Furness service on 13th November 2017. 37402 is just passing the tracks that diverge right towards Park South Junction. This short line, a few hundred yards long, allows direct freight trains and excursions to avoid the lengthy detour through Barrow station. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/11/2017]](/images/61000/61869.jpg "Dalton Junction")
![View of the Barrow Docks branch at Salthouse Junction from the 2C47 Preston to Barrow service on 13th November 2017. The line still sees traffic on an as required basis. This is primarily imported nuclear loads to be taken to Sellafield for reprocessing. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/11/2017]](/images/61000/61911.jpg "Salthouse Junction")
![What appears to be the old Ulverston platform is visible in the undergrowth as the Preston to Barrow train rounds the curve at Furness Abbey on 13th November 2017. The station closed in 1950 and the Barrow platform, which was staggered and on the other side of the level crossing, has been completely removed. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/11/2017]](/images/61000/61969.jpg "Furness Abbey")
![Probably a unique occurrence now, the 1004hrs from Preston arrives in Barrow-in-Furness behind 37402 while the onward connection to Whitehaven and Carlisle waits in Platform 3 behind 37401 (out of sight) for connecting passengers. 37402 will depart to the carriage sidings before working north in the afternoon. I don't think there's another UK location where you can transfer from a 37 hauled train into another one to continue a journey but you can do it in Barrow Monday to Friday (for now). <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/11/2017]](/images/61000/61979.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![The light in the rear cab of 37402 is visible as it heads through Dalton Tunnel on its way to Barrow-in-Furness with train 2C47 from Preston on 13th November 2017. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/11/2017]](/images/62000/62000.jpg "Dalton")
![37401 has just arrived from Carlisle in Platform 3 at Barrow-in-Furness, but had been delayed at Park South Junction waiting for the single line to clear. Hence there is a quick turnaround and the driver is climbing aboard for the return journey. 2C47 is the 1731hrs departure for Carlisle, the last northbound Class 37 of the day. 13th November 2017. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/11/2017]](/images/62000/62316.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
![Enthusiasts swarm over the platforms at Barrow on 13th March 2018 during the few minutes when the two loco hauled trains are both in the station together. 37402, newly arrived from Preston will head for the carriage sidings for a layover of approximately three hours before continuing north. 68017 on the left will shortly depart for Carlisle on the 1140 service on the second day of Class 68 operations. <br><br>[Mark Bartlett 13/03/2018]](/images/63000/63292.jpg "Barrow-in-Furness")
