South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway

The emblem of the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway.

South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway

Legend S&D Rly.(Weardale Line) Bishop Auckland S&D Rly.(Tees Valley Line) West Auckland Spring Gardens Junction Evenwood Gaunless Viaduct Butterknowle Cockfield Fell Langley Viaduct Forthburn Viaduct D&BR to Darlington Barnard Castle Old Station Barnard Castle Percy Beck Viaduct Tees Viaduct Middleton-in-Teesdale Line Lartington Deepdale Viaduct Hulands Bowes Stainmore Summit Mousegill Viaduct Barras Belah Viaduct Aitygill Viaduct Merrygill Viaduct Hartley Quarry Podgill Viaduct Stenkrith Bridge Kirkby Stephen East Stainmore Railway Company Eden Valley Railway Smardale Settle-Carlisle Railway Smardale Gill viaduct Ravenstonedale Gaisgill WCML Northbound Tebay WCML Southbound

The South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway (SD&LUR), also known as the Stainmore Railway, is a former railway line linking the Stockton & Darlington Railway near Bishop Auckland with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (the West Coast Main Line) at Tebay, via Barnard Castle, Stainmore Summit & Kirkby Stephen.

A short section of the line at Kirkby Stephen East station has been restored by the Stainmore Railway Company.

Route

Stations along the route were:

• Evenwood
• Cockfield Fell
• Barnard Castle
• Lartington
• Bowes
• Barras
• Kirkby Stephen East
• Smardale
• Ravenstonedale
• Gaisgill

Junctions were made at Barnard Castle, with lines to Darlington and Middleton-in-Teesdale, and at Kirkby Stephen with the Eden Valley Railway to Penrith.

Viaducts

The line was also noted for its viaducts. These were (from the east):

• Gaunless - 161 feet high (River Gaunless)
• Langley - 76 feet (Langley Beck}
• Forthburn - 43 feet (Forthburn Beck}
• Percy Beck - 66 feet (Percy Beck}
• Tees - 132 feet (River Tees}
• Deepdale - 161 feet (Deepdale Beck}
• Mousegill - 106 feet (Mousegill Beck)
• Belah - 196 feet (River Belah)
• Aitygill (or Redgategill) - 94 feet (Aitygill Beck)
• Merrygill - 78 feet (Hartley Beck)
• Podgill - 84 feet (Ladthwaite Beck)
• Smardalegill - 90 feet (Scandal Beck)

References

• Richardson, Keith (2007). Kirkby Stephen East; a Station Remembered. Stainmore Railway Company. 
• Smith, Martin (1994). British Railway Bridges & Viaducts. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-2273-7. 
• Walton, Peter (1992). The Stainmore & Eden Valley Railways. Oxford Publishing Co.. ISBN 978-0-86093-306-9. 

External links

• Stainmore 150 Project. History and description of the route.
• Stainmore Railway Company official site
• Stainmore Railway site
• The Northern Viaduct Trust
• Webpage about the railway's viaducts
• History of the line