Haltwhistle - Wetheral Signal Box Visits - Part 4
Friday 14th February 2020
Report by Nigel Lyons & Nick Jones
The Branch Line Society
Guest
Corby Gates:: 55m 54ch west of Newcastle and a quarter of a mile east of Wetheral station, this was the last visit of the day. It is a hybrid box, with a 1955 built British Railways (North Eastern Region) Type 17 top, on the original 19th Century North Eastern Railway brick base. BLN 1364.3138 (with photos in e-BLN) had a report of an Azuma using the trailing crossover here on 27 Aug 2020. BLN 1319.2713 had a picture of the signal box - with a diverted East Midlands Railway HST passing! It showed the still in use George V vintage post box, in its base wall on the level crossing (eastern) side by the road - signal post perhaps?
Directly opposite Corby Gates Signal Box was the Corby Bridge Inn (on the north side of the line) - an 1830s Grade II listed building that was thought to be the oldest 'pub' in the world. Sadly it closed in 2015 and has been redeveloped into housing. However, the fine Queen Inn, with its microbrewery adjacent, remains open just up the road though and is highly recommended by a local member!
On the Down (to Carlisle) south side of the line, the box contains a reconditioned 1955 McKenzie & Holland 26 lever frame, but only 10 are now in use: 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 23, 24 and 26, controlling signals and the trailing crossover just east of the level crossing. This box works Absolute Block towards Brampton Fell and fringes with Carlisle Power Box (Track Circuit Block using a Train Describer).
The barriers are operated electrically by the signaller, and do not raise automatically, being signaller controlled. Unusually, the level crossing has no 'wig wag' road lights. This is thought to be very unusual and presumably doesn't meet modern industry and highways group standards. Are there many others on the network? It is not clear why they have never been fitted (any ideas please?) - there is certainly enough space, although some residential properties are very close (residents = NIMBYs). Presumably it only remains acceptable for the crossing to be without lights as the gates are manually operated by the signaller - and any future automation would surely result in fitment.
From the crossing there is a 420yd footpath alongside (north of) the railway over the spectacular five arch 660ft Wetheral Viaduct (name on the NR Bridge Register), but Grade I listed by English Heritage as 'Corby Bridge', 100ft above the River Eden to Wetheral station. It was said to be the biggest railway bridge in the world on opening in 1834, the five 89 feet spans are faced with local red sandstone.
There are two piers on each bank and two in the river. The high level trackside footpath was added in 1851 because so many people were trespassing on the railway as a short cut. The toll was initially ½d and 1d by the time it became toll free in the 1950s. The toll did not apply on Sundays as Great Corby has no church and is part of Wetheral Parish so villagers needed free access to the church in Wetheral!
Prior to the footbridge, there was a passenger ferry across the River Eden between the two villages. With great views downstream to the Scottish hills and upstream south, this bridge is very convenient access to the station from Great Corby east of the river; the journey by road is nearly three miles.
Members of the party drifted off to the station to catch a train to Carlisle; our participant from Ireland caught a Newcastle service, returning from Newcastle Airport after his 'flying visit'. Wetheral station (sometimes 'Corby') OP 20 Jul 1836 and was also sometimes 'Wetherall' in early Bradshaws and the Railway Clearing House Station Hand-Book. In 1852 it became 'Wetheral for Corby' with different versions shown east and westbound in 1858 Bradshaw! Listed in the Mar 1963 Beeching Report for closure, the station CP 2 Jan 1967 but ROP on the same site on 5 Oct 1981. In 2019-20 it had a record number of 39,014 passengers. Pre-Covid there were regular commuters to Carlisle and further afield including school children commuting by train to the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith. There was also significant leisure travel eastwards to Hexham, Metro Centre and Newcastle.
Normally there are two trains an hour with one calling in each direction, but in the current Covid cuts all trains (1tph generally) stop: (SX) 17 to Newcastle (or beyond) and 16 to Carlisle (SO it is the other way round!). Of note, SuX there is normally one through train from Glasgow Central via Kilmarnock and Dumfries, but no return working. There is a SuX train to Chathill, several through to Nunthorpe (with others to intermediate destinations) and SuO even one right to Whitby (140 miles) and back.
Wetheral station is exceptionally interesting. Opened by the Newcastle & Carlisle Railway (N&CR), the main station building, now a private residence, is original and is very sympathetically maintained. Adjacent is an in situ section of the N&CR platform, just above rail level. There is a glass awning which shelters two ticket windows, one on each side of the building's corner - both now blanked off. One probably issued tickets to passengers arriving at the station via the footpath from Great Corby across the valley (and perhaps issued the pedestrian toll tickets for the use of the railway's viaduct footpath). On eastbound Up P1 a long, wooden North Eastern Railway shelter is available for passenger use. Down P2 was recently extended from 81m to 104m. The platforms are connected by a NER standard iron footbridge, a very distinctive elliptical arch, similar to those at Brampton and Haltwhistle stations.
Huge thanks were given on the day to Mobile Operations Manager Graham, who had led a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting day visiting signalling installations on his patch. The various car drivers left, myself returning to Haltwhistle station to pick up my good lady, who had spent the day in Hexham. A total of £370 was collected from participants, which was donated to Cancer Research UK. The party would like to thank Nick Jones for an excellently organised and interesting day in Northumberland.