The Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway (L&HR) is a heritage railway in Cumbria, England.

History Furness Railway operation of the branch line The railway is a former branch line of the Furness Railway (FR) and was opened on 1 June 1869. The line was served by local passenger trains which started their journey at Ulverston on the FR's main line from Carnforth to Barrow-in-Furness.

The FR branch trains travelled east to the triangular junction at Plumpton, then turned north via Greenodd and on to stations at Haverthwaite, Newby Bridge halt and Lakeside. The FR's weekdays passenger service in July 1922 comprised eight trains in each direction. There were advertised train-to-boat connections that were established in 1869. During the summer season, excursion trains from Lancashire and elsewhere used the east-to-north side of Plumpton Junction to reach Lakeside, where their passengers joined the boat sailings on the lake.

Closure of the branch and reopening by L&HR British Railways closed the line to passengers on 6 September 1965, and to all traffic two years later.

A group of enthusiasts, chaired by Dr Peter Beet, formed the Lakeside Railway Estates Company; they had the idea of preserving both the line and the former LMS 10A locomotive shed at Carnforth, to provide a complete steam operating system. However, although backed by then transport minister Barbara Castle, the need to build a number of motorway bridges and rerouting of the A590 road from Haverthwaite via Greenodd to Plumpton Junction, meant that the complete vision was unsuccessful. Beet acquired 10A in partnership with Sir William McAlpine, 6th Baronet, which became the visitor attraction Steamtown from 1967. The venture folded as a public access visitor attraction in 1997, but the preserved site was taken over by businessman David Smith to become the base for his West Coast Railway Company.

As a result, Austin Maher became chairman of the LREC, which then reopened the truncated L&HR as a heritage railway on 2 May 1973. Maher and fellow L&HR director Jim Morris each bought one LMS 2-6-4T Class 4MT, nos. 42073 (Maher) and 42085 (Morris), which were restored eventually as L&HR nos. 3 and 4, became the line's core steam power units.

Location The L&HR runs from Haverthwaite, at the southern end of the line, via Newby Bridge to Lakeside at the southern end of Windermere. Some services are timed to connect with sailings of the diesel excursion vessels or steam vessels on Windermere, sailing from Lakeside to Bowness and Ambleside.

Stations

Locomotives

Steam locomotives

Steam locomotives currently at the railway

Information below derived from the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway Visitors Guide sixth edition and the IRS reference book.

Operational

Number Name Built Builder Type Former Operator Notes Image 2333 1953 Barclay Millom Ironworks Boiler ticket expires in 2029; painted in maroon lined out in black and yellowPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Andrew Barclay Works No 2333 David 0-4-0ST Retrieved 4 March 2023 2682 1942 Bagnall Preston Docks Boiler ticket expires in 2029; painted in dark blue lined out in black and redPreserved British Steam Locomotives - W G Bagnall Works No 2682 Princess 0-6-0ST Retrieved 4 March 2023 3698 1950 Hunslet , Austerity Tank National Coal Board Boiler ticket expires in 2026; painted in lined blackPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Hunslet Works No 3698, NCB 11 Repulse 0-6-0ST Retrieved 4 March 2023 42073 1950 British Railways, Brighton works to an LMS design , Class 4MT British Railways Returned to service in 2014; painted BR black with late crestPreserved British Steam Locomotives - 42073 Retrieved 4 March 2023

Inactive

Number Name Built Builder Type Former Operator Notes Image 2996 1951 Bagnall , New Standard 18 Steel Company of Wales for Port Talbot Steelworks, Austin Motor Company Boiler ticket expired in 2024; painted in maroon lined out in black and yellowPreserved British Steam Locomotives - W G Bagnall Works No 2996 Victor No 403 0-6-0ST Retrieved 4 March 2023 42085 1951 British Railways, Brighton works to an LMS design , Class 4MT British Railways Undergoing overhaul; painted BR black with early emblemPreserved British Steam Locomotives - 42085 Retrieved 4 March 2023 46441 1951 British Railways, Crewe works to an LMS design , Class 2MT British Railways Running In, Boiler ticket expires in 2033. Painted BR maroon with late crest.Preserved British Steam Locomotives - 46441 Retrieved 4 March 2023

46441 began its running in testing in November 2023 and is intended to return to revenue service in 2024.

Steam locomotives formerly at the railway

The list of locomotives below contains those currently identified as having been resident at Haverthwaite in the past. It is, in all probability, not an exhaustive list. Number Name Built Builder Type Former Operator Notes Image 1 (works Nº 1925) 1937 Peckett , OY class Courtaulds, Preston At the Ribble Steam Railway in PrestonPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Peckett & Sons, Works No 1925, Caliban 0-4-0ST Retrieved 2 March 2023 5 (works Nº 1631) 1929 Hudswell Clarke Stewarts & Lloyds Acquired November 1970; now at TyseleyPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Hudswell Clarke, Works No 1631, No 65 0-6-0ST/0-6-0T Retrieved 2 March 2023 6 (works no. 1366) 1919 Hudswell Clarke Renishaw Ironworks no. 6 Acquired November 1970; now at the Aln Valley Railway after having spent many years at the Tanfield RailwayPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Hudswell Clarke, Works No 1366, Renishaw Ironworks No6 0-6-0ST Retrieved 2 March 2023 20 1863 Sharp Stewart , FR class 17, Rush class A5 Furness Railway, Barrow Steelworks Built as an 0-4-0; rebuilt for Barrow Steelworks as an , running as Nº 7; rebuilt in preservation to original configuration. Owned by the Furness Railway TrustLocomotives of the Furness Railway Trust Retrieved 2 March 2023 and operational at the Ribble Steam Railway in PrestonPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Sharp, Stewart & Co, Works No 1448, 20 0-4-0 Furness Railway Retrieved 2 March 2023 1550 1917 Barclay War Department, Gretna On static display at HM Factory, GretnaPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Andrew Barclay, Works No 1550, Sir James GF10 0-6-0F Retrieved 2 March 2023 1900 1936 Peckett Courtaulds, Holywell Operated during the summer of 1983; now at the Buckinghamshire Railway CentrePreserved British Steam Locomotives - Peckett & Sons, Works No 1900, 0-4-0T Retrieved 2 March 2023 3794 1953 Hunslet , Austerity Tank Ministry of Defence Owned by the Furness Railway Trust and normally operational at the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston, but currently operating at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway; boiler ticket expires in May 2025; painted in FR redPreserved British Steam Locomotives - Hunslet, Works No 3794, WD194 No10 Cumbria 0-6-0ST Retrieved 2 March 2023 5643 1925 GWR, Swindon Works GWR, British Railways Owned by the Furness Railway Trust and normally operational at the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston but currently undergoing extended maintenance at the East Lancashire Railway in BuryPreserved British Steam Locomotives - 5643 Retrieved 2 March 2023 44806 1944 LMS, Derby Works , Black 5 LMS, British Railways Acquired November 1970; moved to Steamport Southport; now at North Yorkshire Moors Railway with plans to return to the mainlinePreserved British Steam Locomotives - 44806 (LMS 4806 & BR 44806) Retrieved 2 March 2023

Diesel Diesel locomotives currently at the railway

Information below derived from the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway Visitors Guide sixth edition and the IRS reference book.

Operational Number Name Built Builder Type Former Operator Notes Image 8 1959 British Railways, Swindon Works Class 03 British Railways as D2117 Operational AD601 1945 LMS, Derby Works Class 11 War Department Operational. One of a batch of locomotives built for the War Department, the design of which led to the class of locomotives that eventually became BR Class 11. D2072 1959 British Railways, Doncaster Works Class 03 British Railways as TOPS 03 072 Operational 20 214 1967 English Electric Bo-Bo Class 20 British Railways Operational 52071+52077 1961 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Class 110 DMU British Railways Operational

Inactive

Number Name Built Builder Type Former Operator Notes 2098 1924 Motor Rail & Tram Car Co. Burneside Paper Mills Tramway On display, undergoing restoration

Self-powered diesel crane

Not a locomotive in the traditional sense but is capable of, and has been used for, limited shunting operations.

Number Name Built Builder Type Former Operator Notes 20 1952 Jones KL100 crane Operational

Diesel locomotives formerly at the railway

The list of locomotives below contains those currently identified as having been resident at Haverthwaite in the past. It is, in all probability, not an exhaustive list.

Number Name Built Builder Type Former Operator Notes 2 (works Nº 21999) 1937 Fowler Barrow Steelworks The first locomotive purchased by, and still owned by, the Furness Railway Trust. Currently at the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston after having spent time on display at Locomotion at Shildon, County DurhamRibble Steam Railway and Museum - Fowler 0-4-0DM 21999/1937 "Fluff" Retrieved 5 March 2023 D5301 1958 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Bo-Bo Class 26 British Railways as TOPS 26 001 Now at the Caledonian Railway, Brechin, Angus, Scotland D5370 1962 Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Bo-Bo Class 27 British Railways as TOPS 27 024 Now at the Caledonian Railway, Brechin, Angus, Scotland

Rolling stock

Coaches

Information below derived from the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway Visitors Guide sixth edition.

Number Built Builder Type Notes Image 3881 1953 BR York Works Mk. 1 TSO (Tourist Standard Open) Crimson and cream livery 3962 1954 BR Eastleigh Works Mk. 1 TSO Crimson and cream livery 4255 1956 BR York Works Mk. 1 TSO Crimson and cream livery 4410 1957 BR Swindon Works Mk. 1 TSO Crimson and cream livery 4760 1957 BR York works Mk. 1 TSO Crimson and cream livery 9218 1953 BR Doncaster Works Mk. 1 BSO (Brake Standard Open) Crimson and cream livery 25337 1957 BR Wolverton Works Mk. 1 SK (Standard Corridor) Crimson and cream livery 25364 1957 BR Wolverton Works Mk. 1 SK Crimson and cream livery 35309 1962 BR Wolverton Works Mk. 1 BSK (Brake Standard Corridor) Crimson and cream livery 35362 1962 BR Wolverton Works Mk. 1 BSK Crimson and cream livery

Wagons There are a selection of assorted goods vehicles.

In fiction In Christopher Awdry's book Thomas & Victoria, the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway is featured as part of the railway route where Victoria worked along both Helena and Albert before coming to Sodor. In the Thomas the Tank Engine TV series, the railway was filmed for a series of short educational segments entitled Down at the Station.

In the adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel, Dumb Witness, by ITV for its television series, Agatha Christie's Poirot, the opening scene was filmed at the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, at the Lakeside terminus.

The railway and Haverthwaite station are featured in the video to Never Went to Church by alternative hip hop band The Streets.

References Citations

Bibliography

External links

Photos of the entire railway