CREATING the Settle-Carlisle Railway line demanded great skill. Dr Bill Mitchell looks at the railway builders.

THE two smart-looking men pictured in this railway feature were responsible for the construction of the Settle-Carlisle railway. They surveyed the route it would take, coursing through North Ribblesdale and the Eden Valley.

The Midland Railway began work on this exceptional railway line when a sod was cut at Anley, near Settle, in the November of 1869.

Constructing the line demanded the greatest engineering skill that had been shown in the land. The builders needed extreme physical endurance. Some of the workmen, who had laboured in far-off lands, found the head of Ribblesdale, where a monster viaduct would arise, one of the wildest, windiest sports in the world.

James Allport was general manager of the Midland Railway from 1860s to 1880. His grand title was eventually Sir James Joseph Allport. He had begun railway service as chief clerk of a recently founded Birmingham and Derby system.

Every big project needs a hero. The man who deserves most credit for the Settle-Carlisle is John Crossley. He had become chief engineer, delaying his retirement from the Midland so that he might supervise the construction of the Settle-Carlisle. He died in 1876 - not so long after the line began operating.

The notion of a railway line between Settle in Yorkshire and the Border city of Carlisle became the most anxious experience of the railway work he had undertaken. Crossley secured a London terminus.

The new railway became Midland in character and appearance all along its independent route to Scotland. It had attained the status of one of the country’s great railway systems. No attempt had been made to link up every small village en route. The sites of some stations were decided after long periods of discussion

Bestowed on the Settle-Carlisle railway were 325 bridges, 27 viaducts and 14 tunnels. An embankment absorbed a quarter of a million tons of material. As the line was nearing completion, the Burleigh drill succeeded hand-drilling in various places. A new machine had been devised to deal with boulder-clay, which was invariably a nightmare to engineers.

Allport retired as general manager of the Midland in 1880. Cash and honours came his way. Shareholders provided him with a large sum of money. He became a director of the company. A knighthood was bestowed on him in 1886.

John Crossley also achieved great fame. He inspired loyalty as well as respect. His obituary noted the honesty of his intentions and fairness in action.

Small engines, owned by contractors, hauled trucks on tramways. The trucks carried coal, provisions and (on Saturday afternoons, at Ribblehead) some restless people.

The formal passenger service of the Settle-Carlisle was inaugurated in 1875. It was said to be the last important railway in Britain built by the traditional pick-and-shovel method. Nevertheless, the line was so well constructed that trains were capable of operating in all weathers. They had a comfortable crossing of the watershed at an elevation of 1,169 ft above sea level.

The late Bishop Treacy, who suffered badly from Settle-Carlislitis, considered that the three greatest feats of the North Country were York Minster, Hadrian’s Wall and the Settle-Carlisle Railway. He occasionally rode on footplates, ducking when a roaring wind swept over one of the lofty viaducts. He died on Appleby station and is commemorated by a special plaque.

A project engineer of recent times commented: “You have to take your hat off to the men who built Ribblehead Viaduct. When you consider their primitive equipment. It’s a fantastic piece of engineering work.”