Island Road railway station

Summary

Island Road railway station (also known as Barrow Shipyard[3] and locally simply as Shipyard station[4]) was a railway station at the centre of Barrow Island, Barrow-in-Furness, England which operated between 1899 and 1967.[5][6] It was built by the Furness Railway near the junction of the Ramsden Branch Line and a line which ran through the industrial areas of the town.[7]

Island Road or Barrow Shipyard
General information
LocationBarrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland
England
Coordinates54°06′11″N 3°13′36″W / 54.1030°N 3.2267°W / 54.1030; -3.2267
Grid referenceSD 19886 68153
Platforms2[1]
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyFurness Railway
Pre-groupingFurness Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 May 1899Station opened
5 July 1967Closed completely[2]
Site of the former station, the strip of grass running the length of Island Road marks the route of the original rail line

The station was never intended for general public use. In 1901 it carried more than 1700 workers daily on workmen's trains to the Vickers shipyard and the surrounding company housing. These trains ran from Millom, Grange-over-Sands and Coniston. Initially the station had just one platform, but a second was added in 1915.[8]

A limited publicly advertised service had started by 1915 and excursion trains for Rugby league matches and Sunday School outings called.

The station and associated workmen's trains survived until the closure of the unsafe Buccleuch Dock bridge on 31 December 1966 which cut access to the site.[8][9] The station and line have both since been demolished, although two metal posts that formed the entrance to the south-bound platform have been preserved.

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Barrow-in-Furness Central
Line closed, station open
  Furness Railway   Ramsden Dock
Line and station closed

References edit

  1. ^ Gilbert & Knight 1975, Plate 92.
  2. ^ Butt 1995, p. 128.
  3. ^ Croughton, Kidner & Young 1982, p. 89.
  4. ^ Norman 1994, pp. 32–33.
  5. ^ Broughton 1996, p. 36.
  6. ^ "The Furness Railway". Cumbrian Railways. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  7. ^ Station site, but station not shown National Library of Scotland
  8. ^ a b Norman 1994, p. 33.
  9. ^ Robinson 2002, p. 13.

Sources edit

  • Broughton, John R. (1996). The Furness Railway: A Fascinating 150th Anniversary Excursion Along All the Company's Lines. British Railways Past & Present. Wadenhoe: Past & Present Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85895-126-3.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  • Croughton, Godfrey; Kidner, R. W.; Young, Alan (1982). Private and Untimetabled Railway Stations, Halts and Stopping Places. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0-85361-281-0. OCLC 10507501.
  • Gilbert, A.C.; Knight, N.R. (1975). Railways Around Lancashire, a Pictorial Survey. Castleton, Greater Manchester: Manchester Transport Museum Society. ISBN 978-0-900857-09-6.
  • Norman, K.J. (1994). Railway Heritage, The Furness Railway. Wadenhoe: Silver Link. ISBN 978-1-85794-016-9.
  • Robinson, Peter W. (2002). Cumbria's Lost Railways. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84033-205-6.