Silloth Battery Extension railway station explained

Silloth Battery Extension
Status:	Disused
Borough:	Silloth, Cumberland
Country:	England
Coordinates:	54.8576°N -3.4013°W
Grid Name:	Grid reference
Platforms:	1^[1]
Original:	Carlisle & Silloth Bay Railway & Dock Company
Pregroup:	North British Railway
Postgroup:	London and North Eastern Railway
Years1:	1886
Events1:	Opened
Years2:	About 1928
Events2:	Closed
Map Type:	United Kingdom Allerdale#Cumbria

Silloth Battery Extension railway station was the terminus of the Blitterlees Branch, which turned southwards off the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway's Silloth Branch a short distance east of station. The larger railway ran from Carlisle, England. The Bitterlees Branch does not appear on standard railway maps, but it is clear on OS maps, though the station is not identifiable as such.

The station's sole purpose was to serve the naval gun testing battery, built by Armstrong Whitworth.^[2] Most trains to the site consisted of military supplies, the passenger station was built to carry battery personnel and visitors, including royalty on at least one occasion. In 1895 the Shalzada of Afghanistan and Suite observed naval firing, but was said to be especially impressed with the Maxim machine gun.

Trains to the station were run on an ad hoc basis, the station never appeared on public timetables.

The station opened in 1886 and closed in 1928 when the battery closed, its operations being moved south to Eskmeals, near .

See also

• List of closed railway stations in Britain

References

Sources

• • Book: Puxley . Chris . The Port of Silloth 1858–2009: A Pictorial History Through 150 Years of a Solway Port . 2009 . Bernard McCall . . 978-1-902953-42-7 .
  • Book: Robinson, Peter W. . Cumbria's Lost Railways . 2002 . Stenlake Publishing . . 978-1-84033-205-6 .
• Book: Suggitt, Gordon . Lost Railways of Cumbria (Railway Series) . 2008 . Countryside Books . . 978-1-84674-107-4 .
• Thomlinson . G. . Michael . Peascod . May 1983 . Rails on the Solway . Cumbrian Railways . 2 . 14 . Cumbrian Railways Association . . 1466-6812 .

Further reading

• • Book: Edgar . Stuart . Sinton . John H. . The Solway Junction Railway . LP176 . 1990 . The Oakwood Press . . 978-0-85361-395-4 .
• Liddell . H. M. . John . Slater . March 1984 . Shot at Silloth . . 130. 995 . Tothill Press Limited . . 0033-8923 .
• Book: Marsh . John . Garbutt . John . Cumbrian Railways . 1999 . Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd . 978-0-7509-2043-8 .
• Book: Mullay, Alexander J. . Rails Across the Border . 2006 . Tempus . . 978-0-7524-3666-1 . registration .
• Robinson . Peter W. . Michael . Peascod . August 1995 . Maryport & Carlisle 150 . Cumbrian Railways . 5 . 12 . Cumbrian Railways Association . . 1466-6812 .
• Book: Robinson, Peter W. . Railways of Cumbria . 1985 . Dalesman Books . . 978-0-85206-815-1 .
• Webb . David R. . B.W.C. . Cooke . September 1964 . Between the Solway and Sellafield: Part One . . 110. 761 . Tothill Press Limited . . 0033-8923 .
• Book: White, Stephen . Solway Steam: The Story of the Sillath and Port Carlisle Railways, 1854-1964 . 1984 . Carel Press Limited . . 978-0-9509096-1-5 .

External links

• The station on a navigable Edwardian OS map National Library of Scotland
• The station on the branch, with mileages Railway Codes
• The line with period photographs Holme St Cuthbert History Group
• The line and station Cumbrian Railways Association
• The convalescent home Its own website
• The station Rail Map Online

Notes and References

1. http://www.cumbria-railways.co.uk/silloth_convalescent_home.html The station, via Cumbrian Railways Association
2. http://www.sillothgreen.co.uk/portfolio/silloth-1850-to-1999/ Images of the battery, plus local talk, via BBC and others