Cleator and Workington Junction Railway

The C&WJR was incorporated in 1876 and a bill presented to Parliament in the same year, being passed as the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway Act 1876 (39 & 40 Vict. c. li).

Construction began shortly after and the line between Workington and Cleator Moor was opened in 1879. The line continued northwards from Workington to a junction with the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) at Siddick, approximately two miles away.

The principal station and company headquarters were in Central Square, Workington and the station soon became known as Workington Central. A second main line was built from a junction on the C&WJR main line at Calva Junction to Linefoot Junction, where it joined the Maryport and Carlisle Railway. This section was known as the Northern Extension.

Several branch lines were built including that to Rowrah, of which a short 300 yard section remained in use there as a backshunt until 1978.

To the people of West Cumberland the line became affectionately known as the "Track of the Ironmasters." The C&WJR never ran its own services on the main lines: this was done on their behalf by the Furness Railway. In later years the C&WJR purchased its own engines to work its branch lines (see below).

At the railway grouping of 1923, the line was incorporated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway network. The Northern Extension section that served the Broughton Moor Armaments Depot closed on 4 June 1992.

Accidents and incidents

On 16 February 1900, an embankment was washed away at Moss Bay, Workington. A freight train on the Moss bay Branch was derailed with the locomotive coming to rest on its side.

The 0-6-0ST locomotive was rescued shortly after the incident and was returned to traffic.