Build it! Stainmore Route

From the millstone grit of the West Riding to the collieries and slag heaps of Tyneside and the tourist hotspots of the Yorkshire coast, Ivatt ‘4MTS’ played a huge role in keeping the North Eastern Region moving. Its initial 36 Ivatts were hemmed in by the Rivers Tees and Humber, but they soon spread their wings across the whole region, from Blyth and Hartlepool to York and Leeds.

But one classic railway that the ‘4MTS’ called home was the Stainmore Route. As the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway pushed what would become the West Coast Main Line north, pressure was mounting to link the railways of east and west.

The South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway was an offshoot of the Stockton & Darlington with the intention to do just that. And it did, the result being a tortuous route over the 1,370ft Stainmore summit to link Darlington and Bishop Auckland with Tebay and Penrith. It was opened in 1861 and featured gradients as fierce as 1‑in‑60 in some of the country’s wildest terrain. It has captured the imaginations of railway enthusiasts ever since.

The route was laid out by Thomas Bouch, the engineer who would later be disgraced when his bridge across the River Tay collapsed. But his engineering reputation was redeemed slightly as this similarly constructed iron viaduct across the River Belah survived until closure.

Following infrastructure improvements that were finished in April 1955, ‘4MTS’ were employed on heavy coke trains. Six ‘4MTS’ were transferred to Kirkby Stephen – Nos. 43038, 43055, 43122, 43124, 43128 and 43130 – while others moved to West Auckland. ‘4MTS’ from Tebay and Carlisle Kingmoor would continue the class’ links with this remote and wild railway until it closed as a through‑route on January 20 1962.

l Each square represents 1ft.

Left: Stainmore Summit was 1,370ft above sea level and marked by this distinctive cast iron sign. A replica now stands sentinel over the moorland and is visible from the arduous A66 route, which has been built over the railway in places. There was no official station at the summit but an untimetabled stopping place served nearby cottages. TREVOR OWEN/COLOUR RAIL

One of the Stainmore Route’s most famous structures was the iron viaduct over the River Belah, which was designed by infamous bridge engineer Thomas Bouch of Tay Bridge disaster fame. Standard ‘4MT’ No. 76045 leads an Ivatt classmate over the structure – which is now but a memory – with a holiday special returning from Blackpool to the North East in the 1950s. CECIL ORD/RAIL ARCHIVE STEPHENSON

Above: Kirkby Stephen East was one of the most attractive stations on the Stainmore Route and, happily, is the headquarters of a bustling railway museum. Ivatt ‘4MT’ No. 43056 leads Standard ‘4MT’ No. 76050 on an eastbound train on August 12 1961. TREVOR OWEN/COLOUR RAIL

Below: No. 43120 trundles through the fabulous scenery near Merryhill, to the east of Kirkby Stephen, with a short freight. PETER ZABEK/COLOUR RAIL