Long Preston to Settle Junction

The first of the track renewals on the down line at Long Preston

1st May 2000

Following stockpiling of metal sleepers, work commenced on track renewal in May. Several sections have now been completed and work now continues towards Settle Junction. 

Track replacement in progress on the up line

23rd July 2000 6.00 am

66217 is just out of sight with a train of ballast waggons (ballast train shown below).

Long Preston station formerly had a signal box (removed in the early 1970's), a down loop and a small goods yard. The original wooden station building which was constructed in the Tudor style common on the Little North Western Railway was demolished in the early 1970's. When when sorting through a mass of paper in the derilect building before demolition , I was lucky enough to find a sheaf of original consignment waybills from various pre-grouping railways for goods delivered to Long Preston.

In the 1920's when the Stocks reservoir was being built an additional siding was built to allow materials to be transferred to road vehicles for transport to the village of Tosside. From there the materials were transferred onto a light railway for transport to the site of the dam. The reservoir was opened on 5th July 1932. The original light railway terminus is still visible at the roadside near the village of Tosside (OS Grid Reference SD 764555).

7.30 am Sprinter bound for Leeds just North of Long Preston Station

31st June 1998

OS Grid reference SD 831581

The bridge at this point is an excellent location for photographing trains, especially those arriving from the North.