Kingmoor Sidings Nature Reserve
Location
Kingmoor Sidings lies north of the River Eden, to the west of
Etterby.
From the Scotland Road, north of the Eden, turn into Etterby
Street - Etterby Scaur. Continue along this road, with the Eden on
your left, until Austin Friars - St Monica's School on the right.
Opposite the school, turn left into Etterby Road.
Just past all the houses and before the railway line take the
turning to the right into Balmoral Drive and to Kingmoor Sidings
and the car park.
Wildlife
Following the closure of the rail yard and depot in 1968,
wildlife began to re-colonise the area even before the the site
opened as a nature reserve in 1987.
The
dense stands silver birch woodland have grown from seed blown in
over the years. Birch thrives on nutrient poor soils, especially
those covered with rail ash. The leaf litter from the pioneering
silver birch gradually improves the soil, inviting other trees such
as oak and ash to move in.
These nutrient poor soils of Kingmoor Sidings are also home to a
wide variety of wild flower species, including wild orchids,
vetches and birds foot trefoils.
At Kingmoor Sidings there is usually a year round display of
fungi, with the poisonous yet colourful fly agarics to the less
colourful birch polypore.
There are picnic benches and resting places throughout the
reserve.
The footpaths do get muddy and slippery in places, so good
walking boots are a must, as are pocket sized field guides to
plants and birds so that you can enjoy what Kingmoor Sidings Nature
Reserve has to offer.
History
The
Caledonian Railway was formed by an Act of Parliament in 1845, and
opened the main line from Carlisle to Beattock in 1847. The ‘Caley’
as the Company became known built the impressive Glasgow Central
Station in 1907, and had taken over many railway lines in Central
Scotland, linking the Lanarkshire coal fields, iron and steel works
with the shipbuilding yards and the docks of the Clyde and the
Forth.
Kingmoor Motive Power Depot opened in 1874 to maintain The
Caledonian Railway’s fleet of locomotives on the (then) Carlisle to
Glasgow mainline.
In 1923 when The
Caledonian Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish
(LMS) the ‘Caley’ controlled 1,114 miles of rail routes, owned
1,070 locomotives, 3,040 coaches and 51,536 freight and 1,786
service vehicles.
The LMS demanded more powerful locomotives to pull the heavy
‘Royal Scot’ trains on their 401 mile route out of London’s Euston
Station, to Carlisle and onto Glasgow.
In 1937 their prayers were answered as the new Coronation Class
(Duchess Class) of locomotive rolled out of the sheds at Crewe with
a ‘Pacific’ wheel arrangement (4-6-2), fitted with ‘streamlining’.
All the rave in the thirties, this ‘streamlining’ was an outer
casing which looked like an upside down bath tub, covering the
boiler and fireboxes.
Throughout the war years, the ‘streamlining’ became more of a
nuisance than a benefit, and so many of the ‘Duchesses’ had their
‘frocks’ removed.
The
Coronation Scot, built to coincide with the coronation of King
George V, set a new British speed record of 114mph.
On January 1st 1948 British Railways came into being.
The state owned railway company acquired 7,805 locomotives from the
London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and the livery changed from
maroon to black.
Between 1951-52 Crewe built ten BR Standard Class 6MT Clan
Pacifics, with No.s 72005-9 being assigned to Carlisle
(Kingmoor).
1961 saw the famous Dr Beeching appointed as Chairman of British
Railways, his relentless pursuit of a ‘profitable railway’ saw much
rationalisation and cuts. Kingmoor was one of the few remaining
steam depots on the West Coast Main Line. However, as the diesel
power era arrived its days were numbered and the depot closed its
doors on January 1st 1968.
There are three surviving "Duchesses", City of Birmingham,
Duchess of Sutherland and Duchess of Hamilton. Two of these were
saved from the scrap yard as a result of Sir Billy Butlin's efforts
to place these fine machines as children's playground exhibits at
his holiday camps.
Balmoral Court, now a block of flats was once a hostel for the
engine drivers, guards and firemen of the trains as they rested
between journeys.
Carlisle City Council gratefully acknowledges the kind
photographic contributions of Peter Burgess, David Hey and Ron
Fisher.