The Settle and Carlisle railway - O. S Nock

The Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line has become one of Britain's best-known railway routes. There have been several threats of closure, culminating in the Government entering the arena in 1989 and forbidding British Rail to close the line. The author has been personally acquainted with the line since 1916. During that time he travelled the route on many occasions, with stop-watch in hand, frequently on the footplate.;This study provides coverage of motive power performance over the "Long Drag", as the line is affectionately known to railwaymen and enthusiasts. The book is illustrated with locomotives and trains from the pre-Grouping years of the Midland Railway, through BR diesel traction to the steam specials including such well-known locomotives as Flying Scotsman, Duchess of Hamilton, Clan Line and the Sir Nigel Gresley.;The full history of the railway is viewed, including the reasons for the Midland Railway adopting its own line from England to Scotland, in parallel with the West Coast Main Line, planning the construction across some of the bleakest country in Britain. Detailed logs of locomotive runs are examined including the line up to Ais Gill Summit, frequently used for testing locomotives of many different railway companies, often in competitive trials. The line is much used today by steam-hauled special trains and is therefore constantly mentioned in the railway press.