Cuttings

The Carlisle Journal records the closure of Scotby Station

From 'The Carlisle Journal, Friday 30th October 1959;

DEATH OF ANOTHER RAIL STATION

The Rise and Decline of Scotby's Importance

The latest in a long line of rural railway stations doomed because of financial stress, Scotby Station, is to be closed to both passenger and freight traffic as from Monday. This station, which has served the North Eastern Region of British Railways, is one of two stations in the village. The other, serving the Midland Region, was closed a number of years ago.

Scotby Station's sad and formal epitaph appeared in posters and advertisements reading: 'British Railways, North Eastern Region, regret that because of the loss being incurred at Scotby, the passenger and freight facilities will be withdrawn and the station closed from Monday, November 2. This action has been approved by the North Western Area Transport Users' Consultative Committee.

Visiting the station yesterday, a Carlisle Journal reporter spoke to Wetheral stationmaster, Mr John Robson, who has been looking after affairs at Scotby recently.

Requests From Boys

Inside the bright, blue and cream painted offices, were signs of the times. Interior fittings and notice boards had been dismantled and schedules destroyed.

Mr Robson, whose carefully tended platform gardens at Wetheral are a feature of the Carlisle-Newcastle line, was busy gathering together tickets and putting them into envelopes.

'I am doing this for the kids', he said, ' I've been inundated with requests from boys for North Eastern Region tickets.'

Scotby Station was originally scheduled for closure with Low Row and How Mill stations a year ago. For some reason, Scotby received a year's 'extension'. 'Perhaps we were overlooked' smilingly observed Mr Tom Nattrass at his home near the railway station. 'Low Row and How Mill were closed, but Scotby carried on'.

Great Days Recalled

Mr Nattrass, who came to Scotby from Haydon Bridge in 1923 as a platelayer, and who retired seven years ago, has seen many changes at the station.

'When I came, it used to be quite an important place,' he said, 'In those days there were no collections of tickets at Carlisle, and all trains from Newcastle stopped here for tickets to be collected.'

'We had a big staff then. Two signalmen, the station master, two ticket collectors, two porters and three platelayers. You can see it was an important station by the length of the down-side platform.'

But things have changed considerably. 'The full-time station staff consists of one porter. Two trains daily from Carlisle stop at Scotby and three from Newcastle.

There is also a morning freight train out of Carlisle which drops coal for domestic use in the village.

Attitude Of The Public

There appears to be little public opinion in Scotby over the forthcoming closure. Perhaps folk are fatalistic. The village is said to be served by an adequate bus service - and the bus fare to Carlisle is 1½d less than the train fare.

Farmers and villagers have made other arrangements for delivery of freight.

One of the former owners of The Old Station House appeals for information about the property

From the obituary of Brian Hayton, steam locomotive driver, aged 72, of Carlisle
The Cumberland News, Friday, March 18th, 2005

"Some years ago, at a house alongside the railway lines in Scotby, a young woman used to sunbathe in her back garden.

She wore very little indeed and passing train drivers used to acknowledge her presence by sounding the piercing whistles on their locomotives.

All concerned enjoyed the humour of the situation until nearby residents complained about the din and the drivers were instructed to refrain from showing their appreciation in such a dramatic fashion.

This was just one of the many entertaining tales told by Brian Hayton, a railwaymen's railwayman, who has died aged 72."