Cambridge-St Ives-March.

This collection is dedicated to the memory of a railway line which was rarely photographed. The line from St Ives to March closed in 1967 and we no longer saw the many freight trains travelling to or from Whitemoor yard at March or the long coal trains from the Midlands coal field. Little trace of this line now exists. Many thanks to Stewart Ingram for allowing me to use his pictures from the last day of operation. They give an amazing insight into a bygone age. The passenger service from St Ives to Cambridge closed in 1970, but fortunately the line stayed open for freight traffic to Chivers at Histon until 1983 and for sand from Fen Drayton until 1992. This part of the line is currently being totally destroyed to make way for a guided busway which very few people want. Sadly it was a missed opportunity to reinstate the passenger service and to use it for cross country freight to get some of the lorries off the A14. Here are a few photos to show how it used to be before it is lost for ever. Thanks to the following who have helped with photos or information. Peter Heath, D Holden, Stewart Ingram, Charles Ison, Steve Parker, Richard Pike, Stephen Harper Scott, Steve Wilkinson.

Start of the line. Chesterton Junction Cambridge. signal box and gates. 6th April 1974 2007-11-26 00:01:00	Chesterton Junction Cambridge. 7th May 1979 2007-11-26 00:02:00	RCTS special heads down the St Ives line at Chesterton Junction. 7th May 1979 2007-11-26 00:03:00	37075 at Chesterton Junction. 4th September 1979 2007-11-26 00:04:00
37089 heads on to the St Ives Branch with ECS for a special Histon to Lowestoft. 21st June 1980 2007-11-26 00:05:00	37110 leaves the St Ives branch at Chesterton Junction, Cambridge. 1st November 1980 2007-11-26 00:06:00	Special Swavesey to London arriving at Chesterton Junction on a very dull, misty morning. 11th April 1981 2007-11-26 00:07:00	Chesterton Junction Signal Box. 28th September 1979 2007-11-26 00:08:00
31204 at Chesterton Junction. 2nd March 1980 2007-11-26 00:09:00	31204 at Chesterton Junction. #2 2nd March 1980 2007-11-26 00:10:00	37075 passes the permanent way depot at Chesterton Junction. 9th December1978 2007-11-26 00:15:00	37097 heads onto the St Ives branch with ECS for a special Swavesey to London. 12th April 1980 2007-11-26 00:16:00
37090 passes Kings Hedges crossing Cambridge with empties for Fen Drayton. 8th July 1974 2007-11-26 01:00:00	Kings Hedges Crossing. 31st March 1979 2007-11-26 01:01:00	37120 at Kings Hedges Crossing, Cambridge. 16th August 1979 2007-11-26 01:02:00	A14 Bridge, 12th April 1980 2007-11-26 02:01:00
37089 approaches the A14 Bridge with a special. Histon to Lowestoft. 21st June 1980 2007-11-26 02:02:00	Four car Cravens unit running empty to Swavesey for a special to London passes Kings Hedges Cambridge. 11th May 1981 2007-11-26 02:03:00	Unidentified Class 37 passing the A14 bridge 2007-11-26 02:04:00	A14 Bridge. 12th April 1980 2007-11-26 02:05:00
37052 approaches the A14 bridge with sand from Fen Drayton. 18th February 1980 2007-11-26 02:06:00	Construction of A14 Bridge. 10th July 1977 2007-11-26 02:07:00	The A14 Bridge under construction. 27th December 1977 2007-11-26 02:08:00	37131 stands under Histon bypass bridge. 25th March 1974 2007-11-26 03:00:00
37121 at Histon. 4th July 1976 2007-11-26 03:00:00	RDS special leaving Histon. 31st March 1979 2007-11-26 03:01:00	31313 passes Histon Bypass bridge at Dusk. 12th April 1980 2007-11-26 03:02:00	Four car DMU approaches Histon with a return special from London. 11th April 1981 2007-11-26 03:03:00
An unusual view of the bypass bridge. 12th April 1980. 2007-11-26 03:04:00	View from the bypass bridge. 37131 heads for Cambridge. 25th March 1974 2007-11-26 03:05:00	Histon showing shelter on down platform. 1st July 1973 2007-11-26 04:00:00	Histon Station looking towards Oakington. 14th April 1974 2007-11-26 04:01:00
Histon Station. 14th April 1974 2007-11-26 04:02:00	Site of Histon level crossing gates 2nd March 2008 2007-11-26 04:03:00	Site of Histon level crossing gates 2nd March 2008 2007-11-26 04:04:00	Histon Signal Box lever frame April 1973 2007-11-26 04:05:00