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Description
The "Little North Western Railway" is the common term for the former North Western Railway, which was given the "Little" suffix to distinguish it from the more well known London North Western Railway. The NWR was originally leased by, and later taken over by the Midland Railway, and was given the task of creating a rail link from Skipton in West Yorkshire, to Low Gill on the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway (now part of the WCML), for the provision of Yorkshire to Scotland rail traffic.

The route of the railway ran from Skipton north via Gargrave to Hellifield, then onwards to Clapham (North Yorkshire), where the line split in two, with a branch heading off to Lancaster to make an end on connection with the L&CR, and the main line heading north via Ingleton and Sedbergh to Low Gill. The line was named the Lune Valley Railway, as it followed the route of the valley of the River Lune.

The line survived in service despite it's remote routing until 1966, with passenger services being withdrawn in 1954 but goods and excursion traffic continuing until complete closure in 1966 between Clapham Junction and Low Gill Junction and station. After the closure of the main section of the route, the track was lifted along the whole route, however the lines three viaducts were retained as listed structures, and still stand as a memorial to the "main line that never was".

Seen here is Low Gill Viaduct, an eleven arched structure built on a curve which took the line from Low Gill junction to a north/south alignment towards Sedbergh. HDR Image created in Photoshop CS5

Description
The "Little North Western Railway" is the common term for the former North Western Railway, which was given the "Little" suffix to distinguish it from the more well known London North Western Railway. The NWR was originally leased by, and later taken over by the Midland Railway, and was given the task of creating a rail link from Skipton in West Yorkshire, to Low Gill on the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway (now part of the WCML), for the provision of Yorkshire to Scotland rail traffic.

The route of the railway ran from Skipton north via Gargrave to Hellifield, then onwards to Clapham (North Yorkshire), where the line split in two, with a branch heading off to Lancaster to make an end on connection with the L&CR, and the main line heading north via Ingleton and Sedbergh to Low Gill. The line was named the Lune Valley Railway, as it followed the route of the valley of the River Lune.

The line survived in service despite it's remote routing until 1966, with passenger services being withdrawn in 1954 but goods and excursion traffic continuing until complete closure in 1966 between Clapham Junction and Low Gill Junction and station. After the closure of the main section of the route, the track was lifted along the whole route, however the lines three viaducts were retained as listed structures, and still stand as a memorial to the "main line that never was".

Seen here is Low Gill Viaduct, an eleven arched structure built on a curve which took the line from Low Gill junction to a north/south alignment towards Sedbergh. HDR Image created in Photoshop CS5