IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
St. Augusta View, CARLISLE, CA3 9RB

One of the bricks in this structure Image . The turntable was installed in 1903 at the Kingmoor steam locomotive depot. At that time it belonged to the Caledonian Railway, which ran trains from Carlisle to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Made by the Nellfield Brick and Tile Company, Carluke, Lanarkshire.

For nearly 100 years, this site was a busy maintenance depot for steam locomotives. After the depot closed in 1968 the structures were cleared, and the ground was recolonised naturally by vegetation. Today it is the Kingmoor Sidings nature reserve. The low brick wall of the engine turntable survives, and part of it now functions as a footpath. The 70ft turntable was built in 1903 (information board on site). Kingmoor Sidings is managed by Carlisle City Council http://www.carlisle.gov.uk/Residents/Leisure/Parks-and-Open-Spaces/ArtMID/8342/ArticleID/379/Kingmoor-Nature-Reserves ; its website used to have lots of interesting information about the history of the railway depot, sadly now only available from the Wayback Machine http://web.archive.org/web/20130515101141/http://www.carlisle.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/park_locations/kingmoor/kingmoor_sidings_nature_reserv.aspx . See also Image .

The Reserve, which was a former rail yard, was opened to the public in 1987 by David Bellamy. Many signs of the past rail history can still be seen on the reserve today. History:- Kingmoor Motive Power Depot (as it is more correctly known) opened in 1874 to maintain and repair trains on the Caledonian Railway which ran from Carlisle to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The early wooden engine shed was soon replaced by a brick shed in the centre of the site. Areas of the concrete floor are still visible today. By the early 1960s 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 in 1968. Wildlife:- Following the closure of the site, wildlife began to colonise even before the reserve opened in 1987. The dense silver birch has grown from seed blown in and thrives on poor rail ash soils. It's a natural soil improver slowly enabling other trees such as oak and ash to move in. Sparrowhawks aerobatic displays - once this aerial acrobat has eyed up its prey it is a highly successful hunter with its long tail and short broad wings it can manoeuvre easily through dense woodland in pursuit of small birds. The reserves Birch Woodland provides much food for sparrows, finches and blue tits, which in turn attracts hungry sparrowhawks.

This is the Southern entrance to Kingmoor Sidings Nature Reserve accessed via a small dead end road that leads to Balmoral Court.

This building started life as a hostel for LMS railway staff, built in the early 1940's when increased traffic demands rendered the adjacent railway hostel inadequate. After closure of Kingmoor shed in the 1960's, the hostel became a hotel (see: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4611016 ), but is now private apartments (see also: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4611015 ).

The steam engines are a reference to the history of the site, which was a railway maintenance depot for nearly 100 years (see Carlisle City Council's OLD website, archived on Wayback Machine http://web.archive.org/web/20130424130945/http://www.carlisle.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/park_locations/kingmoor/kingmoor_sidings_nature_reserv.aspx ). Behind the fence in the distance, a Virgin train is passing by on the West Coast Main Line.

This block of flats was originally a railwaymen's hostel, built in the 1960s. It is adjacent to the former Kingmoor steam locomotive depot. Compare Image .

This D3000 (later 08) class shunter had chosen a particularly inconvenient place to come of the rails, on one of the main exit tracks from this very important loco shed. Note the number of onlookers, more interested in the fact that they were being photographed than in putting the situation to rights! Kingmoor sheds closed in 1968, the deserted area quickly succumbing to natural overgrowth which has since become a nature reserve https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4610991

One of various warning notices on the spiked fence which separates Kingmoor Sidings Nature Reserve from the West Coast Main Line Railway.

Direct Rail Services held their annual open day in 2017 at their Kingmoor depot in Carlisle. Seen here is Class 37 locomotive No. 37424 (but also carrying the number 37558, and named Avro Vulcan XH558).