IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Kirriemuir Way, CARLISLE, CA3 9RD

Electric unit 350403 approaches the Eden Valley Viaduct at Etterby with the 15.09 passenger service from Glasgow to Manchester Airport. The DRS facilities at Kingmoor can be seen on the left.

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 .

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.

Ordnance Survey cut mark benchmark described on the Bench Mark Database at http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm30945

There is an OS benchmark Image on the left hand parapet about 3m from the near end

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

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.

Seen from the Hadrian's Wall Path, these bridges are functional rather than attractive. They carry the West Coast Main Line across the Eden. The main running lines are on the nearer bridge.