Engine Lonning

The nature reserve known as ‘Engine Lonning’ owes its name to the access lane (or lonning) from Coledale Meadows in Carlisle to an area of ex-railway land adjacent to the southern bank of the River Eden, and the southern side of the Waverley Viaduct.

Originally the Carlisle Navigation Canal passed through this area to the Canal Basin on Primrose Bank, as it was then known. The canal closed in 1853 and Engine Lonning and the Canal Basin became the site of Railway sidings, Engine sheds, a coaling tower and watering station for the next 100 years until the rails were finally removed in the late 1960’s.

The Edinburgh Waverley line ran through Engine Lonning, crossing the river here on its way northwards and there is much industrial history hidden beneath the surface vegetation.

Fly over the Nature Reserve

Take a tour of the reserve from the air, filmed by FPV Carlisle Cumbria

Engine Lonning in the 1950s and today

Below one can see Engine Lonning when still in use, and today as a nature reserve. Explore the interactive map below to find out more about each location.

The Turntable

Engine Lonning boasted a large turntable. Built in 1923 it was able to accommodate the longer A4 Pacific locomotives. The first photograph below was taken from the top of the adjacent coaling tower. Note the workers walking to work on the path between the ‘Silloth line’ and the Engine Lonning maintenance yard. The second image shows the same turntable, recently excavated by volunteers

The Silloth Line

The SIlloth line was built on the bed of the old Ship canal. The first image below shows a freight train on the line beneath the engine sheds and coaling tower, as seen from Engine Lonning bridge in the 1950s. The second image shows the same site after demolition works to become a nature reserve in the 1960s.

The Bridge

Local artist George McVittie painted the Engine Lonning buildings as he remembered them from his youth, with railway workers walking over Engine Lonning Bridge. You can see the same site today in the second photograph. You can also purchase a limited edition print with all proceeds going towards our charity.

The Engine Sheds and the Inspection Pit

The bridge at Engine Lonning, and the other buildings, were removed after the Silloth line closed and the area became a nature reserve. Below you can see the original smaller turntable inside the engine shed. The arrow points to one of the inspection pits leading off from the turntable. This particular pit was partially excavated by volunteers in recent years. The wall of the smaller turntable can also be seen.

The Coaling Tower

Below you can see an image of the engine shed in the 1950s taken from the top of the coaling tower, and an engine and trucks backing up under the coaling tower. You can still see the location of the coaling and watering towers today. Due to the size and weight of this construction it would have had very strong foundations. As a result trees are unable to grow here, and instead we see today a large open area.

Sidings

On the southern side of the engine sheds was a ramp leading down from a small platform at a siding behind the shed. Wagons carrying spare parts for engines (such as sets of wheels, bogeys) were parked in this siding, unloaded, trundled, or trollied down the ramp into the back entrance of the shed. You can still see a set of steps today. These are on the footpath between the Silloth line on left and the engine shed on the right, and allowed access to workers who clocked in at a building at the foot of the steps.

The Carlisle Ship Canal and Waterwheel

Before the railways the Carlisle Ship Canal passed through what is now Engine Lonning. The first image below shows the waterwheel pit that lifted water from the Eden up into the canal. Note the curved arch. You can see the Hadrian’s Wall National Trail in the top left of the image. The second image shows the waterwheel building as it would have looked in the 1880’s on Brian Irwin’s model of Engine Lonning. This also shows the newly built Waverley Viaduct and the Steam Engine building, built in the 1840s to replace the waterwheel and ensure an adequate water supply for the canal basin.

Compare Now and Then Maps

Slide the images below to compare the 1950s map to today’s satellite imagery of the reserve