The Settle to Carlisle railway has been described as a masterpiece of Victorian railway engineering. On this CD-ROM we are pleased to publish a set of rare Victorian photographs of the work in progress. These include the famous Ribblehead viaduct and the section north to Smardale near Crosby Garret. 

The photos are from Victorian stereoscopic pairs, a popular novelty of the time which enabled the viewer to see the pictures in 3D! So, on the CD-ROM, we have included a folder of scans of these stereo pairs. There is also, for those interested in furthering the research (for example identifying those scenes which have defeated us!) we have also included large (1000 pixel width) versions of the photos we have used.

Among the many fascinating details you can see in the photos is a “Muck Worrier” - a Victorian “Steam Navvie” similar to a modern JCB earth mover – clearly showing that the line was not entirely built by hand!

For the enthusiast and researcher alike!