I've been Busy (2) - the Explanation

A few days ago I mentioned that I had been busy writing what will be a six page feature for RAIL magazine but I could not say what it was about.   Well, now I can.   The Ribblehead Viaduct has been voted by RAIL readers one of the Seven Wonders of the Railway.   The Ribblehead Viaduct is what I have been writing about - and researching.

Tomorrow's issue of RAIL carries the list of the Seven Wonders and they are:

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Great Western Railway, London to Bristol
The West Highland Railway extension, Fort William to Mallaig
The Forth Bridge
The Ribblehead Viaduct
St Pancras International Station
The Channel Tunnel

We (or Network Rail as owners!) shall eventually get a plaque for display on the viaduct if appropriate or elsewhere.

We are certainly up there among good company.   There was a shortlist of 42 nominations from which the seven eventual winners from which the seven were voted.   Also on that list of 42 was 'the Settle-Carlisle Railway' and 'Blea Moor Tunnel'.   The S&C votes were therefore at risk of being split three ways.   At the final count 'the Settle-Carlisle Railway' almost beat the Ribblehead Viaduct apparently.

Here is a stunning image of the viaduct taken by Bill Lowis a couple of years ago when Tornado was hauling Northern scheduled trains at normal fares.   The crowds on and off the train were phenomenal.   If you click on the image and enlarge it you can see the cars parked on the Ingleton-Hawes road, behind the train.