SCRCA structure 259740: Ais Gill Summit Signs

SCRCA Location Introduction

There is a long-standing tradition of marking the summit (highest point) of railway lines with special signs and this tradition has been honoured on the Settle - Carlisle Railway since at least August 1953 (and probably much earlier - see note 1).

The summit of this important trans-Pennine route lies at 1,169 feet above sea level and is located at Ais Gill, close to the border between the modern-day counties of North Yorkshire and Cumbria.

Note 1: The date when summit signs were first installed at Ais Gill is not known. However, historic photographs provide evidence of at least three different designs of summit sign on this site since British Railways installed 'replacement' signs on both the 'Up' and 'Down' sides in August 1953.

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign: Elevation view from the north west

Key details from the Location Record

Location Type
Sign
Location Variant
Not Applicable
Assessment status
Assessed
Current Use(s)
Railway ops
Shown on a land plan?
No 
Construction / installation period
6: Post BR. (1st Apr 1994 to present)
Distance from London St.Pancras
259 miles and 60 chains
Position relative to running lines
Both sides
Visibility
This location IS visible from nearby publicly accessible land.
Accessibility (ease of access)
Easy
Protection Category
Conservation Area Only
Geographic Location
  View this location on mapping. or on aerial imagery.

Image Gallery

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Context views

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign ("Ais Gill Summit 1Context view from the south west

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign ("Ais Gill Summit 1Context view from the south west

Early 1960s, probably 1963

259710: Ais Gill Signal Box: Context view from the north east

259710: Ais Gill Signal Box: Context view from the north east

August 1953

Ais Gill 'Down' side summit sign and Bridge SAC/136, context from SE.

Ais Gill 'Down' side summit sign and Bridge SAC/136, context from SE.

August 1953

Ais Gill 'Up' side summit sign and Milepost 259¾, context from W.

Ais Gill 'Up' side summit sign and Milepost 259¾, context from W.

August 1953

Ais Gill summit signs, signal box and lie-by sidings, context from NW.

Ais Gill summit signs, signal box and lie-by sidings, context from NW.

Elevation views

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign: Elevation view from the east

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign: Elevation view from the east

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign: Elevation view from the north west

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign: Elevation view from the north west

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign: Elevation view from the west

259740 Ais Gill Summit Sign: Elevation view from the west

August 1953

Ais Gill 'Up' side summit sign and Milepost 259¾, NW elevation.

Ais Gill 'Up' side summit sign and Milepost 259¾, NW elevation.

1984

The summit sign beside the 'Down' line at Ais Gill in 1984 (SE Elevation).

The summit sign beside the 'Down' line at Ais Gill in 1984 (SE Elevation).

Cab-views

Ais Gill Summit Sign ("Ais Gill Summit 1,169 feet")

Ais Gill Summit Sign ("Ais Gill Summit 1,169 feet")

Associated Locations

Further Reading (Snippets)

The following 'snippets' contain additional information relating to this location.

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- SCRCA Secondary Reference: Review of Anderson & Fox (1986) for 259740
 

Errors and omissions

Reasonable efforts are being made to ensure the accuracy of the information obtained and uploaded as part of the SCRCA Project. However, it is possible that a few errors will have crept-in. If you notice any such errors, we would be grateful if you would bring them to our attention using the SCRCA Project Contact Form. The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line and the members of the SCRCA Project Team do NOT guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this database. If you intend to use and / or act upon any of this information, you are advised to verify its accuracy BEFORE doing so.