Settle and Carlisle: Drivers Eye View

This DVD takes viewers along the iconic Settle and Carlisle line, built to give the Midland Railway its own route to Scotland. A marvel of Victorian engineering, the railway was designed to carry steam express trains through challenging terrain, and the best way to appreciate it is from the driver’s cab—little changed in over a century.

We join a two-car Sprinter at Skipton, following a fast service that passes through the restored junction station at Hellifield, complete with operational semaphore signalling. The journey then tackles the famous “Long Drag” from Settle Junction—a 15-mile continuous climb up to Blea Moor, offering dramatic gradients and breathtaking scenery along the way.

The 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct is captured both from the driver’s perspective and from aerial footage, providing a full appreciation of this engineering masterpiece. The train passes through the long tunnels at Blea Moor and Rise Hill, with additional aerial views revealing the line’s stunning topography.

While the climb up the Long Drag is shown virtually in real time, the subsequent stretch from Appleby to Carlisle is condensed into a concise half-hour segment. Combining immersive cab footage with aerial shots, this DVD delivers both a Driver’s Eye and Bird’s Eye view of one of Britain’s most celebrated railway lines, blending operational detail with the dramatic beauty of northern England.