Settle to Carlisle by Anthony Lambert

Locomotives have traversed the magnificent miles of the Settle & Carlisle railway line for well over a century, but it is only in the last few decades that the line has been appreciated as one of the most beautiful in Britain, if not the world. This guide is both a timely reminder of the majesty of the line and an inspiration to travel north in order to experience the wonders of a true Pennine marvel.

Trains, and especially steam locomotives, have fascinated enthusiasts ever since they were invented in the Victorian era, none more so than those which traversed the long and inhospitable miles between Settle and Carlisle. Perhaps it is the sheer ruggedness and austerity of the landscape with its three peaks, Whernside, Ingleborough and Penygent, that fascinates - or it could be the thought of the navvies who laboured so long on the huge building works such as the Ribblehead viaduct or the Blea Moor and Rise Hill tunnels. The stations are worth an architectural journal all to themselves, and many people will remind you of tales which the line has given rise to over the years.

What is certain is that the combination of a raw and beautiful landscape, some of the most ambitious railway designs in Britain and a long history of steam and diesel locomotives have made the Settle & Carlisle one of those lines every rail enthusiast should visit at some time, even if it is only through these pages and in the comfort of an armchair.

Anthony Lambert is the author of eleven books on railways, travel and history, and has written travel articles for the Daily Telegraph, the European, the New York Times, World, Wanderlust and Geographical, contributed to the AA's Train Journeys of the World and the Insight Guide to Pakistan, and was consultant editor to the 9-volume partwork The World of Trains. He also works for Sustrans, the charity building 6,500-miles National Cycle Network of paths for cyclists and walkers. Apart from innumerable journeys over and to the Settle & Carlisle, he has a family connection with the Midland Railway: several ancestors worked for it, including a great great uncle who was in charge of the timetable department at Derby, where services over the line were devised.