text:
Carlisle, in North West England, formed the focus for a number of railway routes because of the geography of the area. At first each railway company had its own passenger and goods station, but in 1847 passenger terminal facilities were concentrated at Citadel station, which is in use today. Goods facilities remained dispersed, and goods wagons passing through were remarshalled, incurring delay and expense.

Congestion at the station increased over the years until in 1877 by-pass lines for goods traffic were provided, although the dispersed terminal facilities largely remained. The passenger station itself, although imposing, remained confined and inadequate.

[Carlisle station] Carlisle Kingmoor Marshalling Yard opened in 1963, but wagonload traffic was already near the end of its commercial life, and the costly yard facilities were soon reduced as demand declined.

Today Carlisle is an important point on the West Coast main line railway, and a junction for radiating secondary routes. Passenger traffic is buoyant, and long distance freight trains pass through.

Carlisle Canal

The city of Carlisle is in Cumbria in north-west England, at a strategic transport location at the crossing of the River Eden (of which it was the lowest bridging point).[1] The Eden flows westward into the Solway Firth, a wide body of water that forms a natural barrier. Transport by shipping could not be brought to Carlisle due to shoaling in the Solway and Eden. Hilly ground surrounds Carlisle on the landward sides, and land transport routes must either follow river valleys, or cross very high ground. The Tyne Gap eased transport across the country to and from the east coast.[2]

Its location led to Carlisle becoming an important point on transport routes, and as industry developed, the need for cheaper transport of raw materials into Carlisle was a constant theme. In August 1818 £30,000 was subscribed for shares in a _Carlisle Canal_, connecting a basin in Carlisle to Fisher's Cross, on the channel of the River Eden and accessible to the Solway Firth. The Carlisle Canal obtained its authorising Act of Parliament on 6 April 1819,[3] and it was completed and opened on 12 March 1823.[4][5][6]

Newcastle and Carlisle Railway

[Railways of Carlisle in 1837] The land route between Newcastle upon Tyne and Carlisle had long been used for the transport of goods, and there was considerable trade on the east-west route. However, the road was inconvenient and the transit was slow, and a canal connecting Newcastle and Carlisle was proposed. The engineer William Chapman had earlier surveyed a route for such a canal, and he was brought back in 1824 to update his plans; this time he found that while a canal would be practicable, a railway would be cheaper. Chapman's recommendation was subject to considerable controversy over the details of the route and the possible use of steam traction, and it was not until 22 May 1829 that the _Newcastle and Carlisle Railway_ was authorised by Act of Parliament, with capital of £300,000. The early priority for construction was at the eastern parts of the line, but at the western end the line from Greenhead to the Carlisle station at London Road was opened on 19 July 1836.[7] The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway adopted right-hand running on double track sections.

The original intention had been to connect directly to the Carlisle Canal, but this was delayed, and the connection to the canal became a “branch”; the first traffic was grain, which passed on the branch on 25 February 1837, and it was fully opened on 9 March 1837.[8][9][10][11]

Maryport and Carlisle Railway

[Railways of Carlisle in 1843] Maryport had been a significant port further west on the Cumberland coast, and was also in an important area of coal extraction. Following local interest, the Maryport and Carlisle Railway was incorporated on 12 July 1837. It was constructed from the Maryport end at first; then a section at the Carlisle end was opened on 10 May 1843. For the time being there was a gap at the centre of the route, only closed when the line was completed in early 1845.[12][13]

The Carlisle section of the line formed a junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway at Bog Junction, or Bogfield. (Contemporary reports are inconsistent in nomenclature.)[14][15]

The Maryport and Carlisle passenger station was at Water Lane,[16][17] close to the present day St Nicholas Street. It was described by the _Carlisle Journal_ as “nearly on the site of the ancient hospital of Saint Nicholas”. The M&CR and the Port Carlisle extension of the N&CR ran alongside one another at this point, and they joined a little to the east; some M&CR trains continued to the N&CR London Road station.[18] All M&CR goods traffic was handled at the London Road station.[19]

The London Road terminus faced eastwards, so that use of it by M&CR trains involved a backshunt. The cramped Water Lane station was only a temporary measure, and the M&CR had acquired land at Crown Street for their intended permanent terminus. Unfortunately the Parliamentary Bill for that was rejected on a technicality in the 1843 session. When it was resubmitted in 1844, it was considered together with the Bill for the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway; both Bills were passed (on 6 June 1844),[20] and serious difficulties later arose. The L&CR and the M&CR schemes both required facilities for a terminus, and for some time it proved impossible to negotiate a mutually acceptable arrangement.[21][22][23][24]

Linking England and Scotland

By 1840 it was obvious that the disconnected local railways in Great Britain must eventually link to form a network; this was already taking shape in England, and much thought was given to connecting the cities of central Scotland with the growing English network. The topography of the intervening land was challenging, with high ground of the Cumbrian Mountains and the Southern Uplands forming natural barriers. The locomotives of the day were not considered capable of hauling trains on a trunk railway over the steep gradients thought to be unavoidable, and many creative schemes were put forward to route round the hilly country. Not all of these schemes were well designed, but the best connected important population centres at the expense of considerable extra mileage. In addition, any route running close to the North Sea coast would have to make the difficult crossings of the River Tyne and the River Tweed.

Carlisle was an obvious routing point for some Anglo-Scottish routes, but Newcastle was strongly advanced by promoters of an east-coast route. For some time it was assumed that only a single Anglo-Scottish route was commercially supportable, and a Government appointed commission was established to select the best route, but its findings failed to quell the enthusiasm of investors, and in the end its report was ignored.[25]

Two factions were able to build Anglo-Scottish routes at this period: although multiple companies were involved in each, the necessary co-operation formed natural alliances, and these became known as the _East Coast Route_ (through Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed) and the _West Coast Route_ (through Carlisle).[26][27][28]

Lancaster and Carlisle Railway

[Railways of Carlisle in 1847] The _West Coast Route_ was gradually taking shape, from the origins of the London and Birmingham Railway and the Grand Junction Railway (from Birmingham to Manchester and Liverpool). The northward push was supported by the North Union Railway and the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway.

The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was incorporated on 6 June 1844, and it opened its line as far as Carlisle on 17 December 1846, from which date a continuous line between London and Carlisle was available. The issue of the L&CR station at Carlisle was not yet settled, so the first L&CR trains used the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway's London Road station, reached by a sharp south-to-east curve that had been authorised on 21 June 1845, and which (as for the M&CR trains) required a backshunt to enter the station. The train service was not intensive so for the time being this was not a great operating difficulty. However, this was far from convenient for the future Anglo-Scottish trunk route that was clearly forming, and the question of the station at Carlisle was to create a serious difficulty.[29][30][31][32]

Caledonian Railway

The rivalry to operate the principal route from Central Scotland to the English railway network had resulted in two winners. The North British Railway opened from Edinburgh to Berwick on 1 July 1847, linking there with the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway. The East Coast Route was the first to be able to advertise a through route between Edinburgh and London, although rail bridges over the Tweed and the Tyne were not yet ready, and for some time the journey involved a foot (or omnibus) crossing of the rivers.

The Caledonian Railway had delayed a year in seeking authorisation, only obtaining its Act of Parliament on 31 July 1845. It was to form a Y-shape, connecting Glasgow and Edinburgh with Carlisle, and at the 122 miles in extent, was one of the largest railway projects authorised up to this date.[33] In fact the southern end of its system was the first to open, between Carlisle and Beattock, on 10 September 1847.[34] The line northwards to Glasgow was not ready until 15 February 1848, and to Edinburgh on 1 April 1848. However, before the first opening the question of the Carlisle station had to be settled.[35][36][37][38]

Citadel station

As the prime mover in forming a trunk route from the south to Carlisle, the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway hoped to build a Carlisle station, at Court Square. The intention was that all the railways at Carlisle would use it, sharing the construction cost. The companies already in Carlisle, the N&CR and the M&CR, were sore at having spent money on their own terminus (in the case of the N&CR) or the land acquisition for one (in the case of the M&CR), and they demanded that they should be responsible for a reduced share of the cost of the new station. Negotiation over the issue dragged on. On 20 June 1846 the Maryport Company agreed to contribute, and to give up its Crown Street site, which was required for the approach route to the new station and for goods sidings; the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway declined to participate in the new station at all.

The L&CR persevered and obtained an Act of Parliament for the station at Court Square, _Citadel Station_, on 27 July 1846. In concert with the Caledonian Railway, the L&CR pressed on with the construction of the station, and it opened early in September 1847.[39][40][41][42][43]

The station was built in a grand style, designed by the architect William Tite, and it remained “quite unrivalled in the whole of the North West. Victorian Tudor in style, its clock tower and lantern had on one side the nine-bay entrance arcade with elaborate buttressing and mullioned windows”.[44]

The cost of the Citadel station was supposed to be equally borne by the L&CR and the Caledonian, but the latter had seriously over-reached itself financially in search of expanding its network in Scotland, and the initial opening cost of £60,000 had been entirely funded by the L&CR. By 1854, the total cost had escalated to £178,324, and by this time the Caledonian had almost made up its fair contribution. The station had a single through platform and two bays.[45][46]

On 10 May 1857 a management committee was formed, the Citadel Station Committee, jointly controlled by the Caledonian Railway and the L&CR; the station and approach track became joint property.[47]

George Hudson and Crown Street station

George Hudson, known as the _Railway King_, was for long a successful businessman who acquired personal control of a wide network of railways. His methods were aggressive and brutal, and were eventually exposed as shady and worse, leading to his sudden downfall in 1849. However, he managed to take a lease of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway from 1 August 1848 and of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway from 1 October 1848.[48]

The L&CR main line approaching Carlisle crossed the M&CR line on the level three times; the L&CR laid it out to main line standards, and understood that the Crown Street line was to be removed, and that it was in any case without legal authorisation. M&CR trains crossed the L&CR main line three times approaching Crown Street; if they ran on to London Road station, there was a fourth crossing, and the engine returning to Crown Street for servicing made a fifth crossing. This was hardly tenable in the long term and the L&CR agreed compensation of £7,005 for the M&CR to vacate Crown Street; this seemed to be acceptable to the M&CR directors. On Hudson taking control, however, he demanded £100,000, also threatening to build his own joint station near the site, further obstructing the L&CR. This went to a court of law, and the jury awarded the M&CR £7,171 for the Crown Street site, which the L&CR swiftly paid. Hudson held out and declined to hand over the site. The L&CR had the law on its side and decided not to allow further delay, and decided to take possession.

At 10 am on 17 March 1849, the Under-Sheriff of Cumberland accompanied by the L&CR solicitor, presented himself at Crown Street station and informed the M&CR clerks, that he was giving possession of the station to the L&CR. He then signalled to

  a strong force of at least 100 men, armed with crow-bars, pick-axes, shovels, &c., [who] rushed from the goods yard of the Lancaster company, to which they had been brought from all parts of the line, to the ground of the Maryport Company, and, without further ceremony, commenced operation by tearing up the rails. This was the work of a few minutes only, as the men were particularly expert. They next pulled down the sheds of the coal and lime depots; and lastly, having allowed the clerks of the Maryport Company sufficient time carry off the books, they gutted the station, which was certainly only a temporary one, and carried away the building.[49]

The dismantling of the station “was accomplished so quickly that when the next train from Maryport arrived, the driver was informed by a Lancaster Company's policeman, that it was impossible for it to back into the station. It therefore went forward to London Road [station].”[50]

M&CR trains now all ran to London Road station only. Hudson's lease of the M&CR and the N&CR needed to be authorised by Act of Parliament, and this was applied for in the 1849 Parliamentary session. However, at this time Hudson's improper methods were being laid bare, and matters turned against him. His Bill to authorise the lease was rejected, and the lease was void from 1 January 1850, when the N&CR and the M&CR reverted to their independent status. The M&CR continued to use London Road as its Carlisle terminus, paying the N&CR £250 per annum as rent.[51] The Lancaster and Carlisle had got its way, although the M&CR trains (and M&CR trains to the Canal terminal) continued to cross the L&CR main line on the level, but now only once per journey.[52]

Glasgow and South Western Railway

A third trunk route was promoted at this time: its supporters noted that the Caledonian Railway route crossed the heights of the Southern Uplands and passed through few centres of population. A better route between Glasgow and Carlisle, they argued, would take a railway west of the Southern Uplands, and pass through the important towns of Paisley, Kilmarnock and Dumfries as well as several other towns, and such a route could have much easier gradients. This would be at the expense of greater mileage, and inferior connection to Edinburgh. The Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway was incorporated on 16 July 1846.[53][54] From the outset the company was desperately short of money, and the earlier intention of building through to Carlisle had been abandoned. Now the route was to join the Caledonian Railway at Gretna, and Dumfries trains would run over the Caledonian line into Carlisle. Commitment to this from the hostile Caledonian had not been secured, and the GD&CR position was weak in the extreme.

The GD&CR was also unable to build the northern section of its intended route, but that was taken up by another concern. The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway had opened its main line between Glasgow[55] and Ayr in 1839–1840. It had always intended to act co-operatively with the Dumfries company, and the Ayr company was earning good profits while the Dumfries company was penniless. It was agreed that the two companies would form an end-on junction at Horsecleugh, near Cumnock, and the GD&CR would build the southern part of the route only; on completion of the through route the two companies would merge. The GD&CR opened from a temporary station at Dumfries to Gretna on 23 August 1848, but its trains could not yet run through, so a change to a Caledonian train was necessary there.[56][57][58][59]

Finally on 28 October 1850 the through route was completed and the GD&CR and the Paisley company merged, forming the Glasgow and South Western Railway on the same day. It was not until 1 March 1851 that G&SWR trains were granted running powers to run through to Carlisle Citadel station, as a tenant there on a 999-year agreement. The Caledonian Railway made life as difficult as possible for the unwelcome interloper, and the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway and the Caledonian Railway together ensured that any traffic from England to central Scotland was forwarded over the Caledonian line.[60][61][62][63][64]

Maryport and Carlisle changes

[Railways of Carlisle in 1852] The Maryport and Carlisle use of London Road station was not convenient to it, and it made sense to transfer its passenger trains to Citadel station; it finalised an agreement to do so on 2 April 1851; a north-to-_east_ spur to enable the trains to get access was laid, and from 1 June 1851 they used Citadel. This involved approaching the flat crossing of the L&CR main line and backing into the station.[65] This was the fourth Carlisle station the M&CR had used in seven years.[66] For the time being M&CR goods traffic continued to use London Road, but the M&CR constructed a new independent goods station, known as Bog Goods Station, in use from 1 January 1852.[67] It was also known as Crown Street, but the site was not the same as the former terminus.[68]

On 8 August 1852 the Maryport and Carlisle Railway opened a _west_-to-north curve from Forks Junction to Citadel, enabling direct access to Carlisle without reversal; from this time goods traffic also used this new connection. The new approach crossed the Canal line on the level; the M&CR were required to appoint a person to make signals at the passage of trains.[69][70]

Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company

By 1850 the superiority of railways over canals was obvious, and railways that had been constructed to Maryport and Whitehaven took away the Carlisle Canal's trade. The proprietors decided to take advantage of the technological progress. The Carlisle Canal was reincorporated as the _Port Carlisle Railway_ on 4 August 1853, with powers to convert the canal to a railway. The N&CR Canal terminus had adjoined the canal basin, and the new railway now made an end-on connection with the N&CR line. The Port Carlisle Railway opened to goods traffic on 22 May 1854; it established a Canal Goods Station on the site of the canal basin; the N&CR goods depot on their section of line became sidings, and exchange traffic now used the Port Carlisle Railway sidings. The Port Carlisle Railway was opened to passenger traffic from 22 June 1854 and its Canal passenger station was located just north of the junction with the N&CR. At this stage there was no passenger service eastward from the Canal station.[71]

Unfortunately the anticipated transformation of profitability as the canal was converted to a railway failed to materialise, and the Port Carlisle Railway lost money from the outset. Part of the problem was that Port Carlisle itself was not free of navigation hazards, being so far up the river, and in view of the increasing size of shipping; moreover there was a serious problem of silting there. The solution appeared to be the creation of another rail connected harbour further west, at Silloth. Accordingly, the _Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway_ was incorporated on 16 July 1855 and opened 28 August 1856.[72][73]

The Caledonian hoped to acquire control of the Silloth lines and on 28 June 1858 obtained Parliamentary authority for a connecting line from its main line to Port Carlisle to get access. The short line ran from a junction later named Port Carlisle Branch Junction on the Caledonian to Port Carlisle Junction. The takeover of the Silloth lines did not take place, but the connecting line later had a strategic role.[74]

Citadel station committee

The cost of construction and maintenance of Citadel station, of operating it and the approach lines, was considerable and allocation of it to users was contentious. On 10 May 1857 the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway and the Caledonian Railway formed a Citadel Station Committee, in effect establishing a joint railway. As other users were becoming involved and as traffic increased, this arrangement was formalised by Act of Parliament of 22 July 1861. In 1859 the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway was leased by the London and North Western Railway, (effective from 22 December 1859,) and that company became the joint member of the Committee. (In 1879 the L&CR was fully absorbed by the LNWR.)[75][76]

North British Railway

[Railways of Carlisle in 1861][A train for Hawick on the NBR route at Carlisle] The North British Railway had been the first (by a few months) to start a passenger service from Edinburgh to connect with the English railway network at Berwick, part of the East Coast Route. The trade potential of Carlisle and its connections to west coast ports and the mineral reserves of Cumberland were attractive, and from the earliest times the NBR directors had harboured an aspiration to reach Carlisle. The NBR had reached Hawick in 1849, but 43 miles of thinly populated terrain lay between that town and Carlisle.[77][78]

A difficulty had always been the actual access to Carlisle itself, as the Caledonian Railway and the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) were hostile to the incursion. The NBR had agreed a takeover arrangement with the moribund Port Carlisle Dock and Railway Company and the Carlisle and Silloth Bay Railway and Dock Company. These two lines had a Carlisle station; a connecting line to the Caledonian Railway at Carlisle Citadel station was planned, and they had a west coast port, at Silloth. On 21 July 1859 the Border Union (North British Railway) Act authorising the Carlisle Extension (now named the Border Union Railway) and permitting the acquisition of the Carlisle minor railways received the Royal Assent. It specified that the line “should not be used for the purposes of undue competition with the Caledonian Railway in respect of traffic between Edinburgh and Carlisle”, but it did give the NBR power to enter Citadel station, over the short connecting line to the Caledonian, authorised the previous year.

It was to be a long and lonely route from Hawick to Carlisle. The short section from Scotch Dyke (two miles north of Longtown) to Citadel station at Carlisle was ready early in October 1861. The Port Carlisle Junction connecting line had been opened on 30 June 1860 as a single line for goods transfer purposes. At this stage it emerged that the Board of Trade would not sanction opening of the NBR service unless the Caledonian Railway gave a guarantee that they would double the connecting line. This was not instantly forthcoming, and the NBR opened a goods service only from 15 October 1861; there was also a connecting goods service from Longtown to Gretna, for transfer to the G&SWR there. On 29 October 1861 the required BoT sanction was given and the passenger service started operating, worked at first by the Caledonian Railway.[79][80][81]

The whole line between Carlisle and Edinburgh was opened for goods trains on 23 June 1862 and for passengers on 1 July 1862. With an eye to marketing, the route was named _The Waverley Route_. The Caledonian Railway frustrated attempts by the NBR to arrange through workings, or even through bookings, for passengers, and goods traffic was diverted away from the NBR as far as possible. However, the NBR was able to make use of its connection to Silloth to forward goods by coastal shipping.

The Port Carlisle and Silloth Bay railways were leased by the NBR by Act of Parliament dated 3 June 1862; they were fully absorbed in 1880. A station named Port Carlisle Junction was opened in July 1863; located at the convergence of the Silloth line and the Waverley route, it was designed to enable passenger connections between the two systems. At this stage the Silloth trains were not permitted to use Citadel station; however agreement was reached for this and from 1 July 1864 the Silloth trains used Citadel station; both Port Carlisle Junction station and Canal station closed to passengers.[82][83][84][85][86]

North Eastern Railway

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was amalgamated with (in effect absorbed by) the North Eastern Railway, ratified by Parliamentary Act of 17 July 1862. The NER negotiated access to the Citadel station at Carlisle at the same time.[87]

New lines at Carlisle

[Railways of Carlisle in 1864][Carlisle Railway Station from the Air]The alignment of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway route approaching Carlisle Citadel was unsatisfactory for the increasing volume and speed of main line trains, and Parliamentary powers were obtained on 13 August 1859 to construct a new, more direct, route to the west of the original line, from Upperby Junction northwards. It was opened for traffic on 24 January 1862. The opportunity was not taken to separate the levels, and the new line had a flat crossing with the NER Canal line at St Nicholas. The increasing traffic also resulted in serious congestion in Citadel station itself; the station handled passenger and goods traffic and was by now overwhelmed. Goods lines passing on the west side of the station (but within the station precincts) were authorised on 22 July 1861. The new goods lines were brought into use in 1862.

There was an earlier east-to-north curve at St Nicholas that had been provided for M&CR trains to back into Citadel station in 1851. From the provision of the Forks Junction curve in 1852 M&CR trains ran in direct, and the curve had been used only for turning M&CR engines on the triangle it formed. The spur needed to be relocated to make way for the new main line, and a new east-to-north curve east of the new main line was opened for use by goods traffic on 30 April 1862. It was a single line at first, and was approved for doubling on 13 June 1864.

Meanwhile, North Eastern Railway trains from the Newcastle line used it to enter Citadel station from 1 January 1863, London Road being closed to passengers at this date.[88][89]

The increasing volume of traffic demanded increased accommodation for goods traffic; the North British Railway obtained powers for a goods yard at Dentonholme, on the west side of the northwards main line, on 5 July 1865. This was part of a NBR attempt to force general expansion of Citadel station's facilities in the face of the owning committee's obstruction. The wider scheme failed completely, but the goods depot, accessed from the Port Carlisle Branch, was duly opened. The following year the NBR concluded an agreement with the Midland Railway for its use of the Dentonholme site.[90]

On 25 May 1867 the LNWR opened a new goods station on the site of the old M&CR Crown Street station; the short connecting line involved a flat crossing of the 1862 east-to-north curve now used for NER trains approaching Citadel station. The cramped St Nicholas goods station was closed at this time, but in 1871 the LNWR opened a new cattle depot on the site of the former St Nicholas goods depot, that had closed in 1867.[91][92]

Solway Junction Railway

The congestion in passing through Carlisle was a long running difficulty, especially during the passage of heavy and slow mineral trains. The iron ore of Cumberland was increasingly being conveyed to the Lanarkshire iron smelting industries, and considerable volumes of this traffic were passing through Carlisle.

An independent Company was formed to construct a railway crossing the Solway Firth from Bowness to Annan, and connecting lines to form a short cut route from near Aspatria to Kirtlebridge on the Caledonian Railway main line. This remarkable scheme required a viaduct over a mile long crossing the Solway, and the company was authorised on 30 June 1864, with capital of £320,000. The line opened for mineral traffic on 13 September 1869. Some relief was provided to the Carlisle congestion, but by this time the iron industry had gone into a temporary decline, and this ruined the financial viability of the railway company.

On 30 January 1881 ice floes on the Solway at the end of an exceptionally cold spell, seriously damaged the viaduct structure, which was out of use until repairs were completed in 1884. The traffic never revived and when heavy maintenance was overdue, the viaduct and the line were closed, in 1921.

Settle and Carlisle line

[Railways of Carlisle in 1877] The Midland Railway had a large network further south, and for some time had hoped to reach Carlisle. In 1857 it reached Ingleton, and intended to run to Carlisle from there, but the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway obstructed that intention. At the same time both the North British Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway were expressing discontent at the obstruction at Carlisle. Both had built expensive trunk routes from the north to Carlisle, but found that the L&CR and the Caledonian Railway prevented them from operating freely through Carlisle.

The key to this eventually emerged as the Settle and Carlisle Railway, which was authorised by a Midland Railway Act on 16 July 1866. The 72-mile line was to run through mountainous and thinly populated terrain, from Settle, north of Keighley, to Carlisle. The construction was to be fearsomely difficult, crossing a summit level 1,025 feet above sea level; the Midland was to raise £1,650,000 in additional capital to pay for it. The scheme had been brought forward at a time of cheap money, but there was a slump in the financial sector, and at the end of 1867 the Midland Railway directors responded to massive shareholder disquiet, and ordered suspension of work on the new line. In the 1869 Parliamentary session the Midland promoted a Bill to abandon the construction, but the abandonment was opposed by other interests, and the Bill was lost. The Midland had to construct an expensive railway which it now wished to abandon.

On 2 (or 3) August 1875 the Settle and Carlisle line opened to goods traffic; it entered Carlisle by joining the Newcastle line at Durran Hill Junction[93] near London Road. The following year, on 1 May 1876, the Settle and Carlisle line was fully open.[94][95][96]

Major improvements at Carlisle

Segregating passenger and goods traffic

The opening of the Settle and Carlisle Railway heralded an increase of through passenger traffic at Carlisle, and the already inadequate facilities were to be under severe strain. The Act authorising the construction of the Settle and Carlisle line had required the owners of Citadel station to apply to an arbitrator to determine what enlargement of the station was necessary for the additional traffic, and to submit a Bill for the authorisation of the necessary works. The arbitrator was also to determine the allocation of the costs for the construction and maintenance, in the event of difficulty.

During the period between 1866 and the opening of the Settle and Carlisle line, there were abortive proposals to proceed with the improvement of Citadel station area, and the “difficulty” foreseen in the S&C Bill took the form of persistent obstruction by the LNWR and the Caledonian, and the Board of Trade itself finally appointed an arbitrator, Joseph Cubitt, to make the necessary determination. Unfortunately the arbitrator died before completing his work, and the situation proved so frustrating that the Midland presented its own Citadel Station Bill in an attempt to get a proper allocation fixed. The Bill failed, but the LNWR and Caledonian were motivated to negotiate with the Midland and they made a voluntary agreement, on 16 December 1872. This resulted in the Citadel Station Act of 21 July 1873.[97][98]

This was a far-reaching project: a new route taking goods traffic away from Citadel was to be constructed, and the existing goods lines at Citadel were to be removed, the space being used for improved passenger train accommodation.[99]

The passenger station

[The roof of Carlisle station] The £334,000 cost of the project was to be paid for by the Midland Railway and the Citadel Committee jointly. The passenger station was massively expanded with a long new island platform and five bay platforms; the glass roof covered acres,[100] and there was an elegant end screen in a gothic style.[101] However, this only provided three through platforms, a fact that limited express passenger train operation, especially in an era when many trains attached and detached portions for multiple destinations, in some cases changing from vacuum to Westinghouse braking on the trains. It was at one time commonplace for a succession of down trains to be held up outside waiting platforms when no up trains were in evidence. Although not fully complete, the new station was inaugurated on 4 July 1880 for the Carlisle Royal Show.[102]

Although the three through platforms were long, they were a limitation on traffic. In 1907 R E Charlewood recorded that

“To accommodate all [the] traffic, the space at Carlisle is very limited ... There are only three main line platform faces... Fortunately, the main platforms are long enough to admit of two trains being dealt with simultaneously.”[103]

The start of the grouse season in 1900 occasioned exceptional traffic flows:

  On the night of August 10th, thirteen Scotch expresses left Euston and over 300 beds were made up in the trains for first class tourists only. The first portion of the 7.45 pm was filled with first class passengers, all for the Highland Railway via Dunkeld. The second portion was also for the Highland line only. Next train to leave was the first portion of the 8 pm, all of which was for Aberdeen. This express created a record by reaching Carlisle at 2.12 am, exactly at time – a feat never before accomplished on any August 10th. The second portion of the same train was for Aberdeen and Oban. Ten minutes later followed the Stranraer boat [train] express, close on the heels of which ran the special horse and carriage train for all parts of Scotland. The express leaving at 8.50 pm was for Glasgow (Central) only. Ten minutes afterwards followed a heavy train for Edinburgh only, with a second portion labelled for the north. Last of all came the fastest train on the West Coast route: the 11.50 pm in two portions, the first bound for Glasgow and the second for Edinburgh and the north. Nearly all these trains were made up equal to vehicles, but although the weight was so great and the time between each none too long, wonderful time was kept to Carlisle.[104]

The ordinary passenger train service was described:

"Under ordinary circumstances and exclusive of special trains the number of trains dealt with each weekday at the Citadel station is as follows:

-   London and North Western 61
-   Caledonian 45
-   Midland 35
-   Glasgow and South Western 32
-   North British 34
-   North Eastern 36
-   Maryport and Carlisle 16
-   Total 259."[105]

Goods routes

The goods by-pass lines were to be controlled by a new Carlisle Goods Traffic Committee, consisting of members of the LNWR, the Caledonian Railway, the Midland Railway, and the G&SWR. (The G&SWR did not fully participate in the controlling committee for some time.)[106]

The Caledonian Railway goods depot was modernised and fully relocated to the west of the realigned northward main line, and new engine sheds were built at Kingmoor.

The G&SWR and the North British Railway saw themselves as allies of the Midland Railway, and they aligned their operating facilities at Carlisle to that company. The G&SWR used new goods facilities and engine accommodation at Petteril, opposite London Road, from the beginning of 1875, but some through goods traffic from the Midland was exchanged at Gretna Green (G&SWR). A new connection was made from London Road through to the M&CR and the Canal line, by lowering and realigning the old N&CR Canal branch; this enabled NBR, NER and Midland goods traffic to run through, and incidentally forming a triangular junction, available from 7 July 1877. The former L&CR main line was again realigned and elevated to pass over these lines, so that full grade separation was at last achieved, and all the companies had access to and from the new goods route, from 6 August 1877.

The new goods lines were primarily through routes, and thought now turned to joint goods terminal facilities. In 1866 the NBR had established its Dentonholme goods depot and opened it to the Midland Railway, although the Settle and Carlisle Line was not yet nearing readiness. On 13 July 1876 the NBR obtained an Act of Parliament authorising both the Midland Railway and the G&SWR to use the site, which was to be enlarged; the new goods by-pass lines now passed alongside. The much enlarged joint goods depot at Dentonholme was opened on 1 October 1883.[107] In fact the NBR continued to use Canal as its primary goods depot, and the G&SWR was the chief beneficiary of the new facility. The multiple goods depot locations in the city resulted in a huge volume of inefficient transfer trip working traffic.[108][109]

Currock engine shed G&SWR

The G&SWR had been provided with engine shed facilities at Petteril by its ally, the Midland Railway. In December 1894 it opened a new engine shed of its own at Currock, opposite the Maryport and Carlisle shed. It needed running powers over the M&CR to reach it, and these were formalised on 6 July 1895.[110]

World War I and the Grouping

[The up _Royal Scot_ approaching Carlisle in 1960] The advent of World War I (1914–1918) resulted in a huge upsurge in goods traffic at Carlisle, and the dispersed goods depots of the individual companies resulted in heavy traffic in trip workings between them. Some beneficial co-ordination was achieved by a (goods traffic) Joint Control Committee from 1916.

After the war, the main line railways of Great Britain were “grouped” following the Railways Act 1921. At the beginning of 1923, four large companies were established and most of the prior independent companies were allocated into one of the groups. The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) was the dominant group at Carlisle, and the LNWR, the Caledonian Railway, the Midland and the G&SWR were constituents of it. The Maryport and Carlisle Railway became part of the LMS as a subsidiary. The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was dominant on the East Coast Main Line, and the NER and North British Railway were constituents of the LNER, and the Carlisle and Silloth Bay lines followed.

A divided control at Carlisle therefore continued, but some limited rationalisation was possible. The M&CR engine shed at Currock closed in 1923, with that line's engines being serviced at the 1894 G&SWR shed; this in turn was closed in 1924, with Kingmoor and Upperby engine sheds taking over the role. London Road engine shed continued to serve the Newcastle line until 1933 when that role was transferred to Canal shed, and the Midland Railway engine shed at Durran Hill (at the convergence of the Settle and Carlisle line with the Newcastle line) closed on 16 February 1936.[111][112]

World War II and nationalisation

World War II (1939–1945) again brought a massive upsurge in goods traffic, and the unmodernised network of routes at Carlisle again brought serious operational difficulties. The Durran Hill engine shed, closed in 1936, was reopened, later closing finally on 2 December 1959. Carlisle Kingmoor Marshalling Yard for up trains had developed at Kingmoor, north of Carlisle, and together with the traffic from the Canal lines there was intensive and congested train working at the northern end of Carlisle station complex. In 1943 quadruple track was provided from Kingmoor, where an up marshalling yard had been established, to Port Carlisle branch junction, from where there was already quadruple track to Caldew Junction.

In 1948 the main line railways of Great Britain were nationalised, following the Transport Act 1947. A _Scottish Region_ was created, managing most of the lines in Scotland, as well as a London Midland Region covering the English (and Welsh) parts of the LMS, and an Eastern Region for the former LNER in England. In fact the apparently simple geographical split brought numerous management inconsistencies, and a number of adjustments were subsequently made. Nevertheless, Carlisle remained a border railway location for some time.[113]

Modernisation

Kingmoor Yard

[Railways of Carlisle in 1963] The return of peace and the enthusiasm of state ownership focused attention on the goods train working at Carlisle. The multiple goods stations persisted, and goods wagons passing through Carlisle were remarshalled at least once in the transit at primitive depots not much changed since 1877; in most cases through wagons were tripped between goods yards laid out by the pre-1923 companies. 30,000 wagons were passing through every week at this period.

In 1956 funding was allocated for a new integrated marshalling yard at Kingmoor, north of Carlisle. Considerable land acquisition—420 acres—took place and in 1959 actual construction started. The scheme was to cost £4.5 million, and 56 track miles of sidings were laid out. The site was miles long. Separate up and down hump yards were provided and a new power signal box was built, as well as a new motive power depot.

The marshalling yard was located north of Carlisle on the west (up) side of the main line, and special arrangements were built to route goods trains to and from the yard.

Quadruple track already existed approaching Rockcliffe, at the north end of the site, and a new flyover was built to carry the up goods line (from the Gretna direction) over the main line to enter the yard. The Waverley Route crossed the former Caledonian Railway main line south of the yard, so approaching goods trains on that line were brought to the former Caledonian line over the old Gretna branch. This line, from Longtown to Gretna, originally intended to give the NBR access to the G&SWR, had been closed to passenger trains on 8 August 1915[114] and only carried occasional goods traffic to ordnance depots. It was altered to operate in the up direction only, and the north facing connection at Gretna was altered to be south facing, joining at Mossband Junction, from where up Waverly Line goods trains could continue on the up goods line to Kingmoor.

Southbound trains leaving the new yard entered the Dentonholme route at Caldew Junction, giving access to all southward routes.

Northbound goods trains could enter the yard by the same route, and could leave it by joining the former Caledonian main line at the north end of Kingmoor yard. The access towards the Waverley route was more complex. Trains drew southward from the yard to a reversing loop at Stainton Junction, alongside the NBR route; after the engine ran round, the train could proceed directly on the NBR line, crossing the Caledonian main line by the original bridge.

These works were completed in 1963.[115][116]

Citadel station retrenchment

In 1958 the cost of maintenance of the elegant and extensive roof at Citadel station was a cause for concern, and much of the roof, and also the Gothic end screens, were removed.[117][118]

The Beeching report

In 1963 the Beeching report was published, _The Reshaping of British Railways_. The industry had been incurring mounting losses, considered by Government to be unsustainable, and the report indicated how matters might be got under control. Many rural branch lines, and many stations on main lines, were stated to be unremunerative, and were to be closed. Wagonload goods traffic over the whole system was considered to be heavily loss-making and was to be reduced in extent. Sundries traffic was especially unremunerative. Investment was to be concentrated on certain main routes, on accelerating the transition to modern traction and signalling systems, and the introduction of “liner trains” capable of fast transits carrying maritime containers.

Many sections of the public objected to the implications of the proposals as they emerged, but Government was generally insistent on implementing the changes. Wagonload goods had been conveyed in traditional ten-feet wheelbase wagons, in many cases without a continuous brake, and staged from one marshalling yard to another. The improving road network in the country, and the regulated railway freight charges, encouraged effective competition for the business from road hauliers; railway wagonload goods had been declining since the 1930s, and now declined steeply, due not to the Beeching report, but to customers' abandonment of the railway.[119]

Closures

The steep decline of wagonload goods traffic meant that Kingmoor Yard never worked at peak volume. The multiple goods terminals at Carlisle, still not rationalised, began to be closed due to loss of business. On 2 August 1965 Viaduct goods, the former Caledonian Railway goods depot, was closed, followed in July 1965 by Crown Street goods.[120] On 1 February 1966 the Midland Railway yard at Petteril Bridge goods closed, although some private sidings were retained there.[121]

On 7 September 1964 the Silloth branch closed completely. In 1968 the southward spur from Forks Junction to Bog Junction was closed.

On 6 January 1969 the Waverley Route closed to through traffic, together with the connecting spur from Port Carlisle Branch Junction to Canal Junction, and the line to the reversing siding at Stainton Junction for trains from Kingmoor Yard; the last named was only six years old. The portion of the Waverley route as far as Longtown was retained until 31 August 1970, when the line was shortened to serve only RAF Brunthill, just north of the bridge where the Waverley Route had crossing the Caledonian, main line. The line between Mossband Junction and Bush-on-Esk, on the old Longtown to Gretna line, was retained for the time being to serve an ordnance depot, reverting to two-way working for the purpose.

In addition in 1970 the Canal branch closed, Canal goods having closed on 31 May 1969; the M&CR yard at Bog goods closed on 5 October 1970; on 7 December 1970 the LNWRcattle depot at the Crown Street site closed.[122][123]

Resignalling

If the “modernisation” seemed to concentrate on closing facilities, a major step forward was the resignalling of the Carlisle station area with a modern power signal box early in 1973. 74 route miles of the West Coast Main Line were taken into its control area, together with stubs to fringe signal boxes on many branches. The Bog Junction to Forks Junction route was reinstated as part of this work, to handle steel block trains between Workington and Tyne Yard.[124]

Electrification

A major positive element of modernisation was electrification of the main line. This was completed in 1974, on the 25 kV ac overhead system. Considerable improvements in journey times were achieved.[125]

All wiring north of Oxenholme was completed by June 1973; from 7 January 1974 freight trains were electrically hauled between Kingmoor Yard and Mossend Yard, in central Scotland. The line south of Carlisle was energised on 25 March 1974, and some passenger trains were electrically hauled throughout from London to Glasgow from 22 April 1974. The full electric service started on 6 May 1974.[126]

Kingmoor yard: further decline

In 1973 Kingmoor Down Yard closed. In 1977 British Rail introduced a new wagonload network named Speedlink. Modern wagons capable of 75 mph running worked in a timetabled network, but the network was much reduced; the traditional wagons were phased out, and in 1981 hump shunting at the remaining yard was discontinued.[127][128]

Derailment and closure of the goods route

[Railways of Carlisle in 2016] Early in the morning of 1 May 1984 a freightliner train was descending from Shap on the main line, and became divided. The front portion of the train continued, but the rear portion slowed but then also continued by gravity. Entering the Carlisle complex it was diverted on to the goods avoiding lines. These were sharply curved and the train portion became derailed, causing considerable damage in the process. The route was closed by the damage caused, and in December 1985 the decision was taken not to restore the route, and accordingly it was permanently closed. Signalling changes at Citadel station were made to facilitate all traffic passing through it.[129]

Passenger revival

In the period following publication of the Beeching report, passenger train services were in constant decline for many years. The process was reversed from about 1990, and intercity and medium distance passenger services have seen a renaissance. Avanti West Coast operate services from London Euston to Edinburgh and Glasgow, while TransPennine Express operates services from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Abellio ScotRail operates an approximately two-hourly service on the former G&SWR route to Glasgow via Dumfries and Kilmarnock. Northern Trains operate an approximately hourly service from Carlisle to Newcastle; some of the services are actually operated by Abellio ScotRail as through services from the Dumfries route. Northern operate an irregular but about 90-minutely service from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness via Maryport and Whitehaven.

Notes

[1] David Joy, _A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 14: The Lake Counties_, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1983,

[2] W A C Smith and Paul Anderson, _Carlisle's Railways_, Irwell Press, Wellingborough, and 1 871608 73 2 (both ISBNs are printed in the book)

[3] Joseph Priestley, _Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals and Railways of Great Britain_, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green, London, 1831

[4] R W Rennison (editor), _Civil Engineering Heritage, Northern England_, Thomas Telford Publishing, London, 1981 reprinted 1996,

[5] _Scott & Benson's Hand Book of Carlisle and Vicinity_, published by Scott & Benson, Carlisle, 1844

[6] Sydney Towill, _A History of Carlisle_, Phillimore, Chichester, 1991,

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10] Bill Fawcett, _A History of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, 1824 to 1870_, North Eastern Railway Association, 2008,

[11] G Whittle, _The Newcastle & Carlisle Railway_, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1979,

[12]

[13]

[14] The Bog Junction was not the later junction of the same name, which was located elsewhere.

[15] Herbert and Mary Jackson, _The Maryport and Carlisle Railway_, Hirst-Jackson Publishers, Maryport, 1979

[16] Alan Jowett, _Jowett's Railway Centres, volume 1_, Patrick Stephens Limited, Sparkford, 1993,

[17] G O Holt, _The Fall of Carlisle (Crown Street) — 1849_, Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society, volume 2, number 4, July 1956

[18] _Carlisle Journal_, 6 May 1843, accessible at the British Newspaper Archive, subscription required

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25] C J A Robertson, _The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722–1844_, John Donald Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh, first edition 1983,

[26] A J Mullay, _Rails Across the Border_, Patrick Stephens Publishing, Wellingborough, 1990,

[27] David Joy, _Main Line Over Shap_, Dalesman Publishing Company Limited, Clapham, Third edition reprint 1979,

[28] Henry Grote Lewin, _The Railway Mania and its Aftermath_, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1968, reprinted 1968,

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34] The Directors had a private trial run the previous day.

[35]

[36]

[37] David Ross, _The Caledonian—Scotland's Imperial Railway—A History_, Stenlake Publishing Ltd, Catrine, 2013,

[38] John Thomas revised J S Paterson, _A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 6, Scotland, the Lowlands and the Borders_, David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1984,

[39] Sources differ over the date, which cannot be authoritatively stated, but it was between 1 and 10 September 1847.

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43] M E Quick, _Railway Passenger Stations in England Scotland and Wales—A Chronology_, The Railway and Canal Historical Society, 2002

[44] Joy, page 71

[45]

[46] E M Sanders, _Notable Railway Stations and Their Traffic: Carlisle (Citadel), London Midland and Scottish Railway_, in the Railway Magazine, June 1923

[47]

[48] For the sake of form, Hudson arranged the leases through the York Newcastle and Berwick Railway.

[49] “Maryport and Carlisle Railway”, in the London Evening Standard (newspaper), 20 March 1849, accessed at the British Newspaper Archive, subscription required

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55] Actually from Paisley, and jointly with the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway between Glasgow and Paisley.

[56]

[57]

[58]

[59]

[60]

[61]

[62]

[63]

[64] David Ross, _The Glasgow and South Western Railway: A History_, Stenlake Publishing Limited, Catrine, 2014,

[65]

[66]

[67]

[68]

[69]

[70]

[71]

[72]

[73]

[74]

[75]

[76]

[77]

[78]

[79]

[80]

[81]

[82]

[83]

[84]

[85]

[86] David Ross, _The North British Railway: A History_, Stenlake Publishing Limited, Catrine, 2014,

[87]

[88]

[89]

[90] The Midland Railway did not have a route to Carlisle at this stage, but required goods terminal facilities nonetheless.

[91]

[92]

[93]

[94]

[95]

[96]

[97]

[98] Peter E Baughan, _Midland Railway North of Leeds — The Leeds - Settle - Carlisle Line and its Branches_, David & Charles Publishers plc, Newton Abbot, 1987,

[99]

[100] H V French, _Notable Railway Stations: IX: Carlisle Citadel_ in Railway Magazine, November 1900

[101] M F Barbey, _Civil Engineering Heritage, Northern England_, Thomas Telford Publishing, London, 1981,

[102]

[103] R E Charlewood, _Twenty-Four Hours at Carlisle_, in Railway Magazine, November 1907

[104]

[105]

[106]

[107] Jowett consistently refers to the location as “Dentholme” throughout the detailed and extensive section on Carlisle, but this is a mistake.

[108]

[109]

[110]

[111]

[112]

[113]

[114] John Thomas, _The North British Railway -- volume 2_, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1975,

[115]

[116]

[117]

[118]

[119]

[120] The official closure date was 1 February 1966 but the track had been lifted at the earlier date.

[121]

[122]

[123]

[124]

[125]

[126] J C Gillham, _The Age of the Electric Train: Electric Trains in Britain since 1883_, Ian Allan Limited, London, 1988,

[127]

[128]

[129]

title: Carlisle railway history

question: Summarize everything relating to the closure of the Carlisle railway goods route.

answer: In 1984, a train divided on the main line and derailed, causing the route to be closed, first temporarily and then permanently in a December 1985 decision.

question: Where is the Carlisle railway?

answer: Carlisle, Cumbria, England.

question: When were the British railways nationalized?

answer: 1948, following the 1947 Transport Act.

question: Name three stations on the railway.

answer: Citadel, London Road, Water Lane.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Carlisle railway is located in Cumbria, England, and incorporates train lines from/to Newcastle, Leeds, Maryport, Lancaster, Gretna, and Kingsmoor Yard. It was constructed to transport goods at a cheaper rate than the Carlisle Canal.


split: train

text:
Long ago, there was a beautiful winter day, the sun shone bright
and sparkling white snow lay undisturbed across the ground, silencing the
world which it covered. It was on this day that I decided to take a long
walk in the woods outside of the hustle and bustle of the city.
	As  I walked in the woods, I came upon an elder tree who had
lived a great many years and whose bark harbored a great number of
 wounds. I brushed the thick, gleaming snow off of the tree’s tangled
 roots, which spread far and deep in all directions. Unto the roots I
 sat, and the tree accepted me as a friend upon its lap, though he
 knew not who I was or of what nature my intentions were. Naught
else in this world would have ever accepted me so quickly and
 graciously, let alone trusted me so easily.
	For many hours there I sat, nurtured and nestled deep in the
ancient and deep-reaching roots. In my time sat comfortably upon the
 tree I asked in a hushed tone what the tree had seen and felt in his
 many years, seated forever upon the land where he stood. The tree
 answered in words of silence, and by it I was taught to listen with my
 eyes, not my ears.
	‘I have been built upon.’ said he with the rotting plank in his branches;
 with the scars in his skin he said ‘I have been wounded.’; ‘I have been
shelter for many lives.’ he said with the hole in his trunk and the abandoned
 birds-nest in his uppermost branch. He spoke very little, yet told very much.
	‘I have travelled far,’ I said in reply. ‘I have been very many places,
yet I fear I have seen less than you have, though you are rooted in this
 singular area. I have found little happiness to no avail, and I am plagued
 by my solitude which hangs over my head as a metal weight. I am not so
 wise as you are, my time is short on this planet and I, who has been born
 before you, is fated to die before you. I fear whether the choices I make
 in my life will be ill choices.’ I said, despair was shown so heavily in my voice.
	The tree listened well, and said nothing.
	‘I have no one on this earth who listens so well as you, tree.’
	The tree said naught, though I waited in vain for many hours.
	No advice was given to me that day, the tree never responded,
 but it held me tightly in its roots and I felt warm inside, despite the
 cold weather. The tree accepted me blindly, as nothing else would,
 or possibly ever will, it had done enough for me. Perhaps this tree
 had helped others, such as it had helped me; it had taken me in my pity.
	I walked to the woods that day with only the intention of feeling the
 cold air nip at my exposed skin; I left the woods that day enlightened,
 inspired by the kindness and unconditional love which the tree so openly
 gave out. I was changed, by something so simple as the comfort of a tree.
Love can be found in the simplest things, I learned that day, and we are
 never alone so long as we choose to see the life around us.

title: The Elder Tree

question: How old was the narrator?

answer: It is not certain his exact age, but it might be implied that he was elderly.

question: Why did the narrator feel lonely?

answer: It is not stated.

question: How was the narrator able to get comfort from a tree?

answer: After expressing his emotions, he felt comfort from the tree that he was sure he wouldn't get from anything else.

question: Can it be said the narrator preferred nature over other living things?

answer: It might be implied he was more comfortable with nature because he felt plagued by loneliness and was sure he wouldn't get acceptance from anything else.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator, a rather lonely individual, wandered into the woods one sunny winter day and encountered an elder tree that had lived for many years and somehow felt drawn to it. Even though his intention of going into the woods was to feel the cold winter air, he confided in the tree while also learning its experience. Finally, he left the woods feeling better than he did earlier and realised that man is never really alone.


text:
GUENDOLEN PLESTCHEEFF (née CARKEEK, December 19, 1892 – August 30, 1994) was a preservationist and arts advocate from Seattle, Washington, known variously as “Seattle's Grand, Grand Lady” and “the most elegant woman in Seattle”. She was the wife of the Count Theodore Plestcheeff.[1]

Born Guendolen Carkeek to Morgan and Emily Carkeek, one of the area's early pioneer families for whom Carkeek Park is named, she started schooling in Seattle before being sent abroad to boarding and finishing schools in Switzerland and the United Kingdom.[2][3] Upon her return to Seattle, she met Cav. Paulo Brenna, the Italian consul in Seattle.[4][5] The pair wed in London and eventually moved to Tallinn, Cav. Paulo having been appointed Italian ambassador to Estonia.[6][7][8]

By the late 1920s Guendolen Brenna had become one of the most fashionable women in the world and, in 1928, author Bertrand Collins penned a novel, _Rome Express_, based on her life.[9]

While in Estonia, Guendolen met Count Theodore Plestcheeff, a Russian exile, former imperial courtier, and grandson of Count Paul Stroganov.[10][11] Plestcheeff shared her interest in arts and antiques.[12] Her marriage with Cav. Paulo ended in 1928 and she wed Count Plestcheeff the following year.[13] Theodore and Guendolen Plestcheeff set-up residence in Seattle at the Sam Hill House in 1937 and spent the rest of their lives together alternating between that property, a summer house on Bainbridge Island, and a home in Paris.[14] In Seattle, Guendolen Plestcheeff continued to be a style icon; in 1948, she was one of two-dozen women surveyed by the Associated Press about what she would be wearing that Easter as part of a poll of “America's best-dressed women” (she answered, “a slim black suit with white blouse and hat”).[15][16]

Guendolen was widowed from Count Plestcheeff in the 1960s.[17][18]

During her life, Plestcheeff was deeply immersed in the preservation of Seattle historic spaces, serving from 1938 to 1965 as president of the Seattle Historical Society, which had been founded by her mother in 1911.[19][20] She also was a founding member of the Decorative Arts Council of the Seattle Art Museum, endowed the nonprofit Plestcheeff Institute for the Decorative Arts in 1987, and helped raise the funds used to establish the Museum of History and Industry.[21][22]

Plestcheeff died in 1994 at the age of 101. The Seattle Art Museum's Plestcheeff Auditorium is named in her honor.[23][24]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

title: Guendolen Plestcheeff

question: What was Guendolen Pletscheeff also known as?

answer: She was known as "Seattle's grand, grand lady" and "the most elegant woman in Seattle".

question: Who was Guendolen Pletscheeff married to?

answer:
She marries Cav. Paulo Brenna, the Italian consul in Seattle. They moved to Tallinn, Estonia.
Their marriage ended in 1928 and she married Count Theodore Pletscheeff, a Russian exile. Pletcheeff passed away in the 1960's.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Guendolen Pletsheeff's style.

answer: Guendolen Pletscheeff became one of the most fashionable woman in the world by the late 1920's. In 1928 Bertrand Collins penned a novel "Rome Express" based on her life. In 1948 she was one of two dozen women surveyed by the Associated Press about what she would be wearing that Easter as part of a poll of "America's best-dressed women".

question: Summarize all the information relating to Guendolen Pletscheeff's education.

answer: Pletscheeff grew up as part of one of the area's early pioneer families. She started schooling in Seattle before being sent abroad to boarding and finishing schools in Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Guendolen Pletscheeff's work.

answer: Pletscheeff was deeply immersed in the preservation of Seattle historic spaces, serving as the president of the Seattle Historical Society. She also was a founding member of the Decorative Arts Council of the Seattle Art Museum, endowed the non-profit Pletscheeff Institute for the Decorative Arts in 1987, and helped raise funds used to establish the Museum of History and Industry.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Guendolen Pletscheeff was a Seattle-based arts advocate. She was known as one of the most fashionable woman in the world.


text:
Once upon a time there lived a man. He was quite a normal men as men go. He had worked all his life, he had paid his bills, his taxes, gotten married to a most amazing woman and had a few kids. His kids had grown up, married again and had another couple of kids in the normal way that people do.
This very normal man, on a very normal morning opened his very normal newspaper to something extraordinary. A little article towards the middle of the newspaper about gravity denial. At first the man dismissed the idea as lunacy, but the following week a similar article popped up, this time with some science to back it up. The scientist was not a physicist, he was in fact a biologist, but little matter, it was science.
The man was intrigued and started doing some research on the net. He searched 'gravity denial' and  found there was a large body of work dedicated to understanding how gravity in fact isn't real.
He started sharing his ideas with his friends and he expected to be ridiculed, but it turned out that there were many people in his generation that agreed with him. They had been reading the same news and in fact lots of other news too. There were many articles making and many experts that had started to refute the existence of gravity.
“Then what are we feeling?” his son would ask him! “Physicists all agree that the forces of gravity which are being felt around the world are in fact real, they have a real affect on our lives and the way we interact with the world around us.”
"It's a conspiracy to keep you down!" The man bit back. If more people would see that gravity just isn't there then we'd all be a great deal happier!"
The son went outside into the heat of the day, where his little son was playing on the swing and jumped up and down. "How can you deny this?"
The months past and the normal man went about his normal gravitied life reading more and speaking with like minded friends. As a colder winter passed and hotter summer set in he slowly drifted apart from his son because the two were so frustrated with one another. Finally one day he decided enough was enough and he wanted to do something definitive about the issue.
He took the train into town and picked a tall but convenient building, because the temperature was unseasonably hot that day. He stepped into the elevator and selected the highest floor. And when he finally stood atop the huge construction he could see the haze from the pollution drifting up into the atmosphere. He could see for kilometres how the aspect of the land had been moulded and altered by man and how even the waterways were diverted and manipulated to suit the needs of the people who lived near then. Looking down upon the tiny people going about their business, individually tiny amongst the mass of humanity, he finally faulted. "No. Not like this" he thought. On the way home he called his son.
The following day atop that very same building he said confidentiality "I just want to show you that I'm right. Scientific evidence related to gravity has been questioned by many many people and after all it's just a theory in the first place. The news papers have been denying it for years, it's right there in black and white. There are whole communities of people who really believe there is no gravity, especially among those in my age bracket. In fact I don't have any friends who believe in gravity any more.
“So..." he took another step forward "I'm going to jump off this building to prove it..." he took his son's hand firmly in one of his hands, and with the other arm held onto his grandson "and I'm taking you two with me."

title: I wrote this today in responce to Climate Chage denial. It's probably rusty, It's been a LONG time since I have written a short story.

question: Describe the main character.

answer: The main character is described as a normal man with a normal life. He is married and has children and grandchildren. He succumbs to the opinion that gravity isn't real.

question: Are there other important characters in the story?

answer: The man's son.

question: What are the emotions of the characters?

answer: At first the man is full of disbelief that a community of gravity-deniers exists. Then, he's excited about it. He becomes frustrated with his son for not joining his beliefs.

question: Is there a conflict in the story? Is it resolved?

answer: The conflict is between the son and the man over the man's belief that gravity exists.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: The main character is described as a normal man with a normal life. He is married and has children and grandchildren. He succumbs to the opinion that gravity isn't real. At first the man is full of disbelief that a community of gravity-deniers exists. Then, he's excited about it. He becomes frustrated with his son for not joining his beliefs. He wants to prove to his son that he is right; he takes his son and grandson to a high building and pulls them with him as he jumps off.


text:
BENJAMIN JASON PARRIS is an American author, educator, and museum planner best known as the creator of _Wade of Aquitaine_. As an educator and technology consultant, he has won national awards. In their August 19, 2005 edition, _Long Island Business News_ placed Ben Parris in the Top Ten of their Who's Who in Technology list.

Education

Ben Parris graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn; did coursework in English from Columbia University in the 1980s; received his B.S. in Accounting from Brooklyn College in 1983; graduated from the U.S. Treasury Department's Advanced Business Communications program in 1985; and received his M.S. in Computer Science from Brooklyn College in 1987, passing his CPA exam in the same year.

Biography

After college, Parris became a tax expert and technology consultant in preparation for a career in museum administration.

At the United States Department of Treasury, he co-created with Juan Rivera the first procedures and public contact training program for Taxpayer Service Division in 1985, originating in Brooklyn District. This was used as the national model after 1987. Also in 1985 at Treasury, he implemented the pilot program for the nation's first semi-automated telephone information system known as TeleTax. It is fully automated at this time. In 1990, he wrote the first in-house financial statement software for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

As the Executive Director of the Long Island Museum of Science & Technology, Ben Parris led the organization in partnership with Nassau Technology Educators and Long Island University to the Unisys Prize for Online Science Education in 2002.[1] His methods became the subject of a best practices seminar at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Parris conceived an annual astronomy day at Long Island's Museums at Mitchel brought two _Sky & Telescope_ Astronomy Day Awards in 2005: Overall Winner, and Best New Idea for the team of Long Island Museum of Science and Technology, Nassau County Firefighter's Museum and Education Center, and Cradle of Aviation Museum preceded by Honorable Mention for a larger team in 2003.[2]

In his program for disadvantaged students at Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School in Hempstead, New York, he devised a method for scaling classic school science experiments up to real-world engineering budgets and materials. This technique was widely disseminated and became standard practice in several of Long Island's leading schools.

Parris has been an educator for NASA in the Solar System Ambassador Program since its inception in 2002,[3] and was periodically engaged by NASA TV to help train its management and consulting scientists and engineers in media exposure.

Author

Ben Parris incorporates his science fiction and fantasy heroes with his own afflictions discovering even greater strengths emerging to compensate for their original limitations. At a young age, Ben Parris battled severe dyscalculia to tackle physics and calculus. Themes also include astral projection, and the multiverse.[4] His work is influenced by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Stephen R. Donaldson, John E. Stith, Orson Scott Card, Arthur C. Clarke, Nancy Kress, Ursula K. Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Novels

-   _Wade of Aquitaine_
-   _Mars Armor Forged_
-   _Kreindia of Amorium_[5]

Non-fiction

A one-time columnist for Scholastic Administrator, a publication of Scholastic Corporation, Parris has published a variety of articles and award-winning short stories on music, science, education and business as well as humor. The most cited of his short works is “The Other Mr. Nedzi.”[6] In addition to a Wade of Aquitaine sequel, he is currently working on a book about fundraising called The Nonprofit Breadwinner.[7]

[1] The 2002 Unisys Prize managed by the Franklin Institute

[2] Astronomical League's catalog of Astronomy Day Winners

[3] Ben Parris' profile at NASA/ JPL Solar System Ambassador's Program

[4] Ben Parris I-CON 28 Guest Profile

[5] http://www.blueberrylanebooks.com/?page_id=195

[6] Apex Digest, September 2005

[7]

title: Ben Parris

question: Who is Benjamin Jason Parris?

answer: He is an American author, educator, and museum planner.

question: What did Parris do after college?

answer: After college, Parris become a tax expert and technology consultant in preparation for a career in museum administration.

question: What did Parris conceived at Long Island's Museums at Mitchel?

answer: Parris conceived an annual astronomy day at Long Island's Museums.

question: What novels has Ben Parris written?

answer: Ben Parris has written three novels and they are Wade of Aquitane, Mars Armor Forged, and Kreindia of Amorium.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the life and career accomplishments of Ben Parris, an American author, educator, and museum planner.


text:
Once upon a time, there were four angles that were best friends, there was Right Angle, and he always thought he was perfect since he added up to 90 degrees. Acute and her twin sister, they always complimented each other since they were both 45 degrees, perfect complementary angles. And Obtuse Angle, the big clown of the group, the other angles always pocked fun at him, saying he was a one angle supplementary, but they were wrong, he was only 179 degrees, so jokes on them. One day they decided they wanted to go to the great Plane. The Plane was a popular attraction for Angles all over the world; it was filled with beautiful sites, and extended on and on forever. All you had to do was take a right, then a left and you were at the door to the magical Plane.

The four friends set out on their journey and quickly reached the door to the grand and mystical Plane. This was the first time any of them had been to the great Plane, and they ran into a small problem. Obtuse was too big to get through the door! Acute teased him by dashing back and forth laughing. “See, you are so big you hit every Vertex of the door!” Acute joked.

“Well, I’m afraid we are going to have to cut you into two congruent pieces Obtuse if you want through” stated Right Angle. “What? No? I don’t want to be cut in half” exclaimed Obtuse, “there has to be another way.” Obtuse angle and Right angle argued about this for a good 10 minutes, Acute took this opportunity to make another joke and measured Obtuse with a Protractor and made more fun of his size. This sent Obtuse over the edge and he cried and cried. “I’m sorry” said Acute “it was mean of me to make fun of you.” But it didn’t help and Obtuse cried and cried some more, but the whole time, he got smaller and smaller, until he was just the perfect size to fit though the door. Right Angle saw the opportunity and pushed him through the door.

Just like that they were in the great Plane, it was beautiful, better than anything they could have imagined, it was completely white, extending on for as long as the eye could see, brightly colored points in space, every color and every shade you could ever think of, they light up the sky like fireworks. “What are those spots up there?” asked Obtuse. “Why those are Points, they litter the great Plane and are everywhere you look.” Explained Right Angle. Obtuse looked to the right and saw two colored lines shoot across the sky, “Oh my, what are those lines, they look like they are racing” said Obtuse. “Those lines are something called parallel lines, they travel across the great Plane, they travel in two opposite directions for as long as you can see, but will never ever meet” said Right Angle. “For some reason that makes me sad they will never meet” said Obtuse with a frown.

The four friends spent another hour or two taking in the sights, but suddenly, everything got a little dark, and some of the dots started disappearing. Looking up they saw the destroyer of the Plane. “What is that?” cried Acute. “Well that is the great eraser, and we better start running” stated Right Angle rather calmly, and so they ran, as quick as they possibly could, with dots and lines disappearing all around them, and the shadow of the great eraser slowly coming closer and closer. They could see the door in the distance but it was a long shot.

Obtuse was trailing slightly behind the rest; he had a drink since his big cry, and was back to his old 179 degrees. Almost all of the color dots were gone at this point, and the great and powerful eraser set its sights on the weak angles, chasing them with all its speed. Acute and her sister made it to the door first, and dove through it, followed by Right Angle, and bringing up the rear was Obtuse, with the great eraser right on his tail, he slammed in to the door but was just too big.

Obtuse turned around just in time to see the eraser not even a foot from him. He pushed with all his force and came flying through the door; the eraser had erased some of him, just enough to fit through the door. Obtuse didn’t mind however because the eraser had erased just enough of him to bring him to a perfect 90 degrees, no more jokes at his expense, looks like Right Angle isn't the only perfect angle in town anymore.

The four friends never returned to the great Plane, now that they knew how dangerous it was, but they were glad they got to see it, and the memory of the dancing bright lights will stay with them for the rest of their days, all they have to do is close their eyes and they see the sky light up with beautiful lights of every color. Something so wonderful will never be forgotten.
The end!

If you see any Grammatical errors please let me know!

title: Short kids story about Angles

question: Who are the four angles?

answer: Right Angle, standing at 90 degrees, Acute and her twin sister, both 45 degrees, and Obtuse Angle, standing almost flat at 179 degrees.

question: What happens at the door?

answer: Obtuse is too big to fit through the door, so Right Angle suggests they cut him in half. Obtuse doesn't want to be cut in half, and Acute makes another joke at Obtuse. This makes Obtuse cry and cry until he shrinks enough to fit through the door. Right Angle pushes him through.

question: What do they see in the great Plane?

answer: Whiteness extending on as long as they could see, and bright points in space of every color, as well as parallel lines.

question: What happens with the great eraser?

answer: They all run from the great eraser. Acute, her sister, and Right Angle all make it through the door safely, but Obtuse is too big to fit. He gets caught by eraser and finally squeezes through the door, but not until after he gets erased down to a perfect 90 degrees.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Four angles are best friends, Right Angle, Acute and her twin sister, and Obtuse Angle. Obtuse Angle is the butt of every joke because he is so big, he stands at 179 degrees. They go to the great Plane, but Obtuse can't fit through the door until Acute makes him cry so much he shrinks and Right Angle pushes him through. In the great Plane, they see all sorts of colored dots and parallel lines, until the great eraser chases them out and erases Obtuse down to a perfect 90 degrees.


text:
I believe you may be sick in the head. There’s nothing wrong with that, don’t panic, because I know just the cure you need. Relax and breathe and try to stay calm, there has been millions like you, and we have done this millions of times before.

You’ve been having strange thoughts lately, thoughts that no normal person would ever dream up. So I know that you are sick in the head, don’t worry, because I have the cure.

Perhaps you don’t even think you are sick in the head, but trust me, I’m a certified professional, and you are as fucked up as they come. Please just take this pill.

The medicine doesn’t seem to be working; we may have to put you on something stronger. Would you like to know the chemical you are ingesting? I don’t think that would be to your benefit. Besides, it’s not like you can even understand any of the things I’m going to tell you. All you need to know is that you are sick in the head.

Sometimes no medicine can fix the ailment, in fact, think of it as more of a physical deformity of the brain. Something didn’t grow right and now all the wiring is off, but a quick poke here and a quick cut there should fix everything up. If you don’t think that you are sick in the head it’s only because you are sick in the head, relax and breathe because this will all be over soon.

The surgery was a success! Tell me, do you still have unnatural thoughts and feelings? What do you think of your fellow man or authority or the government that takes such great care of you? Answer truthfully and promptly because I have reason to believe that you may be sick in the head.

title: Sick in the head (305 words)

question: Why does the narrator believe the person they are addressing to be sick in the head?

answer: The narrator says the person has strange thoughts that no normal person would have.

question: What is the main event of the story?

answer: The narrator tries to cure the person they are addressing.

question: What is the surgery for?

answer: The surgery is to fix the sickness in the person's head.

question: What is the narrator's profession?

answer: It's not clear. It is implied that they may be a doctor.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is telling a person they are sick in the head. They try medicine, stronger doses, and even a surgery. Regardless, the narrator still isn't convinced the person is cured.


text:
_UPDATE Q3/2016: _
_WE PUBLISHED A NEW RANKING, BASED ON ACTUAL IOT PROJECTS WHICH CAN BE FOUND HERE. _

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wearables have climbed to the top of the IoT applications ranking for Q2/2015, riding the wave of Apple’s introduction of the Apple Watch.

Other major findings of the Q2 IoT applications ranking:

-   Smart Home, that had previously occupied the #1 spot has fallen to the third position despite further product introductions by heavy-weights Google and Apple.
-   Smart Cities have moved into second place, as Indian cities have started to embrace the concept.
-   Smart Farming, a niche application of IoT, is picking up speed as TelCo operators make a move in this area.

The IoT application ranking is published by IoT Analytics on a quarterly basis. The aim of the ranking is to quantify the popularity of the biggest IoT applications as the technology evolves. The ranking is an indication of overall segment activity and public popularity – it does not reflect the actual size of the IoT market segment.

[iot applications ranking]

Q2/2015: Most popular IoT applications (and biggest movers)

1. Wearables (+1)

Q2 has seen a hype around wearable devices. +33% Google searches and twice as many LinkedIn discussions have boosted the IoT application to first place in the ranking.

Smart watches were the most important wearable application in Q2, led by Apple’s official release of the Apple watch on April 24. Further strengthening the position in the ranking was Fitbit’s successful IPO in June.

It seems, however, that wearables have reached the top of the hype. Apple refused to release official sales figures for the Apple Watch as part of their quarterly earnings results (July 2015). While Apple claims that they haven’t done so for competitive reasons, many experts believe that the Apple Watch is not living up to its expectations. Feedback from users is also mixed.

2. Smart city (+1)

Many large cities have started initiatives related to “Smart Cities”. Boston, Barcelona, Copenhagen are making a strong push into that direction, to name a few.

But the biggest push of all is currently coming from India. Last year, Indian PM Modi vowed to construct 100 so-called “smart cities” by 2022, an infrastructure project some estimate would cost $1 trillion. A year after the announcement, the plans are starting to be implemented and with it a lot of criticism and controversy.

Many news articles in Q2/2015 shared a concern that this gigantic Smart City project would leave out the poor who have much greater needs than “smarter cities”, they need water and power. This controversy as well as the announcement of several US cities to start “Smart City”-initiatives (like Kansas City or Charlotte N.C.) increased the coverage for “Smart Cities.

On top of that, Google launched Sidewalk Labs on June 11 with the aim to bring Smart Cities into the focus of other IT-companies.

3. Smart home (-2)

Smart home is still one of the most trending IoT applications, although it is losing two positions. Both Apple and Google continue to push the topic with new developments. The first HomeKit-certified products launched in June. Apple announced further HomeKit features for iOS 8 with the goal that every iPhone will soon be controlling a smart device by default. Google announced the first “Nest Security Cam”. Another prominent smart home company went public in June: Alarm.com.

8. Smart farming (+2)

Somewhat surprising but quite logically, Smart farming is rising in the IoT applications ranking as well.

Many companies are realizing that there are synergies between the IoT technology used in Smart Cities and for Smart Farming applications. Both areas have an outdoor-component that will require some kind of cellular (M2M) connectivity.

Verizon’s IoT efforts, for example, include both new partnerships with Smart Cities Councils as well as Smart farming accelerators and farming conferences. Vodafone announced the expansion of its Farmers Club initiative to empower farmers through technology, especially in emerging markets.

In case you have missed previous IoT rankings

Q1/2015 – IoT application ranking

Q2/2015 – IoT company ranking

Subscribe to the IoT Analytics newsletter to stay on top of the latest IoT news and developments as well as future IoT application rankings.

question: What does the text say about Wearables?

answer: Wearables weres the most popular IoT application in 2015. The most important wearable application in Q2 was Apple Watch. However, it seems that wearables have reached the top of the hype and that the Apple Watch is not living up to its expectations.

question: What does the text say about the Smart Cities IoT applications?

answer: The second most popular IoT application in 2015 was Smart Cities. Many large cities have started to embrace the concept, including Boston, Barcelona, and Copenhagen. India plans to construct 100 smart cities by 2022. The plan is criticized because there are many people who do not have water and power have greater needs than smart cities.

question: What does the text say about the cost of IoT applications?


text:
The only thing legible on the newspaper was January 12th, 2012, as it was ripped apart by the tires of a speeding car on West Avenue. West Avenue was the street Melanie Smith used on her way to and from school every day.

The clock struck three, and the school bell rang. All the children ran out of their classrooms full of liberation with the afternoon now their own. The students came bursting out of the front door of the school as if it were a competition to see who could leave first. After escaping the crowd, Melanie took her normal route home down West Avenue. She noticed a large white van, the type stereotypically used for kidnapping, had been following her since she left school. She wasn’t nervous though. Melanie was full of the adolescent spirit, and she held firmly to the idea that nothing bad could happen to her. The van sped up, and stopped about 30 yards in front of Melanie. As she walked by she was quickly taken into the van by a masked and an unmasked man. The scene was oddly anticlimactic. Real life isn’t much like the movies. There isn’t any considerable competition in terms of strength when it comes to a twelve year old girl and two fully grown men. Once back in the van, the masked man said, “Don’t worry young lady. We aren’t going to hurt you. We’re just trying to get your father’s attention.”
The unmasked driver remained silent.

The idea was the masked and the unmasked man would kidnap Melanie Smith, and by using her Father’s love for her against him they could get leverage over his hefty bank account. At least that was the plan.
Finally the van stopped, and the unmasked driver let out a deep sigh. He turned the van off, unbuckled himself, and got out without saying a word. The ground crunched under his weight as he walked to the sliding side door of the van. His walking stopped and the sound of a gun being cocked pierced the silent air. A moment later a loud echoing shot blew through the van’s door. The masked man inside went limp and slouched over. A dark pool of blood began diffusing from his body. Melanie wasn’t quite sure how to respond. She managed to put up a bigger fight when the unmasked man grabbed her, but she was easily overpowered and carried into a house.
The man chuckled at Melanie’s fear. In a very calm and controlled voice he said, “I was just like you when I was a kid. I was so full of ignorance. Then one day, I came home from school, just like you were a little while ago, and found both of my parents dead. The man who had murdered them was sitting on our couch watching television and drinking beer.” The unmasked man smiled at Melanie and continued, “The man stood up from the couch and walked towards me. I was paralyzed with fear. He grabbed my head, and he said he wanted me to remember him for the rest of my life. So he did this.” The man pointed at his scar which resided from the edge of his lip all the way to his ear. He looked at Melanie with a blank gaze for a few moments, and then he turned and walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. “You want one?” he asked.
Melanie remained silent.

“Yeah, I didn’t like the taste of beer when I was your age either, but it grows on you.” He laughed. “Anyway, let’s get down to business.” The unmasked man grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number. It rang until it went to voicemail.

“Hello, this is Richard Smith. I can’t get to the phone right now. Please leave your name and your number. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

The unmasked man sighed and said, “I have your daughter. Call me back at 567-9845, or I’ll kill her.” The phone rang almost as soon as he hung up. The unmasked man was quick and to the point. He demanded that Richard come to the house. Richard Smith was a nice man. He provided for his family the best he could, and he encouraged Melanie in everything she found interest in. Richard even donated a significant amount of money to the local food bank every month, because he thought everyone deserved to be helped. He was the change he wanted to see in the world.

Filled with fear and anger Richard rushed to get all his money that he expected a kidnapper to want, and he went to the address the man had given him. He arrived at the house and ran to the front door. He was greeted with the sight of a man holding a gun to his daughter’s head.

The unmasked man said, “Come in Richard. Have a seat.”

Richard walked across the room and sat down.

“Very good Richard. Can I offer you a beer?”

Richard obviously growing angrier by the moment threw the bag of money to the middle of the room and asked, “Can I please take my daughter and leave? That’s all my money.”

The unmasked man laughed and said, “It’s not about money. Money was my partner’s desire.” He then commanded, “Go into the last room at the end of the hall or I’ll blow your daughter’s brain all over the fucking wall.”

As Richard arrived in the room he was struck in the back of the head with the butt of a gun which knocked him out.

“You back with us Richard?” The unmasked man laughed with glee. Richard came to, and he found himself ducked taped to a metal chair in the middle of a room. In front of him was his daughter.

“Do you know why the nice and peaceful life just doesn’t work Richard? It’s because a nice, relaxing picnic is too easily ended with a machinegun. That’s the reason you’re taped to a chair in some stranger’s house.” The unmasked man let out a sigh. “But don’t worry Richard. When it comes right down to it, I’m no better off than you.” The unmasked man began pacing behind Richard and said, “You see a guy like me, a real bad guy, has the same fate as a good guy like you and a naïve child like Melanie. What we do in life has no meaning in the scheme of it all Richard. It always ends the same.”

Richard began struggling trying to break the tape but his efforts were futile. He looked at his daughter and said, “Everything is going to be alright. I promise.”

The unmasked man stopped pacing and faced Melanie, “Oh no Melanie. Everything is not going to be alright. Things are not alright in the slightest.”

A loud click could be heard from below the floor, and the vents opened.

The unmasked man said, “You’ll be gazing down the yawning void in no time.”

The room gradually filled with poisonous fumes, and Richard, the unmasked man, and Melanie all expired.

title: The Good, Bad, and the Naïve

question: What is the twist in the story?

answer: One thinks that the kidnappers will have a demand for the father of the girl they have kidnapped. However, one of the kidnappers randomly kills the other kidnapper. Then, they wait for the father to arrive and asphyxiate themselves, the father, and Melanie with exhaust.

question: What is the meaning of the story's title?

answer: The theme of the story is innocence, or "naivety". That is why the story is called "The Good, Bad, and the Naive." Initially the young girl, Melanie, is care-free, and does not worry about being kidnapped. Then, in the middle of the story, one of the kidnappers gives her a monologue about innocence. Finally, at the end of the story, the same kidnapper informs Melanie everything will not be alright. He behaves in a nihilistic way before killing all three of them.


text: There was once a feather named Sock. He's been very scared and lonely since he lost his dad   Phillipe McRoosterson and all of his feathery brothers and sisters. Sock has tried to find Phillipe, but after months of searching far and wide, he decides to leave the Unenchanted Forrest. He decided that he would travel to where to sun sets to find his lost father. For many miles Sock flopped and floated through bushes and streams, valleys and rivers. After many days of travel, he came across a wizened rabbit who smelt of elderly people eating enchiladas, and who seemed busy digging. Sock hadn't eaten in days, and decided to ask the stranger for food and directions. "Good afternoon kind sir, my name is Sock. What's yours?" "My name is William Floppypaw, nice to meet you Sock." As Sock was about to ask for food and directions, it started to downpour. William then said "Come inside my rabbit hole Sock, we wouldn't want you to catch a cold. And you can call me Willy from now on. All of my feathery friends do" Sock then thanked him. He's never seen a rabbit hole before, and was taken aghast by the spaciousness of it, and how dry and tidy it was. "So what can I do for you Sock?" asked Willy. "Well I was wondering if you've seen a chicken recently, he's my Dad. I haven't seen him in days, and I'm kinda hungry too." "I haven't seen anyone in weeks, sorry Sock, but I have some carrot stew, and I think that their is enough for two." They began to eat, but Willy had to go use to washroom and excuse himself from the table.  Sock was so amazed by the savory carrot stew that he didn't even notice when he was forcefully grabbed by Willy and roughly thrown into a damp and smelly sac. Sock was petrified. He's allergic to cotton! "Let me out! I'm allergic to cotton!" screamed Sock. "Never!" said Willy. "And it's hypoallergenic. Oh and make sure to enjoy your new friends..." And that was when Sock looked around in horror to see that he was surrounded by hundreds of other feathers. And at that moment Sock realized that he had became a pillow.

title: The Feather Named Sock Part 1

question: Who are the major characters in the story?

answer: Sock is a feather trying to find his dad and William Floppyjaw is a rabbit.

question: Why does Sock leave the Unenchanted Forrest?

answer: He leaves the forest to search for his dad, Phillipe McRoosterson.

question: What does a feather's diet consist of?

answer: Evidently much the same as a rabbit's diet - carrot stew.

question: How long ago did Sock see his dad?

answer: He searched for months inside the forest and for days outside his forest on his way to where the sun set.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Sock is a feather that has lost his father. He leaves his home in the Unenchanted Forrest to go to where the sun sets to find him. On his way there he meets Willy Floppyjaw who invites him to his house out of the rain for some food. While eating Willy sneaks up from behind and stuffs Sock in a pillowcase with other feathers. He realizes that he is now part of a pillow.