THE town turned out in tribute in 1917 to mark the death of the man who had been stationmaster at Millom for 17 years.

John Morgan had spent his whole career with the Furness Railway Company – starting and finishing at Millom.

His death, at the age of 64, was recorded in the Millom News of Saturday March 17 in 1917.

It said he had started as a railway clerk at Millom before being promoted to chief clerk at Barrow.

It noted: “His ability was soon recognised and he was promoted stationmaster at Sellafield.

“After 12 years at this station, he was appointed stationmaster at Dalton.

“It was fitting that in 1897, after being at Dalton about five years, he should be appointed stationmaster at Millom, the town where he commenced what proved to be a faithful career.

“He remained at Millom 17 years, during which he gained a respect and esteem that was not merely parochial.

“He was a painstaking and conscientious official, courteous and faithful in his duties.”

His funeral was held at Holy Trinity Church, Millom, and there was a parade by Furness Railway stationmasters from Barrow Central Station, Grange, Cark, Greenodd, Lakeside, Dalton, Furness Abbey, Askam, Kirkby, Foxfield, Broughton,Green Road, Silecroft, Bootle, Eskmeals, Ravenglass, Drigg, Sellafield, Nethertown and Corkicle at Whitehaven.

Millom used to have 30 miles of railway track – above and below ground – mostly serving its ironworks, quarries and Hodbarrow iron ore mines.

Many of these former trackbeds survive as minor roads or footpaths through what are now nature reserves and have slowly blended into the landscape.

Millom’s railway station opened on November 1 in 1850 and was then called Holborn Hill station on the Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway.

For the grand opening two special trains from Whitehaven and Barrow met near Broughton and the railway directors celebrated at the Old King’s Head in Broughton.

The Millom Gazette in 1916 noted: “In 1865 the train service was little to marvel at.

“Only three trains passed through Holborn Hill daily – the morning, noon and night trains.”

Passenger comfort was not a priority then. The Millom Gazette noted: “The local station itself must have been somewhat of an eyesore for it is recorded that a large old box comprised the passengers’ platform, whilst an old worn-out railway guard’s van stood for use as a goods station”.

It asked readers to: “Imagine dear reader practically an open space all round the station with a road running straight from the Station Hotel across the line into Lapstone Road”.

The availability of rail transport was a key factor in Millom getting an ironworks and in the development of the iron ore mines.

By 1869 the mines were sending out 131,449 tons of iron ore by sea and 67,256 tons by rail.

Millom Ironworks was in production by 1867 and used the railways to distribute its pig iron throughout the country and to bring in its raw materials of iron ore, coke and limestone.

In the early 1960s Millom Ironworks listed its fleet as being 16 locomotives, 10 rail cranes and more than 250 wagons, hoppers, bogies and ladles.