FUNDS are being raised to preserve an integral part of Hawes railway history and ensure its ‘book of bridges’ lives on.

The historic book contains original 1870s engineering drawings for structures along the six-mile branch line that ran from Garsdale station to Hawes.

The book - which is a yard wide and two-feet high - is old, fragile and in need of skilled professional work to safeguard the drawings inside and a fundraising drive has now started to secure the £3,100 needed for its restoration.

Most of the individual sheets of drawings are in reasonable condition, however many of the pages need to be carefully cleaned, one at a time, before conservation work and full restoration of the book -including its spine - can be undertaken.

As an immediate priority, the drawings have already been digitally scanned for permanent reference.

If funds allow, replica copies will be made to be used for research and exhibition purposes and, importantly, to ensure that a replica of the book can be kept separately, in case of loss or damage to the original.

Tony Freschini, who was British Rail’s resident project engineer for the restoration of the mighty Ribblehead Viaduct, saw the book of bridges in autumn 2015 and described it as “a most important historical document”.

The Friends of the Dales Countryside Museum have agreed to act as bankers for the book appeal and donations may be made out to them and sent to Graeme Thompson, FoDCM treasurer, c/o the DCM, Hawes, N.Yorkshire DL8 3NT.