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Peak Rail General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by kestreleyes, Nov 22, 2009.

  1. Hirn

    Hirn Member

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    Apparently from earlier photographs there was concrete under the wooden sleepers across the roadway.
    The sleepers seemed to look surprisingly sound.
     
  2. FearOfManchester

    FearOfManchester Member

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    I don't see any ballast, AFAIK the sleepers are on concrete only, no ballast. Concrete sleepers would have been a good idea, replacing both crossings during the possession would've have been a better idea, I guess at short notice they could only get a short possession from the council.
     
  3. Hirn

    Hirn Member

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    Would concrete on concrete lead to cracks? Fundamentally it's brittle stuff.
    I would have thought you would at least need some resilient layer.
    The Kent and East Sussex have been putting the rails over a crossing in something
    specially precast and probably prestressed - prestressing is certainly the trick to
    making a success of concrete sleepers.
     
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2017
  4. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    I had a look at the crossing last Thursday evening for old times sake; I had never expected to see that concrete slab again. The rebuilding has been a very neat and professional job.

    This is how the crossing was originally built, back in 1990:

    "The method was, first lay the tracks in panels and prop the rails up to perfect level on piles of brick. Install steel ducting for cables.................... Then pour one foot of concrete underneath and tamp to sleeper bottom level. Next, hit bricks with sledgehammer and sweep up the bits. Finally the road was tarmaced and re-opened. Not bad going for a fortnight.

    At the end of the road closure, a long line of stock was shunted into the Down platform out of the way. It included a Class 25 diesel, the battery box of which left a scar on the original Midland profile platform, which can be seen to this day.

    One thing I particularly remember, is that before the crossing was built, the local boy racer used to go roaring down Station Road in the evening. The day the road re-opened there was the roar of an engine and THUMP – he hit the crossing and nearly took off and swerved all over the road as he fought for control. He drove more slowly after that."

    I had a hand in it at the time. Most of the original rails and chairs used were recovered from a works level crossing at the Esso site at Colwick, Nottingham in 1985. The sleepers were new softwoods and had lasted very well. The biggest problem here is probably the lorries from the lead works at Darley Bridge, they really did thump the crossing, which interrupts a downhill slope. Actually, the concrete came about an inch or so above the sleeper bottoms, so it was just as well they were sound. To use concrete sleepers here you would probably have to remove the entire concrete bed to get the correct height, and it really was a good foot thick, to protect services underneath.
     
    bobw754 and dggar like this.
  5. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    Incidentally, take a look at the pictures and you will spot the tarmac rising up the kerb as the road climbs up to the railhead. 20 tons of lead heading downhill and hitting that ski jump gives a tremendous wallop.
     
  6. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    That's me shot down in flames. For some reason I'd got it into my head that the new timber sleepers were on ballast and not on concrete. I should have taken a closer look at the photos. A bit more solid than I'd thought. Let's hope the sleepers and keys last the course.
     
  7. FearOfManchester

    FearOfManchester Member

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    Yes let's hope, the previous ones lasted a good long while, with the heavy traffic from the lead works, maybe something more substantial could have been used, such as the rubber blocks they use on crossings, or the concrete modular bits. Very expensive mind you, but good for around 25+ years
     
  8. FearOfManchester

    FearOfManchester Member

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    Does anyone know if the cycle trail crossing at the Matlock end has been sorted out?
     
  9. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    Thanks sleepermonster I remember the 25 running over it that day

    The thought of using a rubber crossing was looked into and there may be in the future something on this but as.previously noted the timeframe to get the works done meant the fabrication would not have been completed in time,likewise the question about doing both sides together was down to the time and costs, noting road closures are costly things indeed.

    The question was asked about using concrete sleepers under the deck,now sleeper monster and others will know for sure but I'm not aware of concrete sleepers on any other crossings that hold check chairs,we had as sleepemonster points out second hand materials to use and had to get on with the best bits we could at the time, the hardwood timbers at Darley easily allow for changing plus there's always the worry that if you get a short through the reinforcing in the concrete sleeper youl get track circuit problems and have to dig it all up again, we don't have this problem with the wood ones and with a council road salt yard right next door the worry of track circuit faults is always in mind, it's the same reason the south crossing gate gets far more painting than the north side due to the salt gritting.

    I was told years ago that the use of concrete sleepers was not used due to the buried services below the road preventing concrete sleepers going in as they were slightly higher than the timbers,again nowadays slab track sleepers are available with low profile that can be cast in but these weren't available back in 1989 to the volunteers at the time.

    Hope that helps with some questions.

    At present im not aware of any further progress on the cycleway either at ARC leisure or the Haddon end
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2017
  10. daveannjon

    daveannjon Well-Known Member

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    Someone, sorry can't remember who, said the down line crossing doesn't suffer from the same problems.

    Dave
     
  11. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    It's not suffered as much as the upside has over time ,this may as sleepermonster notes be due to how the heavier vehicles hit the crossing,the uphill action over the crossing and such
     
  12. Mick Bond

    Mick Bond New Member

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    Interesting to read the background on the initial installation in 1990 from sleepermonster and others.
     
  13. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    Indeed, if sleeper monster wrote up all the memories of track laying and recoveries he has it'd make a great fireside read wth a strong whisky . For the long winter nights
     
  14. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    I worked out the other day that I had done 28 track recovery projects in one capacity or another; S & T projects I never counted, not so much that I like salvage operations - more that I suffer from them. The nights are drawing in and it is getting a bit autumn-ish. Go to "Bullhead Memories", look for a series of articles titled "Memoirs of a Railway Volunteer", and uncork the bottle. One day I still hope to write that book.

    Meanwhile Job 29 is on the stocks and should get launched late this year.

    I cast my eye over the crossing a few months back; with a little luck you might get away with just replacing the keys and the check block bolts. However, if you do require some check chairs you might care to pay me a visit.
     
  15. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    More of the midland railway style tresspass boards have been fitted at Darley by ben and the gang together with some more LMS noticeboards ,we also spent a very warm morning fitting a flange lubricator at riverside.

    The Ashover light railway gang have been doing more track laying outside their shed and some.work inside too,I've included a few pics courtesy of themselves WP_20170828_15_03_10_Pro.jpg
     

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  16. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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  17. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    UPCOMING EVENT

    16th & 17th September – Vintage Village Fete


    Step back in time with classic cars and fabulous vintage entertainment. Shopping
    at some of the finest vintage clothing staffs that have been handpicked, not
    forgetting some of the best retro furniture you can find as well as other nostalgic
    inspired crafts on offer. Normal timetable and fares.

    OTHER NEWS


    While on time for a link to Mr Briddons news pages "Weekend Rails", one of his collection 14901 having recently appeared at the Old Oak Common depot open day ,plus other news on the fleets restoration.

    https://www.weekendrails.co.uk/component/k2/378.html
     
  18. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    Little update on behalf of the Ashover Light Railway folks who have been busy continuing ballasting their new track around their Rowsley shed,they have also recently acquired two carriages for restoration and are looking for for new volunteers,if anyone is interested in helping them out the following link should take you to their site and more details. http://alrs.org.uk/help/
     
  19. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

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    Only a small update from my own department this week, John and myself spent a full day under church lane (it was sunny outside ) changing over a set of cable terminals and then testing everything afterwards, (it rained when we came back out). I also dis some wiring work up at Darley and fitted a replacement box sign on Riverside as the wooden letters had done their time.

    Box steelwork for Rowsley continues with the door end panel on site and other parts getting moved up ready for the meccano set to be put together so more on that lot soon.
     

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  20. Woodster21

    Woodster21 Member

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    DCC have had a high level meeting with the Rail Regulator (ORR) during the summer regarding the situation over the rail crossing at the Matlock end of the route and now have its support for the solution that they have been proposing all along. This involves diverting the existing public footpath (Matlock No. 26) with the steep uneven steps onto the line of the private vehicle crossing and will provide the opportunity to significantly improve the design at the new location to meet modern safety and accessibility standards. Approval is being sought from September’s Regulatory – Licensing and Appeals Committee to progress the footpath diversion order and DCC are currently trying to arrange a meeting with Peak Rail to discuss how they can move things forward
     

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