Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Evening All,

Shots from this weekends Winter Warmers are now online, featuring 2944 & 33102!

Sat: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frank47524/sets/72157647633037004/
Sun: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frank47524/sets/72157649567075117/

Cheers to the crews for some top notch performances and clag!!



FJR.

 

Any development has to be good news in my opinion. Having watched the CVR get nowhere in 15 years when it comes to getting back into Leek using its own resources, I've slowly come to the view that the only scrap of hope to see an extension done will be with serious help and co-operation with both private developers and the council.

I know there will be a lot of houses (which some people do not like), and perhaps a less-than-ideal railway/canal presence, but I think if that's the only development that can provide the catalyst for a railway connection in Leek then so be it - we should take it warts an' all!

 

I couldn't agree more - for me preserved railways are all about the art of the possible rather than the ideal and as long as the council is on side then that will be a major help. I get the impression that there's more than a bit of, shall we say, manoeuvring, going on between the council and the developer which may explain the resounding rejection followed weeks later by a slightly different plan being strongly supported. Maybe the differences over the contribution to education will also be negotiated away - lets hope so.....

On the subject of the Museum - I certainly think that the Knotty has quite a story to tell, which the single room at Chedd can only go so far with. I wonder if the museum might also tell a bit of the history of the Churnet Valley more generally - one of the earliest areas in England to smelt Iron using Blast technology, the earliest railway in the Peak District (Cauldon - Froghall inclines), an early canal / railway interchange at Froghall, Boulton's copperworks made the copper for the transatlantic telegraph, and Brindley, (in many ways a Leek lad himself), surveyed the Cauldon canal and caught his death of cold while doing so (literally). That's a lot of history, and early industrial heritage, in one small valley....

By the way, the Old Man and I are sad to see the BRCW set leave the CVR, we would both have travelled on them regularly when they were based in Buxton, I may catch up with them again on the ELR though...

 

I have experience of this situation. Basically people who don't want change say: "Don't build houses because there aren't enough school places". They then say : "We don't need any more school places because what we have serves us fine". After a few years it's: "Quite wrong to close this school because of over-supply of places". Oh, the perils of doing nothing and getting nowhere! Leek has always been on the edge of viability, especially since the shameful demise of Britannia. It needs more employment, housing, the railway, the canal and all the tourists it can muster.

 

Does 'the railway' mean the Leek & Manifold Valley?
Well, I can dream........

 

I wonder if, had it survived longer, whether it would have been subject to a preservation attempt? It wouldn't have been that difficult to maintain, a couple of locos, 4 coaches and 8 wagons was all it had on the line anyway.

 

I was at a model show in Poynton a few weeks back. There was an O gauge layout called (I think) Wolf Low set "somwhere in the Moorlands" which had one of those Col Stephens type back to back rail motor / vans sort of things and I said to the operators "I wonder if Col Stephens had got his hands on the L&MVLR might it have survived a bit longer? Who knows....

I must say I'm still kicking myself that I never got to ride behind the scale model L&MVLR that Belle Vue Engineering of Sheen (I think) used to run on the track bed.....

Ah well......

 

Most developments require 'Section 106' payments for all sorts of local improvements including schools, roads etc.

 

I'll let my dream out of the bag. Rebuild from North Rode to Leek and on to Stoke and electrify as a loop to replace the existing Manchester to Stoke shuttles. From Leek to Leekbrook Junction use the old down line formation. The old up line would be for CVR use so that in normal circumstances there would be independent parallel running but with the facility for crossover to allow specials onto the CVR from the north. Manchester to Alton Towers every bank holiday!

As for the Leek and Manifold, I first cycled along it in 1960 when the tarmac had subsided between the old sleeper positions but not under them, giving an eight-mile rumble strip. It puts time in perspective to think that that is now 54 years ago but was only 27 years after closure. However, it is of far more benefit to the community as a route for walkers and cyclists than it ever was as a railway (and the same applies to the Ashbourne and Buxton). What I would support is the rebuilding of the Caldon Low line to Waterhouses, quite independently of the outcome of the quarry question.

 

Yes, but somebody has to pay, then there is the question of the job losses, what our town needs is jobs not houses.

 

The developer pays a fair chunk then by implication the house buyers. Houses are needed urgently so suggesting its a bad thing because there are insufficient school places is rather naive.

And job losses? Viable businesses which are displaced will likely relocate. And the new scheme will include a pub, restaurant and light industrial units. So just as likely there will be a net gain in jobs.

I'd love to know whether you ever see the positive in anything.

 

Now that a certain person has been suspended can we now have the MCR thread reinstated and get it back to normal please and leave this one for the CVR.

 

What Leek needs is people with a positive outlook.

 

Last day of 2014 and a good sized Pway gang out working on the track at Cheddleton in cold misty conditions early but sunny later. had to stop to let the mince pie specials go up and down to Ipstones. Video clip a bit dull in late afternoon gloom.

 

No answer from the Admins. Why not?

 

Did you 'report' it or PM them Jeff? I doubt they read every post on every thread. Cheers Iain

 

Thank you Ralph.