Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Always good to have more covered accommodation. What is the DfT involvement in the facility?

Dave

 

The shed extension is being built as a major part of the DfT grant project, I'm not sure if they are paying for all of it as the floor has been built to a very high specification to support carriage lifting jacks.

Meanwhile we have just had a very successful Easter weekend; earnings are around double those at Easter 2016 - a slightly later date helps but even so it is a very good omen for the visit of 47406 over the Summer.

 

East Midlands Trains Second Generation Class 153 is to visit Wirksworth for the Multiple Memories Railcar Gala on 13th/14th May. There will be a short naming ceremony on the Saturday morning at Wirksworth Station as the unit is named "Ecclesbourne Valley Railway 150 Years" to commemorate our celebratory year, before it operates services through the weekend alongside our award winning fleet of First Generation units.

Trains will cross in the new loop at Shottle. For further details and timetable, please see the EVR website.

 

I'll be heading over when the jinty arrives. Haven't been over since the lanks and Yorks visited the other year. Looking forward to seeing a few changes down at the railway.

 

Look forward to seeing you. Meanwhile, two carriages have arrived this week, one is a TSO purchased by EVRA delivered from the East Kent Railway, the other is a BSO also owned by EVRA. Both will require substantial work before they can run in traffic.

 

Don't like to moan, but your latest news on the website is a bit neglected this week. I really enjoy that to keep me in touch prior to a Wirksworth visit for coffee and cakes.

 

The chap who usually manages the website is believed to be on a barge in Norfolk. You could try joining the wirksworth_railway yahoo group. One of the latest snippets is that a former Blackpool tram has turned up on a testing contract, the aim being to study the behaviour of a self steering bogie with stub axles. The vehicle seems to have internal observation panels at one end; a glass bottom tram. There's a novelty.

 

Further to Sleepermonster's piece of news concerning the East Midlands Trains Class 153, I have copied-in the press release that went out late last night.

Full details of the event - including timetables and the roster - are now on or website and can be found here:
http://www.e-v-r.com/multiplememories/

The Press Release:

A SPECIAL HONOUR FOR THE EVR


EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS ‘SPRINTER’ TO VISIT WIRKSWORTH AND BE NAMED

Wirksworth, 1st May 2017: As momentum increases as part of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s Ecclesbourne 150 celebrations, a Class 153 unit from East Midlands Trains will visit Wirksworth for the Multiple Memories Railcar Gala on 13th - 14th May. There will be a short naming ceremony on the Saturday morning at Wirksworth Station as the unit is named "Ecclesbourne Valley Railway 150 Years" and this Second Generation unit will then operate services throughout the weekend alongside our award winning fleet of First Generation units.


The weekend will provide a special opportunity to see East Midlands Trains’ rolling stock on both sides of the fence at Duffield as well as a chance to compare the Class 153 with the original Class 122 which they replaced. Single car Derby Lightweight unit 'Iris' will also be in action allowing visitors to ride on three single car DMUs during the weekend.


Jake Kelly, Managing Director for East Midlands Trains, said: "We're very pleased to be supporting the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway's 150th anniversary and playing an active role in this year's celebrations.


"The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway plays an important role in attracting people to the region and is a proud part of Derbyshire's railway heritage, and we hope that the loan of our train helps to attract more people to the Multiple Memories Gala and to celebrate this special anniversary."


The weekend will also be the first time a 'Sprinter' class of unit has operated between Duffield and Wirksworth since the Class 150 and 151 units which operated The Wirksworth Phoenix trains in 1985 when they were new.


Ends.


Note to Editors:


The following high-quality digital images are available:

This picture shows the close relationship at Duffield between EMT’s Derwent Valley Line services and the EVR’s service to Wirksworth.



One of EMT’s Class 153 units on a Derwent Valley Line service at Cromford.

 

Multiple memories seems to have been a great success, though it was more like Multiple Mayhem at one point. The transporter bringing in the class 153 broke down on the way and ended up going through the middle of Wirksworth around closing time on Friday. Lets hope the delivery of 47406 tomorrow is a little less fraught; it enters into traffic at Whitsun.

 

47406 has arrived safely and sits resplendent in the sidings at Wirksworth, not that far from "The Duke". The last time these two locomotives were on the same site was around 1990 at Buxton when 47406 was largely in ex-Barry condition. The 3F enters traffic next weekend, which is our "Kids go Free" event. Sadly The Duke will not enter traffic while 47406 is present, but the overhaul is doing very well - see the "Industrial Update" thread under Steam Traction for details.

 

47406 has settled in very well. Next Sunday is the vintage bus weekend with the 3F on the main line and one of the Barclay tanks giving brake van rides on the Ravenstor Branch. The Maintenance Facility is having doors fitted and has become very busy already; there are guided tours of the work in progress on most Saturdays and Sundays.

 

The Classic Bus event went extraordinarily well; I think we will have achieved record takings for a one day event. Quote from the wife of a visitor: "Clean toilets, good food and immaculate flower beds on the platform. Everything I look for when visiting a heritage railway".

 

I think you just meant to write "a visitor". Unless this lady didn't actually visit?

 

"Wife visiting with enthusiast husband" would be more accurate. Also please see the picture below taken by Leigh Gration.

 

image1By leighevrProgress Sunday 2nd July 2017wirksworths_railway 0

 

Two really good weekends on the trot; this weekend we had the opening of the "Ecclesbourne Valley Way", a footpath along the valley connecting with the railway stations and a play to celebrate the 150th anniversary. Next weekend we have the Classic Transport Weekend, which promises well. Meanwhile the "maintenance facility" has become a proper shed - it now has doors which lock and plenty of electric points.

 

It has been an extremely good summer so far. The Jinty is well into its stride and handling 5 coach trains very well. There is an uphill climb out of Duffield for 5 miles to Shottle and a good bright fire is essential.
A class 26 should be arriving shortly for the Diesel Weekend next weekend, 12/13 August which will feature a variety of working, including shuttles up the Ravenstor incline. Then back to the Jinty, which will be leaving after the August Bank Holiday weekend.
In September work is to start on preparation of the site for the new station building, and Professor Schmid and his students will be back for a tracklaying weekend, meanwhile work is just starting on the Shottle signalbox project, so it promises to be an interesting Autumn.

 

Class 26 No. 5343 has now arrived.

 

A couple of shots of the class 26 from Sunday:

Idridgehay


Willow Crossing