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Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Sheff, Dec 6, 2013.

  1. Cuckoo Line

    Cuckoo Line Member

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    And by the time planning permission obtained, fund raising completed and track built several years would have passed and Alton Towers would have changed their business model again ! A tie up like that only works if you are already there.
     
  2. Martin Adalar

    Martin Adalar New Member

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    The only way a park and ride could ever work would be if the train approached from the southeast via Rocester or if the line from Stoke were to be used the CVR would have to become part of the national network and the linespeeds upgraded to at least 70mph throughout and so a reversal at Leekbrook would no longer be a problem. Either way, i think we could be pretty sure AT would not contribute a single penny to the cost of the infrastructure.
     
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  3. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Too true, and as Stoke to Leek was only ever 45mph we know the likelihood of the latter.

    As JCB have basically built upon Rocester they are the ideal company to rebuild anything of the Southern half. However there's more chance of the Leek & Manifold re-opening than that section, so as I say focus should remain with the projects that are achievable and not the nice-to-haves we will unlikely ever be able to afford.
     
  4. NeilL

    NeilL Well-Known Member

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    The Pway tree felling team in action today on the brach line to Ipstones
    DSCF2511.JPG DSCF2508.JPG DSCF2506.JPG DSCF2505.JPG
     
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  5. 21B

    21B Part of the furniture

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    A poop scoop perhaps?
     
  6. NeilL

    NeilL Well-Known Member

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    Pway out with the mini digger today ballasting shoulders and reinstating a long disused crossing
    IMG_20220929_132813_HDR.jpg IMG_20220929_124539.jpg IMG_20220929_124531_HDR.jpg IMG_20220929_121524_HDR.jpg
     
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  7. manxman2206

    manxman2206 New Member

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    Does anybody know when the feasibility study into re-opening Stoke-Leek is due to report?
     
  8. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Getting confused (doesn't take much!) .... heritage or big railway?
     
  9. manxman2206

    manxman2206 New Member

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    The currently mothballed section that has never been shut and is still part of the national rail network. Stoke to Leekbrook junction.
     
  10. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Cheers. The only bit I'm halfway familiar with was the Waterhouses branch ... which I've just seen mention of as a future aspiration for the CVR to reopen. My first reaction to that is ..... really? There's nothing there. Road widening blitzed the old L&M platform and the site of the LC years ago ..... and that quarry over the road from what's left of the station site, just before the NG line crossed the main road would definitely need renaming.
     
  11. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Speak to Karen Bradley and Jack Brereton, its the MPs that are leading that not CVR. We've been quite open and said whilst we support the re-opening, it is beyond our financial means and we've got more than enough on with what we already have.
     
  12. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    The CVR would only use what was the SG section, of which all that is actually missing at Waterhouses is part of the embankment which has been cut through to allow cars to use the former Goods Yard as a car park. The majorirty of the SG section has remained untouched, and has more been reclaimed by nature than anything. Most of what you describe is the former NG trackbed.
     
  13. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Aaah .... There's a reason for that. I visited the Hamps and Manifold valleys, 40 years ago, in search of the remains of the L&M. My base was Wetton Mill.

    Is the SG trackbed fully intact? Looking at Google Earth, if I was following the right line, it looked to be severed just outside the former station site, by what looks like a small lake left following some form of industrial extraction.

    Can I ask what source traffic is envisaged? Both valleys once served by the NG line are highly scenic (and superb for cyclists), but I cant help feeling turning the place into Cheddar Gorge would do it any favours.
     
  14. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Wetton Mill possibly hasn't changed much...

    The SG isn't fully in tact, but it's there. The Quarry has indeed built directly across the former trackbed with their lake/reservoir just North of Church Lane - however you will also note there is their internal road beside this body of water. It has been estimated it will not take too much work to adjust this to take a rebuilt railway alongside the road and deviate away from the original alignment before rejoining the embankment to the NE. You can then see the surviving bridge on Earlsway which is where the line crosses into the station site.

    No formal study has been completed yet, too many other projects underway. But it is envisaged that such an extension would encourage visitors to Waterhouses and the Manifold Valley to arrive by train and not car as currently is the only way - whether this be for walking or cycling or whatever. For the enthusiast it will be entertaining, as it's a standing start onto a 1in29 climb out of the station up to Caldon Junction. For all its quirks, Waterhouses is heaving in the summer (a real honeypot) and being able to offer a green transport corridor is appealing for any area thats wants more visitors but less cars.
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2022
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  15. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Sounds a whole lot busier than when I saw it, hence my questioning the rationale..

    During the Saturday of my visit, there was also a rather large bull blocking the hill down into Wetton Mill from Butterton (village, not station) for much of the time and it absolutely piddled down for the rest. Swainsly Tunnel came in very handy for the worst of it. Even the River Hamps had water flowing over it's peculiar fractured porous rock bed. The place is a dream for cyclists, geologists, hydrologists, rock climbers, potholers and bull wranglers.

    I trust your line's stock includes a full brake of two, bicycles - for the transportation of. From your description, there ought to be a good market for family tickets there, providing a safe crossing of the main road can be made.
     
  16. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    You did say it was 40(?) years ago you last visited... The Leek & Manifold has now become the Manifold Trail (cycleway) and attracts many people. I myself and my g/f have walked parts of it, partly for the railway connection but also because it is a pleasant walk that's not too taxing.

    We have got some provision should we need it, but as I say this is very much long term thinking. We need to finish Leek / Oakamoor / Cauldon sections first and they will be complex enough. The main road crossing is already semi-solved, the council have lowered the speed limit through the village though I suspect if there's ever a significant increase in visitors they'll look to put a pelican crossing in or something.
     
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  17. Gav106

    Gav106 Well-Known Member

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    I myself and my sister cycled it as children. A very pleasant ride!
     
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  18. Martin Adalar

    Martin Adalar New Member

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    You cannot just swerve around the 1980s built lake, you would have to partially fill it in and/or relocate it. The gradient here is already 1:45 which is the same as that at Leekbrook East so the last thing you would want is an unnecessary tight curve as well. It would also be necessary to construct some sort of corrugated over bridge like those north of Cae Mawr on the WHR so that quarry vehicles could pass over the top. At Waterhouses the station site is still there but there was only ever enough space in the original loop to run round three coaches in LMS days so the stone under bridge and embankment would need to be widened for a longer loop and where the trackbed has been breached either an under bridge or an access road right next to the Station Masters house to maintain access to the carpark which is on the site of the old goods yard. I would have thought that all this work would be necessary if the cement factory was ever to be rail connected because there is no way the short diddley little freight trains would be allowed on todays railway. Well worth doing though but you have to be realistic.
     
  19. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    And where did I say there was a plan to just “swerve” around the lake? My words were “estimated” and “adjust”, and I explained about there being no formal study before stating until we’ve completed what we already have on our projects list this won’t be developed much further…
     
  20. Daddsie71b

    Daddsie71b Member Friend

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    I think you are all looking through the wrong end of the telescope. CVR does not feed AT. AT feeds CVR. If AT has any sense, they see CVR as an addition to their rides.
     
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