If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by martinr1, Sep 12, 2014.

  1. martinr1

    martinr1 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2008
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    16
    Former Test Car Iris is off to Derby this morning to take its place in the East Midlands Trains Open Day tomorrow at Derby Etches Park. Yesterday it gleamed in the warm Wirksworth sunshine
     
  2. 45669

    45669 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2006
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    1,042
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Farnborough
    Bramblewick likes this.
  3. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    Track Donation By Celanese

    Celanese at Spondon have most generously given away their remaining rail system; demolition and recovery is now almost complete.

    The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway have received: 350 yards of track, 3 turnouts, and other items destined for a variety of projects at Wirksworth. One turnout has already been relaid leading into the planned third road in the maintenance shed.

    The other railways involved were: Mountsorrel Quarry Railway: 200 yards of track, two turnouts, currently being relaid at their new depot at Nunckley Hill. Lincolnshire Wolds Railway: 800 yards of track, two turnouts, destined for their next line extension, run round loop and sidings.

    The three railways worked very closely together in this common cause, on some days we had 30 to 40 volunteers on site.

    This has been quite an adventure, we still have to make our last trip to collect a few remaining items in September, and a full account will be given once the operation is complete. In the meantime we would all like to express our thanks to Celanese Ltd, to their staff who gave us so much assistance on site and to our colleagues from Mountsorrel and the LWR.

    Tim Oaks
     
    Corbs, Jamie Glover, al4466 and 4 others like this.
  4. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    We collected a final load, mostly of chaired sleepers, on Wednesday and recovery of our share of the Spondon material is now complete. This is a "just in time delivery" for this weekend when we will receive Professor Schmid and his students from Birmingham University for their annual tracklaying visit. The aim is to link up the third maintenance road and make a serious start on the new steam loco siding, which the midweek team have been digging out in readiness.

    Celanese are very glad to see their old sidings put to good use and we hope some of their people will be able to come up and view progress on Saturday.

    Tim
     
  5. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    A very productive and enjoyable weekend! The students laid 180 feet of track on the loco siding and did most of the work to assemble the link to the third maintenance road which has a nasty S bend. The donation of the Spondon track means that capital reserves can be used on further projects. This is only the beginning.

    Tim
     
    jtx and Jamie Glover like this.
  6. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    A notable first this coming weekend: two train operation using the passing loop at Shottle at the "Multiple Memories" event; this is believed to be the first time ever that two passenger trains have passed on the branch.

    Many thanks to Buxton Lime Industries and to the railway modellers at Bletchley Park who donated the ground frames.
     
  7. nick813

    nick813 Well-Known Member Loco Owner

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2010
    Messages:
    1,503
    Likes Received:
    1,503
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    poole dorset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    any photographs of track laying?

    nick
     
  8. martinr1

    martinr1 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2008
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    16
    Here are a couple of photos of the students at work:-
     

    Attached Files:

  9. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    This thread has been quiet for a very long time. Recent activities at the EVR in no particular order: various MK1 coaches have been refurbished/restored or rebuilt; the resulting dining trains appear to have been a huge success. The DMU team also seem to be turning out one vehicle after another. The new station building at Duffield is being fitted out, rumour has it that it will open in November. At Wirksworth a new booking office and shop has opened in the old Tannery building next door, much better than the old portacabin. The Birmingham University students have been back, lifted the "Tram Siding" ready for the extension of the maintenance facility and also re-laid and re-sleepered 60 yards of track on the loop. The railway has received a grant of just under £75,000 towards various projects including extension of the maintenance facility. After annual maintenance including changing several hundred sleepers the PW dept volunteers have re-laid one of the Spondon turnouts to give access to the proposed steam shed. The supporting Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association have received a very generous legacy reputed to be over £0.5m which will assist various projects including this shed.

    Tim
     
  10. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    The Wirksworth Model Railway Exhibition will take place next weekend at various locations in the town - town hall, parish hall, legion hall.

    The Bagnall Locomotive Group will be down at the Station with our exclusive range of Derbyshire 00 wagons and one or two other things.
     
  11. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    The new station building at Duffield has been completed and opened for business. Foundations for the steelwork for the maintenance shed extension have been dug and concreted.
     
  12. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2014
    Messages:
    15,328
    Likes Received:
    11,666
    Occupation:
    Nosy aren’t you?
    Location:
    Nowhere
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Is there any chance of a mainline connection at Duffield? Or are we talking silly money for it to happen?
     
  13. mikechant

    mikechant Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2012
    Messages:
    203
    Likes Received:
    233
    I'm not connected with the railway, but I live fairly locally and take a keen interest.
    Last time this was addressed it was mentioned that despite there being no current physical connection, even an out of use one, there is apparently signalling provision for the branch. However, despite this my take on this is that the only way I could see this happening would be if there was a very large legacy which was conditional on it being used for this specific purpose. Otherwise I think even if the railway found itself with enough £millions for this project, other projects would be considered as more beneficial (e.g. I'd wager that the EVR would really like to have a large shed for storing rolling stock out of the weather; and they might want to rebuild a replica of the original Wirksworth station buildings).

    Personally, something I'd like to see if it was possible would be a very short extension from Ravenstor as far as the high peak trail. This might make the branch more attractive (e.g. to walkers, particularly the less able, giving access to the trail) and might make it viable to operate more frequently. I've no idea if this is practical or not though.
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2016
  14. burmister

    burmister Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2008
    Messages:
    283
    Likes Received:
    281
    Stock shed for keeping restored an s unrestored Stock warm and dry out of the UV and wet is just as important as a restoration shed. Keeping existing stock/locos in good condition should be No1 priority over and above any fanciful whims like extensions, new builds or connections to NR used once in blue moon.

    Brian
     
  15. Luke McMahon

    Luke McMahon Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2016
    Messages:
    276
    Likes Received:
    58
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Macclesfield
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Ecclesbourne valley railway is cracking, brill atmosphere & always mega friendly plus it's got to be the only pres line where you can get dmu mileage virtually all year round!

    The mk1 stock looks superb, bit annoying that the front coach is oou for the return trips back up the branch duffield - wirksworth. For anybody who's travelled up for mileage behind a specific loco I.E. 33103/25279 not being allowed in the front coach due to it being prepped for the diner is a let down.

    As for the mainline connection, it's always been said by various volunteers whenever i've visited that the mainline connection wouldn't be beneficial, & does the ravenstor branch actually go any further???
     
  16. mikechant

    mikechant Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2012
    Messages:
    203
    Likes Received:
    233
    As far as I can determine a connection north from Ravenstor for about 1/4mile to a junction with the Cromford & High Peak Railway was planned and some work was done but it was never completed.
     
  17. mikechant

    mikechant Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2012
    Messages:
    203
    Likes Received:
    233
    Duplicate post deleted.
     
  18. ChurnetMan

    ChurnetMan New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2012
    Messages:
    65
    Likes Received:
    62
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Derby
    The 1880 and 1899 Ordnance Survey maps seem to show a completed link with tracks but I suppose that doesn't mean that it was ever used. The consensus seems to be that the engine house was never completed.
     
  19. northernsteam

    northernsteam Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2010
    Messages:
    593
    Likes Received:
    271
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Used to be in civil engineering, highway bridges.
    Location:
    Tyne and Wear
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    That would be a good challenge for the future then!;)
     
  20. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,024
    I wonder what the gradient is on the upper section of the old incline trackbed above Ravenstor? I suspect it may be beyond the adhesion limit. Ravenstor is a very nice branch to have, but the real economic justification is steep gradient testing for which it is quite steep and long enough. The idea of a mainline connection is somewhere well down the WIBN list, not exactly ruled out, but the railway will have to grow an awful lot first. Meanwhile the foundations for the extension to the maintenance facility have just been concreted and test samples have been dug out of the old dust dock for sampling. The old dock is a major blot on Wirksworth station and getting rid of it is a much higher priority.
     
    kestreleyes likes this.

Share This Page