Peak Rail General Discussion

Heritage shutters trust event for august

https://www.heritageshunterstrust.com/events

 

Also mixed traffic weekend 12,13,14th august


https://www.peakrail.co.uk/steam-tr...way-days-out-peak-district/steam-diesel-gala/

note the HST show on their event link (above this post) they’re only doing the weekend 13&14th

 

Just visited the model railway exhibition in Buxton and popped up to have a look at Peak Rail's old Buxton site only to find the Mcarthy and Stone development has been built on half of the site.

The platform looks to be about half the length than I remember when it was a steam centre in the 80's.

Did Peak Rail own the land and sell it off for development? (think I remember them selling off the engine shed area to Buxton Water?)

All seems a bit shortsighted if the station site is now not big enough for say a 7 coach train.

Of course this is all a pipedream as cannot see Peak Rail ever extending from Rowsley to Buxton.

 

Welcome to Natpres Magna Junction. From memory, probably failing, I can't recall the platform being more than about four coaches long, but I'm open to correction. At the exhibition you could have asked the Peak Railway Association Buxton Branch how things stand, they were there with the Sheffield and Derby branches and I think had site plans. When land was sold off I believe enough was left for an operable platform. I really enjoyed Railex, and the cornish pasty I had from the Pavilion Kitchen was the best I have had for many a year!

Do I expect the line to re-open in my lifetime, probably not, but maybe in my little grandson's lifetime, so it's worth retaining the site don't you think?

Dave

 

Hi Dave,

Found this picture on Pinterest, the platform and running lines used to run up to the access road to the station car park.

So the development has took a large chunk out of the original length platform and running line.

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/250160954280164735/

Cheers

Scott.

 

Work on the rebuilding if the loading ramp (also used by the Heritage Shunters Trust ) on gala days has started, proper blocks this time photo attached.

Repainting of the dining set supporting carriage (not a clue about its actual name sorry, I’m signalling not carriage or Loco so am uninteligent in such matters ☺️) is continuing, its in base coat , much improved than being in filler and primer since I saw it a couple weeks ago.

the shed gang have started to clean up the class 47 , Martyn was showing me the windows on one end ,spotless, the bogies and underneath have been all jet washed nice n clean too, at least on one side, the other is to follow

it’s foliage season and quite a few folks have been busy with the usual tidying up sessions, garden and crew have cleaned up Warney lane crossing much improving sightlines and such.

 

Well having missed the gala due to a preplanned family holiday, I’m glad to see it all went well and the weather was lovely and sunny thank goodness, I’m sure some pics will appear soon but I’ve none of my own to repost obviously.

Loco wise the battery electric locos on test are still being tested, as are some modern image stone/ballast type hopper wagons , the class 47 has been running them up and down several times which is nice to see a busy little site, elsewhere there was. Crane doing some work around the renown and repulse area but I stayed away with lifting being in process.

the locos have had a bit of a shunt around, Clive was out by the box, the class 37, electro deisel and the 08 by the loop road siding, I did take a picture but I may as well have wiped Vaseline on the lense as I forgot mucky hands and pockets collect dirt

im told work on the water tower is being looked at ,early stages yet though and the Ashover light railway are also looking at expanding their running line towards the rear of the Signalbox.

on my own department we’ve managed to hold our first Rowsley Signalbox open day and an unofficial one over the gala too, between riverside operations, thanks to Andrew and John for that.

we’re also on with som small alterations to the gate bar at church lane to allow for future heatwaves giving wooden gates problems, there’s also a crank bench to replace at Rowsley, steel tops being the favourite now over wood where possible for ease and long lasting

 

A few years since I last posted - Derbyshire Dales District Council have given planning permission to reinstate the footbridge at Darley Dale Station

The link to the application and plans - https://planning.derbyshiredales.go...ils.do?keyVal=RAZISNFUMYA00&activeTab=summary

Positive things coming out of PR after a long time being in hibernation

 

Crikey, that seems to have been on the stocks for decades?


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Little bit of a while since I last updated, the Ashover light railway group have started to set out the formation round the picnic site up to Henry’s old narrow gauge station so their line can go around the field and upto the old station formation again via a longer route, tree cutting has started and formation building is next, they’ve always had the plan to recreate the triangle that was at Ashover and that as far as I’m aware is still part of this plan too.

we’re near to the end of the normal operating season and have recently completed a number of extra late evening Saturday curry trains too, apart from the passenger,palatine and pay and play trains, Saturdays feel a regular little mainline operation now.

apart from that trackwork and s and t work continue in the background to.

 

It’s been a while since the last update.

santas

santas are getting well booked up now, the trains decorated ready and the station too.

Matlock return

we operated a test train last week with the push pull set to train staff on the operation from Matlock back to riverside ,run round and return, 4 round trips , the s and t also were on hand in riverside , we had an extra day going through things prior to the day and will be more planned in to cover everyone before we move on with using it for the passengers next year.

the return of the yellow end push pull is a welcome sight, last time I recall it was back in the early days when we ran from darley to the cutting, a very short run.

trackwork

both the Ashover light railway and our own pway have been busy recently, our own pway have been continuing the yearly process of sleeper replacements amongst other works and the Ashover group have been busy preparing land from the end of their running line over the park area and onto Henry’s old platform formation ready to extend their running line, the overall plan is to return the triangle formation as was on the original Ashover light railway and eventually the cafe that sat in the woods.

loco wise
Two more locos have arrived ,work continues on the class 37 engine and there’s other steam work besides but I can’t really say much as have been busy work wise so haven’t got upto the shed to check out what’s what, I will soon.

signalling

it’s that time of year for mostly maintenance, but in between all that we did do some woodwork repairs on church lane crossing gates and also brought the adjustable gate staples into use, so we can now alter the locks in extreme heat events.

 

Thanks to Stuart for this link to the Peak rail association video page

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHTzlWatMYTilSOf4rfEfdQ

 

Very interested reading about the training for setting back from Matlock to Riverside. My original thoughts when the first trains ran beyond Riverside was that running every single train top & tailed would eat into the lines profit due to the doubling up of loco hire fees...

Is it the intention for the new method to be made permanent going forward? Would make perfect sense if so.

Sent from my moto g(8) power using Tapatalk

 

Yes, hopefully which should save a lot of issues,fuel,Loco wear n tear etc, plus give a little interesting operation to one end of the line.

at present we’re in the throes of training , the signalling will come in on top of this at riverside a bit at a time so as to not over complicate things initially, staged progress rather than a mad rush .

itl make next year interesting too as we’ve a few ideas in the pipeline for possible events,joint galas maybe, wel see.



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I think so, apart from gala situations when a loco waiting at Riverside could take the train northwards, after it has propelled to Riverside.

Attached a photo of the driving end, not surprisingly being called 'smiley'.

Dave

 

Interesting that the driving end is not a brake coach as has been used as such at places like the Nottingham Heritage Railway. If there's a brake valve there so the guard/pilotman can brake in emergency while propelling, how do you ensure it is out of reach of punters who might be inclined to mess around with it?

 

I don't think it's a problem but in fact it is to be transferred to a brake coach, mainly because it would be nearer to a handbrake if required.
Thanks
Dave

 

So does that mean there isn't a vacuum brake control available to the pilot man? If so, that strikes me as a little short sighted and potentially dangerous - if something obstructs the train, especially at short notice, running to the handbrake isn't going to stop it in time

 

There should be a brake control handle connected to the vacuum pipe that's going up through the corridor cover. No point in doing it otherwise. They're running alongside NR whilst propelling, it will have been risk assessed within an inch of its life!

 

Attached a photo of the control desk with brake valve, it also has lighting switches and a 24v air horn. The controls are of course out of bounds when the vestibule door is locked shut.