Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Why do they need that? And if they do, what effect would that have on the CVR?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

It would feed passengers onto the CVR

 

I doubt it.

A place like Alton Towers is an all-day attraction already; if that is your "big day out" then you are unlikely to want to leave after a few hours to spend more money on a train ride. A 2 adults + 2 children family looks like it would be the best part of £150 at Alton Towers; I'm not going to want to waste that money by leaving part way through the day to go to another attraction.

Tom

 

Paid for how? If I read you right, it looks like you’re suggesting that it’s a part of the admission - which would mean AT and CVR having to do some kind of deal. Getting a deal that gives CVR fares that allow it to fund an extension, and avoids the VERY brand conscious theme park dominating how the CVR presents itself strikes me as a tough ask.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Most visitors to AT get a ride on a monorail from the car parks anyway. Add rides on various roller coasters and that is quite enough 'train-type' experience for most. AT even got rid of it's own railway as it wasn't enough of an attraction.

Jon

 

I hear what you say Tom, but it is more than a day attraction. There is a 200 room hotel on site.

Steve

 

My daughter went there with her school recently. While she’s not a candidate for a trip on a preserved train, her account of the day convinced me that stepping out to do an external attraction just wouldn’t fit. It would mean losing out too much on the rides inside the park, given the queues.

I’d consider driving to the CVR for a day out, and I’d consider a day out at Alton Towers. I’d never consider combining the two - and I’m well past the target demographic for the rides.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Quite. A timetabled attraction and an attraction with queues of indefinite length simply don't mesh. (And yes, I realise some theme parks have theatrical-type productions occurring at set times - but you don't miss the whole show if your queue for the previous ride happened to be five minutes longer than you expected).

The whole thing just feels like a non-starter to me.

Tom

 

The logic of you committed family types escapes me. I'd have thought the opportunity to dump drop the family off at such a place, whilst being left to enjoy a worthwhile day, unencumbered by the disinterested, would be irresistible.

I've heard it said (by a parent) that children are like farts .... in that you can generally just about stand your own.

 

You are now suggesting something different, which is dropping the blighters off at the gate and picking them up later. At which point, the benefit of Alton station is limited, and the railway is one of many alternatives.

Unfortunately, society now looks increasingly unfavourably on such parental abandonment. This is in many ways a shame (I remember doing Alton Towers free of close parental oversight as an 11 year old), but is a reality for the funding of extra traffic if the line were to be re-extended.

As for the fart analogy, that’s a little harsh - they can be quite appealing!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Froghall is only 15 mins/7 miles away if people staying at the hotel want to do something different one day. Just easy as getting to Alton station , where a car park would need to be created.

Jon

 

Alton Towers attracts people to the area. Often from some distance away and so many people stay for a night or two somewhere. Either one of the AT hotels, or one of the local B&Bs. So I think it’s fair to say that the CVR gains at least a modest amount of business from AT visitors looking for something else to do whilst in the area.

The CVR could probably do very well with a couple of camping coaches to cater for this market.

 

Takes all sorts, I s'pose!

 

CVR PWay work over the last few weeks has had two main themes - lineside tree work and tidying up and replacing and turning rails. The tree work is a never ending task but the changing rails does not happen that frequently and was a pleasant change even if it meant remembering the technique or developing it. Turning a 60ft rail without a crane took a bit of doing with the Hiab and a winch in the space we had between trees. It just fitted.

 

For the last month the PWay team has been changing sleepers on the branch line below Ipstones. This is because the Polar Express has been running between Froghall and the North Pole (Leekbrook Junction) Working on the exposed moorland line in winter is always a challenge, often with an icy wind blowing across the line

 

Polar Bear at the Polar Express

 

Short wet and cold days at this time of year but PWay have had some big turnouts - 13 today. Keen to work off the season's excesses. Still changing sleepers, although last week we did some work on a messy farm crossing as well.