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Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening Gala

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by chris meadowcroft, Jul 5, 2010.

  1. 6136

    6136 Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    I will be visiting tomorrow so any expansion of 'failures and late running' would be appreciated. I'm sure it'll be great anyway.
     
  2. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

    Just got back from a day working at Froghall station approach on traffic control with Neil.
    A problem, I understand with some stock meant that the first train rolled in some 45 minutes late and this lateness therefore continued until I had to leave at around 4.30. The place was heaving with visitors from 8.30 onwards, and I think the numbers took the organisers by surprise and car parking space soon filled to overflowing. Police reports from the Cauldon Lowe section were of cars parked very irresponsibly all over the place and passengers reported seeing hundreds out on that section particularly.. So it seems as if the first day exceeded expectations.
     
  3. 98wilsga

    98wilsga New Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    Late running was caused by having to remove a coach with defective brakes this morning; some of this time was pulled back.

    We then however suffered a ‘water mains failure’ (low pressure ) at Froghall which has caused some swapping of locos and consequent issue of locos being in the wrong place. A road tanker is arriving in the early hours for Froghall and a smaller mobile tanker is going off to Leekbrook.

    The removal of the coach has led to overcrowding which could not have come on a worse day really !


    Gregory Wilson.
     
  4. lewis.maddox

    lewis.maddox Member

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  5. 6136

    6136 Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    Many thanks. Sounds like people are working hard to make this an oustanding job.
     
  6. JohnRobinson

    JohnRobinson Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    Oh what a fun day I had !!
    I arrived at Froghall at just after 10.00 am and queued and bought my rover ticket. Went onto the station and boarded what I thought was the local train to Cheddleton thinking I missed the first train to Cauldon Lowe. The train was full but I managed to find a seat with no problems. The train set off and the TTI inspected my ticket and said I shouldnt be on that train as it was a fully "booked in advance train" .... and asked me to alight at Consall which I did without objecting. Little did I know of the coach failure and this was the first train running 40 mins late.
    Caught the waiting DMU set back to Froghall pulled by Eddystone and seeing the crowds at Froghall waiting decided to stop on board for the ride back to Cheddleton behind the DMU.
    At Cheddleton I waited or the next train to Cauldon Lowe which was behind Eddystone. On boarding. I got no further than the carriage doorway as we were packed in like sardines and couldnt get into the carriage.
    The schuduled banker was changed to a diesel but what a lovely ride up the line for what I saw through a door window.... well done to all concerned !!
    The pull back to Cheddleton was mainly uneventfull behind the diesel with a few getting off the train at Cheddleton and reviving the jam slightly for the run to Froghall.
    Might not have been on the first train to Cauldon Lowe but was the first to been thrown off a train on the line to Cauldon Lowe (albeit nicely).
    All in all - enjoyed my day out
    Cheers John
    ps - will be back on a quieter day

    few pictures here mainly from traveling here - http://john-robinson.fotopic.net/c1916168.html
     
  7. detheridge02

    detheridge02 New Member

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

    I hope there were some HMRC type bods about on the Cauldon Lowe section... people all over the track (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h74HcoETyUQ for an example).

    Most without HV's, doubt they had a trackside pass which would require safety training and the wearing of a HV as a minimum. I agree the parking was down right dangerous in places with cars parked on narrow lanes and even the main roads with no regard for restrictions or the highway code.

    Sorry CVR / MCR but you dropped the ball on this one, after all the national advertising you really weren't prepared for the quantity of people nor the stupidity of the few, the few police officers I saw didn't know where to begin!

    Out of curiosity when was the line passed by HMRC for passenger use? some of the Cauldon track looked in far worse state than other mothballed lines that don't even have freight certificates!
     
  8. lewis.maddox

    lewis.maddox Member

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  9. Coboman

    Coboman Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    I was on Pway duty at Leekbrook and the trains were wedged beyond belief! I've never seen so many people on a train on a preserved railway in my life!
     
  10. Captain Cuttle

    Captain Cuttle New Member

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

     
  11. steamingyorkshire

    steamingyorkshire Well-Known Member

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

    I too had a fantastic day today especially 8624 climbing the bank this evening in glorious evening sunlight.

    My biggest grunt was Cheddleton! The road around Cheddleton Station was dam right dangerous in my opinion, there were far too many cars parked along what is a narrow road anyway, passing another car was made extremely difficult. For future gala's maybe an agreement with one of the local farmers could be reached for parking in one of their fields. Parking like that can't keep happening.
     
  12. Coboman

    Coboman Member

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

     
  13. Guest

    Guest Part of the furniture Account Suspended

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    A truly spectacular day to those with connections in those moorland villages.

    The sunset even made certain engines glow the wrong colour
     
  14. buxton4472

    buxton4472 New Member

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

    How could CVR/MCR have possibly gauged the popularity of this event in advance, other than by numbers of advance ticket sales? The beautiful weather certainly made a difference and possibly swelled the number of local people out to see the trains run. There are relatively few 'legal' easily accessible spots on the new section so it was obvious that locations like Bradnop, Ipstones and Winkhill would be popular. And as for the stupidity of the few, NO organisation can prepare for THESE.
    I was only around for the first train yesterday at Four Fields Crossing and later near Winkhill and saw nobody behaving stupidly or irresponsibly but perhaps it became more manic later. Dangerous parking is another matter entirely and police should have had more than an occasional presence at Ipstones and Winkhill overbridges - these ARE hazardous spots!
    It is interesting to draw comparisons with similar events in Germany which attract just as many punters to lines with little or no lineside fencing. Are us Brits just a liitle too immersed in our now deeply engrained H&S culture?
     
  15. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

    The organisers were certainly not expecting the vast numbers, it would seem that in the first instance that visitors were advised to use Froghall as the main access point for travelling. However the very large car park was full by about 10.30, and as a result people were being turned away so obviously decided to try Cheddleton. What could the organisers do about this? I'm sure they will learn from this and be better prepared next time.
    Regarding the police presence, we only saw one officer all day and from what he said he was the only one around covering the whole area.
     
  16. 60017

    60017 Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

    Nothing positive to say then ?
     
  17. lewis.maddox

    lewis.maddox Member

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    Re: Moorlands and City Railway

    My video from the great day :)

    [Youtube]QyrsdoNdsv8[/Youtube]

    Cheers,
    Lewis
     
  18. lewis.maddox

    lewis.maddox Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    My video from the great day :)

    [Youtube]QyrsdoNdsv8[/Youtube]

    Cheers,
    Lewis
     
  19. C WALL

    C WALL New Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    Had a really nice day yesterday. Started with 34028 on the delayed 1125. Just manage to squeeze into the brakevan and stood like a sardine for 2 hours. Got off at Cheddleton on the return and then rejoined 34028 back to Froghall. Did 71000 to Cauldon Lowe and back with the 8F. As for the Beerex. Unbelievable!!! Never heard a loco work likethat on any preserved line, simply stunning! If anyone managed an audio recording it would sell very well :)
     
  20. twr12

    twr12 Well-Known Member

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    Re: Churnet Valley Railway& Moorland & City Railways Cauldon Lowe Branch re-opening G

    Which loco made the racket?
     

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