Peak Rail General Discussion

Thanks for the info, this has been dragged out for so long, damn bureaucracy. It mirrors the situation up at my end In the buxton area where negotiations for a final few metres of cycle path down to an appropriate pub car park for access and parking have been thwarted by power lines and getting the associated utilities to agree to something. Assume it will be some sort of wicket gate with appropriate signage, don't think the situation calls for a mag lock gate, it's only a heritage railway with infrequent traffic after all. Too bad any minutes or proposals aren't posted online to have a look at, I guess a planning app doesn't need to be filed either.

 

Also DCC are applying to Natural England for a licence to do some preparatory work around the northern portal of Haddon Tunnel in order to undertake a survey

 

The steelwork for Rowsley cabin is up,today we finished bolting it all down and fitted the rear middle support plate. a start has been made on the door lock and ne,t will come fitting the upright clamp plates that used to hold the top to base when it was on ita wooden legs at Darley,these will be reused.

Elsewhere the loco sheds busy,work has started on the class 25,some cab end underfloor work on one end has been replaced and primed up,also the grills have been removes to checkover for water ingress and repairs and the batteries have been put on charge and checked over.

The tank waggon has been repainted and remounted on its frames,that's all been repainted up and all that remains is the wood at the frame tank ends cutting to the tanks shape to complete, kev has been busy sprucing up parts for a water crane as part of long term.plans to get the rewatering facilities completed on site, the gwr loco has had the boiler removed and is now down to the frames.

 

Is this box going to be a riverside job, I.e no heritage merit whatsoever? I get you have vandalism issues, but I believe those have abated since a few individuals were dealt with by the police (according to the briddon blogs)

 

I really hope that it isn't block work - Riverside looks terrible

 

It does indeed, but being that this is the only 'original' station on peak rail they should make the effort with the signal box, regardless of vandalism worries, after all, the ex bamford box sited there previously blended in perfectly.

 

Poss

Possibly getting mixed up with Darley Dale? There won't be a full sized box there.

Dave

 

I know, they are raising the ground frame cabin onto stilts, and presumably (and unfortunately) cladding it with concrete blocks like riverside box. they should aim to make it as in keeping with Farley station as they can.

 

You are indeed getting a little mixed up The plan is to have wooden cladding on the downstairs, with two sets of inset Windows, two front ,two rear to let natural light in after all folks are desired to be allowed to come look inside the box especially with its unique frame, certain security measures will as usual be fitted but hidden in the framework, steel door with high security lock, Windows as standard are polycarbonate for security and ease, on the outside all looks traditional.


Matlock may not appeal to everyone's tastes with its block work and steel door, but it is better to have something secure than watch your hard work and time go up in smoke, being a signal engineer and having seen my fair share of box torchings I'd rather not see one of my own go up as such, we've already seen vandalism and drug use in the area which has been reported to police, I'd not like to give the local miscreants the chance to have a go at another wooden clad structure or see what happened over at the MR occur again anywhere else.

 

Un

Unfortunately things are seasonal, it's supposition to say the same individuals are responsible for all works in the same area, every year a new batch of perpetrators come and go, having seen my fair share of box torchings over time I know his more than most,trespassers without intent, those wishing to have a go at vandalising and those intent on actual destruction of property all come and go yearly , the local area has many different types of goings on, from drug use to vandalism, and railways which don't run all week or have stations set away from local roads attract those persons, there used to be two lads who did no more than use riverside to have a few cans of midweek lager, I talked to them a lot and they were alright chaps, I also recall bumping into a,group of twenty somethings with head torches, couldn't work out what they were doing other than one of them had lent his wallet and his car to his mate who'd gone off Chesterfield and hadn't come back, they weren't all with it ( you're probably thinking what I am, let's say the mate wasn't coming back ). Anyway the thing to remember is it's worthless putting all the heritage aspects into something if it makes it prone to being vandalised, I'd rather have riverside as is than he thought of having it destroyed.

The Windows have done their job,we polycarbonated them along time back and there are a few small marks where someone's tried to have them with an air rifle, you don't notice from twenty feet up.

 

Appreciate the clarity, I wasn't having a go it's just difficult to find information on progression on peak rail, very little info online that you can rely on. Yes it's certainly the best way to have a secure signal box that is traditional looking as well, but the Darley cabin is getting raised up yes? It seems like a lot of effort. Would it not be better to just recreate the original darley box? Presume this steelwork is not on the site of the original box?

 

don't worry I know you weren't having a go boss , we love to answer questions if we can, the original darley box (one we erected from bamford) the woodwork legs had perished beyond repair, it was decided at the time if we take it down we had to find a use for it rather than sit it down permanently which could lead to further rot, hence the desire to kill three birds with one stone

1, repair it for reuse,but not required at Darley as new built ground level cabin had been made in 2007 to take over.
2. make it accessible for public viewing -something else to see on site
3. if the extension requires alterations to rowsleys north end pointwork and frames then why not bring all the frames into one location,freeing up ground frames for elsewhere again and then use one frame for the job,use the box to house that frame and make use of the structure, it may not be a full box again but at least itl be used as a start, ironically we also gained the ex barrow hill turnover frame which gave item 2 the best possible reason for public viewing as itl be unique,we also wanted to get some work done ahead of any extensions,as we hate playing catchup on s and t.

once built its not be far off the original darley box, but will be at Rowsley as that's where its needed, the site of darleys original box is the access road to Mr Briddons yard now and the neighbours behind may not like the structure being put back up there, darley is controlled by a ground level cabin which all the bobbies like as it doesn't involve lots of up n down stair action (one reason it didn't get used at darley originally in the early years due to this), workwise its not that much involved anyway, if wed re-erected it it woul look exactly the same as its going to be at Rowsley only with the benefit of micks hindsight in that steel framed bases don't rot unlike re-erecting wooden boxes on wooden legs, church lane was done the same on steel framework below decks which I believe came from scrap pylon steel from hams hall,and has served well, I note problems at other railways on some wooden legged boxes that have cost a lot of money to put right, something weve decided to avoid in future proofing the boxes with steel legs and framework,polycarb windows,etc...

theres more information on my website which I update infrequently (due for an update) about the railways s and t dept and works http://dominic-beglin.magix.net/website/
I also do a weekly blog for the department by email but that's limited to those involved and a few from other departments etc.

hope that helps boss

 

Parish notices first

Sheffield branch


** WARNING!: ROAD CLOSURE AGAIN, DIVERSION DETAILS AT BOTTOM **


For a requested £3 donation on the door, all welcome to:

Mon 2 October 2017 at 7:30pm
"Marston Vale Circular" - slideshow - Martin Bromley (Nottingham)



"A circular tour south from Leicester down the Midland main line to Market Harborough and Bedford, then west across the Marston Vale line to Bletchley, north up the West Coast Main Line through Milton Keynes and Rugby to Nuneaton, and finally north-east through Hinkley back to Leicester"





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Presented by: Peak Railway Association (Sheffield Branch) at
The Harlequin Pub (upstairs function room)
108 Nursery St, Sheffield S3 8GG

bus routes 3, 7, 8, 8a, 83 and 83a stop near the front door.


hope to see you!
Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David Sharp
Peak Railway Association, Sheffield Branch

(E): d.sharp@sheffield.ac.uk
(H): 0114 274 5478
(M): 07950 787 231 (text or call)

future branch programme and directions to The Harlequin, can be found at:

http://www.peakrail.co.uk/SheffieldBranch
(update in hand)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aizlewoods Mill car park. The menacing parking notices are to tackle daytime abuse. Aizlewoods confirm Harlequin patrons can continue to park in evenings. 'Policing' only done by Aizlewoods staff (who finish at 1700). The London security firm is used just to process any parking notices instigated by Aizlewoods.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


WARNING, ROAD CLOSURE AGAIN

Thanks to Stewart Donohoe and Ian Cosford for tipping me off about this.......

Access INTO Nursery St off Inner Ring Rd is CLOSED for 3 weeks from 18 Sep.
(EXIT from Nursery Street is not affected)

The sign-posted diversion is the same as in August:-

From Park Sq roundabout take the Victoria Quays exit (but DO NOT continue onto the Victoria Quays), just keep straight on along Exchange Place to bear left into Castlegate (alongside River Don), and then, at the traffic lights, turn right onto Lady’s Bridge.

Continue straight on into The Wicker (passing Nursery St!), then turn next left into Stanley St (signed for IRR traffic).

Stanley St leads onto Spitalfields and Aizlewood's Mill car park.


Going home is NOT affected by this diversion at all.


THE LINK BELOW takes you to Google Maps at Park Square. As you zoom-in more road names appear. Click the 'Satellite' box (bottom left) and zoom-in for a 'helicopter view' to usefully see the lane markings to follow in Exchange Place.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.3865245,-1.4640072,15.25z?hl=en


S and t


Called in Darley to replace the old metal location on the up side platform with an LMS wooden location that's been restored, then refit it back out with all its electrics again and also to move the telecomms joints into the cupboard before doing some more work on the box door for rowsley cabin, up in the shed the Penyghent chaps were working away on D8 and also managed to have a chat with the LMSCA gang who were busy doing tons of stuff including more name boards,poster boards and finishing the coats of maroon and white gloss on the upholstery coach they've been making as a mobile workshop in one of the old parcels vans.

I've Also included some pics of the tank waggon under restoration which I forgot last time.

 

A quick heads up on the weekends two incoming charters on the Sunday 8th October

Firstly early in the morning is the "Lickey Incliner 2", for mr Alan Spencer's 70th birthday, supported by the Locomotive and Carriage Institution, Alan has been instrumental in both The Derby ROG,PR and also in his early days as a fireman out of Bromsgrove shed.

Locomotives are shown as a class 37 top and tailed with a 47/8

Starting time from derby is shown as 0830 due to an early running go East Midlands train,so it'l be a quick blast Upto Rowsley, I've included a screenshot of the timings posted online.

Later in the day we also host 70013 on "The Peak Forester "operated by the Railway Touring Company, arriving at Matlock at 1524 booked time,then Rowsley at 1600, with a departure again from Rowsley of 1815, again I've included a screenshot of the times as posted online.

 

Quick reminder from the Sheffield Branch

This Saturday is the Sheffield Model Railway Society's annual exhibition (10.00am - 4.00pm) at Davy Social Club, situated on east side of Prince of Wales Road between Darnall railway bridge and the Sheffield Parkway roundabout.

Postcode for SatNav is S9 4ER.

Free parking.
Entry: Adults £4.00, 5-16s £2.00, Under 5's free.
Refreshments, Bar and Lounge.
Disabled access via lift.

Rod and I will be there with the Peak Rail Sheffield Branch sales stall.
Perhaps we will see you there...



Dave

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David Sharp
Peak Railway Association, Sheffield Branch

(h) 0114 274 5478
(m) 07950 787 231 (phone or text)
(e) d.sharp@sheffield.ac.uk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Alan Barber's Train returning south at Ambergate:-

 

And here's the Peak Forester going north at Ambergate:-

 

Hello folks, but of a busy day with two incoming and outgoing charters, one an early diesel charter with a class 37/47-8 and the other with 70013 top and tailed with another 47, I've included some photos

The day's wasn't all fun, Andrew and myself spent some time looking at lineside telephones ,some pesky telephone bell faults and cables,removing some old redundant wiring and tracing circuits,repairing a faulty power feed and changing some batteries too on maintenance.

John has Also been busy replacing track batteries at riverside and looking at what may be a lightning strike on a phone concentrator there last month.

Ben is presently sorting out some internal fittings for rowsley cabin too, we'd also like to get the finials on before we put it another twenty feet up in the air for obvious reasons,all that and managed to meet up with Pete and John.

 

More working party news from the Renown and Repulse Restoration Group

https://www.renownrepulse.com/news-reports/entry/2017/10/11/work-party-report.html

 

S and t

Andrew and myself measured up ,drilled and fitted the metal braces that hold the steelwork legs to the upper portion of rowsley box, recovered from the old Bamford box when it still had its wooden legs, some hefty bits of what we think look like pylon steel, that done they received another coat of grey primer before moving onto the next job back at the box.

The floor work under the lever frame has been finished off with boarding from the LMSCA, the footboard on the front edged and screwed down, and the cabin has had a clearing out, Andrew is looking at the electrical rewiring needed and Ben has made the replacement finials as well as finishing up the box furniture (an original locker bunch to go with the relay cupboard already there, the stove and clock will go in last to complete the display for visitors when erected.

We've been very kindly donated an original Midland signal arm which is planned to go up on 6 signal at church lane once repainted and the glazing refitted, I'm told it's ex Derby station, it will replace the repair done some time back when a standard enamel arm replaced the wooden arm mr Wainwright originally fitted that had become life expired over time, at the same time the distant arm will also get repainted, that's an over winter job.

other bits

Elsewhere up at Rowsley the Prarie is down to its frames now,next comes lifting the body to get at the wheels,to which lifting beams have been fabricated for that job, the class 25 work continues with engine and cab repairs,the floor of the south end cab requiring some replating under the boards so has been took down to metal,repaired and back in primer again.

The Penyghent folks were working away inside D8 sprucing her up

The LMSCA continue to be a very busy group with both the upholstery coach undergoing final repainting and fitting out,bogies and bodywork ongoing on some of the fleet as well as other work in the background including new notice boards,platform furniture and the long term restoration of the Midland Brake van too.

The Ashover light railway folks were about too but being too busy. Didn't get a chance to go over and chat about their recent works.