Moorlands and City Railway

Paul is encouraging people to keep heart and head separate. This forum is clearly a place where the heart rules, and amen to that, but even on these pages, the reality is that the "heart" has never restored a single engine or extended a yard of track. That is when the head takes over. Nothing illustrates this more that the Bluebell extension over Imberhorne where professional expertise and the highest standards of cost accounting were necessary even before the civil engineering started, and for the last 30 years the heart had done nothing except dream of what might happen. If Lafarge thought the cost benefit of restoring the rail link to Cauldon Low made economic sense for them they would have done it. But I am sure they might say to the MCR "If you build it with your capital, your risk, your workforce, your capital, and then you maintain it, you guarantee its availability, and then we will run trains over it to suit our business operations (and on a renewable contract basis)".
Why wouldn't they? It's a no lose situation for Lafarge and IF MCR shoulder the entire project risk it is in the end quite a small carrot for so much effort. Paul simply highlights the divide where dreams have to end and it's time to show the financial cards.
I would like to see the projected annual income from freight against the cost required to keep the link up to standard.
Rail workers historically are not the most sympathetic to rampant capitalism, so how many P-Way and S&T volunteers today will continue to be happy to give up their own time in 5 or 10 years time in the wind, rain and cold just to effectively subsidise a large multinational's logistics operations?

 

Perhaps I can attempt to add a bit of clarity if I may? When MCR started out, the primary objective was the cement works, as at that time the stone quarry was owned by Tarmac who were anti-rail. Shortly after we reopened the branch to Cauldon in 2010, Lafarge bought out Tarmac's stone business, which then led to an investigation by the Competition and Mergers people which rolled on for a long time, the outcome being that, as 49010 said, they had to sell some of their cement assests, which came down to either Cauldon or Tunstead eventually. So all of this meant that over the last 4 years the Cauldon business has not known its future, and no one would undertake serious investment under those conditions. Now the situation is resolved, the cement and quarry businesses are owned by Aggregate Industries, a member of LafargeHolcim. There was some wibble at the time that the new owners were busy getting to grips with the operations at Cauldon, but I doubt many of the faces have changed. As to whether this now means it is more likely that the business will look to invest in the line I couldn't say, but at least the brakes are off again.

As for whether we vols would be prepared to assist with the renewal and ongoing R&M, I'd say must of us would, so long as the route was used by CVR trains too. We reopened it after all, and it's probably our favourite stretch, with its spectacular moorland scenery and steep gradients.

Hope that helps clarify the situation over the last few years. In addition there the on-going negotiations with NR over the Stoke - Leek Brook section, which have also been protracted for various reasons I'm not really privy too and so won't go into.

Sheff.

 

Pway were back up on the MCR track today with a team that split into two but both working close to bridge 5. One team were replacing sleepers whilst the other were felling trees around the bridge to improve safety and visibility. 33 trees were felled in total. Next task is a big bonfire.

 

Enjoyable day Neil, Good weather, great company, well done to all for the turnout.

 

All that and we discovered that T-Bar Tony is also Google, the Human Search Engine!

MCR see, where else would you rather be.

PS, re earlier stuff about England's highest pubs, some Very Bad News - The Cat and Fiddle is now "shut" - per a spokesman for Robinsons “There are some property issues that have to be addressed which our property team is looking at at the moment. We won’t know when the pub will re-open until these issues have been bottomed out.”

Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!

 

Well, it won't be flooding.

 

No, if hat place floods then we've had it.

Then again, being sat on top of an enormous peat bog I can't help wondering if it might be damp seeping into the cellar or the foundations.

Anyway

 

Big bonfire today which suceeded in getting rid not only of what we felled last week but also some of the wood from the first felling day at Bridge 5, which was three years ago. No photos but some of the rest of the team may have some.

 

Some photos from today, glad we managed to tidy up and open up the view of bridge 5 coming around the curve. will try to do the other side of the bridge shortly. The last shot was 4 tired pway members awaiting our lift back to Leek Brook.

 

Well done guys, fantastic job. Another burning party is planned in the Valley on Saturday if anyone is around?

 

Out this week continuing the task of trying to get the vegetation on the lineside under control and to make it look better for the CVR steam gala this weekend. Two of Pway were on the bank up to Ipstones just above the tight bend at bridge 5. Lots of previous work had left dead brash on the lineside but that has now been gathered up and consumed by a big bonfire and a few more trees were dropped and reduced to logs.
The rest of the gang were further up the line working on the drain replacement near bridge 8.
Waiting for our transport

before and after

 

Big turnout today of 12 split into two groups, one doing a line walk from Bradnop to Chedd and the remaining 9 changing sleepers near Bridge 5. Flatbottomed rail and elastic spikes that get stuck in the chairs. Speed improved during the day and we and we got six changed. With no mobile reception in the area we missed the news about WCRC until we got home. It would have made an interesting talking point

 

Trains running today on CVR metals so we chose to do some tree work up the line at Bradnop. Just two of us to start with but augmented by the three doing a line walk from Ipstones.

 

All the brash from last week (above) now burnt and site left looking tidy.

 

Hope there is Plan B https://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/news/leek0416

 

Cost of an appeal vs chances of success will perhaps determine but I suspect the cost would be similar to putting the track into Leek.

 

Interesting article hidden away in the Leek post and Times website indicates the possible grounds for the rejection....

http://www.leek-news.co.uk/Proposed...aising-funds/story-29094860-detail/story.html

Sounds like more of a technical / go away and provide more information objection than an outright rejection.

I can't help thinking of the Barnfields site development that was rejected by the council (9 -3 if I remember rightly) and then went back a few weeks later and was approved 11 - 1. Anyway, fear not, for Sybil (Ralphs, council leader) is with us!

 

If these houses were to be built I wonder whether people would want to buy them bearing in mind their proximity to the sewage works. I suppose it depends on which way the prevailing wind blows.

Bob.