Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Just setting this thread up to keep everyone up to date with news from the Churnet Valley, rather than using the thread on Galas & Events, which will remain for just that.

 

Ok I'll just kick it off with a couple of photos taken in Feb of the new steps being put in and painted. This was part of the refurbishment of the Leek Brook signal box. The original steps were without the platform on the centre but H&S would not let new ones to be built like that.

 

Any news on the 8F restoration?

 

As far as I can see it's not yet started, unless any of the smaller components are done. The owner is concentrating on his S160's - 6046 is running, 5197's boiler being repaired and the frames shot-blasted and painted this week. In parallel with 5197 the newly arrived S100 TkH tank 2944 is also undergoing boiler repairs and the tanks, frames and cab modified to UK loading gauge, and will hopefully be in steam for next year's gala. http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/news/2944-progress

 

A bit more up to date photos of the signal box at Leek Brook taken in August. These photos were taken by Peter Bowers a volunteer on the CVR.

 

Excellent progress, although the TKh is a tad different to an S100. The drive is to the middle rather than rear wheels, wheel dimensions are different, sandboxes/domes/whatever they are are different on top of the boiler.
S100:
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/...ist.com/files/users/NormanW/USATC S100sml.jpg

TKh:
http://www.rail.lu/im/x2/R100814_09.jpg

Still rugged little engines, and 'Karel' at the AVR can certainly make a lot of noise!

 

Parts have been collected together over the years, but no physical work has taken shape. Once 2944 (Spring) and 5197 (Summer) have been completed and run in 48173 may find her way into the workshop next autumn. Though we still have TKH 2871 to arrive on the rly and not sure where she will fit into the schedule of overhauls!

If anyone wants to get involved you are always welcome to join the MPD (or any other department for that matter!)

The CVR is always welcoming towards any new volunteers and with all our future developments due to unfold within the next 2/3 years there are exciting times ahead!

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/enthusiasts

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/become-a-volunteer

The actual volunteering page isn't as comprehensive as it could be, but then again when we only have around 100 working volunteers people are doing multiple jobs as well as their normal day jobs / family commitments.

If people want any further info on volunteering at CVR feel free to pm any one of us regular CVR volunteers. There's myself, Chris Meadowcroft, NeilL, 34015, p/wayman, sheff to name a few on NatPres and we all do various jobs on/around the railway

 

Good point, and I should know, having worked on USA 72 at the KWVR decades ago. Mind you, I never heard her referred to as an S100 back then either. Thanks for the info.

 

Wasn't there a project to adapt some TKh's to look like USA tanks at one point? I think there would have been a lot more work involved than at first glance.

 

Other work going on at Leek Brook. The platform is being moved from the signal box end where it goes past the loop to the tunnel end. These photos from 2 weeks ago show the start of the work.

 

Thanks for the pics again Jeff. I would add that Leekbrook was a halt which existed as a cross-platform transfer to the electric tramway service to the County Asylum up on the hill. It has never been used by CVR services, but as part of the Leekbrook development it is being brought back into use, potentially to allow visits to the newly restored signal box. This involves moving the platform southwards slightly to match the position of the existing loop.

 

photos of Leek Brook signal box showing the before and after the restoration.

 

Superb job!

 

Is it the intention is to move control of points and signals from the ground frame to the signal box now that it has been refurbished?

 

Our main maintenance job this out of season, has been checking all the flat bottomed rail between Cheddleton and Consall. This entails a visual check to see what pads need replacing, checking the RD clips to make sure they are not loose. These are marked up so the following crew can repair, sometimes the screw just spins which means that a hardwood wedge is put in to enable it to tighten.

 

Another day trying to make the views of the Churnet Valley more scenic by cutting back the vegetation on the lineside so that rather than a green tunnel passengers can see something of the valley

 

Brilliant, what a difference, let there be light, views and less corrosion!

 

Watching the Leekbrook south webcam this afternoon http://home.btconnect.com/cvrailway/webcams/webcam-leekbrook2.php there appears to be some activity on the site of the old platform adjacent to the run-a-round loop.

 

Seawright, I was working at Leek Brook yesterday (Notice its gone back to the original spelling) with the pway gang. I took some photos of the progress so far, the plaform top slabs should be going in today and they are waiting for the top slabs on the back wall to be delivered. On the last photo you can just make out the rest of the gang working.

 

Still to be decided officially, but it is being looked at.