Embsay - Skipton

I thought the following may prove to be of interest to the wider Enthusiast community...

As has been mentioned elsewhere, we aim to return trains to Skipton, from Embsay. To this end, the first Network Rail study (GRIP 1) has been completed, and so far everything is going well! Two further studies are required before any work can start, and the project will cost somewhere in the region of £2 million. The idea is that Embsay Junction would be reinstated, fully signalled, controlled from York, and we would operate services between Skipton and Embsay, using part Network Rail's branch to Swinden Quarry (Tarmac). We would use Platform 5 at Skipton, which is currently out of use, and could operate a Park and Ride service for Skipton using our large car park at Bolton Abbey station. This would hopefully ease the traffic going into Skipton...
A new range of Skipton Savers has been launched to help raise funds for the project: these can be bought on the train or in the shop at Embsay, and allow your money paid to be doubled against tickets in 12 months' time.

At the moment there is no definite timescale - it will depend on funding, but if things go according to plan, 4 years is about right...

Watch this space!

 

That's great news.

IIRC there's a pretty stiff gradient straight from the Skipton platform up to Embsay and beyond. Embsay's bigger Hunslets and Austerities should be able to handle this, shouldn't they?


Richard

 

Good news and good luck. Will your locos need to be main line certificated to operate over the section from Skipton to where your line leaves the Swinden branch?

 

Wow cracking news! I visited a few years ago and admit I loved the place, the whole atmosphere was lovely! Wasn't there a narrow gauge project at one of the stations??? Might have just been my imagination though...

Even so, cracking news!

 

We don't know as yet the details of operation - that's what the study will ascertain. I would expect it to require fully certified stock...

 

Interesting times. The study should make for informative reading.
Hope to pay you a visit this coming Tuesday. The other half is doing some horse riding stuff at Draughton so gives me the perfect excuse to make myself scarce for a while.

 

Might see you about in the afternoon!

 

If I get there I'll be the one with the bonkers golden labrador.

 

I assume the operation would be on the lines of the NYMRs Whitby operation. With mainline registered locos and stock.
This will preclude the use of the J94s etc. Will this mean a possible regular mainline use for the DMU? As that would simplify the operation, eliminating the runround and enabling the possibility of using the lanky siding as a refuge to get out of the way of the stone trains.
The problems I see are that the only loco runround available involves using the Down Shipley Slow and Down Shipley Main with working on a slighly higher line speed line than Whitby (45 mph) and proximity to live Overheads near the station.
Also when I was involved in the remodelling of the station mid 90s we slewed the track away from P5 slightly, this will need to be considered for either tamping and reslewing or rebuilding the platform copes to suit.
Signaling costs will be prohibitive though as once away from Skipton platform area, beyond L4039 signal, there is no track circuiting, this will probably need to be added into the costs of providing the new junction at Embsay curve.
As far as I recall from the station upto the start of the curve is all fairly new CWR on mainly concrete sleepers, so restressing will also need to be considered for installing the IBJs.

Having said that I wish you well.

 

The scope of the study is to use P5 in an operation not involving running round, probably initially using alternative stock as gaining mainline certification for some of our locos would seem to be nigh on impossible as they were never built for the purpose...

The DMU option would not be using those previously based on the line, as we have parted by mutual agreement with the group. There are alternatives though.

All the rest of the signalling is included in the study though, including a signal on our land governing entry onto NR metals.

 

Would I be right to think Tim that this is more a case of Skipton looking for a Park and Ride option that using existing rail track, much of which happens to be a steam railway, rather than specifically a plan to regularly extend the E & BASR steam service into Skipton - in other words, the plan is to take people into Skipton who want to get there rather than provide a steam train ride to appeal to the Skipton market. Not that this won't be provided, of course, with a change of train at Embsay.

Just be careful you don't let yourselves get taken over to act as a rapid transit system and no paths are left for your services!

Either way, all the best with this - North Yorkshire leading the way again!

Steven

 

This could make an interesting mix of industrial steam and modern DMUs. It won't be everyone's idea of a "preserved steam railway". But as long as you can repaint the DMUs to look like an NCB workman's train, you should be able to keep most of them happy :-#

Richard

 

No! This is railway-led!! We are aware we can't run our locos down there without a lot of work, so it looks as though it'll be a case of changing at Embsay. It means we get into Skipton, and anything on top of that in the future (steam wise) can follow later...

Park and Ride could help the National Park as well as Skipton - that is an option being persued by us to assist the area...

Hope that helps to clear a few things up. Bear in mind most of what is said here is what is being investigated at the moment - the concrete plan is to run some sort of service down into Skipton, with a fully signalled junction onto the branch. The exact nitty gritty is what is being sorted out in the studies: we'd love to be ablt to run our steam engines and rolling stock down into Skipton, but being realistic, we will have to settle for something else, at least initially. But the sight of the Stately Trains 6-wheelers.......... (sorry - lost in thought!)

 

... with a Hunslet 16" on the front, steaming non-stop through Skipton station onto the Settle & Carlisle. Hmm ....

Richard

 

This is great news, and I wsh you all the best. I have unfortunately only ever made it to your line once, but I could not believe the welcome! I had contacted your manager to see if I could get access to one engine to photograph some components. He came in himself on his day off to get us into the right shed!!!! Try getting that on some lines....

Overall, I love the place. Even the feel of the station on a non-running day is very special. I hope you can achieve this, and it brings you in a lot more trade. Good luck!

 

Am I correct that specials trains have used this section before the junction came out?

 

I see Pennine Bus service number 214 operates from Skipton to Embsay. Do you anticipate any opposition from them as you would potentially be removing some of their passenger income.

 

Excellent news and good luck with the project. The railway is great as it is but the idea of getting there by train from Shipley with a change at Skipton is fantastic. Echo all the sentiments here, excellent welcome and a great bookshop, the tea room at Bolton Abbey and child-driven Toby are good too...

Nearly as good as Yorkshire's other industrial railway in South Leeds in fact..! ;-) (I'm a member at Embsay too btw!)

 

Onwards and upwards, another heritage branch line gets a main line link, all being well. =D>

Give it 20 years and you could be running trains to the outskirts of Threshfield and Grassington !!! I hadn't realised how long the Quarry branch was until I looked at it on Google Earth. It must be one of the longer freight only branches remaining in the UK.

Best of luck \/