Moorlands and City Railway

Never mind about Oakamoor at the moment - the major thrust must be to get the line into Leek with a station there.

 

Still awaiting any public announcement as promised to shareholders, i take it there will be some detail included as to what plan "B" actually is?

 

There is a rumour that MCR have sold the track bed (or at least the long lease) of the line to Cauldon to CVR. If true this gives future certainty to the CVR operation even if it appears to knock on the head any option for quarry traffic by rail.

 

I'm not sure I see that. The two companies operate very closely, and if quarry traffic ever materializes, the MCR could rent access to the line from the CVR. I assume that the MCR took this step because they needed cash, and selling an asset was the easiest way (at this point) to get it. Not that this is 'dipping into the CVR's pockets' - the CVR might have felt that taking over the Cauldon line was a good idea - it definitely protects it, and their access to it.

Noel

 

I personally see it more as a case of the CVR wants to get to Leek. But it's problem is the trackbed is under MCR and they have other priorities ie getting the stoke section complete (I believe they are waiting for a few signatures to progress). So handing over the track to CVR means that the CVR can actually look at Leek itself.

 

Sorry, I'm slightly confused here: I was assuming that the section transferred from the MCR to the CVR was the section from Leekbrook Junction to Cauldon Lowe. How does having that bit help the CVR with getting from Leekbrook Junction to Leek? I thought that section (and the new Leek station, etc) was all being being wrangled by the MCR?

Is your meaning that MCR is going to focus purely on the Stoke to Leekbrook Junction section, and let the CVR wrangle all the Leek stuff (e.g. as a non-profit, they might have a bit easier time with the planning people, etc)?

Noel

 

It doesn't happen like that!

 

Well for the CVR to get to Leek they have to travel through Leekbrook junction. This and the section to Cauldon is the section being transferred so I understand. Therefore the CVR can

 

Assume your last 'MCR' should read 'CVR'?

 

Yes; sorry; thanks for catching that typo; fixed.

Noel

 

I consider that the long term existence of the CVR actually depends on getting to Leek. This latest iteration of the plan (and there have been many) is interesting in that it mimics a much earlier proposal that basically involved the same thing only read Railtrack instead of MCR.

Severing the Cauldon to Stoke line in half at Leekbrook Jcn by running steam trains through to Leek has historically always been an issue and is one of the several reasons the CVR haven't had a proper chance to get to Leek years ago.

It was publicly stated as long ago as 2001 (that I know of at least) that the CVR board's next target was to extend 1 mile to Leek. There are a lot of supporters of the railway, myself included, who fully agree with this and are always watching developments to this end with interest.

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You don't sever a line by having a common 100 yards between merging and diverging.

 

This is of course true, perhaps I should have mentioned that I didn't use the term sever in a literal sense. Railtrack (at the time) were safeguarding the Stoke to Cauldon route for potential mainline freight so the CVR crossing Leekbrook Junction with non registered stock, because the junction stood between them and Leek, would have effectively split Railtrack's line in two, marooning the Cauldon section.

An advantage of MCR was the ability to grant running powers over the Jcn for regular Leek CVR services, at little or no cost, something I don't believe Railtrack were able (or willing) to offer the CVR despite the mothballed status of the line.

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Well, it does take an arrow away from opponents, who can't say 'This lot is going to destroy the place purely to put money in their own pockets.'

The MCR is something of an unknown, whereas the CVR has been a going organization in the community for a long time.

Noel

 

Article in today's edition of Steam Railway explaining the recent developments between MCR and CVR.

 

Any link available to the article?

 

Your local WHS?

 

My local newsagent told me there was no demand for such specialist stuff in the village !!. To save me having to wait until next week - what was the gist of the article? Too much to hope I suppose that the sod cuttting ceremony for the line into Leek is scheduled for January.

 

Have you tried the top shelf or under the counter ?

 

Whenever I buy a copy of SR, I wrap it in a copy of Penthouse to save embarrassment when I walk out of the shop

Tom