Moorlands and City Railway

Shambolic, There was a shareholders meeting in November where things were explained. If you think about it 90+ year lease with track seems good value to me. Of course we had already purchase the track, still good value.

 

Reread your post of Dec.10th. I'm looking at the benefits that MCR bought to the railway. The clearing of the track after years of neglect on the Cauldon branch, I know what is was like could not get further than the railway cottages at Leek Brook. Loads of sleepers, chairs keys etc. that required replacement by at least 2 people full time. Roadrailers bought in to clear trees and drains. Then after all was ready came the grand re opening on the coldest weekend for years, those that went will remember the frozen engines at Cheddleton, fires lit under the engines, the frozen coaches and frozen volunteers. MCR has let the CVR run trains up the Cauldon line at least once a month and the volunteers work on the line keeping it in good order After the track buckled in the heat it was decided to abandon the line nortth of Ipstones. Its a wonder they carried on, but they did we started changing sleepers on the Endon line also cutting trees and track repairs thinking that we would be going there soon but now 7 years after, Network Rail are still dragging their feet. The local council will not lease the trackbed to Leek. The track to Oakamoor was in poor condition and we were limited as to how many trains we could run a year so the CVR lifted the track to buy the rails from MCR on the Cauldon line and has since bought the lease from MCR. The MCR is still trying to get the line from Stoke to Leek but everything they try seems to hit the buffers. I am not connected in any way with MCR but would like you to realise the problems they are up against.

 

Yes. The CVR line up the Churnet Valley to Leekbrook is a pleasant river and canal-side line but combined with the section from Leekbrook to Ipstones it changes from just another section of heritage railway into something really interesting where the echoing blasts from an engine working hard up the bank can be ringing in the ears.

 

Gone very quiet on here has nothing happened in the last year?

 

Focus now is on 'Reconnecting Leek'. The planning application for the reinstatement of track is with the council and we should hear the outcome before mid summer.

 

I'd add to that that the council seem very supportive, the Tree, Bat and Reptile studies (yes, on one level they seem rather silly but those are the requirements) all came back pretty clean. One step at a time as they say.

 

Is 'Reconnecting Leek' being driven as an MCR or CVR project?

Thanks
Jon

 

I must admit I've lost the thread a bit on this but I'm pretty sure that it is a CVR thing, because (if I remember right), the CVR has been granted a lease from the council (who own the trackbed). MCR would be either - Leekbrook Junction to Stoke, or Leekbrook through to Cauldon if/when freight from the quarry is to run by rail.

 

That’s what’s I was thinking seems very quiet from MCR side was hopefull of some good news.

 

Reconnecting Leek is now solely CVR and the Council.

MCR are leading the discussions for the Stoke line, which are as long winded as they always have been. When there's news to be told it will be online.