Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

I never said I loved it! And, I did not know that. So there you go. ;-)

 

In all fairness, you weren't to know and the real problem is that the loading dock was right in the way. It was also as ugly as heck: former colliery buildings such as those you see at Foxfield or Beamish look like cathedrals by comparison!

Fortunately, there is plenty remaining at Wirksworth to show the industrial heritage of the line, including a disused tunnel that goes right under town.

 

Any (long-term) plans to 're-create' the Wirksworth Station buildings as they were before closure to passengers?

 

Yes indeed. It will probably be subtly different in the sense that we want catering, decent office space, plenty of room for a shop and even - you never know - a little accommodation. Or The Railway Arms - I can dream.

 

Got to have a pub bar in it, for example like the One Legged Shunter at Foxfield.

Talking of shunters, it has been suggested somewhere that the visit of 47406 will be the first visit by a midland 3F on this Midland branch. However....the Railway Roundabout 1959 series featured Midland Compound No.1000 being taken up to Wirksworth to pose for official photographs and the local schoolchildren, and yes, it was taken up by a 3F, No47x29. A blotchy picture, x=possibly 4 or 6, does anyone know?

If you want a pipedream, never mind the dust dock - 1000 is out of view and doing nothing at Barrow Hill until September......

 

The EVR website dedicated to the Wirksworth Branch 150th anniversary is up and running at https://ecclesbourne150.org

The operating season shifts up a gear next weekend 18th/19th March with the diesel gala weekend; the operating roster is set out on the main EVR website, workings include a double headed 31/33 up the Ravenstor Incline first thing each morning. It looks like a busy week ahead, on top of the gala preparations the contractors will begin to concrete the shed floor and two big yellow things have arrived for testing/training.

 

BREAKING NEWS: Say Hi to Eric! One weekend only this weekend - www.e-v-r.com/dieselweekend

 

Despite some rotten weather last Saturday the EVR Diesel Gala was extremely successful, about 60% busier that the same event last year. It will be interesting to see what happens when the Jinty comes at the end of May.

 

Hot on the heels of the successful diesel gala, the EVR has just launched its 2017 poster based on a photograph taken by photographer J.C. Flemens at Idridgehay in 1947.

 

A surprise visitor turned up at Wirksworth this morning: a little green Thomas Hill 4wd with SBR on the side, seems in good order. Does anyone know the details?

 

Could SBR be Stratford & Broadway Railway?

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Statfold Barn Railway. It's Thomas Hill 188C/1955, usually the pilot engine on the SBR's very short standard gauge line.

 

Looks like Statfold are devolving themselves of standard gauge locos. I seem to remember a crane tank and an industrial tank loco moving too Chasewater or Foxfield. Happy to be corrected if these facts are incorrect.

 

The crane tank and an 0-4-0ST were sold, 'Hodbarrow' and 'Jacob' have been cosmetically restored and are in the museum, and I'm not sure whether 'FD&EC No.3' and 'Lord Phil' are still owned by the SBR or not; both engines now seem to be permanent Peak Rail residents. Three standard gauge diesel shunters have been or are being regauged to two foot. That said, the new tramway appears to be dual three foot and standard gauge even though the SBR currently holds no standard gauge trams.

 

Lord Phil and FD&EC No.3 are not owned by SBR; Lord Phil certainly has and No.3 may have left Peak Rail - hence the arrival there of HC 0-6-0T Jennifer from Llangollen.

 

Picture borrowed from GCR Shed news page! New big end bearing machined for The Duke.

 

Lord Phil I think at TYS, not sure about FE&EC.

Dave

 

Forgive the pun, but we have experienced concrete progress today ay Wirksworth. The floor has been laid in the new DfT-funded railcar restoration building and this takes us forward to the building's opening.



This photograph was taken by long-term volunteer Richard Buckby, somebody who has been with us since 2000 and has participated actively in taking the railway from a disused wilderness to this.

 

Will the shed have doors now it's been funded/extended? I always thought it was an odd omission...

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Doors will follow; the shed was always going to be extended, the question was lengthways or sideways. That has now been settled. I gather the concrete gang were working through the night last night to get the final smooth finish.