Heritage Railways running over Network Rail

It's a pity that an ED is not available on one end, then a 750 volt DC third rail pick up electric heritage run service (albeit on the mainline) could further push the boundaries.

 

I remember seeing photos of Dart Valley locos in the early 70s pulling stock-transfer trains on BR between their two branch lines. How many times did this happen I wonder?

 

Chinnor & Princess Risborough Railway, North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Peak Rail and Spa Valley Railway operate their trains over NR track.

North Norfolk Railway and Swanage Railway services over NR track are/will be run by a third party (NNR: WCRC operated the services last year, NYMR will operate them this year. SR: This year services operated by WCRC.) and have an aim of operating the services themselves.

 

Great Central (North) south of East Leake?

 

The Churnet valleys first train was operated whilst still owned by BR. D7672 ran to Leekbrook and collected some mk1 coaches and 33056 which had been offloaded at Leekbrook as it was easier. I'm pretty sure it was a BR traction inspector that drove the train.

 

Re the Bodmin and Wenford traffic from Fitzgeralds - this gives some background on the services:

http://bodmin-heritage-diesels.co.uk/home1/Freight.html

 

No, that is and only ever was main line operators working over a heritage line, not the other way round. GCR(N) didn't run over it until after the line was transferred to them.

 

No-one has mentioned the Churnet Valley yet, and its ambitions to run into Leek.

 

Do Chinnor, Peak and Spa actually run over mainline passenger lines or are they just sidings/redundant lines that they use?

 

Perhaps a better definition for the purposes o9f answering the original question is What is the next line to run on NR where the rolling stock used on said extension will have to be main-line registered" I think that then takes us back to the NYMR, NNR and Swanage v as the starting point - so: who will be next?

 

The Mid Hants ran onto a short section of electrified 3rd rail of BR/NSE in the 1990 at they used platform 2 at Alton for galas etc prior to the loop at Alton being comissioned... not exactly the same as NYMR etc but still a piece of the big railway

 

Thing is who could/would use NR to to augment their services? For all 3 of the lines mentioned in the OP it's kind of a logical next step, I can't see someone like say the SVR running Bridnorth-Stourbridge junction for instance. TBH I'm struggling to think of any railway with a mainline connection that could regularly run over NR without too much distruption to regular service or the mega bucks it would cost to modify/renew infrarstucture. Although I'm sure someone could reel off a couple of examples!

 

Does the Spa Valley count as it technically runs on the NR trackbed from Birchden Junction to Eridge alongside the Southern services albeit not on NR track itself

 

As a slight swerve to this thread, I was wondering if any heritage railways carry commercial freight operations. Obviously a connection to NR would be an advantage.

 

Ribble at Preston.

 

Would ballast count? The North Yorks Moors, Swanage and Bluebell railways have all had
trainloads in.
,
For internal use on the connected railway and an irregular traffic - perhaps once or twice a year -
but I think that if you can take something like ten hoppers it really does lower the cost.

The West Somerset Railway has certainly been used to bring in large pieces of irregular rock
"rip rap" for sea defence work quite apart from the stuff from the High Output Ballast Train to
the triangle at Norton Fitzwarren.

 

The NYMR had a couple of trains of scrap out a few years ago from a local scrap merchant.

Sawdust.

 

The Bluebell removed about 100,000 tons of domestic waste by rail - admittedly paid for by the railway, but a commercial freight operation as far as the freight company was concerned.

Another interesting one-off was the delivery (by road) of some new Network Rail railhead treatment wagons to Sheffield Park, from whence they were unloaded and taken by rail to where they were needed. It turned out that unloading at Sheffield Park was more convenient than any of the local depots on the mainline.

Tom

 

Every Dartmouth Steam Railway train departing from Paignton Queens Park uses NR trackwork over for a short distance either side of Sands Road level crossing. The crossing, as I understand it, is under NR ownership and control as the other track over the crossing leads to NR stabling tracks.

 

Track is owned by NR, has to be maintained by approved contractors to NR specifications. Spa trains run over the NR maintained LC at Forge Farm access road.

B