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Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by martinr1, Sep 12, 2014.

  1. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    The former Oddingley level crossing box is now looking very smart and ready for promotion to crossing loop signal box.

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  2. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    Something distinctly unusual in the yard this morning: a brand new, bright blue, battery bogie shunter. Built by Claytons, bound for Tata Steel. Currently on test and staying for at least a few more days.
     
  3. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    Two arrivals for Easter.
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  4. mikechant

    mikechant Member

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    I enjoyed the diesel gala on Friday, I'm not a vintage diesel aficionado (I like them but I don't have much knowledge of the different classes etc.) but the two-train (plus Ravenstor incline) service was much appreciated with the trains passing at Shottle adding interest, and the cider from the on-train bar went down well. Also it's great to see the progress on the new Wirksworth station building - one of the roofers seemed to make fairly spectacular progress in just a few hours!

    I wonder if a beer tent on the platform at Wirksworth would have been justified?
     
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  5. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    I think a beer tent would have been a bit of a commercial risk given the very patchy weather, though from my own observation a lot of beer was drunk. What we really need is a proper station building in which to serve beer.

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  6. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    More news from Wirksworth: the structure of the new toilet block is now up to eaves level and should be operational within about a month or so. This will mean the demise of the notorious "extra ladies around the corner", when the members of the queue are invited to use the staff facility in times of stress.

    The electric carriage jacks have been commissioned and work on the shed extension is said to be "imminent". Meanwhile Car No.79 has arrived from the NYMR for contract repair. This pullman was originally rescued from a Sheffield scrapyard where it served as the site office in 1973; I was at school then and did a double take when I realised it had the same number as my Triang-Hornby model.

    The Thomas Hill dieaels, Tom and Meghan, which were on loan have now been purchased with their spares at a very reasonable price.
     
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  7. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    [​IMG]

    The new jacks in action. Made by SEFAC, French I think.
     
  8. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    Yesterday was my first visit to the railway in four weeks due to holiday and other commitments. There have been a lot of changes!

    The railway is basking in the afterglow from the "Steam In The Valley" event, which broke all records by a big margin. The L & Y 0-6-0 has gone, and 78018 is working the steam services for the second half of the Summer. The new station building is now far advanced: scaffolding down, external painting complete, the contractors were applying the final floor skim. The toilet block is not quite so far advanced, exterior painting is not yet complete, but the structure is complete and it won't be long now.

    Down the yard, the Gresley Buffet (contract repair) is making good progress and looks marvellous inside, TSO No.4440 is having its window frames fitted. The PW dept have just about completed a turnout which will lead to a new, badly needed carriage siding. The turnout was started by Professor Schmid and his students last year; they will be back in September and we may ask them to build another one.

    After a lot of searching we have managed to find a lever frame suitable for operating the loop at Shottle and this will be arriving shortly; an appeal is open on our facebook site for contributions towards the cost.
     
  9. mikechant

    mikechant Member

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    The steam gala was great, enjoyed seeing Henry Ellison and Brian Harrison together, rode up and down happily all day!
     
  10. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    [​IMG]

    This is the new toilet block, structurally complete, but not yet fitted out inside. Despite the heat the contractor was on site on Saturday, laying the floor covering in the new station building.

    The Bus Rally on Sunday went very well indeed; there was a 2 train service - steam plus DMU and with the "Secret Gardens" event in the town. This produced heavy loadings on the trains.

    Down the yard the PW dept have been working on the new carriage siding. In the shed the Gresley Buffet is looking amazing, alongside it is a very shiny LMS BSO which has been shotblasted ready for final bodywork and painting.
     
  11. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    It has been a very busy week; many thanks to all those who supported our signalling appeal.

    The first phase was to send the works train up to Wirksworth, with 48 BR1 baseplates and spikes to match. On Saturday morning, I drove down to Wirksworth in a hired van to meet Mick Thomas who was looking very pleased about something; he pointed out a large heap of point rodding which had recently arrived and was already loaded onto the works train. The plates were loaded into the hired van and then our salvage party drove up to Thornton Clevelys where a large party of volunteers from the Poulton and Wyre Railway Society were waiting to meet us at their base. They intend to lay astorage track, hence the plates which we part exchanged for MR signalling components from Wennington Signal Box which they had in store.

    I'm afraid the frame itself was no use to us, as it was an incomplete 6" Midland tumbler locking frame. However there were large quantities of under floor components - cranks, beams, pulleys, signal wire tensioners, and other items including block shelf supports, handrail components and catwalk brackets, all of which will be required. The P&WR volunteers helped us to sort all these items out and we found a section of MR box cladding which will serve as a pattern to get more cut.

    On Sunday we unloaded and then proceeded to a private address in Stoke, where a private collector had a dismantled 10 lever 6" Midland tappet locking frame in his garage which he had been hoping to set up in his collection. The 6" tappet frame is a lot simpler to rebuild than the tumbler frame. The frame has been kept in the dry and is in very good condition, essentially as removed from the box where it served, the identity of which is not known. The frame is now securely stored under cover.

    The sooner we can begin building up the frame in the box at Shottle the better. There are still items we need to obtain, but there is plenty of work to keep the S & T dept busy while we hunt down the remaining pieces of the jigsaw. We also have enough equipment to start thinking seriously about a basic signalling system at Wirksworth which will enable trains to depart from both platforms 1 and 2; though again, there are missing items to hunt down, but our contacts have hopes. The salvage crew consisted of myself, Rob Davies, Bob Grange, Mick Thomas and Hylton Holt.

    Meanwhile the vegetation clearance team have been making a path for a crane access to lift the box on to the supports; the appeal is still open to cover crane hire and other expenses. Please see the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Signalling facebook site for details.
     
  12. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    [​IMG]

    Here is a recent arrival at Wirksworth for testing, an ex underground carriage fitted with experimental bogies.
    Photograph by Kyle Tait.
     
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  13. Greenway

    Greenway Part of the furniture

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    Looks strange in that location but I am sure many would be interested in more details about the carriage and tests - if knows, of course.
     
  14. daveannjon

    daveannjon Well-Known Member

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    Ex LT D78 Stock so Vivarail?
    Dave
     
  15. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    I have not had time to study the vehicle closely, but I think it is another project from SET, who also produced the modified Blackpool tram. The LT coach appears to have new bogies and very new shiny steel wheels.

    Meanwhile, the Gresley buffet is back on its overhauled bogies and looks absolutely stunning; it will be back at the NYMR soon but is worth a seeing while it is here. The new station building now has lighting and is at the fitting out stage but there is still a lot to do before it opens to the public.
     
  16. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    The LT coach appears to have stub axles with independently rotatable wheels for sharp corners.

    The Gresley Buffet has gone back to the NYMR and the new carriage jacks have been assisting work on the DMU fleet. The next candidate is probably the LMS BTO which has been having an intense programme of flatting filling and painting outside and is being fitted out inside. It is expected to be in traffic early next year.

    The new platform building is at an advanced stage of fitting out, last time I looked in the team were assembling display cabinets. Work is continuing in the toilet block.

    Down at Shottle crane hire company have made a preliminary visit, following which the lineside team have been clearing a path through the hawthorns to enable a crane to get into position to lift Oddingley box onto its stilts. No news of the actual date yet.
     
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  17. 49010

    49010 Well-Known Member

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    Really glad to hear that the Gresley Buffet has gone back to the NYMR, I look forward to renewing my acquaintance with it soon. I thought I was hallucinating when I saw it in the yard a year or so ago... GN? In the heart of MR territory?

    I'll also say that whenever I visit the EVR with the Old Man in tow, I'm always struck by how much structural work is being done, new buildings etc. On the quiet, I think the EVR is one of the better preserved railways in the UK.
     
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  18. mikechant

    mikechant Member

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    It's certainly a serious candidate for one that has made the most progress in the shortest time.

    About time I had another visit to see the Wirksworth station building, maybe Tuesday this week...
     
  19. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    Further news from Wirksworth: this weekend we will welcome Professor Schmid and his students for their annual visit, their main task will be to begin assembling materials for another carriage siding. Contractors have begun assembling the steelwork for the carriage shed extension, inside it the LMS BTO is now in undercoat.

    The new platform building is in the last stages of completion and is to be formally opened in October, in advance of the Model Railway Exhibition which will be on 19/20 October.
     
  20. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

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    I called in yesterday afternoon to welcome the Birmingham students and introduce them to their weekend projects. The sheer scale of the activity on site was very impressive. Members of the 10000 locomotive group were working on the old motor garage at the top of the site near the entrance which is to be their new bogie overhaul shop, at the other end of the yard the contractors had put up the steel structure for the shed extension. Another Gresley coach has arrived for restoration and the Gardens Team were busy in the station gardens. Meanwhile stock was being shunted for the weekend: and it was only Friday.
     
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