Peak Rail General Discussion

Well at The weekend it did snow and yes it was windy too but that doesn’t stop us

Andrew,Giles and myself spent the day firstly fitting the Midland arm to church lane 6 signal in place of the BR arm that had adorned the post since the originally fitted wooden one split, we also managed to paint most of the distant below but realised we need to fit a stand-off mount to hold the ladder onto to reach the end of it, ironically there’s two holes just where we need to mount it so itl do us a favour in the long term fitting it for access

Rod has also trimmed us a piece of tread plate to replace the foot platform uptop as I’ve noted it’s rotting at the corner so that’s next times job too

Up at Rowsley apart from fitting out some of the display items in the box the heritage lamp outside has been wired in though needs a lamp and cage to finish it off

Up at the shed some contractors were doing rail grinding training and 5224s frames continue to be painted up by Martyn Adshead and Ollie , Rod is well on with the mezzanine stairs now pictured.

Apart from that we all managed to avoid most of the snow and wind

 

This little 0-4-0 no5 will be with us for about 6 weeks, she was out and about today into Matlock pictured alongside an EMT service train and also at Rowsley


photographs courtesy Mr A Civil

 

A few more of no15 on the passenger runs yesterday

 

Other news

the chapel en le frith model railway exhibition is on this weekend run by the New Mills and District Railway Modellers at Chapel en le frith high school and the association will have its volunteers stall out as usual, it’s a great exhibition as well worth visiting folks.

Chesterfield branch show



Ken Horan has decided that "Around the World" his Swansong at Peak Railway Association at Chesterfield on 17 March will be his final finale of presenting his railway shows.

Accordingly he will be "throwing the book at it" with over 400+ images including many not previously seen, and including pictures from all of his overseas trips to Cuba, China, etc. etc.

To avoid this becoming a Ken Doddexperience where you need to take your own supper, Ken Grainger has agreed that Ken (Horan) can start at 19:00. This is half an hour earlier than usual, and has not yet been updated on the web page:-

https://www.peakrail.co.uk/membership-and-volunteering/peakrailwayassociation/chesterfieldbranch/

OR

https://tinyurl.com/qm8oh49

I will try to remember to send a further reminder a little nearer the time, but do please update your diaries and calendars now, lest I forget.

Dave

 

My own department was out at church lane today fitting the proper midland foot platform to church lane 13 signal which has never had one fitted before and the ladder from it previously having been cut down needed altering. So both attended today. All that’s needed now is a repaint as soon as dry


speaking of dry (or lack off) services today were curtailed short of the river bridge at Matlock due to the high water levels in the derwent. Which was easily seen up at Rowsley at the site entrance around 3pm and it was due to peak around 5pm

 

One thing I did forget to mention is the work the LMSCA are doing on 7828 which is in for maintenance and tarting up, the A6 side has had a good rub down and fill and sand again and is in process or being repainted. The guttering mouldings have been remade and are due to be refitted soon too

 

Stormy Waters & Sunny Riverside on Sunday...

 

Yes it was weird high water and sunshine


The bridge is supposed to be worked upon this week, trains this weekend are not running beyond darley dale due to it according to the website

hopefully pics to follow

 

From the look of it in the photo, the superstructure of that bridge is going to need some serious attention soon; just a clean and a re-paint at this point, I think, although we've all seen what ensues if that's put off too long.

Noel

 

Superstructure is supposed To be in good nick according to recent survey done after the floods , we ran some testing trains over with the surveyors monitoring to check any movement etc , a clean and a paint we’ve all thought is a good next step

back in the early days The bridge deck was sealed and weep holes sunk in before the railway reopened over it thoughtfully and The holes are still clear with the occasional one rodded out as needed, extra plinths were fitted underneath on the stone piers which I’m assuming prior to reopening as look modern not BR, the stonework piers either side have as required been repointed. I remember doing one with the boss years back and a pressure grouter. if anything the council want to maintain their wall and footpath better as there’s a constant stream Washing from the old quarry above when it rains down over the Matlock end pier

the work by the contractors is focusing on removing ,repairing and refitting the damaged ties that sprag between the river pillars which were clamped on and torn off on one corner in the recent floods by trees and bails that jammed against them underwater when the floods were pushing for a good eight hours plus, some force that lot

I should get a chance and get some
Photos if the weather holds off. storm Jose go away

 

Most folks we’re indoors today not surprisingly as we went from winter snow showers to summer sun nearly every hour . John Gerry and myself spent the morning at darley replacing a bearing on the gate which was made easier thanks to trains terminating at darley due to bridge work at Matlock, though a glance this morning showed the river up again with the rain from the pervious days and the dam upstream

then I headed upto Rowsley to do some more clearing out work and also fitted the fire bucket mount to the box again from when it was up at darley, repaired the register desk and gave it. Once over paint and fitted the display block bells. The display side is getting there nicely and an interpretation board is in the offing as we speak. I also did a bit of stores work too

In the Loco shed Andrew was busy fitting the steps on his industrial which last week were nowt more than plates of steel in my motorcar. And I also had a nip in on the LMSCA who have mounted the new guttering on 7828 and have also started repainting her and fitting bits back on her, the Ashover light way chaps were busy having cast concrete stands for the container workshop with the other to follow next.

In the woods the re-enactors were braving the weather With their winter camp

 

For a requested £3 donation on the door, all welcome to:



Monday 2 March 2020 at 7:30pm





"10+ Years at Platform 5"

- digital - Robert Pritchard



Robert is now Editor of 'Today's Railways UK' magazine, and also author of the Platform 5 handbooks on Czech & Slovak Railways, UK Metro & Light Rail Systems, and Preserved Locomotives of British Railways. Working for Platform 5 means he gets to photograph newsworthy events and gain access to privileged areas.


Robert travels extensively at home and abroad, and tonight we see the period 2006-2011.


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The room was warmer last month, so I have again texted Liz to request the heaters in the function room be switched on from lunchtime tomorrow.


The 100 Club AGM usually in March, is postponed until the April meeting.




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Presented by: Peak Railway Association (Sheffield Branch) at
The Harlequin Pub (upstairs function room)
108 Nursery St, Sheffield S3 8GG

Bus routes 3, 3a, 7, 8, 8a, 83 and 83a stop near the front door.
(all of these routes have stops on Arundel Gate close to The Crucible)
Hope to see you
Dave
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David Sharp
Peak Railway Association, Sheffield Branch

(E): 0114 274 5478
(M): 07950 787 231 (text or call)

future branch programme and directions to The Harlequin, can be found at:

http://www.peakrail.co.uk/SheffieldBranch


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aizlewoods Mill car park. The menacing parking notices are to tackle daytime abuse. Aizlewoods confirm Harlequin patrons can continue to park in evenings. 'Policing' only done by Aizlewoods staff (who finish at 1700). The London security firm is used just to process any parking notices instigated by Aizlewoods.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Some pics from Stuart Graves and myself this time.

The Ashover gang were busy concreting more footings for the container stores with Martins help, the Lmsca have finished the work on 7828 and that’s been shunted out ready to be put back into the service train too.

couldn’t resist the photograph of the vintage car (local rally round the Dales going on) passing the Carriage museums regular horse carriage run by Darley Dale crossing , so a photograph attached.

My own side of things, Church lane 13 signal has been repainted, plus the point machine covers plus both Darley and Church lane wicket gates , some more box work inside Rowsley box and whilst doing some exterior painting, noted. One slat above the door was rotted away so have replaced that but will likely replace the adjoining one too next time.

Work on the steel work of the adjusters has also started in the background, speaking of steelwork the mezzanine stairs are ready for Installation in the shed , Martin tells me he’s been redoing some of the cab air piping on the 25 and Stuart has been doing the lineside around red house cutting and Church lane.

The access road into Rowsley has been graded back and new top core put down and I believe tarmac Top isn’t too far off either once the last bit of top core is finished off.

No work as yet on the bridge as last weeks high water pig paid to the work and were awaiting the engineers to come back in their busy schedule but trains were running as normal, which gave me an opportunity to chat to a couple, one lady of which came from Australia (conversations about weather in both places followed)

More news, but we’l Leave that till next time Photographs courtesy Stuart Graves and myself.

 

Unfortunately I didn't have time for a ride, but on Saturday I did manage to grab a couple of shots of Eustace Forth at Darley Dale. Does anyone know how long it's staying on the line?

 

Please note that, because of the Coronavirus threat, the March 17th. Chesterfield Branch presentation 'Around the World' by Ken Horan, has been postponed - a revised date will be posted when arranged.

 

Little to report on this time with the covid19 virus bringing the country to a standstill, this weekends services being the last till further notice and were watching the situation like everyone else very carefully, the permanent way have been replacing worn crossing noses at church lane and riverside , stay safe folks and hoping for a better rest of the next few months to you all, your folks and kin and to all you other volunteers, watchers and railways out there. .

when this is done someone take 2020 round the back of your respective sheds for a good telling off pls

 

At least we got the winter refurb finished on the NRM's LMS Third Open 7828 thanks to a lot of hard work by the dedicated volunteers before everyone went into hibernation.

Dave

 

So this will be an interesting update with the shutdown of the railway and country due to the corona virus pandemic

Whilst the services were suspended the other week some work on the background of the permanent way was ongoing with the crossing noses at church lane and riverside replaced, bonding up work Continued ,

prior to myself going in isolation I managed to get a little Work done up Rowsley on the demonstration signal which needed a mechanism to reduce the strike of the lever to the pull of the signal being that a turnover lever has more stroke due to its circular nature of movement, a simple loss stroke arm has been made up from a piece of straight bar and drilled to suit so that the lever wire comes in from the top and the signal wire further down with less travel and has been fitted and works though I didn’t have the grinder to chop off the spare chain at the time, something that can be done later on, the lamp in the outside lamp Ben restored has been fitted and the blockshelf instrument polished up, the Box floor has been stained up too

The steel work for the weight adjusters has been sorted with Dave and will be got and given to Rod soon now the mezzanine steps are done he can carry on with that work.

As an aside the national network have issued a call to arms for any signalling folk retired or heritage that may be able to help out the network at this time, i also notice they’re now after signal engineers too.

On loco news I’m told the boiler from 5553 had a second pressure test and held high pressure at the front end no leaks with some minor dribbles in the firebox still to sort.

The mezzanine stairs are fitted and the upper hand railings are being fitted and I’ve got a photo of the new trackwork on the Ashover light railway layout And Spondon doing a sleeper train too , also a picture of the ALR brakevan body under construction and their new lifting frame, the winch comes next. All from before the countries lockdown began.

some of us in lockdown have been doing homework projects including Ben who has been carving some nice wooden carriage fittings (pic attached) and I’ve been painting up some display items for the box too

Strange and testing times ahead for the next month or two, Hopefully all of you are well, stay safe and look after yourselves. Il see you all very soon .

Dom

 

Hope there isn't a Track Gauge issue here.
https://www.national-preservation.com/attachments/062b7047-c143-4270-9aab-231d05fc3141-jpeg.50615/

 

Just seen Bakewell station building is up for sale with an asking price of £320000. That would be a nice acquisition for the railway.