Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Doing my bit, recently joined as a volunteer and been working on E3809 doing some basic preparatory work.

 

Shame it was all in vain as we’ve been advised against opening due to Staffs Moorlands entering Tier 3.

Here’s hoping for a better 2021 (which it should be if all the plans we have come off, possibly 3x major milestones to celebrate).

 

As it’s out on Facebook, Batt Holden have today taken delivery of S160 3278. They’ve taken the loco on loan, and will restore it for an agreed period of use. Full press release to follow when we’ve written it. Though I believe first job tomorrow is to unblock the toilets which have developed an issue #winning

 

Two Pway teams out this week - one replacing insulating joints near Consall and the other removing trees close to bridges. Nobody went swimming. Pictures from Sheff.

 

Well the toilet got unblocked, the website got updated, some admin work got completed and to cheer us all up the Events Manager has fitted the xmas light from the train around the Class 20 and Katie. To be fair it looked quite nice in the dark, and also meant I didn’t fall over the stone at the bottom of the path as we normally do in darkness. Press release can wait another day...

 

I do try to restrict my diving exploits to the canal job

 

Different sort of job this week. A culvert under a small embankment south of Chedd appeared to have developed a hole and a hollow had developed in the four foot above the hole. Having moved one of the concrete sleepers out of the way we could dig down until we found the top of the culvert and the hole. Plug the hole and cover with concrete in bags then backfill.

 

Update from Batt Holden (open to the public)

https://www.facebook.com/568397586883216/posts/1493028327753466/?d=n

 

The job we started in early December was completed this week, packing the sleepers, bringing up ballast that had been left bagged nearby filling the beds and finally leaving neat and tidy.

 

The farmer is doing a grand job of clearing all them trees & bushes around Chombs brook.... Nice to see them carrying on after they first started up by the new man made lakes

 

Anyone able to offer advice (don’t need Facebook to view) ?

https://www.facebook.com/583425041827815/posts/1402943356542642/

 

"Is Leek Brook South the oldest box still standing in its original position? "

The Historic England listings for Crawley (LBSCR) and Bedale (NER) both say "ca. 1860". For Crawley I have my doubts; other sources give 1875 and stylistically I think that is more likely. Couldn't comment on Bedale as it is not really my patch.

This English Heritage report gives a good overview - relatively little before about 1870 that I can see but thereafter a large number of extant signal boxes. https://web.archive.org/.../ResearchRepor.../028-2012WEB.pdf

Not included in that document is Billingshurt (LBSCR), now relocated to Amberley. The Amberley website only says "before 1876" but it is of a significantly old design, of which production probably stopped in 1868. The 1876 date is when it was erected at Billingshurst but it may well have been in use at another site before then. https://historicengland.org.uk/.../the.../list-entry/1271531

Weston-Super-Mare (1866) would be another significantly early one still in original location and seemingly with a well-attested date. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1129748

Tom

 

Lot of original signal boxes on the Furness Railway / Cumbrian coast in Cumbria not sure on their dates know Carnforth is both old and unusual in design

 

This site reports on 2 different potential build dates, circa 1870 and 1882. Also on the Historical England site we have this:

"Arnside Signal Box was built in 1897 to the standard design introduced by the Furness Railway the previous year, the design now known as the Furness Railway Type 4. It replaced an earlier box built at the time of the line's construction in 1862."

Several other Furness Railway boxes in the area seem to date to a similar period, i.e. around the turn of the century.

Perhaps we could say oldest working signal box still in original position?

 

Apparently Norton South and Norton East signal boxes in Teeside (built 1870) are now the oldest working signal boxes on Network Rail - though possibly only for another month or so. There is a change.org petition to try to prevent their being demolished. https://www.change.org/p/local-councillors-help-retain-iconic-signal-boxes

Weston-Super-Mare is disused, but dates from 1866 which is significantly early in date.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1129748

Tom

 

The answers as to when the box opened, which no-one seems able to prove.

Cheddleton Junction opened in 1867 when the line from Stoke was brought into service. In 1872 there was a re-signalling scheme introduced. What we can't confirm was the box there for the 1867 date, or part of the resignalling in 1872.

It does look like once operational it will be the oldest working box in preservation. See what else turns up.

 

Goathland and Levisham on the NYMR both seem to date from the 1870s and must be close to be being candidates, but they too are mentioned as being involved in re-signsling schemes at the time, suggesting that Goathland in particular was originally constructed for the opening of the deviation that replaced the original rope-worked incline in 1868.

 

According to "Branch Line to Minehead" (Mitchell & Smith), the B&ER box at Williton dates from 1871, when the passing loop was installed.

 

In" The Minehead Branch 1948-1971" by Ian Coleby , Ian states the signal box and loop opended in August 1874.

 

Time to awake from the COVID slumber
https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/news/mosaic-rail

More BIG announcements to follow. Whilst the CVR has been quiet, we've been anything but behind the scenes.