Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

BR MK1 5000 received its lining today by the sign writer, almost complete on the exterior, just a little interior work to do to complete the work. Looking good. CVR Carriage and Wagon Works.
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Just like last week Pway were at Iron Bridge and Froghall. Both jobs coming along well. At Froghall the main task was to get the six lengths of rail out of where they had been lying and onto the sleepers ready for maneuvering into the chairs.
Ideally done with a crane or similar but as it was only six lengths hiring in for a day would be a bit expensive. The mini digger cannot lift that weight but can drag a full length and we managed to drag the rails up the spaced sleepers. Should get everything chaired and keyed relatively soon.

 

All change, BR Mk 1 5000 out of the carriage works with just some interior work to complete and BR Mk 1 3809 ready to come in for completion. CVR Carriage Works 9th Sept.

 

The siding work at Froghall is nearly finished, just the buffer stops to get lifted into place and secured. This week was hard work levelling siding #2 and then ballasting.

 

First thing this morning PWay were working in the dark, this is not unusual, but this time we were replacing chairs in the tunnel. Once that was done it was outside and replacing sleepers on the Cheddleton entrance to the tunnel. Sleepers last much better in the dry conditions inside the tunnel.

 

North Staffordshire Railway Company (1978) purchased another vehicle, and asking for support with a further two possible vehicles:

https://www.nsrailway.co.uk/news/15663-acquisition.html

We've done amazingly well, if we could raise this additional £7500 we really would be in a healthy position for the expansion to Leek.

 

No rail transport available to PWay todsay so it had to be something within walking distance of Chedd. We had marked sleepers for replacement on the Basford curves, only 750 metres from the yard so having got the tools and sleepers loaded onto a trolley the youngsters pushed it down the track. Fortunately it was dry and sunny and the only problem was the sleepers we were putting in were much thicker than the ones being pulled out so we had to dig each bed down and level it before putting the new one in.

 

It seems PWay are stuck in a bit of a groove - another day changing sleepers. This time just outside the tunnel. The good news is that the work on the section from Chedd to the tunnel is now complete.

 

That was a good shift, damn them sleepers were heavy. I'm still aching today!

 

Two PWay teams out today - one changing sleepers on the Ipstones branch and a small team ballasting the siding turnout at Froghall.

 

BR Mk1 E3809 in Carriage workshop, interior work progressing. Insulation added, interior panels going on, electrics almost completed and window frame woodwork in progress. 21/10/2021

 

Back to sleeper changing, this time on the Ipstones branch, up near Threshing Barn, where it is flat bottom rail and spiked baseplates. Always the major problem is getting the spikes out of the chairs. None today proved to be too difficult and we used all the sleepers we took with us.

 

Just in time for Christmas (or Polar Express season)
First Leek Coach Restored - North Staffordshire Railway Co. (1978) Ltd. (nsrailway.co.uk)

 

Brake Post Office Stowage Van NUA no. 80457 has arrived after being purchased privately. It's immediate use will be to help with storage, such as the North Pole landscape upon the completion of this year's Polar XP specials.

 

A couple of weeks of updates:
A Sunday of tree work in the lower part of the valley with all the trees on the river side leaning the wrong way

6046 on her way out from the pad on Polar Express duties

Installing trunking under the line at Froghall. By the end of the day the job was finished with the trunking going from inspection chambers on both sides of the line.

 

Here’s some interesting news about the proposed Leek extension. Hats off to the team involved with the funding application!

https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/plans-submitted-to-bring-rail-line-into-leek/

 

An apallingly wet day today in the valley and as we were putting in drains it was dirty as well. Hopefully the two drains we put in across the track will keep it dry.

 

Fine figure of a man doing a very creditable "Catalogue" pose in the second picture - and a sighting of Sapper Mills in his natural habitat too!

Very wet day.

 

Just a tick box exercise, replacing the original accepted proposal. The only thing that has changed is the date really.

Old SMD/2018/0092
Planning Applications - Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (staffsmoorlands.gov.uk)

New SMD/2021/0700
Planning Applications - Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (staffsmoorlands.gov.uk)

The 80% grant is still available. Await releases in the New Year about efforts to obtain the final 20%
£1.4 Million For Churnet Valley Railway Signals Green Light For Leek - Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

 

PWay back to sleeper replacement again. Getting better at getting the replacement sleepers in. Unfortunately the ones we have at the moment, from Germany, are at least 30mm deeper than the ones we are taking out so every one needs a bit of excavating and levelling before the new one can be put in.