Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

Just out of curiosity, is there some reason it isn't timed for (say) 0740, to connect with the incoming mainline service from Derby/Nottingham?

 

A very simple reason: we don't like getting up too early.

 

I'm obviously missing something here! The post I was replying to says it leaves Duffield at 07:20, I was wondering why it doesn't leave *later*, say at 07:40, giving an extra 20 minutes in bed! So is the quoted 07:20 time wrong?

 

Possibly missed by many observers online was the public launch of the first half of the Derby Lightweight Railcar (M79612) over the Twin Peaks gala last weekend. The restoration quality from a gutted shell is astonishing, 10/10, and most fitting for such an important vehicle in DMU preservation.

Many people are familiar with the single unit Derby Lightweight "Iris" which has been restored for 20 years, however Iris is somewhat of an oddity being one of only two single units built, which gives M79612 (and it's under restoration partner) a slight edge in fully representing the typical pioneering class of modernisation plan DMU's. For this reason, it can be argued that this vehicle is half of the most historically valuable DMU in preservation, so the importance and value of it's return to passenger service after more than half a century cannot be over-emphasised.

A very special milestone indeed, congratulations to everyone involved. We very much enjoyed toasting it's first weekend on public trains and look forward to the completion of it's partner to finish the set. I'd be as bold to say that when finished it will be the most historically important item running on the entire railway!

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk

 

Looks significantly more comfortable than a Northern 150!

 

Market Day Special and Steam at Middleton Top Engine House 3rd May

This is not directly to do with the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, but the incline engine at Middleton Top will be running under steam for the first time in many years on 3rd 4th and 5th May. Entrance: £10-00 for adults; the steam is to be supplied by a visiting traction engine, and goodness knows when or if this will ever happen again.

The EVR will be running their usual market day special on Saturday 3rd May with the diesel railcar lewaving Duffield at 08-20 and then spending the rest of the day working a shuttle on the Ravenstor incline. That gives a unique oportunity to travel up to Ravenstor, then walk up through the woods to the Stone Centre and the C& HPR trackbed and on to the engine house at Middleton Top. The first part of the walk is the route of a 3ft gauge tramway which brought down stone from a quarry, and at one point you can see a short length of track buried in the ground. There is also a stone arched bridge which would have carried the never used 1 in 5 incline down from the C & HP to Wirksworth, passing over an abandoned lane which was once the old road into Wirksworth.

The walk would be about 2 miles, and the Steeple Grange Light Railway is also close by.

 

The Coal Tank, LNWR No.1024 will be arriving this week and will be operating next Sunday 11th May.

Meanwhile, if you are passing tomorrow and have the chance to visit the Middleton Top Engine House, then do it, boecause this is the first time the engine has operated under steam since the line was closed. It does work on compressed air occasionally, but this is the real thing.

 

1054 courtesy of the Bahamas Locomotive Society

Shop - The Bahamas Locomotive Society

 

On its way.

 

The coal tank has now arrived safely and will be in steam for our Road and Rail Transport Gala, which is on Sunday 11th May.

Also on that day, a spitfire is expected to be flying over Wirksworth at 11-23 AM.

 

Back To the 40s Weekend 14/15 June

This is shaping up to be quite an event. There will be four locomotives in steam: The Duke, No.47 Moorbarrow and the coal tank, plus a guest 0-4-0st, Kerr Stuart No.4588 which will be operating the Ravenstor Incline. Another distinguished guest will be a Valentine DD tank.

Two Spitfires are due to fly over Wirksworth at 14-14 on Saturday, and a Hurricane at 13-56 on Sunday, courtesy of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

 

Is the Coal Tank scheduled to work anymore services before it leaves the EVR?

 

I got to see the Valentine DD tank at Idridgehay at the back to the Forties weekend. It has an interesting survival history; after the end of WW II it was sent back to the factory to be converted into a bulldozer. They removed and cut up the turret and forgot about it. About 40 years later the factory site was being cleared, and there was the tank, which the present owner bought at auction. As the nearby scrap pile was being cleared, the front half of the turret turned up, together with most of the engine cover plates. The back half of the turret turned up in another scrap pile, and an experimantal tank gun for a valentine turned up in an odd corner at Rolls-Royce. After a little attention the engine was still in working order.

This is the first time we have been able to use the field opposite the station at Idridgehay and we are most grateful to the new owner.

The Duke was in full cry and looking exceedingly smart, the paint has been smartened up and the nameplates fitted to the tank sides instead of beeing mounted on the footplate.

 

Here are a selection of heritage railway bootscrapers on their way to the EVRA shop at Wirksworth: all Midland Railway, and all different from each other. The one on the left has no date, but may go back to the 1850's; it is a very rare inside keyed chair and was probably found on the Ravenstor incline several years ago, on the section which was built but never used. The other three will be £65-00 each, we'll have a think about the other one.

The proceeds of sale of these items generally go towards miscellaneous small projects at Wirksworth: something to look at on our Rail 200 Gala Event on 18th -20th July, if they last that long, but there will be others. Further details of the Gala will be published shortly.

 

EVR Rail 200 Gala 18th-20th July
The details of this event are shaping up

Friday 18th July: diesel locomotives plus one steam locomotive
Saturday 19th July two steam locomotives plus a diesel
Sunday20th July: two steam locomotives plus a diesel railcar

The coal tank 1054 will be on display ion a suitable location for photography, but at the moment it is not planned to have it in service. With a little luck the second restored LMS coach will be in use, at the moment it is having the final works done to the bogies. We aslo hope to stage a demonstration of the Road/rail landrover. Further updates will follow.