Peak Rail at Matlock.

looking great!

the NR side looks very smart too, paint and flowers etc.

would be nice to see replica station buildings with canopy on the peak rail side.

as the steps/ramp will be built up to the new black footbridge, where exactly will the steps go? hopefully not in the space taken by the original station buildings?

 

Breva,

<< window for the spare track ganger's cell. Used to have bars on it... >>

Really? Is there a room behind it then? Would you be happy to draw out what you reckon it looked like for me, at some point? I'm intrigued, how does one get in?

Ben (all intrigued)

 

As far as I know, steps will not be added to the ugly footbridge. We will have an access ramp at the Sainsbury's end, and certainly, if steps were to have been added there, then they would indeed occupy most of the site of the general room, the canopy and the original footbridge.

 

cheers, thats what I was thinking

 

An excellent reply, thank you Ben.

I assume the shop is also what is Bill Hudson's book shop. Can train tickets also be purchased from there?

Personally I wouldn't have thought there'd be need to reinstate the platform 1 waiting rooms. Obviously you need somewhere for the PR offices and the passengers bound for Derby have managed without the waiting room for a good while. I'd anticipate everyone waiting for a Rowsley bound train would be waiting on platform 2 (if and when there are waiting rooms over there). Likewise I can't really see a need to reinstate the toilets on platform 1 if the toilets in the parcels shed are open enough of the time. I have no idea what you could use the platform 1 toilets for instead though.

I suspected it might not be possible to repaint the ugly bridge. The costs of scaffolding, track possessions etc would have been somewhat prohibitive. Anything to make it look a bit more vintage would be nice though.

Shame about the barrow crossing but I see your points about the problems establishing it across both railways. At least NR have let you get this far so I'll be grateful for that at least.

Thats a reasonable reply on the footbridge also. I appreciate it's not essential to reopening the station but it'd be very nice and if you're bottomless money pit begins to look like it'll start overflowing maybe you'll give it some thought. Hopefully you'll have not thought me thick for even mentioning the idea.

I'm sure until you have more failities Sainsburys will be very appreciative of the extra customers!

I suppose to give you a taste of the what can be done just look at Stanhope station on the Weardale Railway. I remember on their opening day it was well presented tarmac and a few fittings (much like how you describe Matlock will be). Now it has a beautiful canopy, station facilities etc... Keep up the good work. I look forward to visiting in the summer.

Ian

 

The ganger's cell sounds very interesting too. Could make an interesting feature at the station if it'd be possible to reopen it.

 

Folks, forgive me foe asking from someone so far away, but have you considered lottery funding, asking Sainsbury,s for a donation towards the buildings and loo,s etc. and linking up with the local papers for piblicity and so on?

Regards
Chris Willis
Mid-hants wagon group.

 

Hi Chris,

Lottery Funding- maybe, it's not at all straightforward. I'm dealing with them for another project. Wider issues of land ownership as well here.
Sainsbury's have already contributed, and have been very helpful so far. I don't dare ask them, for a while at least. I reckon they made all this possible, to a certain extent.
Railway Heritage Trust- maybe...

We're on it. Matlock is odd because we need to be open and settled before asking for money really. There are certain precedence and land control requirements to satisfy when obtaining grants, and it takes a little time and intelligent planning.

Ben

 

Perhaps the hole in the wall is the portal to the Str*t*gic R*s*rve

Dave

 

"id always come to believe the government gave up the idea of a strategic steam reserve when they saw heritage railways were doing a better job of it for them "...hehehehehe

as ben says theres a lot of stakeholders and players in everything and its down to a lot of hard work and talking from both sides of the fence that were at the stage we are now,amazing to think ten years ago thered be things like a reopened welsh highland,evr,cvr network coming back from the mists of staffordshire or even a connection at eridge or at matlock, havent we all done well in what we try to do!!!!round of applause to you all there.

there was talk of the buildings at matlock we rent being turned back into a buffet like they were when we first moved there, obviously plans for the board there to work upon,its a shame about the footbridge though it isnt well liked locally as you can gather from any search of the net, now for a nice midland one,--yes please!!!

the barrow crossing was also discussed by the freinds of the derwent valley group, main problem being that it does present both operating problems if we have a train in there as it would block it,plus theres safety issues there as most EMT/PR drivers would end up seeing people running out in front of them, you can imagine its the same at Port Erin on the isle of man where theres a mid platform crossing.

ps ben,ive been donated a brand new sack truck for matlock if youre interested,its in my shed now for you,il fetch it down...

dom

 

There's a rumour round our way (of which my Dad still tells) of all the crashing and banging heard when Kirkby Tunnel was reopened for the reinstated Nottingham-Mansfield line... Some real heavy machinery on site for a simple job. Could do with somebody uncovering a fleet of nicely greased and sheeted LMS/BR locos.

Think one thing we will do in the short term is adopt the buildings we occupy, a bit more than we have done so far. I'm keen to make both sides of the station 'agree', if you catch my drift. Reproduce the poster boards which used to be on the entrance side of the booking office perhaps. Now everything is in a fair rendition of red and cream it isn't too big a step to bring back the BR feel to the Up platform as well.

 

nice classic shot..

http://www.derbysulzers.com/5029matlockbw.jpg

 

Pete and myself spent today up at Riverisde putting in two of the wheel benches we built up on saturday across from the signalbox spot at Riverside to carry the wires to the pulleys,the third bench to go in next time,Pete has been busy also fettling up other bits ready for other jobs to go in.

The platform track looks good now its laid and ballasted too in Matlock,platform works next.

didnt really get round the different departments today,but noted HST,Class 50 and Mr Briddon busy over the last few days as was LMSCA.

 

Any updates on the platform work?

 

No actual work visible yet, but wagons loaded up with stone at Rowsley to go down to Matlock.

Dave

 

Just called in at Matlock, the works train is on the loop and contractors are at work on the platform.

Hopefully there should be two photo's

 

Quite a few pics on the PR members' part of the website, including one taken from the café at Sainsburys of the PR works train, reckon they'll be doing more business when the trains start.

Dave

 

Why is everything about PR so secretive. On the old PR website there used to be a "News" section, no doubt on the new one it too is buried in the "Members" section. Even the dissidents on Peak Rail Gossip have gone "Members only".

 

I have noticed that too and I'm utterly shocked by this anti-democratic, anti railway enthusiats !Peak Rail PR function as ordinary french PR not a compliment indeed!
regards
noel:tape2:

 

Pics are never in the public domain. As an interested member of the public, I have to trawl through the internet to keep abreast. I believe they're losing a lot of valuable publicity because of all the reclusivity. This will keep people away.

On the other hand they could be enriching uranium in the engine shed..