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Moorlands and City Railway

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Guest, Oct 14, 2009.

  1. p/wayman

    p/wayman Member

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    Have had a new camera so now I can at last show some photos again of some of the work on the CVR/MCR. Today we had to change a sleeper by the signal box at Cheddleton amongst other jobs so took a photo of that then forgot to take the replacement being put in. 2 others I took were of the S160 5197 this for the last time for a while with the boiler on the frame as it will be lifted off in the next couple of days and the chassis of the LMS carriage that is being restored after being sandblasted and painted.
     

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  2. Corbs

    Corbs Well-Known Member

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    5197 seems to have been dismantled rather quickly! Great work. It's going to be cool to see two S160s working together.
     
  3. Merlin

    Merlin New Member

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  4. brmp201

    brmp201 Member

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    This looks like good news to me - "substantial upgrade and replacement of much of the outdated track will be needed before MCR can run regular freight trains" - and this will be completed next year.

    Surely, they wouldn't be making that investment unless they know something we don't, and that the Stoke - Endon negotations are progressing well and the running of regular freight trains in the future is a done deal?
     
  5. chris meadowcroft

    chris meadowcroft Member

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  6. Merlin

    Merlin New Member

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    But why would you start on an operational bit of railway when all the declared objectives were to go West from Leekbrook to Endon?
    A look at the accounts of both CVR and MCR reveals a difficult financial position in that CVR has lost £100k in each of the last two years and MCR also lost £1ook in its last set of accounts and had £3 in the bank. There is even talk in the CVR accounts of lifting the track to Oakamoor if necessary. So unless the fairy godmother has arrived and is to be revealed shortly I don't see this as positive at all.
     
  7. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Thanks for the doom/gloom. To be a bit more positive though, as Chris says how can you replace track with the old stuff still in place?? This relay is being financed by MCR as it is them who want to run the freight services and it is they who signed the agreement for the branch. CVR has just being using the Cauldon Branch (free of charge) since 2011, we don't actually own any of it. This new announcement is the first of a few over the next few months that all form part of MCR's Project which will be beneficial to the CVR in the long term. Myself and many other CVR members are thoroughly looking forward to the exciting times ahead!
     
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  8. Merlin

    Merlin New Member

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    I understand the desire for this to work but it requires reality not just hope. I just don't buy the story in the recent announcement.
    The point is MCR have no funds according to their accounts and are being financed by the CVR who have bought £1 shares in it for £200 each and thus acquired 6.2% of the MCR shares for £150k. That looks bizarre.
    MCR still also owes the CVR significant sums.
    MCR has lost almost half a million pounds so far. The financial strain on the CVR is clearly very significant and the directors have my sympathy reconciling their legal obligations and the reality of the situation.
    I believe a very large capital sum is needed to deliver the plan which either requires openness about the position or the long awaited and promised fairy godmother.
    I have never seen a fairy godmother yet but they reputedly exist. The Welsh Highland seems to have one or two. I await their arrival in Staffordshire
     
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  9. nigelss

    nigelss Member

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    It might be more accurate to say that MCR have invested half a million pounds so far. As I understand it, it has always been the case that the Cauldon branch requires substantial infrastructure replacement to be able to handle heavy freight traffic. The fact that it is going ahead only goes to show that this project is not pie in the sky. It is a shame that the official website is not kept up-to-date with the work in progress behind the scenes but maybe that will change one day.
     
  10. NeilL

    NeilL Well-Known Member

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    Let's be positive and welcome the godmother. The Cauldon line needs works done on it, as does Leekbrook to stoke, but it makes sense to start at one end or the other.
     
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  11. Corbs

    Corbs Well-Known Member

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    Aye, it would be a bit hard for them to earn any cash with bad infrastructure and without running any trains?
     
  12. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    What is the current state of the track west from Leekbrook? I can't see any point in working on the section to Cauldon, and depriving CVR even temporarily of the ability to run trains there, unless and until the rest of the route for freight it close to being ready.
     
  13. Merlin

    Merlin New Member

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    But it would not be right because:
    1. a large proportion of the money spent by MCR has come from the CVR for which they have got a very small proportion of the shares
    2. the closure of part of the line to Cauldon due to its poor condition does not look like an investment.
    The basic problem remains that neither the CVR or the MCR have the funds to invest to move the project forward unless new resources arrive ( the fairy godmother).
    Clearly many want to believe and hope that is what will happen. I hope they are right but fear they are not
     
  14. Corbs

    Corbs Well-Known Member

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    No, closure does not look like an investment, but lifting knackered track to replace with new isn't the same as selling off the land.
     
  15. 5944

    5944 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Not much point in reopening the line to Stoke if freight trains are unable to access Cauldon due to the state of the track. The whole line needs to be brought up to scratch at some point, so why not start at the far end of the line?
     
  16. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Again why the doom/gloom?

    You say you've read the accounts, yet you've clearly only read it at face-value otherwise you would not have raised some of the non-issues you have.

    This piece of news is good news, and after speaking with one of the MCR Directors this very evening there is more to come out in the next few months. You can doubt all you want, but not everything must be made public knowledge straight away. Remember these are the same guys that re-opened the 8mile Cauldon Branch in a little over 6 months. That was just the beginning of something far bigger. OK they may have been optimistic with their original timescales, but as no-one has ever tried a project like this before are we really going to condemn the whole project over a few slipped deadlines?

    Just watch out over the next few months. Some people on here and elsewhere will be served some rather large portions of humble pie.
     
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  17. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    At least somebody has the logic to work this out...
     
  18. Merlin

    Merlin New Member

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    So 2 questions
    Is the track now safe to work passenger trains east of Ipstones with the number of rotten/ damaged sleepers and broken chairs?
    Is the funding now in place to replace this track?
     
  19. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    Yes, they have been operated under CVR LRO since 2010. However the whole purpose for re-opening the branch was for freight services, and the track is not suitable for heavy freight hence the upgrading.

    Yes, and things will become clearer in the next few months.
     
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  20. p/wayman

    p/wayman Member

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    Where do you get the idea that there are broken chairs? The line is walked every month and IF there are any they are changed the following week. As for sleepers there are a few that need replacing, but remember that in 2010 over 2000 were changed. So in answer to your question the track is SAFE but is worn and needs replacing which is what is going to happen.
     
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