Churnet Valley on the up.

As a youth i always thought of railways in terms of league tables with SVR, WSR, NYMR as the main top of the leagues. But i now believe (im probably bias as i now volunteer there) that this can become a top heritage line in the uk. With the line from stoke to cauldon low under plans to re open for freight and tourist trains to alton towers in the future if all goes to plan. this makes fantastic opportunities for Galas for special excurtions to the quarry. through trains from stoke(this means most likely Tornado). If anyone has seen alton station they will know how much of a beautiful station and photo setting this will be.
The line will also have traffic through the week for actual passengers to alton. Which to my knowledge no other line has.

 

Depends whether it is judging the enthusiast radar or tourist radar. A few lines within the next five years will find them selves rise on both tables.
NYMR and WSR will always be cemented at the top of both and the SVR certainly in the enthusiasts.

I know few people who haven't been on the NYMR, it has evolved into a national treasure over the years. The CVR needs to grow in peoples hearts to rise tables.

BTW I have nothing to do with any of the lines mentioned, this is an outsider view.

 

The SVR is up there with the NYMR and WSR for tourism. Having walked along the river back yesterday between Arley and Hampton Loade and I must say it was a beautiful walk. All the trains were well filled yesterday. With the SVR coming very close to hitting the 250,000 passenger barrier last year I would place the SVR in the top 3 of both leagues everytime.

 

I think most people would, and would add the Bluebell into the top category - there's a lot more to being a top division railway than route miles or passengers carried. Scenery, vintage coaching stock, numbers and variety of locomotives etc all form part of the equation and, arguably the West Somerset falls a little short of the other three in some respects but it is a contentious issue! If the plans for the CVR come about it will certainly be on the up, but whether it will ever be able to join the top flight is a different question. In my view, probably not because it hasn't been going long enough to have acquired the sort of collection of locos and rolling stock that the others have.

 

I thought the CVR had a problem with a tunnel full of bats that stopped the line getting to Alton ?

 

The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways are certainly in the top, I think the joint passenger figure is around about the 200,000 mark, but only have the FR figure to hand.

The FR is a railway of international importance with heritage everywhere, and allthough it's a heritage railway, it is by no means a preserved railway, because it's an evolving piece of railway, developing to suit the circumastances, just as it's origonal designers would have intended.
There's also the small matter that on the combined railway you'll struggle to find a better ride where the engines work thier ******** off, the coaches are modern and the views are stunning and ever changeing.

 

Yes i Do completely agree with you about rolling stock on the Churnet. I think when it starts to get bigger, which will bring in the extra money to be spent on locos (the 8f and 9f in barry condition) And who knows what locos will get bought and sold in the next few years. Its all time to see what happens And if the line gets the go ahead it really could be one for the future. (just like the northern extension of the Great Central)

And yes i forgot about the Bluebell That to is excelent. Along with many others Mid Hants, Great Central, KWVR, Glou war railway, Swanage, North Norfolk, LLangollen, east lancs, just to name a few. But i wont mention the Torbay line on that one. Which is a great shame as i was born in torquay and would have loved that line to be up there. Not many lines have the amazing views that it does have.

 

How does all the optimism square with the "Scrap metal thieves are killing the CVR headlines though?

 

Well thats not entirely true. The scrap metal thieves are going up to oakamoor sand sidings and taking stuff off locos that are un operational, and all the coaches that are stored up there that need £££ spending on them. and whats been stolen would = 40k to replace but only a couple of thousand worth of scrap metal value. They still shouldnt be down there stealing but its a long way off closing the line. Unless they started heading down to Chedelton and taking things off operational stock.

 

the thieves have actually been targetting all the stations on the line over time,and stock which is also operational and was took upto oakamoor to store has also been targetted, we were fighting a constant battle on the s&t with losses of equipment,we still have unwanted visitors which fortunately weve got to before anything could occur, but thats only good while theres someone there to stop them,at night no ones about!

dom, volunteer cvr.pr

 

I've always liked the Churnet Valley because I think they have a healthy balance of interesting locomotives and rolling stock, wonderfully restored stations, lovely scenery etc and just a great general atmosphere. Perhaps I'm just uneducated but I don't really see how the proposal for 'tourist' trains to Alton would work though. Who would pay for the restoration of the line between the sidings at Oakamoor through to Alton station? If it was up to the CVR themselves to fund that and put in the volunteer hours then it seems unfair that another company should be able to swoop in, run trains and take profits, but if it was up to the outside company in question to restore those few miles then the CVR would never get to operate over them which would be a massive shame since it's such a pretty route (Alton station is fabulous and Oakamoor could be).

I'd prefer the Churnet to focus on restoring the line into Leek first and then down to Oakamoor and Alton. Does anybody know whether the CVR own the station site at Oakamoor, and precisely what the issue with the tunnel is?

Also I do remember hearing or reading three or four years back that the Churnet themselves wanted to restore and operate over the line to Caldon Low - is that not a part of any long term plan anymore?

 

the MCR and the CVR are planning to operate the whole line from leek to alton to caldon to Stoke interchange, planning is in progress at present on various aspects of how to go about this.

dont think they own the station at oakamoor,not sure what issues are regarding tunnel

 

I believe that the CVR's land ends either just short or just after the rail bridge over the River Churnet which lies on the lifted section between the sand sidings and the tunnel. A fence was there at one point but long since trampled on! Not sure who owns the bridge itself. This would mean of course the CVR neither own the tunnel or the station.

Another rumour to throw into the mix.....the last I heard the tunnel was in OK condition (albeit with some damp) with hypothetically just minor repairs required. This was just hearsay though as you'd have to inspect the structure properly of course.

Everyone always likes a good chat about extentions (I think that's something Heritage Railways all have in common!) and I'll echo others in saying it would be great to see any trains running down that section - I'm told the railway between Oakamoor & Alton runs close to the river with the possibility of views from the train of the valley/river - as I've never walked further south than the tunnel is this true?

 

yeh its is true. If you go on google maps and trace the line you can see how close. but you would need to cut all the trees back as its quite over grown in places. If you have ever been to alton station tho, IF the line ever gets there will be right up there with beautiful scenes in all of preservation. And churnet valley already has consall station, Compared to some lines the stations look very good. Except for Chedleton, that needs lots of tidying and finnishing (the building being aquired for the other platform and making the line rejoin would help alot. But it has the main building which is really stunning architechture. Oakamoor station would need to be completely re built as there are only the platforms left. But as you can see at froghall this is not out of the question. And the locking keepers cottage is still there
this is oakamoor station
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1226649
oakamoor keepers cottage
http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bits/buildings.html
alton station
http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/stations/gallery/alton.html

 

Also - the trees on the down platform (on the left in in the pic) were cleared last year, you can now see where the excursion bay platform was, which rather usefully points northwards towards the rest of the CVR

 

yeh your right i went down in feb, and you can see the buffer stop made from rails, and like you say its pointing in the perfect direction for rails to run back to alton. One day, one day.