Moorlands and City Railway

I dont think theres an option Jeff, to get to Lafarge, we will have to relay down the old branch. To load lorries and to ferry them up to the Tarmac exchange sidings and unload them again has got to be a no brainer. I'm amazed how intact the old Waterhouses branch is considering it was closed in the 30's.

 

After an extended break through weather and holidays, the pway turned out today in good numbers and once again the weather was great for ducks. We split into 2 groups, fortunately I drew the long straw to work at Froghall jacking and packing, at least it was warm work. The other group ( Coboman, Gav106 and Sheff included ) did a walk down to Oakamoor pulling a trolley to do some small repairs found on the last line walk. There is absolutely no shelter on the walk to Oakamoor and they were just seen in the distance coming back after 4.5 hours. We were wet through and by now cold as well so did not wait for them, so well done lads, wasn't that a delightful way of spending a day in the fresh air after the holidays. See you next week.

 

Had a good day today working at Cauldon, measuring up and doing some preliminary work in preparation for the reinstatement of the runaround loop. The head shunt at the end unless changed, will be 180 ft. enough for a double header?. A lot of work there, will it be ready for the diesel gala announced on the CVR website today? . We will have to wait and see.

 

180ft? You could fit a 3-car 104 in there

 

Hi Chris, Why would you want to put a 3 car DMU in there. It would be good if you had 2 -3car units running up that would confuse the lineside photographers.

 

Well, for us crazy DMU nuts, having a tail load (GUV, milk tank, box van etc) is a nice thing to do at galas that we'd never do in "normal" passenger service, much like double heading really.

Sadly, after all the fun we end up having to run round the van, hence the use of the headshunt. It wasn't a serious suggestion though, Cauldon Lowe running is currently complicated enough for the crews/organizers without having to shunt GUVs on and off the trains!

That's not to mention the extra FPL you'll need at the south end, oh and the loop would need to be passenger spec as well. We got round it at Froghall in 2007 by throwing off the passengers while the running round takes place but you can imagine the difficulties in doing that at Cauldon

 

'Twas a bit of tongue in cheek Chris, looking forward to a run up to Cauldon in the DMU sometime in the near future.

 

I'll hold my hand up to floating the 180ft headshunt idea. This will enable double-headed loco's to run round without uncoupling, or having to get too close to the buffer stop. e.g. the Duke + Tornado = 142 ft

Of course the powers-that-be may yet decide on a different layout.

Iain

 

i like the idea of the double head shunt. the only question i have is that how long is it between the two points. how many coaches would fit between.

 

the only question i have is that how long is it between the two points. how many coaches would fit between.

When we measured up we thought between 7 or 8 coaches depending on the type of point that would be put in, so MCR will have to see what they have available and what would be best to put in.

 

A Mark 1 is 64ft 2 = 128ft therefore 2 coaches would fit in the headshunt, as 3 Mark ones would be 192ft, 12ft too long for stuffing 3 coaches into the headshunt.

7 coaches would be 448ft so the loop would need to be more than 500ft.

If you have incoming railtours.. wouldnt 10 or 12 coaches more be useful, but is it big enough to accomodate ? (or would it be top and tail ?) and use the headshunt ?

Wouldnt a more appropriate question be.. how big is the anticipated freight trains and would they need a loop or be shunt released ?

 

I think that 7 or 8 coaches would be sufficient for the galas and any normal running but for the longer railtours, yes they would have be top and tailed no problem there as already proved. There are other plans under consideration for the freight but MCR are playing it close to their chests until things are further advanced.

 

Picked a brilliant sunshiny morning for a line walk from Blackbrook to the Quarries today. Hope it's like that for the Diesel Gala, the views over the moor were fabulous. At this time of the year with all the trees bare you can still trace the old trackbed of the line to Waterhouses, which considering it closed in 1935 is quite surprising.The afternoon was spent in the loop and sidings preparing for the road/railer to remove the points and associated trackwork ready for the new layout. A good turnout today with 2 new volunteers with previous railway experience coming to assist us. All in all a good and satisfying day.

 

Just out of interest, how large is a "typical" group and has this risen since the interest caused by the November festivities?

You do a fantastic job, come rain or shine!

 

Thanks Chris, Since we started on the Cauldon line we have had 4 new members of the p-way team and thankfully they are of a younger generation ( we were not known as the Oap way gang for nothing). Hopefully these other 2 members who are younger than most of us will enjoy being here and stay. We are not the most mechanized of groups so a lot of hard work is done and things do look better on this front. At present we can have up to 11 men and maybe + the 2 new ones for the midweek gang and 5 for the Sunday Gang. A better set of people I 've never worked with, so long may it last.

 

All we need now is a nice light green 200bhp 0-4-0 diesel shunter to take us and our gear about the place

 

Yes, I can just see us now all 11 of us in the cab plus tools. I'd rather see a Permequipe or Wickham with a trolley. We could keep your diesel as a standby engine or for use on the Stoke line to knock the trees down.

 

Knock trees down? I think not......

 

or a yellow bruff. double cabbed bedford van road railer. im helping the owner move house next week so ill ask him then.

 

I'd prefer a nice roomy guards van on the back with a good fire in its stove, been pulled by said 200DE. As for 11 in the permaquip or that wickham? no thanks.