If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Peak Rail (Buxton) - What went wrong?

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Great Western, Nov 6, 2015.

  1. Great Western

    Great Western Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2009
    Messages:
    327
    Likes Received:
    174
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I just watched a early BBC program about Peak Rail at Buxton, they seemed to think that a bridge that would allow them to break out of their site would be in within 2 years.

    Seemed like a good steady railhead to really crack on with the route rebuilding.

    So what went wrong ?

    Regards
     
  2. philw2

    philw2 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2011
    Messages:
    494
    Likes Received:
    86
    The bridge is in. Look on Google maps street view..



    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
     
    Roger Inwood likes this.
  3. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2006
    Messages:
    16,510
    Likes Received:
    7,753
    Location:
    1012 / 60158
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I think that the plans were quite ambitious to start with and they didn't really engage with BR regarding main line access once the bridge was in.
     
  4. Woodster21

    Woodster21 Member

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2007
    Messages:
    460
    Likes Received:
    40
    Location:
    Derbyshire
    Lack of access to the mainline, restricted site etc
     
  5. John Stewart

    John Stewart Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2011
    Messages:
    4,206
    Likes Received:
    2,072
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Hilton, Derby
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    As "Woodster" says it was lack of main line access. East of the bridge there was perhaps only 100m before they met the national network which, at that point is the remaining single track from Great Rocks Dale. They also realised that operating a heritage railway from two ends some 16 miles apart just wasn't sustainable. Apart from Peak Rail's own aspirations a link would have enabled a service from Sheffield to Buxton via the Chinley East Chord. This is currently only possible with three reversals at Buxton because of the restricted layout adopted for the quarry trains.
     
  6. Chris B

    Chris B New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2010
    Messages:
    142
    Likes Received:
    54
    I seem to recall that the Darley Dale site might have been under threat of redevelopment so they upped sticks and got started there to protect the viability of the whole route. Now thet have the obstacle of the demolished A6 bridge in Rowsley to overcome before they can break out of their current limits
     
  7. daveannjon

    daveannjon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2006
    Messages:
    1,059
    Likes Received:
    372
    Location:
    Waiting for the Right Away
    I seem to recall British Rail wanted silly money to fit facing point locks in Wye Dale, ie bearing no relation to actual costs.
    Dave
     
  8. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2007
    Messages:
    1,311
    Likes Received:
    935
    Occupation:
    signal engineer
    all correct, Br wasn't going to let us out without resignalling the goods line to Great Rocks to allow us to work regular services, there was talk of a separate alignment and we run along side but that meant silly cash as Br had already moved the formation to the middle for best operations,not to mention altering the access to the still then working Topley Pike quarry as wed have cut through their pointworks, Darley to Rowsley was under threat of development and luckily we got through Church lane only a few years later on as the estate was being built down towards us, then theres my own take on the fact the local council in Buxton was more interested in shopping centreing the whole place than assisting any local tourism,eg look at what happened the Micrarium,the steam centre,the parks,the Crescent etc etc etc, Buxtons still a shadow of its former self.
     
  9. banburysaint

    banburysaint Member

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2008
    Messages:
    310
    Likes Received:
    368
    Didn't the site mostly get sold to Buxton mineral water, although sufficient space was left for a platform and run round
     
  10. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2007
    Messages:
    1,311
    Likes Received:
    935
    Occupation:
    signal engineer
    That's correct,bit overgrown but trees are never problem, there's a chance site may go yet with town developments,but all speculation until confirmed.
     
    banburysaint likes this.
  11. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,025
    For some of the background at this time - see "Memoirs of a Railway Volunteer part 3" in Bullhead Memories. In the early/mid 80s there were a number of steam specials into Buxton down the Ashwood Dale line, and Peak Rail operated a rambler service with hired DMUs over the same route, leading to the construction of Blackwell Mill halt, in I think 1986. it seemed a very reasonable idea to build the bridge and make a connection so that these services could operate into the Peak Rail site. Derek Hatton organised a grant of £20,000. In turn the scheme led to such adventures as the salvage of Mold turntable. The cost of the connection would have been substantial, but I think we would have managed it. The real problem was that either higher management or the inspectorate then stepped in and declared that the signalling system and track circuits were only fit for passenger use in an emergency. It may also have been the case that use of the Ashwood Dale line increased with a new lime burner at Hindlow, but after nearly thirty years I'm not sure of the details and I was not directly involved in these projects.
    At any rate, it had got to the point where the abutments had been rebuilt and the bridge deck was fabricated, so it was less loss to install the deck rather than give up.

    Tim
     
    kestreleyes likes this.
  12. philw2

    philw2 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2011
    Messages:
    494
    Likes Received:
    86
    Presumably, the bridge structure could be used on the Bakewell Extension Project?..

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
     
  13. John Stewart

    John Stewart Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2011
    Messages:
    4,206
    Likes Received:
    2,072
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Hilton, Derby
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Not to bridge the A6 at Rowsley, the span is insufficient.
     
  14. sleepermonster

    sleepermonster Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2007
    Messages:
    919
    Likes Received:
    1,025
    For my take on bridge matters - see Memoirs of a Railway Volunteer - part 2 I think. Anyway, there is no way a short span double track bridge can be used to make a long span single track bridge, on a different angle of skew. The real problems are 1. that the deck is usually around 10% of the total bridge cost and the old abutments have been grubbed out, 2. There is a very severe gradient profile in this area, in that the track needs to climb at a steep enhanced gradient to clear the A6, which has been raised, and then descend immediately afterwards to get back down to the stone arch railway viaduct over the Derwent. 3. If Peak Rail is to extend to Rowsley as an interim measure then the track at the proposed station site near the A6 must be as level as possible. I have not yet seen any reconciliation between 2 and 3.

    Tim
     

Share This Page